For Older People with Sense
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Well, I want to tell you that was one horrible experience I had this morning and almost hate to tell it for fear of scaring others, but one thing that needs to be understood is that I do have crappy veins and I guess they are now worse than ever due to not only chemo and the fact we can only use my right arm, but the guy told me steroids are hard on veins also and I have been doing both for a long long time. Soooooo, here is how the morning went. I drank my stuff and had my CT scan which was strictly routine and then I had an hour to kill before the MRI so I went to the Walmart right down the street and looked around. I came back and they take me right away and they do the lst part of the scan which involves no contrast...they told me the whole scan would take about 45 mins and for any of you who have had one you know the routine. They give you those earplugs and put some earmuffs over those which they can talk to you from and they give you this little button to push if you need anything and the big tube or whatever it is covers up your head and you have to just lie there perfectly still.....then it is a voice saying this scan will last two minutes and it's a bunch of tatatatattatats or uuuuhhhhutttuuuuuttts..boombaboomba......parts are like jungle drums, others like a jack hammer.....this one will last for 3 mins and will be followed by another three minutes....I think the longest one was maybe 4 1/2 mins and once I did push the button because I had to cough, but I tell you I really sort of fall asleep and they go pretty fast. OK, so then it is time for the injection and I told the girl, One thing,..I have tricky veins and when you get one sometimes it will roll so she is tapping on my arm and rubbing her fingers over it and I was thinking Alright, get to it already and then she sticks me and asks if I am OK and I say fine, BUT she didn't get a vein or if she did it rolled.....so then it's OK, I am going to try again, make a fist, Good....BUT it wasn't good. She said My you have delicate little veins. So she wants to know if it Ok to use my hand and I said Do whatever you want....Failed again so then she goes to get this guy and he tries and fails and he says to wait there is another person who can try and they tried my hand a total of four times and this one time said they were in and I am still not able to see a thing, but asked Why is my hand burning so bad...well it was infiltrating into the tissue so they had to stop and then another person came in, the gal who did my CAT scan and she used the back of my arm right below my elbow....I have never had them stick me there before. It didn't work either and by now there were a total of four in the room, because they were all working together on my arm....one rubbing, one shining the light and one doing the sticking and they are discussing this with comments that looks like the best one, can you get the light on there better and I am thinking Jeeze, I asked for this indirectly by wanting to know if I might have Alzheimer's since I am so forgetful. Well, to make a long story short, they stuck me 7 times, my hand is swollen and sore on top and I have band-aids all over the place and they told me depending on what Dr.Cody says I may have to have the last part of the test done some other time. I asked Well, can he see brain mets if there are any? and they said if they are large, but the contrast is really to show more detail and pick up any small spots. They told me another option is to have my port accessed and come it with it hooked up....no one there was trained to access a port. And they then had the nerve to tell me that when I am having a test like this I really need to be sure I drink a lot of liquids beforehand to plump my veins up....I NEED......like it was my fault they couldn't find a vein on me. Now I am worried about having my cataract surgery on Friday because I know they are going to be using and IV to get me sedated. I always liked going to this little satellite facility because they are not so crowded and it's always been in and out , but I don't think I will be going there for any MRIs in the future. I was very happy to get out of that place and I am sure they were just as happy to see my leave. Anyway, I was really pissed about the whole deal and my arm looks like I am a junky since the warfarin causes me to bleed easily. It was such an upsetting experience that I am really not even worried about the results, just happy the tests are over. Thank you for allowing me to vent.0
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After all that, they would not dare give you a bad report!!! Sincerely wishing good news for you. Love your attitude... you are an inspiration!
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Awww Marybe. I am so sorry you got stuck so many times. I HATE needles. I really HATE needles and almost pass out every time I get stuck. I hear you about the noise. Even with earplugs and earmuffs, it is SOOOOO loud! Awful. Hugs, gal.
Dragan, hope DH is OK. HUGS to you, too.
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Marybe, Hugs to you, and healing thoughts! You'd think that the facility would send in their top needle person - it's not like they don't know your history; I am so sorry you had to go through that, and am sending visions of yummy food delivered by handsome men to take your mind off your poked places.
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Marybe-- thanks for the encouragement to keep advocating for myself. In the middle of choosing a wig--- it's a difficult decision.
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Stanzi - Welcome to the group. Hope you get as much enjoyment from all the pictures, recipes, and stories we share. Nothing is off limits so ask or comment on anything you like or want to know. Someone will be along with answers or advice that will help.
Marybe- So sorry you had to get stuck so many times. I have the same issues with my veins and they now only use the ones in my feet! The seem to be a little easier to locate and get a good stick. Have them try you foot next time first and see if that works for you too.
The Chocolate Biscut cake sounds devine. I think I may even try to make one.
We have had a lot of friends that have been affected by the tornados that hit here and I have been volunteering at the church to help people in the area. The Samartian's Purse has set up a relief center in our gym at the church for the areas around the church. People will be using our house to take showers and do laundry and there may be a family that will come stay with us while their home is rebuilt. Not sure about that, but the offer is out there. We have plenty of room to share. Our whole upstairs is empty and we only go up there to do laundry. There are 3 bedrooms and the loft area can be easily used as another bedroom and there is a big bathroom and the laundry is up there too.
Hope everyone is having a good day. DH just got home with dinner so I will go eat something before heading back to the center for a few hours.
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Oh, Marybe..I am SO sorry for your trial by injection today. HOW did you stick (no pun intended) it out ?? I am afraid I just refuse all jabs, just SOOOOO scared of needles. I am waiting to get hold of hypnotherapist guy, who is coming to my house to see if he can help me with this fear.
If he doesn't come, or can't help me when he does come, I will NOT be having any planned dental treatment. I shall just end up like an old hag with all my teeth dropping out slowly, one by one. I have got my Xylocaine spray, as you recommended, but my dentist says it is ineffective, and he would rather use teething gel on my gum before he jabs me !! The Xylocaine spray is VERY good on the back of my hand. Baby teething gel ?? How stupid ! How can that be any good for an adult !! Well, I suppose I morph into a baby when I see a needle coming. My dentist is very ODD, rattles on like Einstein all the time you are in the chair, and can't answer him ! He was going on about oxymorons last week...he is totally on another planet !
I had to jab a dog yesterday, I tried, I really did, to be gentle, but she screamed blue murder. I am sure she was putting it on....but... I ended up in tears FOR her !!
Isabella.
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To all of you who may have been affected by the horrendous storms, my prayers go out to you! AmyJo: what an angel for doing your best to assist, you will be blessed.
take good care and just breathe. . .
Teklya
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oh man marybe...that is a drag.....and i am sitting here freaking out because i am having a combo PET;/CT scan in the morning...to rule out the little spots too small to identify on my liver that showed on the CT scan before my bmx....i have three month checkup on wed and doc wants results at the appt so in I go...I am so friggin scared irrational, maybe, but there it is...I hate BC and all the friggin tests and fears...i know if idid not have it i would be evenmore scared worrying something is growing in there...but nevertheless, fear abounds. hoping some bad tv is on tonight that i can lose myself in...just gotta stay away from the lifetime channel
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Marybe - That is so horrible! I can't believe they would then try and blame you. I have heard from a nurse on another thread you can tell them ahead of time you have trouble with tiny veins and you need to have someone very experienced and they will call someone for you. Also that you can tell them they have one try and then to get someone else. Also with so many test where you can't have any food or drink they certainly should tell you when you need to drink. So very sorry for such a horrible experience.
We get the storms and tornadoes here but so far (knock on wood) we have been lucky. Lots of huge trees came down the the storm before the most recent and people in my neighborhood lost power for 4 days! Love the beautiful Spring but hate HATE the scary storms!
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i didn't realize you all had older photos up for awhile. i thought i was the only one who looked like dog crap! Chrissy actually has a "real" pic up, and a few others.. as soon as i find a before; im gonna put it up.. gotta learn how to scan a photo in my comoputer from a n actual PICTURE.. pre comouter.. so, it'll take a while. im still not happy with how i look, so thaats gonna be my answer, too... 3jays
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Marybe, so sorry you had to go through that IV torture. Wish I'd been there--I'm a good IV nurse. I learned at the county hospital by sticking drug users. Annettek, best wishes for your scan. Hope it turns out to show nothing.
My DH now doing okay but has a foley catheter in. We got him some pain pills to calm him down a little and he's now more comfortable. Another day, another doctor...
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Marybe, I'm so sorry about your ordeal today. You'd think they'd already know and would immediately get the best person they had rather than put you through all that torture. I'm glad you're on the other side of it now.
Amyjo, I knew there'd been tornadoes in Raleigh but had no idea of how much damage until I saw it on the news tonight. It really brings it home how fortunate our area of NC was, seeing all the destruction. It's so good of you to open your home to those affected, too, and what fast work from Samaritan's Purse! I've long respected that organization and they came through here. I'm so thankful that you made it through safely and are working to help those who didn't.
Prayers for you and many hugs, too, Annette. Since the others thought there was no problem, perhaps your onco. is just being cautious here, and that's a good thing. Will be thinking of you tomorrow.
Isabella, I hope you can get up with the hypnotherapist with success, so you can have the dental work you need done. I was a dental phobic for years and wound up paying for it by having gum surgery 20+ years ago. Dental fanatic now but I'm on arimidex too so that's a concern. BTW, if the ora-gel might help, it's available in adult strength too, or at least it is here.
Cyborg, here's to great success with wig shopping! I know it's hard, though, and I hope you'll find something absolutely gorgeous!!!
Teklya, I like how you say "just breathe"!
Kathy
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Dragon, I was writing my post as yours posted. Hope the Foley gives your DH some relief, along with the pain pills!
Kathy
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marybe, i was posting when you were earlier.. im so sorry you had such a ahrd time!! they HATE me when i go, cause i raise a ruckus, if they can't get a vein... i now go to one guy, one place.. he's a pro at it. thats where i go for my mri always.. do put some ice on it girlfriend..
tommorrow, my consult with the neuro in miami. ive never met him before. they don't like me, usually, 'cause "i know ' too much, grrr.. well see. im going for opinions on meds, so it'll be what it is..
the onco here sent me to a local neuro, but since MS and BC contraindicate each other, he wanted me to see the specialists' specialist..
belive it or not, i should tske it in stride, but im nervous as hell!!! thank God i took the mri and pet, already.. anyway, it'll all be over tommorrow afternoon...
hope your day tommorrow is calm for you, Marybe, you deserve it..!!! 3jays
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Marybe, so sorry about your veins. Sometimes they have a hard time with mine too. Hugs, Mazy
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ANNETTE, Thinking of you today and hoping your scans go smoothly.
Thanks to all for commiserating with me....it's over now and I am glad, just hope the onco got enough without the contrast that I don't have to do it again. I would be willing to bet they are not going to send me one of those cards saying Please Rate Your Experience with Us.
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Marybe, LMBO!
3jays, good luck w/the neuro. Hope he can help!!
Cyborg, you will look mahvelous!!!!
Kathy, good to 'see' you!
Dragon, glad DH is OK. Ugh, though, a catheter.
Stanzie, I am with you on storms but our really bad ones are in the summer. And they come along with hurricanes. Yuck.
{{{TEK}}}
Isabella, I used to be like you and avoided dental work for years, much to my dismay later. Found a dentist who is really good at sneaking the needle up on me. And she doesn't hurt me so I am good with dentists now. Not so much the onc, the regular doc and the test people. I am somewhat stoic but manage by sort of self hypnotizing before I go in.
(((ANNETTE))) I am holding your cyber hand gal pal. HATE tests, they freak me out!!! Mammo next week.
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Hi all! Welcome Stanzie, nice to see you here!
Awe Marybe, I know how you feel when you have to get stuck sooo many times! I have one vein left that is accessable and I'm sooooo proterctive of it......I'm sure the nurses all hate me when I lay down the law about being very careful. I hope they did manage to get enough film to see what needs to be seen and the report is all good!
Wicked was wicked!!!.....lol. I could see it many times over and never get bored! The first half was 90 mins long but felt like five and the second half and hour and again that just whizzed by. I had a fabulous evening as my DD Camille and I went out for dinner before the show and finally had an opportunity to just sit and chat without interuption.........the cream on the top!....yay!
Barbe, great orchid shots! and great editing. I see what you mean when you say that some pics just lend themselves to the black background. If you have a scanner and your pics have been printed, you can just scan them into the compter. Here in Aus, we can take them to a particular business and they will put them on disc for you for a nominal cost.......I would presume that you could do the same there.
Mazie, good to see you! (literally) Great pic!
How you doing 3jays? I'm home now so I'll try to catch up in the next few days.
Dragon, hope DH's visit to the doc went okay!
Love n hugs all. Chrissy
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Huh, I realize now that some of the tests I get they put the IV in first before I even go in. I think that's MRI...
3jays, my avatar is from 2 months ago....I still look pretty much the same!
Hugs to everyone else getting pricked.
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3Jays - funny about the pictures - I thought the same thing - never occured to me they were old pictures! Hey did you see the artical in the Palm Beach Post about breaking the code for MS in mice. Of course it will be more years before they try on humans but still good news. It was in yesterday's paper if you want to read it.
Annettek - Sending lots of good thoughts your way. I guess none of us will ever have "routine" tests anymore they will always make me nervous.
Isabella - I'm ususally not bad with needles but Dentist needles are different. I know Lidocaine doesn't work on me and I'm now thinking novacaine doesn't either. The last time I had to have a root canal he kept giving me those horrible shots and my mouth just didn't go numb - I haven't had a procedure since but I would love to know if the hypotherapsit works.
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PJ123, Marybe & BarbaraA, thank you for letting me know how to add words to my signature. Now all I have to do is figure out what to say.
Marybe, sorry you had to go through that to have your tests done. I have the same problem and the only ones who seem to help with using a child size needle is when I go to Quest to have blood drawn. I haven't been able to figure out why everyone can't be trained to use my port since I thought besides the Herceptin infusion, that's what it was there for.
Marianne
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Chrissy, you were posting when I was. I didn't edit those pictures. I actually hung a black cloth behind the orchids!! You won't get the same effect by editing as we saw in one of your roses. Remember? When you use a black background, you have to make sure your camera doesn't under-expose and make it gray. Then the other colours are quite muted. A good test on how well you read your exposure!!0
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Isobella, have you tried Oil of Cloves at all. In the old days, it was the usual way to numb the gums. We even had a 'Nyal Cold Sore' cream that was basically O-o-cloves.
Marybe, you'd think they could find at least one person who could access a vein first time, every time, no matter the condition of the veins. The best phlebotomists (blood drawers) are the pathology nurses and any institution worth its name should be able to find one for scanning purposes. I had a great one for a while at my local scan clinic and he told me that he and some other students practised on themselves and each other. Sad to say, he moved on........and my veins shrivel up everytime I think of going for a scan.
Sheila.
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Oh wow, look at that pear!!
Annette, I am anxious to hear if they put a "breast shield" on you with the CAT scan....they came and put this little thing on my chest after they had gone over me entirely and done the upper chest area and said "to protect the breast tissue' and I said At this stage of the game, it's sort of a moot point, don't you think? This must be something new because they never did that to me before.
Rain is coming down in buckets here....no exaggeration....I am definitely not going anywhere on my lunch hour today. There are lots of flood warnings out.
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I often have to get the baby butterfly needles to get any kind of amount drawn. Have'nt been too bad lately, but have a bunch of tests coming up that will blow my veins. I have a bright pink medi-alert bracelet for LE that I wear when I go to the hospital.
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I love this thread
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I love this thread. I have a wig picked out that reminds me of the color I had when I was younger. The pictures you all post are wonderful. I have to figure our how to post my avatar.
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Marybe - Maybe you should write on your arms NO IV This Arm and on your foot write IV OK Here. They will probably get a laugh, but it might make things easier and you have the opportunity to tell them about your small rolly poly veins and that they need to use a pediactric needle. I think I may do that next time I have to go and there is no one there that knows how to access my port.
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