Surgery--Again

Taking him to doctor tomorrow.

He says it's like suddenly he can't "get his legs to do what I want".
Neurological?
Parkensons?
Dehydration (something I'm always battling with him)?
Other?

Not meaning to hijack the thread, I really appreciate your concern izzy.

Good luck with Wally tomorrow Chai2.... hope he feels better soon. Just a suggestion, I had pneumonia about 18 - 24 months months ago, recovering was tough because I didn’t want to eat or drink, making the weakness linger....I started to drink Ensure and it was remarkable how quickly I felt better...stronger and appetite improved. I didn’t use it very long, less than a week....it’s not a magic formula but it seems to have a good balance of ingredients that tides you over. Maybe ask the doctor.

That's because "visit" here is used in the original meaning from the Latin video (“see”).
(The German equivalent Arztbesuch not only means the medical appointment in the doctor's practise but the visit of your doctor in your home as well.)

Echoing what GB said. Good luck tomorrow. Nobody thinks you're hijacking the thread. We've all got concerns and yours are quite pressing at the moment.

good luck with Wally

No offense glitter, but Ensure is ****. The ingredient that promotes appetite is in there in miniscule amounts that do nothing.

The best way I heard it described was from a nutritionist with a doctorate in nuturitional counseling. He said (pointing to the landscaping outside his office window) "See that earth out there? There's gold in there" Meaning yeah, there is this incredibly small amount of gold in any given piece of soil, but it's not someplace you would waste any time looking for it.



Instead he takes glutamine.

He takes a scoop of glutamine powder mixed with a little water at each meal, which he swishes around his mouth and swallows. It's also beneficial to the gums.

Obviously he had slacked off taking it, hence weight loss which he has struggled with for years.

Glutamine helps with nitrogen transporting. Thus helping build muscles.

Years ago, the glutamine did a great job putting on muscle and pounds. Now, I'd like to just see him gain a little, for when his bouts of depression hits, and he refuses to eat for a few days in a row.

It is what it is.

Well thanks again....as long as I'm bitching, I'll addd this in.

The pychiatrists at the VA. Christ on a cracker.

First the good. He is finally convinced after several years, of starting talk therapy with a counselor there. He is of the ilk that doesn't understand what that will do, but he's willing to give it a go.

His motto has always been better living through chemistry.

One phychiatrist had perscribed him Prozac, which worked....for a while. It is notorious for working, until it doesn't.

Then, a physican assistant friend of mine, when learning he was taking Prozac said that it was very questionable that a person taking statins should be taking prozac.

We went to the VA about a week and a half ago, and they triaged him in the Mental Health unit. This different phychiatrist said for him to completely go off prozac for 40 days, and then he should start Zoloft. I was in an overwhelmed state at that minute, but even then it was sticking with me that a person shouldn't just go cold turkey off prozac.

I was right. We called his doctor the next day, and she said "absolutely NOT." You have to titrate carefully off of that. So he's in a holding pattern until he sees the first phychiatrist again in a few weeks.

IMHO the VA is great for things like physical exams, eye care, etc, but I am not impressed that someone would perscribe then cut someone off a med at the risk of suicidal ideation.

Well no, it does make you wonder. I knew someone who was on Prozac and when it went it went big time. They're of it now and on something else that's doing the trick OK.

I was lead to believe there's always something else to try until they get the one that works, but going cold turkey is never a good idea.

My dad always has problems with his medication when he goes in hospital. He was very badly injured playing rugby a long time ago and had been on v strong painkillers all his life. His GP knows what he needs, but once he goes into hospital everything changes.

I'm sorry but every time you write VA I keep thinking of this place.



They're currently doing a retrospective on Christiane Dior, if that's of any help.

Nobody's hijacking anything. Please feel free to discuss what's on your minds and what you're currently dealing with. Talking here helped me enormously to get through a lot of difficult times.

Although the cardiologist thinks that my heart is OK, I have to wear a heart monitor for the next two weeks, just in case. While this device was being adhered to my chest, what was I thinking about? How the hell am I gonna wash my hair? I also expressed some concern as to how I'm gonna get it off without taking skin along with it.

Next week, the ENT.

I'm happy to report that Joe is back from Taiwan and will be bringing Winston to my place for a visit this Friday. I need a dog fix. Despite taking antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds, the dog is the only thing that really lifts my spirits. The meds keep me from crashing. Not the same thing.

If I remember correctly you had hiatal hernia surgery some time ago. So have I, but it been repaired twice and lately I worried that it might need another repair (big big difficulty) I've been short of breath and losing strength so my doc sent me to the hospital for every damn heart test known to mankind. My heart is fine so they sent me home still sick. Then more specialists, more tests, finally they discover I have two more diaphragmatic hernias and my colon can slid up into the chest cavity....That's what's causing the breathing problems, and pain. So now that they have an idea what's wrong, the specialists insist I see the one freaking surgeon who's supposed to be wizard on solving these issues. Yeahhhhh, I've been waiting 3 weeks to see him because he only sees patients on Thursdays..hopefully I can still see him on the 21st. It is all so aggravating, you would think they are volunteers offering charity.

All that above was because I really do understand the frustration and anxiety that accompanies medical treatment. See a specialist, they send you to another specialist (it takes 3 months to get in) see the doc, send you to another specialist...I'm way too old to waste more time being sick. If it can't be fixed, tell me, just don't act as if I'm the medical mystery of the last two centuries and there isn't a doctor on the globe that would have recognized the symptoms., Please, please please.

I'm sorry this is such a long and drawn out situation for you Roberta...This might sound very strange but about 2 months ago I started to think that if only I was 8 years old again, my mother would be browbeating doctors to take care of me. Like everyone here I think about childhood memories every so often, but that was the first time in many decades I thought I needed my mother to kick somebodies butt. How's that for a flashback???

God bless all doggies!

Good luck, I hope it all goes well!

Yikes! None of this is good except for Winston!

this Friday as in two days ago? tell Joe we need a pic of you and Winston (at least your hand and Winston )

totally get the lift we get from dogs. Since Bella died, I've been borrowing her friend Agnes for visits and cuddles. Her 5 year old human wants to give me Agnes - the adult humans think borrowing is fine.

So. What’s the Latest?

Not much. I missed two appointments (stress test and throat). I've rescheduled both. My breathing greatly improved after I took the steroids.

I'm seeing the infectious disease doc on Wed. And I'm having a colonoscopy the following week.

For the most part I feel eh plus.

BTW, bethie. I have a picture of me and Winston. It was sent to me via e-mail and I can't figure out how to post it here. I'll keep trying.

first you have to upload it to a hosting site (ie. tinypic, imgur).

that will give it a url with a jpg extension...

So.....how is everything?

I'm eh. I had/have another tooth ache. However, it comes and goes. As long as it does this, I'm avoiding the dentist. Why? It was an antibiotic for an oral infection that led to the bacterial nightmare. I'm scared.

I'm getting my throat checked tomorrow. I'll see my psychiatrist on Wed. And next week I'm having a colonoscopy. (Yuch)

I am more strapped for money than usual.

I made some chicken soup. Despite what my mother and grandmother told me, it doesn't cure everything, But it's comforting, and it makes the house smell good.

What's noo with yoo, deb?

I think I almost envy you and your toothache. I recently had two teeth start to fall apart. An initial dental visit indicated a fair amount of work would be needed. One tooth removal (the tooth is one third gone already), 2 caps or crowns (can't recall which), a coupla fillings. No pain right now so I don't wish to tempt fate and create any.

Sure it can be annoying with the food which gets stuck in these tooth pockets, but, that can lead to a snack in the middle of the night if I forgot to brush.

Maybe if I land in the hospital again for an extended visit I'll request they tend to it. Honestly, it's not affordable at this time.

This must be colonoscopy time here in the city. My doctor just last Thursday told me I should have one soon. I told her, I'd rather not...

I found a top notch cure for me is usually borscht (with several hunks of freshly baked brown bread).


...or a tasty ( beef) tongue sandwich.


Here's to things going well tomorrow (which might now be today) in your medical appointment.