Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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No cleaning (or watching my beloved PSU football yesterday) for me as I spent much of the day in the ER due to a very sudden, out of the blue, attack of dizziness and instability. DS took me to the hospital and DH stayed home, better for both of us. My sister and I are real close and my DH would have caused me more anxiety.
CT showed nothing significant. Some of my bloodwork came back abnormal, not sure what it all means. I was given the choice to be admitted for observation and see a neurologist and have an MRI, or go home on meds, and see my PCP asap. I chose to go home. I heard too many stories of people with Medicare getting huge bills for overnight stays for observation, so no, thank you! The ER doctor said my choice was a reasonable one and the one he would have picked, so I felt better. I never said anything about my fear of a high bill to him or my sister. Got home around 5:00, went to bed after eating a bowl of soup and slept through t he night.
My DD reamed me out for not staying overnight. She said I would have gotten the care I needed there, but once home, I now have to play the wait and test game. She is right but I wanted to be home.
When I woke up this morning I looked at my alarm clock, which I only use to check the time, and instead of seeing red numbers expressing the time, I saw a very long line of numbers across the room, like the scrolling news bars on the bottom of the tv when they have alerts.
I was dizzy and it took a while before I could sit up, stand up and carefully walk to the bathroom. Then, instead of going back to bed, I went out to the living room and sat in the reclining seat of the sofa, covered myself with a fluffy throw blanket, and went back to sleep. I feel better now, than yesterday, taking the meds, but haven't pushed myself at all. Spent all day on the couch. I will call my PCP first thing tomorrow.
If it isn't one thing, it's another! Too tired to care.
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Puffin, the baby is beautiful!
MM, I’d say vertigo but that doesn’t explain the bloodwork being off. Definitely call you PCP first thing in the morning.
As bizarre as it sounds, at 64, I’ve never spent a night in the hospital. I’ve birthed no babies, have all my organs, and all surgeries were as out patients. With BC I was there before the sun came up, went into surgery 4+ hours late, and awoke to darkness, but was home by 9 pm. With the thoracic surgeon option to remove a wedge of my lung, I think what bothered me most was him saying I’d be in the hospital for 3 days. So Mm, I get wanting to go home.
I pulled our dryer away from the wall, climbed behind it to unhook the vent - after I unplugged it. Partner washed a pair of shorts with multiple business cards in a pocket. There were large clumps of dried paper in the exhaust vent. I didn’t like that, and not real sure how the screen did catch it all. I digress. Anyway I didn’t want to do it, but felt I had to. Mission complete.
I put away some yard tchotchkes but left others out. Ended up reading a book in the sun. But I had to keep moving my chair back to stay in the sun. At long last I went up on the deck, before throwing in the towel and going in.
Tomorrow morning is my appointment for a physical. It’s at 7:15 AM. I’m a nite owl so I’ll have to set the alarm for 6 AM. Later in the day I’m meeting my gf’s for a walk. Another sunny day is predicted. These pictures are from our walk last week.
The area I live in was farmland 50+ years ago, some still survive. But it’s truly suburban. We laughed at the one cow having to kneel down to stick its head through the fence for different grass. Enjoy the night!
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I clean up pretty well, all things considered. Needed less war paint than yesterday, found the right shade of purple liquid eyeshadow to mix with concealer to arrive at the lavender in the hard-to-find Jane Iredale & NYX palettes and the now-defunct L’Oreal one—to cover the yellow and especially the chartreuse blotch towards the bottom. The face-framing layer cut hides the side of my face. In this photo I’m not even wearing foundation or blush. As for the under-eye bruise, a little yellow topped with concealer makes it fade enough that my eyeglass frames hide most of it. I am nowhere near as fat as the photos make me appear: I’m lying in bed with my iPadPro in its keyboard case on my lap. (Too convoluted to use my iPhone’s camera and try to put the photo up on here—lacking a menu with the option to convert HEIC format, which BCO can’t read to JPG; on my laptop back home there’s a menu bar up top in “Photos” and “Preview”). For these two pix on this IPad , I simply hit the “picture” icon in the BCO icon array at the lower left, and clicked “Take Photo or Video,” followed by “Use This Photo.”
Mav, sounds incredibly scary. The visual disturbance with your alarm clock seems the most frightening. Hope you can stay stable till you can see your PCP. Personally, I’d have left it to the pros to be admitted and “imaged;” just make sure it’s a regular 24+ hr admission rather than the infamous “observation.” This is why we pay through the nose for the best PartB supplement we could buy. Haven’t gone out of pocket for anything but meds since we got on Medicare—not even CFD ambulance rides.
Sat through the obligatory HGV (Hilton Grand Vacations) upsell-attempt spiel that accompanies every HGV & RCI stay. They always say it’s an hour, but this time it was 2.5, and Bob was hopping mad—he wanted to go back and watch football and mourn the Bears’ loss & Cubs’ elimination. At least we get a first-round draft pick…assuming the inept Bears management decides to get venal and trade it away for “prospects.” We ate at Alexxa—after the snacks at the spiel, sharing a charcuterie plate was more than enough; we even have leftovers.
Going to Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House tonight and the Eiffel Tower restaurant tomorrow night (we didn’t spring for the $40pp up charge for a window table).
May slather myself with sunscreen (atop the arnica for my leg bruise) and hit the pool if it’s not too windy tomorrow. Yesterday the lifeguards were in hoodies, wrapped with towels. The water looked as angry as Lake Michigan on a red-flag day, minus rip currents. Today there were more people swimming. Did a bit more shopping (got a navy cardigan yesterday and a black one today so we don’t freeze at night walking around—I’d packed for the 85F weather that had been predicted). Suitcases will be heavy, but so what? Just hope we don’t get drenched in the taxi line at Midway Thursday night.
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Up to one's last breath, one may retain the simple joys of childhood, the poetic ecstasies of the young person, the enthusiasms of maturity. Right to the end, one may intoxicate one's spirit with flowers, with beauty and with smiles. Eliphas Levi0 -
So happy to see your second picture Sandy. You can now go out a bit and not have people wondering just who you made mad or how many stairs you fell down. I know you said something, but I've already forgotten.
Been quite the weekend for me. Don't know if I said I was able to get in to see the Skin Care lady about my leg which I knew was infected. Got prescriptions which she said would be called in. In the meantime, Dh who is their pt. as well got something for his arms although it was my appt. Didn't mind that, but they sent his prescription in to our Walmart here and for some strange reason mine to Marion which meant overnight and that almost always means two days. Got them to reverse it so I could pick up what I needed the next day. I did and later on in the afternoon what did we find but the same thing actually did get overnighted from V.A. Grrrr.
Hadn't been getting any rest during sleep so I only did what I absolutely had to on Fri. and slept most of the day in the recliner. Short periods of being awake to use the bathroom or try to nibble something although I had no appetite at all. Same thing Saturday and today as well with both days being a bit more wakeful at times. Hope to get back to normal tomorrow even if slowly. I have to get some sort of exercise going. I feel a bit stiff.
Oh, I may have forgotten to say but I definitely had an infection in my leg but all the spots there could be frozen. I had four places — three on one leg and one on the other. It was the single one that got so infected. A lot bigger spot than any of the others.
The spot on my nose and the spot just adjacent to it on my cheek are both cancerous. One a slow grower, one a fast one. The fast one has been there for a few yrs. but likely only flared this yr. So, they will be dealt with. Sandy, may have I thin been you but I will be going to Glen Carbon, Il. and having mols surgery. There is a good surgeon right in Mt. Vernon but he nicked my Dh and so I think they were reluctant to use him on me. Also may have had something to do with having both paces on my face and I am female. I have yet to win a beauty pageant (fat chance ever) and my major concern is that they get it all period. I'm at a age where it barely registers that I could be scarred or marred. It will be mols surgery though, so I think well worth going to Glen Carbon. Only thing is they won't do them both the same day. It will take two trips.
The new grandbaby is precious and you are seeing her at a time you can't get back i you didn't go now. The beautiful beginning of a brand-new life for the world. I wish her every success and joy possible and the same for her parents. Enjoy Puffin — no regrets.
MM oh my. I do hope this issue is temporary and not too difficult to fix. I'll be praying that to be the case. Old age is not for weaklings is it. Seems just when you're rolling along something else comes to get in the way and make problems. I'm hoping yours will be fairly short-lived. We are sturdy, but it is a bit wearing.
I know I've missed some people and things I would have oved to have said, but it is really late and my bed-time so I'm mentally finished right now. I did read all though.
Hopefully, I'll start getting back into the swing of things by tomorrow.
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Puffin - what a special day. Is she your first? My mother decided that she wanted to be called "GG." All the rest of us got into it too.
MM - take care of yourself. That sounds really scary.
Sandy - sorry that the Vegas trip is so disappointing. Does sound like you've been able to get into some interesting restaurants though. And you won't have to deal with an air traffic controllers' slowdown going home.
Chris - I am so technologically challenged that I never thought of using the translator on my phone.
Happy for you who got doctor's appointments moved up. Ours just seem to get moved out. Covid and flu are supposed to be Friday. We'll see.
Can't believe that it's Oct. although I certainly have been neither as busy or as active as many of you. I don't think I could walk two miles, even in such a lovely setting. And I know I couldn't stand for five hours distributing food, Harley.
This is the first evening we have been able to open the house, even after dark. And Phoenix officially recorded 0.15 inches of rain for the entire "monsoon" season. And other places, including farther north in AZ are flooding. What a climate mess we have created!
Had brunch today with a former golfing partner and DH. Talk about things that give you joy! She was virtually catatonic for several months and then wasn't. She needs a walker but will be able to move with her husband into as independent living apartment with a little daily help coming by.
Have a good week everyone.
Taco
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Sandy - you look great in the 2nd picture. Hope you enjoyed dinner at Emeril’s.
MM - scary stuff! Please keep us updated. You’re in my thoughts.
Illinoislady - sorry to hear about the leg infection and the cancerous spots on your face. Glad you got into see the doctor quickly. The Mohs surgery sounds like an excellent approach as it should be more effective and less disfiguring.
Puffin - a very sweet picture of you and your new GGD. Enjoy every minute. I love holding and cuddling newborns. When I was growing up my parents were foster parents for Catholic Social Services. Over a period of six years they took care of 21 newborns (they also had two foster children prior to my arrival, one of whom they adopted). Even as a young child I liked holding babies. If the baby cried, I simply returned the baby to my mom and merrily went on my way to play with friends or my dolls. The last foster baby was with us for almost a year before she was adopted. It was heart wrenching to say good bye although we knew she was being adopted by a loving family and was very much wanted.0 -
Taco, so nice to see about the recovery of your friend!!
Sandy, you are a veritable wizard with facepaint!! Of course, your work with the Bar Assn Show probably gave you some experience. You are not fat.
Cindy, beautiful pictures!!
MM, that is scary. I hope you are doing well, and can get answers quickly.
I eased up on my schedule for gabapentin withdrawal. The full dosage of trazodone is necessary, I think.
Puffin, both you and baby are beautiful!
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Mavericksmom - I hope you’ve been see by your PCP today and you’re feeling better. Hopefully you’ll get some answers or recommendations. Vertigo symptoms are so scary and hard to pin down the cause.
Cindy - I’m the one in the family who always leave things in my pockets and forgets to check before tossing things in the laundry. I wear sweatpants with pockets when I’m lounging around the house or exercising. At least I don’t chew gum any more. Love the photos. We live near some farms , although some are being sold for new housing developments.
Looks like you’re feeling better Sandy. Glad that the weather has improved as well so that you’re able to get out. Enjoy your dinner this evening.Sorry you’re dealing with infection when you had some spots removed Illinois. Sound like getting medication has been a really hassle. Hope you’re able to get some rest.
Glad you had a nice lunch taco with DH and your friend. Has it cooled down enough that you can start playing golf?
So generous of your family to foster children Harley. What an amazing experience for your family.
Chris - years ago, I was taking cymbalta for lower back issues. It worked great for several years, but suddenly stopped working. Weaning off of it was awful - the last two weeks after I stopped, I had headaches. Hope you have an easy time stopping gabapentin.
Busy cleaning this morning and then got my covid and flu shots before lunch. Hope everyone is doing well this afternoon.
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MM, hope you are feeling better and were able to connect with your PCP for expedited visit. Vertigo and dizziness are 2 separate symptoms that do need follow-up. With no nausea, it was most likely dizziness and seeing the distorted numbers does bear some attention. Let us know what they discover for causation. Be safe.
Cindy, those photos were beautiful and I loved the one of the kneeling cow. I guess the grass does look greener…
Sandy glad you were able to practice your wizardry on your bruises and make them less evident. That's a real skill.
Taco, how nice that your friend had some recovery from her health challenge. Hope she and her husband do well in their new surroundings.
Illinoislady, I was beginning to worry about you since it is not like you to be MIA. Hope you are feeling better and that the Mohs surgery solves the issue with the skin cancers.
Went to get bloods drawn this AM for PCP visit next week. I waited until 8:30 and found that I did not have to deal with early morning crush so I will do this next time as well. Asked her to use butterfly needle since right arm access is not good and no significant bruise this time.
Finished vacuuming first floor today so it is done. Just need to vacuum primary bedroom now. Rearranged room decorations there and finally got around to hanging last picture in foyer on wall going up the stairs. I have a collection of bird paintings from a local artist and love the detail in them. It is of Hooded Mergansers and is just lovely. So this is the last one for this wall since anything beyond it would not be visible from foyer.
Laid last 2 bags of mulch in bed by the road and discovered the deer have attacked the 2 hydrangeas I planted here. Will place chicken wire over them for protection. So this is the last gardening chore for this year for me.
Need to move a shelving unit that contains all my gardening items including extra planter pots. So this will be a good time to reduce how many I have and to rearrange the shelves. I will sort, organize and discard in the process. Even though DH has his own shelving unit right next to mine, I find that he starts invading mine which is a bone of contention.
He has just as many shelves but has 2 multi-drawer storage units that are half empty so his marching orders are to combine it into one and ditch the other. It will give him more than half a shelf of new space. If left to his own devices, he would end up on Hoarders. Plus he has no sense of organization since items are distributed willy-nilly. DD did organize all his car care products and he has already undone what she did.
Bought DGD an unicorn musical jewelry box for her birthday. I have some jewelry to give her but the jewelry box also included a beaded necklace and bracelet. She can move the beads from each to a pattern she likes just by unscrewing the ends. I ordered it on 9/30 and it arrived yesterday! It is lovely.
I had some flower seed packets I received in the mail with advertisements. I finally planted them this year and one was for wildflowers and the other for marigolds. The one tall lovely flower has bloomed several times and I have no idea what it is. The marigolds finally are blooming and they are also very tall. Enjoy them.
Hope everyone has a lovely day.
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Here are the photos.
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Freedom does not mean the right to do whatever we please,
but rather to do as we ought. The right to do whatever we
please reduces freedom to a physical power and
forgets that freedom is a moral power.
Fulton J. Sheen0 -
I love that no name flower. It is soo pretty.
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Taco, Luna is my 7th gt grandchild, but the first I've been able to see as a newborn. Some I've never seen in person, others were toddlers before I saw them because of the distance they lived from me.
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Word to the wise: do NOT stay at the Elara in LV. Starting about 5 pm I began smelling sewer gas from the bathroom sink drains AND the hot tub next to my bed. Half the elevators are out, and most of the time they’re slow—you can’t pick which one to use because the system assigns you a car when you punch in what floor you want. And now, coming home from a lovely dinner, turn on the TV—pick a channel, hit OK and the screen goes blank. Both TVs, both rooms. Janitor came up and informed me the whole system is like this, the front desk is swamped with calls (there’s only one desk agent present) and the IT guy won’t be in till 8am —and starting at 3 am they’re “upgrading the phone system” for “30-45 minutes.” How much you wanna bet it, too, will be offline all night and into the morning? The only way to reach the front desk will be in person….with people lined up 10 deep to check in. The entire lobby is under construction, so there’s nowhere to sit. They’re “understaffed,” except for swarms of sales agents roaming around with iPads trying to get the hotel guests to buy timeshares and us owners to upgrade to the next tier—but none of them can help with any actual hotel functions, because they’re neither trained nor paid for that.
The janitor came back with a bottle of enzymes to pour down the drains (including, BTW, the A/C unit). I asked how that will help and he replied “it eats the bacteria.” I asked him why there are bacteria causing this and he looked at me as if I were a stupid toddler (or a Martian) and said “because they’re drains.” News flash: the only reason a drain should smell like that is if the sewers (or septic system) are backed up….and we’re all the way up here on the 52d floor. Meanwhile, I have to wait an hour before I can brush my teeth, wash my face or shower. (And yes, it’s almost 1 am).
If the sewers are backed up all around the Strip, it’s because of the damn construction for next month’s stupid Formula 1 auto race. (The Elara is on Harmon Ave., right on the racecourse route, with the “paddock,” pit and grandstands in the parking lot). Everywhere we walk it stinks of weed. The sidewalks are jammed with loud morons brandishing foot-long glasses filled with boozy Slurpees (seems every other food stand is an array of alcohol-slushie machines). There are costumed Disney characters and fake showgirls with 5-foot feathered angel-wingspans—all roaming around trying to coerce the drunk and naive tourists to take selfies with them (and tip them, of course). There are break dancers (with loud PA systems and crowds) on every corner. It’s like Times Square crossed with the worst of Bourbon Street, on steroids.
Half the escalators to the street-crossing footbridges are out of order—and even in the upscale hotel-attached malls. It took us an hour to find someplace for lunch that wasn’t either closed till dinner, being renovated (“re-imagined”) or chain-restaurant crap like Chick-Fil-A, McDonald’s, Bubba Gump, or some pretzel/cookie/sandwich stand. We did find a nice non-chain place (finally) for lunch, but it was as pricey as our upscale dinners.
I want to go home. NOW. I don’t care how many HGV points we forfeit. Our flights are on fully refundable and changeable fares with no fees. But Bob wants to gamble (every moment he’s not out with me, asleep or watching football, he’s in the casinos—smoking, of course). He’s only playing the slots, because “the lines for the table games are too long.” Good grief—they have slots back home. He owes me the vacation of a lifetime. I warned him last week after reading the TripAdvisor reviews about how this place has gone downhill over the last decade, but he insisted we keep our reservation. We could have spent a week of perfect Midwestern “Indian summer” weather in a resort to which we could drive, but noooooo…..
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Sandy, sorry your vacation is a bust. Next time say NO to Vegas!
Puffin, your GGD is super cute! Love the photo.
I couldn't get in to see PCP yesterday, have one today in an hour. Feel better, but not right. Hope she can give me good advice to get me back to my "normal" self. Dizziness now tends to only be when I lay down, so most likely cause is the benign positional type. I hope so anyway.
My sister will take me to my appointment, I want to get all-clear to drive from PCP before I get behind the wheel. Meds they gave me don't help, Ugh!
I still have appointment with the dietician on Friday and hope I can keep that even though I have no appetite now and feel kind of nauseated. I guess that is a lesson in not doing pre-check-in for appointments?
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Sandy - what a nightmare! Can you go home and leave Bob to enjoy himself? Maybe check into a spa in Chicago for a night or two? I guess that depends if you can get a flight.
MM feel better.
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Sandy, I agree with Karen!
No real answers at my PCP. I guess while horrible to experience, dizziness is no big deal. She gave me a prescription for a nasal spray which might actually help as I feel slightly congested, and PT script for the "ear crystals." I called and PT was supposed to call "right back." Hahaha!
I am glad it wasn't something serious, but I learned my lesson, unless I am dying * and I have to know I am actually dying* I will NEVER go to the ER again!
I guess I am feeling a bit disappointed in my PCP because she thought I should have seen the bariatric doctor and either took drugs or got the bariatric surgery! Yikes! I said "I don't want surgery" to which she said "But it's for your health!" She was willing to write me a script for weight loss drugs! OK, I AM obese but no way am I taking drugs or having surgery to lose weight. I look "heavy." but I am NOT super huge! I don't have rolls of fat!
So rather than have her give support for seeing a dietitian, I got "go extreme" and lose the weight! Nope. not happening. I eat super healthy and right now, after my ear issues, I don't even feel like eating.
I think I will stay far. far. away from PCP too! Don't need her, my cardiologist writes all my scripts for blood pressure. She asked when she told me to see her again and I said, in a year. She said, yes, that is ok. What I didn't say was my year=18 months! LOL
Beautiful day, I am going to try to get something accomplished today!
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Sandy, sorry your vacation has been the one from hell. I would make sure I got to Spain in 2024 as payback for enduring this torment.
MM: sorry you didn't get an answer from your weight obsessed bulldog of a PCP. I had a printout of something I found online that could be handled to physicians telling them weight was off the table. I'll have to see if I kept it. While I can appreciate her concern about your health, this is not the way to go or her decision.
Had my annual ENT visit and hearing tests. I have a significant hearing loss in the lower levels so I can't hear a dog whistle which is fine because I am not a dog. I should wear my hearing aids (special ones with tamping in them) more to suppress my tinnitus but even that doesn't annoy me. I do have problems hearing well at times in loud, close settings like restaurants or crowded stores. He says consonants (not verbs) may be a challenge under those circumstances. So I will resume wearing them because I want to ward off dementia and balance issues. He cauterized my left nostril where I have an area (bone spur) that bleeds frequently. It is a result of my septal defect repair and I average 1 nose bleed (sometimes massive) a week. I need to remember to apply Ayr more often.
While I was leaving the building I rode in the elevator with an employee who jokingly asked if I wanted the file cabinet he was taking to the trash. It is a small desk height, beige, 3 drawer and other than a black mark on one side, in great condition. It locks and has the key. I told him that someone's trash is always someone else's treasure and if he could put it in my car, I would take it. He told me where to meet him after I left the parking garage and for a small tip (which he told me was not necessary), I brought it home. The one drawer needs some WD40 and they even left some stationary supplies inside. He also had a lamp which an employee standing outside the elevator took when we got to our floor. So he ended up with an empty cart and no trip to the trash.
Still awaiting blood work results with most reported but just one lagging. Everything looks good. See PCP next week prior to our trip.
Pushed PT visit to this afternoon but already did one set of exercises.
Lovely sunny day that is supposed to be in the 70's and I plan on relaxing outdoors after PT. Hope everyone has a lovely day.
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People are saying that I am the enemy of just laws, of family ties and old tradition. These people are telling the truth. I do not love man-made laws . . . I love the sacred and spiritual kindness which should be the source of every law upon the earth, for kindness is the shadow of God in humans. -Khalil Gibran
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Sandy, oh I feel so awful for you. Must be very tempting right now to cab it to the airport, alone or with Bob and get out of there. I think the only possibly happy people going to LV right now might be those who live close enough to spend a few hrs. gambling and then go home. Even then, (as gambling happens all over now) one might not even have to do that? Hoping good things come your way no matter what your decision.
MM I am glad you feel better although sorry you didn't get better and more reasonable help from the PCP. Sure seems like some medical people just never quite seem to catch on to our personal health goals. If you are like most, were the Dr. to give you a reasonable recitation as to why he or she's way was better for you, I'm sure you'd take it into consideration. Making someone feel they don't know what they need or are doing in my book accomplishes nothing and that Dr. should feel as un-satisfied as you do — that she couldn't present her thoughts clearer for you or more importantly to understand your viewpoints about it.
I feel there is an answer and you will get there.
In the meantime, I have little energy yet, so am still slugging around here using the recliner way too much and taking long periods of time to do minor chores. But I am forcing myself to try and keep up. At the same time I have a really diminished appetite and have maybe lost a lb. but then that isn't critical to me. In fact, I'm glad. Just have to keep weighing in every day to make sure I don't take on water. With a poor appetite I'm definitely not taking on too much salt.
My infected leg is looking much better. The red that is there is fading and is now much more pink than red. At the same time the small scabs on my facial biopsies have both fallen off so I won't look so 'damaged' when I go out. Wasn't bothering me anyway.
Hope you all have a really good day. Hugs to all with problems and issues. May we all get good answers so as to move on smoothy.
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Illinoislady - sorry to hear you are still feeling so run down. I hope you will start to feel a little better each day.
Sandy - Vegas sounds like a vacation from hell. Totally understandable that you’d like an early return home. Hope you get the trip to Spain - you certainly deserve it.
Betrayal - nice score on the filing cabinet. Glad you are keeping up with the PT exercises so that you can enjoy your trip.
MM - hope you can get into PT quickly. I’ve heard good things about PT resolving vertigo. The PCP comments are really disappointing. It would have been nice if she had asked your rationale for pursuing nutritional counseling vs a very major surgery. IME, the doctors are so busy and see so many patients that there is no longer time to discuss issues. The focus seems to be on writing prescriptions or recommending surgery. There never seems to be an ‘atta girl’ because I’m keeping my health under control except for the high LDL. Once in awhile it would be nice to have positive feedback. I think most healthcare providers are so burned out that it’s a struggle to get through the day.
I cancelled the appointment with the spine pain specialist. I’m not interested in drugs or surgery. I’m guessing it’s a combination of lower lumbar spine degeneration (confirmed with an CT in 2021) and sciatica which I’ve had for years. If Aleve and Advil fail to take the edge off the pain to the point where I can tolerate it, I may have to head to the ER or urgent care at some point. When I made the appointment a couple of weeks ago, one concern in the back of my mind was bone Metastasis but I think that is very highly unlikely. At this point the pain is tolerable and hopefully I can keep it at this level or below.
Take care!0 -
Yup—it’s the whole building. Other guests were griping in the elevators. Enzymes traded rotten-egg stench for taxicab-air freshener scent of Juicy Fruit & mint…till they wore off and the sewer gas was back. Spraying my deodorant down the drains periodically. I can’t go home myself and leave Bob to handle his own bags and slog through air travel hassles by himself—he won‘t admit it but his feet are as bad as mine and his near-vision is worse. Meanwhile, it takes me 20-30 minutes to camouflage the bruising, and I look like a painted corpse. Going to the pool like this would be a disaster unless I stayed out of the water.
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Do you remember the reference to Windex in My Big Fat Greek Wedding? Well, the black mark on the filing cabinet came off with a spritz of Windex and some elbow grease. So it is in very good shape and a bargain to boot. It's a commercial grade file cabinet and not what you would find in a Staples. I won't have to paint it and I was actually even able to peel off the warning label that was attached to the top. So I will either find a purpose for it or gift it to someone who will but will leave that decision for after my vacation.
As far as PT, I do think the cortisone shots did work and were not a failure as I thought. Yesterday for the first time in over 6 months, I was able to walk down and then up the driveway. Our driveway is referred to as cardiac hill because it is steep, curves and is long. It definitely causes your heart rate to raise. I have been using DH as my Uber driver to get back to the top since I was unable to do so. So I think the setback was due to the resistance bands and the weights.
Illinoislady, take it one day at a time and in small doses until you reach a more acceptable energy level. Recovery is tough and we all want it immediately since it was something we've always been able to do in the past. I am coming up on my 2 year anniversary of my GI surgery and I can tell you I am still recovering from that. I lost ground and keep hoping to get it back. My GI tract has become intolerant of certain foods I used to love and I find if I eat them, I pay a penalty. I have other GI issues that I now need to take OTC meds to deal with because no one, including me, wants to hear the noises my gut can make. Sad when it awakens me at night because it is so noisy.
Sandy, if Bob wants to go to LV in the future I suggest he take a friend who also likes to gamble. I would not go again even if he needs you to get him through the airport. You are a saint.
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Sandy, I agree with Betrayal, you ARE a saint!!!
Illinois, so sorry you are having such a rough time. I do hope you start feeling better soon! The pharmacy mix up sounded like the kind of thing that always happens to me! As if you needed additional hassles, right?
Betrayal, do you know if the following is true. The exercises that I do for my dizziness, given to me by the ER doctor, make me dizzy. The are supposed to. I turn my head one way and let myself be dizzy for 30 seconds then do the other side. It says to do this ten times, but I would be gagging and vomiting if I did that! Tonight I read that I am "training my brain to get used to this?" What? I decided not to do the exercises. I will sleep sitting up from now on if I have to, but I can't take this!
Pretty sure I won't be getting the OT because my PCP wrote the script wrong, according to the therapist I spoke with. She told me to call my PCP and ask to make a change, but whoever I spoke with at my PCPs office got all huffy. Nothing showed up on MyChart that indicates I have an upcoming OT appointment. Story of my life, can never get the help I need.
As for my PCP. I made a mental note to NOT see her unless I can't avoid it. I am so disappointed in her, she looked at me and said "WHY," when I said I was not interested in bariatric surgery. She acted like I was saying no to a skin scrapping! "But it's for your health!" she said loudly! That did it for me. I don't know what she said after that. I don't care. I will see the dietitian on Friday, I am sure she will be on the same page with me.
I made several mental notes:
#1 I will NEVER go to the ER unless I am in imminent risk of death!
#2 I am better off NOT seeing my PCP! If I have a problem and I need medical help, I will ask to see their NP instead. I didn't even want to see my PCP today, but the ER doctor told me to follow up with PCP in two days! Big mistake, I never should have done that! Likely not for patient's benefit but legal reasons and easy money.
#3 NO WELLNESS VISITS! What part of I AM NEVER WELL doesn't the medical community understand?
I SURE HOPE AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR(S) AWAY!!!! Fall, great time of year for apples!
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Mavericksmom, it's such a terrible alone feeling not to get help, not to be understood, when you ask for it. I had, what I thought were three panic attacks( which I am familiar with) , but I couldn't figure out why I was getting them just doing PT exercises on the floor turning on my side. I went to a Vestibular PT , a handsome young boy- man,who turned and twisted my head in many directions while I clung to him and begged him not to let go of me because it all brought on the dizziness to the max. But it was ear crystals and he got them back in place. This was 2 years ago. No problem since, but I'm careful to slowly lie down or turn my head. It was an awful feeling.
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MM, if you have a choice between not visiting your PCP or fighting with her over YOUR medical choices, then you need to ask for a change in PCP, or seek medical care elsewhere, even if it requires a change in insurance.
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MM, strongly agree with Chris. If your visit with your PCP is going to be a battle ground then you need to request a new PCP. They are there to help guide you to making good choices about your health and how to achieve it, not to be a inflexible dictator. I am not sure if having bariatric surgery performed within our age range is even advised. Avoiding one means you are not acting in your best interests for your healthcare or well-being. Unfortunately, as we age we do need more assistance with taking care of ourselves.
As far as the ER, they provide emergency care which in your case did rule out the possibility of having a stroke, etc so it was not a complete waste of time. They do refer most of us back to our PCP or to a specialist but cannot offer long term treatment. There is also a fine line between being "admitted for observation" and "being held in an observation room" in the ER or on a floor. The former should be covered by Medicare, the latter is usually not.
Today is laundry day for me and I want to wrap DGD's birthday gifts. I have several necklaces that I acquired on my cruise that I will wrap individually and place inside the jewelry box. She loves jewelry so these will give her a new selection.
Sun is out, it looks to be in the 70's again and I will try to get some sun today.
Need to start planning wardrobe for trip. I will need one to cover the 3 weeks we will be in Sicily and then Italy so I need it to be interchangeable for variety. Usually when I come home, I don't want to see some of those outfits for awhile. The weather will be cooler and possibly rainy so I need to have layers and will take my heavier raincoat. It is not lined but is large enough to wear over sweaters and long enough to cover to midthigh. We will get laundry done between trips since we have several days in Sorrento before the next leg after our Sicily trip. After waiting 3 years to take this trip, I am excited to revisit Sicily once again.
Hope everyone has a great day.
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Adversity introduces a person to him or herself. On the occasion of every accident that befalls you, remember to turn to yourself and inquire what power you have for turning it to use.
Epictetus
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Mav, I’m with Chris on this—get a different PCP—and with Betrayal in that bariatric surgery at our age is riskier than obesity. Everyone I know who had it and survived is miserable (one gained everything back and then some) and one actually died of electrolyte imbalance-caused fatal arrhythmia because he couldn’t stop losing weight. Best to just make peace with our bodies and preserve them as best we can. If your PCP is clueless enough to ask why you don’t want to go under the knife, talk to her like she’s a toddler and lay out the risks of major surgery and the absolutely certain dreadful side effects. She says it’s for your “health,” but it’d only make you sicker or worse. If she’s that obsessed with thinness (sounds like she is), then she has severe psychological problems herself.
We finally had to be moved last night. Before our daily foray down the Strip to dinner (this time Caesar’s), we told the manager our plight about the stench and she said she’d call me back after dinner. We walked into our room and it stank of rotten eggs. She came up and confirmed it. Bob didn’t want to have to re-pack (for him, inertia is powerful), but tough sh*+. I never unpack my clothes—I don’t pack what I can’t roll up and stick back into the suitcase, and the only time I use the drawers is on cruises when we have to stow our bags under the bed. He of course uses the drawers—one for clean, one for dirty (for the latter, I use my suitcase’s laundry bag and he should too, with the overflow going into a plastic bag). When the valet came to help us move, he actually gagged the minute he walked in the door. We’re a floor below, with a nearly-identical room (smaller appliances) and no odors.
Chris, my makeup skills are self-taught—the only makeup for the Bar Show is to emphasize features and not look washed out in the stage lights. I was never a “theater kid.” My eye bruise is still stubborn and the best I can do is get it to a light aqua. The green blotches along the side of my face are fading slowly—it takes a little less hot pink/peach to correct them before using concealer & foundation and then blending everything. Still too much makeup for my taste, as I almost never wear foundation of any kind. It’s a PITA with how long it takes me to apply and then remove at bedtime.
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