For Older People with Sense
Comments
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Hi Kaara, yes on the D. I take 2000 iu's/day. We checked it at the beginning in 2010 and I was at the low end of normal, then about a year later/ago, my numbers were better, considered "good". But I'd still like a bit higher & will have it checked again next year. I'm outside quite a bit in the summer, but really have to get better about walking in winter.
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Just had my vit D measured. It was 45 (taking 1400 per day) as opposed to 43 when not taking any at all. I've seen here that some oncs want you around 70. What do your oncs say is a good level?
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I think most MO's are happy if your levels are around 40-50, but my ND would like to see me at 70-80. The highest I've ever gotten it was 57 when I was taking a compounded Vit D-3. My last measurement was 37, so somehow I'm not processing it properly. I've just started doing the drops.
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My last measure was 50, that is with my taking 7,000 units a day...
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Kara, glad to hear you've switched to drops! I was going to suggest that as it seems the only way to really raise your numbers. I've also heard it's good to take calcium with it to help your body use it properly. Also, as far as organic foods go, if they're grown with Monsanto seeds instead of Heritage seeds, they're genetically modified already!! So don't waste your money! How can milk NOT be organic for goodness sake! It comes from a COW! I've also read that milk is for baby cows, NOT humans. This term of "organic" is begining to piss me off (or is already!). I would far rather eat something that hasn't been crawling in bugs or human feces (strawberries from Mexico - remember!) and not pay twice as much to make sure it's "organic"....sigh!
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I asked my Mo if I should shoot for 70's and he said no your numbers are fine I'm around 50 for vit D.. As for organic I pay attention to the dirty dozen and try to but organic on that. Otherwise I wash and peel.
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How can milk be NOT organic you ask barbe.
Quite easily, think what the cow is fed. where does all that corn that she eats come from. More corn= more milk so , if we can afford it we feed extra food. IF we are not growing it ourselves we have to buy in. WHERE does it come from. No-one can tell me that the feed I have to buy in is absolutely GM free...it is a gripe of mine with my feed merchant 'WHERE does what is in this food come from?' My merchant cannot give me assurances that no GM corn is in my mix.
Luckily I don't milk cows anymore, I can manage to feed what few cows I have left from home produced feed, as free from any additives as I can get. I have now transferred my gripes about what is in the cattle mix to poultry food !! I cannot supply enough home grown corn to feed my hens, so have to buy in....I get 'oh no, there's nothing in that mix that's GM' But I don't believe him, there are constituents from UK USA Russia China Spain, so who on earth can tell me that everyone is honest and doesn't make a fast buck quietly mixing in GM grown corn ?
Isabella.
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I don't drink milk and haven't for years...I drink almond milk which is just fine for mixing my protein shakes...you can't tell the difference. I've never liked milk since I was a kid and my DGM used to put milk of magnesia in it and tell me it was "just milk"...yeah right!
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I love milk and always have. When I was a baby my mom couldn't feed me (don't know why but that's what I was told) and I couldn't digest the milk from the dairy nor goats milk so in desperation my nana bought a Jersey cow in the hope that the milk from just one cow rather thn the mix from the dairy might be okay. Well it did the trick with a little pre digest aid and I'm still here. I do remember going to the cow shed when nana milked daisy and she would pull me a cup of warm frothy milk straight from the cow and I would down it with relish. When she was done we would go to her kitchen and separate the milk from the cream and then put the milk in a huge pan and set it to the back of the stove with a lid on to scald. Over night it would cool and in the morning we would skim the top for more cream that had risen in the scalding process. This cream was chilled and eaten on a jam tart at lunch time. Oh the memories of that taste!
Unfortunatey unless you have your own cow that taste is not reproduced commercially but I sure wish I could introduce my grandchildren to it. All the feed was organic as nana used to get the bulk of it from the lady over the road and at that time there were no fertilisers used as they are now nor were any seeds GM'd so we knew everything was organic even though the term had not yet been coined.
She used to bake the most amazing rock buns (a type of fruit scone) and for years my brother and I tried to reproduce that taste but never could even though we used her recipe. It was one day in my brother's kitchen we were talking about what nana used to do and we suddenly realised what gave those rock buns their unique flavour! It was the home made butter and the scalded cream! No wonder we could never replicate it! We sat together and laughed the rest of the day remembering all the things that we did and learned in nana's kitchen.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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chrissyb
What a wonderful picture you have painted!
THX for sharing your memories.0 -
Isabella, we have the same problem here with the dairy farmers, the big shopping chains are cutting the prices they will pay the farmers and many of the farmers are going out of business, same with fruit/veg growers and then they import canned/frozen food from China etc.
Barbe, my stoma nurse, (who hasn't had a colostomy) told me not to eat mangoes because of the string in the fruit forming a ball in my gut, much like a fur ball in a cat, and then causing an obstruction that would have to be surgically removed. The food I eat keeps my output smooth....I learned this from trial and error. I have, on occasion, produced little jelly bean like nuggets and ended up with a belly with a football shape protruding out front. I immediately stop all solid food and drink a lot of tea and orange juice until it passes. The biggest shock I got after waking up with this 'thing,' was New Years weekend when I suddenly got the urge to pass something 'naturally' through my rear end. The first 3-4 times this happened I thought something had come undone inside and rushed to the toilet where I sat waiting for minutes at a time and then realised nothing could happen and was not actually going to happen. Then the 5th time I ignored it and as luck would have it, I messed my pants. After texting and emailing my nurse, getting no answers and not getting any more urges or pain etc., I settled down to wait and see. Due to it being a long weekend, I didn't hear from her until Tuesday morning, when she was totally off-hand about it and said that she was sure she had mentioned it in the hospital. As you often say.....Doi! I don't think so, but I wan't fully compos mentis at that time and wasn't going to argue with her. According to her and as I read on the Ostomists forum, our colons produce a mucus which eases the passage of our gut contents through it and this is what I passed. I am currently writing a list of things I considere important to a newbie in her care, including a list of web sites they can access for support and knowledge. Whether she uses it or not, is up to her but, if she doesn't, I consider she is not doing her job competently.
I too, miss the way fruit, tomatoes, bananas and milk tasted when we were young, I think our kids are being short-changed taste-wise, they have no idea. What a price to pay for progress huh?
Sheila.
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Chrissy, would that have been "clotted cream"?? I LOVE that stuff!!!!
Karra, that's just SICK with the MOM in milk!! How to turn a kid off milk!!
As for organic seed, Monsanto has ruled the seeds of the WORLD since the 1940's. Unless the seeds say HERITAGE seeds, they are GM'd. Seriously folks. There is a frozen bunker in Norway that holds copies of all the original seeds in the world in case there is a nuclear disaster and man has to start again. Isabella, where are your seeds from? Unless you've used the seeds from your own crops for over 70 years, sweetie, the odds of them being organic are pretty slim. But, I applaud your efforts!!
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Barbe, yes the scalded cream is also known as clotted cream. Once when in a large supermarket in the city I did find a small tub of clotted cream and even though the price was exorbitant I couldn't resist.....lol. I did go back to see if they had more but haven't seen it since.
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Chrissy: I remember doing this with the milk on my aunt and uncle's farm each summer. I was a city girl, so I always enjoyed watching this entire process of milking the cow and then making cream and churning butter. I still didn't like the milk though...thanks to DGM! Also had some good experiences of growing veggies, gathering eggs, killing and plucking chickens for dinner and so on. Looking back, I think it really helped to give me a lot of life skills...even though I rarely use them now. Lots of fond memories.
British Open is on today and BF is glued to the TV, so I will go into town and have a mani/pedi and get ready for a "girlfriends" get together that is happening next week. I'm going over to a friend's house that lives over the mountain from me and several other friends are joining us for a few days of just girl talk. Should be lots of fun. I need a break...sometimes too much togetherness is not good.
Happy Sunday everyone!
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To my way of thinking, growing crops like fruits & vegs without chemicals - pesticides or herbicides - counts towards "organic" . - it takes too long to type "grown without pesticides or herbicides." The food taste better, no matter where the seeds came from.
However, we are growing a number of heritage seed foodstuffs.
When I first started eating foods grown without pesticides and herbicides, we were called "nuts" for being concerned about all those chemicals - after all, they'd been approved by various govt agencies.
Chrissy, my grandpa was a midwest dairy farmer, and fresh milk and cream and butter were always on the table. YUM!
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Update on my gastric sleeve surgery. I got home from the hospital yesterday afternoon. I ended up staying an extra day due to post op headaches. My surgery went fine and I'm tolerating the liquid/soft protein diet well. I think I could tolerate more sustantial protein, but I can't do that until 2 weeks post op. I'm surprised that I'm feeling hungry. I didn't expect that this soon post op. I'm having more post op pain than I expected. The incision where the drain was reminds me that I had abdominal surgery, even though it was done laparoscopically. Surgery is working really well, so far. I gained 12 pounds!!! It's typical for this surgery. I always gain weight after surgery, probably due to all the IV fluids. My surgeon once joked with a patient, who was upset about her post op weight gain, "didn't they tell you I'm the 'weight gain surgeon'. She became absolutely hysterical. He's never made that joke again. It is kind of discouraging, but it was even more discouraging after my prophylactic MX last summer. I had a body part removed and still gained even more weight than with this surgery. I'll keep you updated on my progress.
Lynda
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Lynda, I'm glad the surgery is over and went well. I'm sure the fluid weight will come off fairly quickly, and then the rest will follow. Good luck with it!
I finally got a surgery date - Aug. 22. Apparently the plastics dept secretary dropped the ball bigtime on this. Whenever I spoke to her she'd tell me she wasn't the one to deal with the schedule, wouldn't tell me who did and just said she'd see what she could do (which was nothing, apparently). The BS secretary was trying to help me and getting nowhere with the same dipstick. She finally got fed up last Thurs and called the PS directly. PS agreed that the situation was unacceptable and said she'd do what she could immediately. She asked if I wanted another PS to do the surgery since then I'd get in earlier (she has urgent family stuff going on so is going on vacation to deal with it very soon) but I'd rather wait for her. She went right to the head of the dept and got the surgery booked the same day the BS secretary spoke to her! There's the obvious difference between someone who cares about the patients and someone who doesn't - plastics dept secretary said she'd do what she could and did diddlysquat. BS secretary did what she could even though it wasn't her responsibilty. PS was able to go to head of dept.
What's really nice about the PS going to the head of the dept (aside from the obvious that surgery is booked) is that they're all aware of what the PS secretary did (or actually didn't do) without me having to say a word or issue a complaint. Head of dept will deal with this and I'll have a reputation for being a sweet, patient lady who doesn't complain. It can only help since I'll be dealing with the dept for a while!
Can't add anything to the milk memories. I grew up in NYC and was vaguely aware that milk came from cows. And saw pictures of cows.
Leah
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Hello all,
Lynda glad you got thru the surgery! Here's to healing and healthfulness returning quickly!
Leah, so glad you got a date finally. I find that dealing with the office staff can be challenging, also.
LOL you saw pictures of cows!!!!!
Not much going on here! I see my PCP tomorrow.
hugs to everyone!!
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Leah: Glad you got your surgery date. You experience with "photos of cows" reminds me of a funny story. Once we offered my youngest, who never spent time anywhere but in the city, a lemon from our tree. He politely declined saying "I never eat anything unless it comes from the store"...we still laugh about that today, much to his dismay!
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Good one Kaara 0
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I love reading about all your memories. I grew up in a city, but had almost a 1/4 acre, so always had a huge garden, and my grandma (who lived with us and did most of the garden care) abhored the idea of pesticides. My dad hunted and fished, so our meat was always organic. Our milk came from a store - but I wasn't all that fond of milk as a kid. When I married my 1st husband I continued with the large garden and doing my own canning. We lived fairly close to a large Jersey only dairy, so when my kids were small I would buy milk fresh from the cows and usually still warm. The cream was sooooo good. Unfortunately, life changes.... For many years now I've had either an absurdly small or no vegetable garden at all, as I spend all my time either working or commuting (at least it seems that way). I haven't been able to find any decent raw milk within a reasonable drive, so when I do purchase milk tend to do so from a local health food store where I can get it - but it sure doesn't seem as good as the milk I purchased 35 years ago.
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Hey macatac.
Hope your breathing is doing better (?)
Keep us updated - you take care !0 -
Sheila: im so sorry yo're going thru all the crap... sorry for the pun..
i've not been well for sometime now, as you know, and ended in the hospital for 4 days. they KiCKED ME OUT when my iv (which i let them put in my "good" arm 1 time. failed.. im trying oral antibs hoping they'll do the trick, but the constant time in the bathroom both ways is starting to make me think.. how uch am i keeping in my system???
tommorrow, my dr. comes back from "vacation" (he's doing chemo for lymphoma) so i'll see what he thins.. im so sick of being sick, i don't even think i can face the next step!!
looks like a central line will have to be put in.. or aybe, a adjunct jugular line.. of course, i don't know what any of that is, but dr. google will explain it, im sure.. im just sick of the whole dr thing!!but, they have to get this bacterial infection under control...
swear, i'm NOT going to any hospital that doesn't have wii fii..
they told me they did, then, when they had me admitted, told me it was "out" gggrrr..
i'll check in on you guys as i can.. missed you all....3jays
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Sending big hugs 3jays. It is so horrible feeling rotten all the time.
Have to get my place organised today as my nephew and his fiancee arrive tomorrow from Prague. At the moment I am waiting for the man from the telephone company to come and fix out landline. We can ring out but not receive calls.
Big hugs for all
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3jays, I wondered where you were! But I know you read and don't always post. What a crock!! Hope you get better direction from the doc you trust, sweetie. Keep us posted.
I had to let a tech use my "good" arm today!!! I am getting a pacemaker on Wednesday (they contacted me this afternoon!) and HAD to get bloodwork done quick today with no chance to drink a ton of fluid. 3 stabs on my right and I finally said, just do it on the left. The blood just GUSHED out!! I've only ever that happen one other time when I was IN the hospital and obviously dehydrated at the time and they needed a good vein. I wouldn't let an IV or MRI dye drugs go through my bad arm though. Bit concerned for the IV on Wednesday now. If they let me sit and wait with no food or drink after midnight...my veins will get worse and worse!!
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Barbe, will you be admitted the night before? If you are, ask them to put the IV in when you get there so you're hydrated. That should help. Best of luck with the pacemaker surgery.
3jays, I hope the infection is under control. How often (in general, not now with the infection) do you need IVs and blood draws? If it's often enough you might want to ask for a port. Sounds strange when you're not getting chemo, but sometimes you have to do things differently.
Leah
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Barbe, they often have a terrible time getting blood out of me and/or IV's in. On occasion they've used veins in my feet - so that could be an option as well.
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Barbe - I've used my BC side for blood draws and IVs. I try not to, but sometimes it just can't be avoided. I've also had them draw blood from my foot. This last stay, the IV was in for 2 days on that side. My BS isn't terribly concerned about IVs on that side. She told me that years and years ago, they actually used to administer the chemo on whatever side the BC was. Blood pressure is another matter. You have to remind them about that. Even with a sign posted, I had to remind every aide, that came in, not to use my right arm. I was ready to write, in permenant ink, NO BP THIS ARM!!! They took my BP around my ankle, which I don't think gave them the most accurate reading. It was sky high and I don't have high BP. I'm on a low dose of BP meds until I see my PC later this week.
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Yay Linda!!! Good to hear that you are through and doing well. Wow! 12lb weight gain due to surgery! Most people go the other way but never mind, it will be gone in no time as well as a lot more besides......lol......you won't know the person looking at you in the mirror.
I hear you on the no BP on the bad arm and having to remind all the nursing staff everytime! When I had my knee replacement I did write in permanent marker 'NO BP, NO PRICKS' I got some funny comments but I also knew it was so unusual for someone to do that that they actually read it and heeded it........lol. BP can go up high after surgery but it can also go very low........sure hope you don't need to take the meds for too long.
3jays oh damn girl! In hospital for four days! You amaze me the way you just keep plodding on with all the problems that seem to not want to let you go. Sure hope your doc gets a handle on this latest infection. Rest up girl.....you deserve it.
Leah so glad that you have finally got your date for surgery! WooHoo!!!!
Nancy has there been an improvement with your breathing? Sure hope so.
Barbe did you find out what was causing the dizziness? Was it an drug interaction? Sure hope you are feeling better.
Isabella is there any news of your surgery yet? Man they are taking their sweet time on rescheduling you. So sorry to hear about you little dog........yeah I hate it too when you lose a pet that has been so loyal for so long.
Sorry I've been a bit slack of late but I had some pretty bad news about two weeks ago. A young man whom I had in my cub scout group many years ago and was a friend of my sons had disappeared with his wife. Unfortunately they found them both murdered. May God rest their souls. They have charged a man with their deaths thank goodness but the whole incident threw me for a bit of a loop.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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Chrissy, I am so sorry to hear about the young man and his wife. So very tragic.
Lynda, BP in the leg is always higher than in the arm. Since my surgery will put me at risk for LE on my other arm (and already have it on the BC side)I went into my local clinic and asked to have it done on my arm & leg so we could check for that and have it for reference in the future. It was 115/60 on my arm, 130/70 on my leg when done one after the other. I think when I go into the hospital for the surgery I'll ask the nurse to do it that way before surgery and note it on my chart.
Leah
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