BBB is in the hospital

Hey ((((Butrfly))))

How are you and Mom doing these days?

You OK girl?

Thinking about you both...

((((BBB))))

Not a lot has changed since my last post other than her Coumadin levels have suddenly become erratic. She was doing so well that the nurse had gone to once a week visits rather than the twice a week visits for testing. The level went down to 1.4 on Monday so the nurse had her double the dose for two days and has gone back to twice a week testing for awhile longer. She's due back today so we'll know today if the levels have returned to what they're supposed to be.

About once every 10 days or so, mom has a good day when she doesn't have to take a pain pill just to get out of bed. About 3 days out of 10, she's having to double up on the pain pills in the morning because the first one has little effect on the pain. The rest of the time she takes a pain pill before getting out of bed and is then able to fix a light breakfast for herself and walk out to the porch to retrieve the newspaper from where the neighbor's daughters make a point on their way to school to move her newspaper next to the door for her. Then she spends the rest of the day before bed in her recliner.

She's scheduled for another Doppler test at the end of February to get a status on the blood clots in her legs and chest.

As for me, I'm mostly over the cold I caught at the hospital while visiting her (still have a nagging cough) and my back doesn't go out as often as it was a month ago. I attribute that to my making use of the rehabilitation exercise chair and DVDs I bought for her physical therapy. Since she's not supposed to do any physical therapy right now, I've been using it for myself and trying to increase my upper body and core strength so it will be easier to lift her when I need to.

I took the dogs to the groomer yesterday for a wash and trim but their fur was so matted up that they got their very short cuts they usually get in the summer. They were both running around in the snow with their winter sweaters on when we got home. I think we've finally reached success in getting them both to poop and pee outside. I removed the carpet from under the dining table next to their doggie door and they've finally figured out that if they take 3 more steps through the door, they have the whole backyard to poop and pee in. For the first time in a year, there haven't been any poops or peeing in the house for almost two weeks now. I'm hoping the sweaters will keep them warm enough to still want to go outside to poop.

Good dog trainer, then. Bravo!

The home care nurse just left. BBB's INR level is still lower than it was. It's at 2.1 rather than the 2.5 it has been for more than a month. The Coumadin clinic seems satisfied with it being at 2.1.

Mom can't remember whether she's forgotten to take any of her pills. She thinks she hasn't forgotten, but can't say for sure and has a bit of doubt. Asked the nurse if we could switch her taking them in the morning with all her other medications rather than at bedtime when she's not fully awake enough to remember for sure if she took her pill. Nurse says that would mess up the blood work. So today I went up to Walgreen's and got one of those weekly pill sorters so we'll all know for sure that she hasn't missed any of the doses and can eliminate that from the possibilities.

The only other thing I can think of that's changed recently is that the pain pills cause severe constipation for her and she's been eating prunes, taking several different kinds and methods of laxatives and stool softeners. Don't know if any of them would interfere with the Coumadin. The home nurse doesn't think so, but that's the only thing I know of that has changed in her daily routine and diet in the last week. She's also having frequent episodes of the "Coumadin chills" this week that she's not had very often before and I don't know if that is related to the fluctuation in the INRs. Her GP ordered some routine bloodwork done on her last week to check on how things were going with her other medications and the results were that her vitamin D levels are low and now has to double up on her vitamin D supplements. Nurse says that vitamin D isn't related to the effects of Coumadin like vitamin K is.

It's good that BBB has you in the house, Butrflynet, to help her with all the
necessary things and take care of the pooches too. I bet you're a life saver for
her now. I hope you do get some time to yourself to replenish what you put
out. I am sure it is difficult for you to see your Mom suffering like this,
the emotional burden must be overwhelming at times and that's in addition to
your physical exhaustion. Don't forget to do something good for yourself, Butrflynet!

Thanks for the update, Butrflynet. First of I'll, I'm very pleased to hear about the changes in doggie behavior, that must be a big relief.

I mean to visit you two one of these days, but will definitely call first.
Glad the exer-bike is helping you, too. I used mine, back in the old days, for a while, but like they do for many others it turned into a clothes hanger. But you have good motivation.. whereas in LA I liked just going out and walking or jogging, even in rain or cold, better that sitting on that thing. No motivation, no use of it. And yours has a weights thing too?

Oh BFN, you're an amazing woman.

One thing we found that helped was to have a small pad by the medicine station. And we were just recording everything on it, so then at the end of the day, we could look and say, okay, it's been three hours since Tylenol, wait an hour to take another dose, or go to bed now and hope for the best? At the first doctor's visit, the doctor took a bunch of the notes and they became part of the overall record. Anyway, just a thought. Certainly don't want to make any more work for you.

Yay for the doggies figuring out that the outside is for pooping and peeing. And, er, speaking of same -- water. Lots and lots and lots of water. Assuming the doctor says it's all right (because you can mess up your electrolyte balance if you're not careful), of course.

Hang in there.

PS Your neighbor's daughters are good kids for doing that.

We both would love to have you come over for a visit. We could even do some cooking or baking together if you wished to do so.

The neighbor's daughters are rare gems. They are three girls being raised by a single mother who is a public school teacher who should be extremely proud of the young women she's nurtured.

I have an appointment the first week of February with a dermatologist to have the basal cell cancer on my chin biopsied and removed. Need to have three other spots checked out too.

Next on the list is finding a way to get another hernia surgery paid for. I'm developing another hernia along the incision location of the surgery I had three years ago to repair a hernia and remove the large ovarian cyst. I've been denied insurance coverage due to pre-existing conditions (the ovarian cyst and other things).

That sounds positively barbaric, here in year 2010. I find it sad that you are in that position.

I tried to teach Dolly and Maddy dogs to pay my bills, but they couldn't learn to use a pen, so Butrflynet has become my accountant. She has transferred most of my bill paying to be done by computer. I had changed five accounts before I got sick. Now they are all done, making it easier for me. No checks to write and no stamps to buy. I would be in deep doo doo if Butrflynet wasn't with me. She and the doggies are in love with each other.

I will have a second doppler test at the end of Feburary to review the blood clots status.

Butrflynet got the new computer installed in December that she bought for me last June. Once I was OK, she able to get all of my data transfered to the new one. I don't have a lap computer so I'm not on line much because sitting in a chair is not very good for my legs and clots.

After Butrflynet arrived from California in March last year, I had a large pine tree removed from the far end of my back yard. Now she has an area to create a vegetable garden. She is so excited about it, designing the layout and type of fence to prevent the doggies from digging in her garden. My friend, Michael, has a brother who owns a fence company. He will provide us the fence material for very little money and Michael will install the fence. Then Butrflynet can start planting her vegetables. She can hardly wait for spring to get started. She will be spending a lot of time outside then. I'm so glad to have found room for her garden.

The doggies are digging experts and were carrying the dirt on their fur into the house. Butrflynet took them to the groomer last week. They had been neglected too long due to my illness and their fur had grown too long with some matted areas. They got short haircuts and shivered in the cold so they began wearing their winter sweaters. No more dirt appearing in the house.

You can tell what I was doing during the months of June 1953 and 1955. My son's birthday is February 6th. Butrflynet's birthday is February 29th. She missed being a leap year baby by one day.

BBB

How long is the denial? Forever? Years ago when I signed up for Blue Cross, I couldn't be treated for pre existing asthma (which luckily wasn't bad) - but only for six months. I kept that insurance until I moved and got medicare/same time, so I don't know how difficult insurance companies are about it now.

Anyway, oy vey.

The surgery was three years ago. I applied to Presbyterian 4 months ago and was denied. They also denied me because of the genital herpes I contracted from my ex-husband's mistress via his infidelity more than 30 years ago. I haven't had any outbreaks for at least 20 years.

Seems like a lifetime of denial to me.

To me too.
F 'em.

And here, as well. Sheesh.

Good to see you posting on here again, BBB!

I am sorry to hear that Butrflynet. I thought insurances can't impose pre-existing conditions any longer? Blue Cross is notorious for denying coverage for certain conditions, as well as fighting claims. Terrible provider!

Couldn't you get Medicaid, Butrflynet?

BBB got some good news today. She had Doppler tests done on her legs to see how the clots were doing and there were none left anywhere in her legs and only very minor scarring. He said the blood flow is optimum.

She has an appointment with her doctor next week to see if she wants to do an x-ray of the lungs to check on the clots there and to talk about the possibility of coming off the Coumadin in a month or two.

In the meantime she's taken herself off the pain killers (oxycotton) because they were causing severe constipation. So far, Tylenol has been a good replacement.

I go back on Monday for a follow up on the skin cancers that were removed to check on the healing. The one on my shoulder blade is doing well and doesn't feel like a third degree burn anymore. The one on my chin is not healing nearly as well. I suspect there is still a bit of the basal cell core left in the middle of it because it still weeps and bleeds heavily from there.

My brother got evaluated at Stanford Medical today. He says the doctor took a look at the x-rays of his hip and immediately scheduled him for replacement surgery as his hip has deteriorated to bone on bone.

Thank goodness I did not inherit my mother's skeletal problems like my brother did!

Good news for BBB!

And good luck to you on Monday..