"Chatting" For Hearts

[libbygilmore]

hi teri,

[Teri16]

Hi All! Libby, they/you still have the rash and no one knows yet what it is from!? Is it spreading? Same? Did they scrape the skin and check it out under a microscope? That usually puts another dimension into the picture.

I have Gerd and Barrett's and I'm on Aciphex and Ranitidine once each per day. It's done the trick for me-so I hope it helps you, too!! Most of these drugs were never meant to be on for years-only a few weeks.

I have my moments of self pity, but usually find it doesn't help me too much. lol The problems are all still there! Darn it! :) Sometimes just coming here and writing it down to others is a big help, or just hearing others with their problems lets me know that I'm not alone...and neither are you!!

I saw my pulmonologist this morning-he was at the hospital and almost 2 hours late-my first visit with him, too. :) He was very thorough and very very nice, but found out he's not in my PPO network and doesn't except the Tricare secondary insurance that we have. arrrrgh So sort of caught me by surprise when they told me my share was $282.10 today~almost made my heart stop for good! He says the (PFT) pulmonary function test was pretty good, but that I do have asthma and that I do have emphysema which means that's why the diagnosis of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). He's trying me on a new med. Wanted me to have a steroid inj. but then I figured it'd be sort of hard to tell if the new inhalor was working. lol So he said if I don't feel better in a month-a CAT scan of my lungs. No news from the Neuro Dr. I can't wait to go to just my hair appt. this Thursday! :)
I feel great, just somewhat tired today...after the Dr. went grocery shopping for a few extra things, came home and put it all away and fed my baby tiel, then worked at the pet shop with the birds, then came home and made jambalaya and a special mushroom dish for my son's girlfriend's birthday today-that's it for me for the day. Tomorrow, I'm foot loose and fancy free! How about you? lol
Hugs, Teri :)

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"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas

[Teri16]

Ray, where and how are you?! Yoo Hoo :)

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"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas

[libbygilmore]

hi teri,

yes, ditto - where/how is ray?

meanwhile, all your tests.  ugh.  i didn't know you had COPD on top of the other stuff.  you're right, it's funny how nice just getting a hair-cut can be.  i love those trivial little life thangs now so much more than i used to.  the news abou asthma and emphysema wasn't new to you was it?  and therefore new drugs?  sometimes i sure am curious about all our drug interactions...meanwhile, didn't know you were on aciphex and ranitidine  (which i'm sure you know is a prescription zantac?).  do you take them specific times or just in the morning?  i've got these very specific instructions about them...also not ashamed to pop the occasional anacid!  do you have "eating problems" as a result of all this?  i'm sitting here, as usual, starving, but everything i eat makes the GERD worse.  i've read tons of stuff on that, too, but not much has helped.  your input on this, too, as always! - appreciated.

i'm with you on the self-pity.  i rarely have it.  i get low, but i don't feel it's pity, it's just sometimes mental exhaustion from ongoing, seemingly never-ending physical pain or discomfort.  i just get worn out.  but hey, i turned 50 in february and since i am a 12-year breast cancer survivor, i have felt that these 12 years are a big gift.  every day is a big gift.  i know i don't need to tell you this!  anyway, though, again, sometimes just the multiple stuff seems overwhelming.  but i try to remember:  okay, i'm going to tackle "this thing" first, then "this thing" then i take some drugs and feel minutely better and the next morning i'm ready to give it another shot.  always happy to open my eyes and see the sun coming in!

have you had the "lollypop" pain reliever?  i'm getting those wednesday, i can't wait!  i used to be really anti-painpill.  but no longer.  i'm not carried away, by any means, maybe a half one every few days, of some kind.  but i will now do that when before i just would not, ever.

tomorrow, ah yes.  tomorrow morning is the endodontist.  i must tackle that first!  meanwhile, pumping up the GERD stuff.  it is going to be hot here in our little corner of the world (tejas, that is).  dunno if you were in the path of the storms tonight, sounded central texas-ish.  i know you said no addresses, but you know where i am - i'll say DFW area! 

whatchew up to tomorrow?

libby

[Teri16]

Libby, I take the Aciphex and the Zantac in the AM before I eat. One of my Dr.'s told me it might be overkill on the Zantac, but I told him it was working and that I was leaving well enough alone! He agreed. :)

Yes, we got heavy thunder and lightening yesterday and the night before-but not tonight.

No lollipops for me...what are they, so I don't have to go research and look them up? lol

And as I tell you this, all the world will now know. I had my very first pedicure done a few weeks back (speaking of small trivial 'life thangs') and I so loved it, I'm making plans to go back and do that again!! oooh la la Everyone should have that done at least once in their life! :)

Sleep well, Foat W. and Central Tx. will hopefully not float away. lol
Teri

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"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas

[libbygilmore]

hi teri,

hah, and congratulations on your first pedicure - that's something i still have never done.  tell me, should i?  just for a feel good kinda thang?

the lollypop pain reliever is called:  Actiq.  i don't know anything else about them (yet).  i get to pick my first ones up tomorrow - and frankly i can't wait.  i have been in such horrible GERD pain all day, i will take whatever help i can get, from whatever source!

libby

[libbygilmore]

hi all,

[chevyasylum]

I'm right here between the Kleenex and the cold medicine. Somehow I've caught a nasty cold. Spent most of yesterday in bed re-reading the "Wheel of Time" series by Robert Jordan. Today I got up thinking I felt better, so I gave myself a haircut, took a shower and went to the post office to mail off the LTD appeal letter and get some wiring stuff to rewire the turn signals and parking lights in the Nova. When I got home I was as miserable as ever. But it's just a cold. Thank God it isn't something worse. And I even did some of the wiring for the Nova while sitting on my bed. It just needs to be installed.

The heart medications seem to be working ok. BP is 129/74. The Coreg and Cozaar seem to be doin their job. I'm tryin to keep the Imdur down to one a day....just so the body can flush it out and it'll work the next time. And I've found a little trick on the Niaspan. I take one 500 mg tab when I go to bed (along with the Advil and benadryl) and I'm usually asleep before the flushing hits. I've done it the last coupla nights and it seems to have worked. Then, since I have a coupla noisy ducks outside my bedroom window that are as bad as chickens for greeting the rising sun,...well, they've been waking me up about every morning about 5:00 to 5:30. So I get up and take the Advil, benadryl and Naispan. I lie back down to read for a while and usually fall asleep about the time the ducks shut up. That way I get to sleep thru the Niaspan effects. Prolly ain't a perfect solution for everybody, but so far, it's workin for me.

In other news, I had my lawyer look over the appeal letter I wrote for the long term disability denial that I'd received back in March. He made a couple of suggestions that I thought were wise...so I implemented them into my letter and bundled it and all the backup documentation I could put together and sent it off to the Hartford's main office in Connecticut. It's outta my hands now. But it appears that the latest I'll be getting the disability benefits would be September. It would be tight, but I think we could hang on until then. Anyway, I've got a Camaro, a Nova and an El Camino I can sell if I have to. Plus I've had numerous friends offer support in the manner of loans or gifts of cash. I guess I'm getting a chance to look at my pride and see if it's a good thing or a bad thing. I'll have to do some meditation on that.

Tomorrow morning, I go in for the second half of the neuro-psych evaluation. Gayle (me darlin bride) will be going with me for the interview portion...then I still have about 2 to 3 hours of testing to do. I think all they're doing is establishing a baseline so that they can test me again in a year or two (at $2500 a pop) and see if there's any deterioration that might be attributed to Alzheimer's Disease. For those who don't know, both my father and my aunt on that side has Alzheimer's. And I saw something happening to my father when he was about my age. Of course he was still drinking alcoholically, so who knows how much that played into it. He said there was no connection, but by that time he was forgetting what to do with the car keys in his hands. Hell, I hope that don't never happen to me....I've got too many sets of keys. :)

Tomorrow is me darlin bride's birthday...so we're going out to the Olive Garden with my oldest son and his wife. We'd drag the other boy and his wife, but they're on tour in Europe with the University of Utah Singers. Kid's got talent...big time.

Then on Friday, I'll be going down to a little town in central Utah called Manti. They're holding the 4th annual Rat Fink Reunion there...I made it last year and I'd really like to go back this year...assuming I'm feeling semi-humanoid. Fer those whut doesn't know what a Rat Fink is (or who Big Daddy Ed Roth) was) you can check here:
Rat Fink Reunion And here's a pic of my "Ugly Truck" getting some pinstripes last year:
RFR 2004 My truck is the old Chevy with the black and red front end. All of the red has been replaced by chrome now. I'd love to have a few more stripes on it and something very unique for the brand new tailgate that I just installed.

Well, That's all the news from Happy Valley (Taylorsville, Utah) except that I'm picking up another pickup truck on Sunday...or the following weekend so that I can dismantle it and put power steering and power disk brakes in my Ugly Truck....which ain't nearly as ugly as it used to be.

So in spite of no income, health insurance I have to pay for outta my own pocket and a very indefinite time frame for when I will start receiving any benefits....well, I'm in pretty good spirits. Especially for an old geezer with a nasty head cold.

Ohhh....one last thing. I mentioned something about the electric car that was supposed to blow away the class record on a public highway in Nevada? Well, they got it started once, made one trial run and then had electrical gremlins for the rest of their attempts. They blamed the cold and humidity for their problems. Jeeze...if a buncha hot-shot Brtitish engineers can't deal with a little London Fog now and again, they're not gonna make it very far complaining about the sudden rain showers that come up in the west desert. :)

Hugs and blessings to all....

---

Ray

ChevyAsylum.com

[Teri16]

Anyone? I had another one of my facial numbness and tingling episodes today-though not as bad as other ones...called my neuro Dr. and of course no one was at the office?? On a Tues? Anyway, I left a message saying that I was having another 4rth episode, and did he ever get the EEG results? While I was on the other line long distance, he called and I checked the voice mail later and he said he'd gotten the EEG results and was now waiting for the Carotid results before he answered me. What does that mean? grrrrr So I'll just hang around with a numb face while waiting for them to get results of tests back. I was just trying to figure out what one had to do with the other? Hugs, Teri :) Please someone give me your thoughts...

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"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas

[Teri16]

Libby, you must get one pedicure and at a recommended place. Nothing too fancy, but one that gives a good foot massage. Made me a happy lady all day long, admiring my pretty feet! lol

Here's a link to your new med. Libby??
http://www.actiq.com/patients/aboutactiq/whatisactiq.asp

(((Libby))) Hugs, Teri :)

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"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas

[Teri16]

Ray, you poor thing!! A cold?! You take care of yourself and don't keep pushing yourself so hard...when you dream, is it on 4 wheels??! lol I am really laughing!!

I'm glad you finally got your appeal done-at least that should take some stress off of ya?

And you can't sell the Nova!! Nooooo! You've put too much into it already...plus you have to finish painting it! :)

Hugs, Teri :)

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"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas

[libbygilmore]

teri, gosh, i can't think of a single thing to offer about your face tingling/numbness.  is this doc's office nearby enough that you could go by in person and ask to speak face to face at least with a nurse?  i'm always afreard (at some places) of them thinking i'm too aggressive and therefore not being as willing to help me next time, but i try hard to be polite and just show a genuine concern without criticism.  but teri, good gawsh, you can't just wait around while the doc looks at results, can you???

i'm sorry, i wish i had something positive to offer. 

libby

[Teri16]

Libby, he told me I was having seizures from the damage from the first stroke, and wanted to put me on seizure meds. The only reason I said no and wanted these tests done, was cuz, if you are declared to have seizures, you lose your Driver's lic. while you are on seizure med.'s for one year and can say you've not had another seizure during this time. Now if I'm having seizures, I will deal with it, but if I'm not, then why be on the med.s and be punished. I'm the one who got the ball rolling with all of this...If he saw nothing on the EEG-which is possible if you didn't have a seizure at the time. He wouldn't need the US of the carotid results, would he? A cardio Dr. told me last Aug. that I was dying and they couldn't do anything more for me. Then I found another cardio, had a bypass and have persued all the angina and the Dr.'s I have now are doing everything single thing they can to help me. So I fight with all I've got to make sure that doesn't happen anytime soon, and so far it's working and I'm doing great-cept for this stupid numbness thing. :) That just gets me a little irritated at times. But I shall call the cardio tomorrow and make sure he sends the carotid results over right away to the neuro Dr. and perhaps I'll help them figure this out. lol Hugs, Teri :)

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"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas

[heartangel]

Teri Girlffriend

I will be right behind Lilly going to the Doctor for yuo demanding and explanition. For yu are loved here and none of us want to lose you. never listen to the first Doctor that you are dying from this you keep fighting and maybe they can get to the bottom of this. could you have a pinched nerve somewhere in your neck region that might cause it.

 

MY CERT Class went great as usual I now know how to rescue people and our first resaponse is think of us and to avoid all voids in colapses let them EMT's and Firefighters deal with it. also learned how to do a leverage and crimmage my hunk of an instructor wasnot their he was at the hurricane conference in Tampa for all EOC employees. suppose to be a bad one this year  4 named storms hitting the East Coast and one might be a Category 5  so folks gets your generators ready your suppliues and wood and remember June 1-Nov 30 is Hurricane season and torandoes are spawned off of hurricanes so we will help out in all types of emergencies will hit  terrriosim next then after disaster psychology too. And drill is June 18th pray for cool weather that day in long pants and sleeves hard hats etc  fighting fires set  by firefighters it is old airplane fuel and that stuff is hot and smells.

but I am trying to behave myself and get ready for this busy hurricane season.

Heidi

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 Heidi

Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle

Plato

 

 

 

Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings

have trouble remembering to fly.

 

Mighty hands are guiding me to protect me

from what I cannot see

 

I am a SURVIVOR :)

[pandacrazy42]

Hey Libby I hear you about the multiple problems at once. I guess your part of the multiple major health problems club too. It's real fun when one med for a problems makes one of your other health problems worse. The worse thing for my stomach is the steroids for the asthma and the ulcertive colitis but what can you do when you have to take the stuff. I'm with you on staying upbeat though. I've always been the type that looks for the good in everything. It makes life more enjoyable that way. Barb

[Teri16]

Hi everyone! Yes, that multiple stuff club is growing daily!!

Hugs, Teri :)

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"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas

[Teri16]

I heard from my neuro Dr. today that my EEG showed irregular brain waves coming from the right side of the brain. So he's waiting til after my MRI/MRA tomorrow AM and will call me in the afternoon with a more final diagnosis. This sure seems to have taken a long while in coming...but he told me even with seizure activity that as long as I've never blacked out that I would not be kept from driving. So that's what I needed to hear! :)

Wishing you all a nice evening and hope all is well!

Hugs, Teri :)

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"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas

[Teri16]

I still haven't heard any results, but last night I discovered Petey and Pookie my Dad and Mom cockatiels just hatched 2 more!! :) There are 2 more eggs, so we shall see if the number rises! I still have 2 weeks left with the other baby bird that I just call Baby. He/She is starting to tweet like a dog. hahaha Hugs, Teri :)

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"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas

[pandacrazy42]

Hi Teri, hope you get good news from your doc today. What ever are you going to do with all those baby birds? Talk to you later. Will be busy scrapbooking this weekend at a workshop tonight and tomorrow. Barb

[Teri16]

Hi! Well, I feed them from about 2 weeks of age til about 6 weeks or so, depending on the baby (hand taming and training them), then at 8 weeks I sell them to the pet store that I work with the birds at! :) I really love working with them!

I got the final news today re my irregular brain activity from the EEG. It showed up on the MRI/MRA as an irritated area on the right side, too. The final diagnosis is that the Dr.'s feel that my old stroke is irritating the brain enough to cause signals that are causing seizure type activity along with migraines. So early next week I go in and start my new medication that is to help both and hopefully, control both so that I don't have another stroke.

At least that's settled. :)

How is everyone else doing?? Libby, Ray, all the rest of ya'll??

With extra big hugs, Teri :)

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"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas