Posted by Jennifer on June 3, 2000, at 6:35:27
In reply to Re: Jennifer back 2 Scott back 2 Jeniffer-again, posted by SLS on June 2, 2000, at 7:14:57
Hi Scott..thought I'd send one more reply to this (it's 3:55am, what else would I be doing, sleeping?)
Once again, you are dating yourself. It's not eggs and saccarhin. It's eggs and Nutrisweet. Nutrisweet is broken down into formaldihyde in your body, so it helps to keep you preserved. My daily diet coke sustains my few remaining brain cells through this method of preservation. And no, I don't know what "I Love to Laugh ha ha ha" is, so you're probably from another time. But then again, maybe it was lost from my brain while I was still using saccarhin!
As far as grandma is concerned, she's got the right idea. Any MD that suggests surgery on a 90 year old is insane. She's already 10 years over the usual lifespan, and she wouldn't make it much longer after surgery. It's not like she's a perky 70 year old that will force herself to get up and walk to promote healing and give her lungs a workout. Not long after surgery, when she's unable to walk much, she'll come down with pneumonia, from chronic underinflation of her lungs, and die. OK grim, but honest. That's the #1 cause of death in elderly after this type of surgery. And best case, she lives 5 years? Not worth the months of recovery and risk of illness, and anesthesia risks to me. If her doc is so set on surgery, how about ditching out to a pain control center. They are much better about these things. And how about a home care visit to point out some ways to make her life easier? You didn't say how much she was walking, but even at the minimum, little things like putting the couch up on blocks so it's not far to stand up can really help. I think I'd have to know more about her status to offer any other "not so professional" advice. Kids are really my thing.
She wouldn't have a teething problem or anything would she? (LOL)
My diagnosis? Would that be what the doctors diagnose, or what I diagnose? Quite contradictory. Let's see, first it was irritable bowel from stress after my oldest had some bad medical stuff. Then it was changed to depression, although no anti-depressants worked. As things took a nose-dive it was agoraphobia for a year (Ok, this one I agreed with). Then breaking out of that it was panic attacks. New pdoc started me on Nardil & xanax. Instant recovery. On it for about 6 years. No xanax for over 3 years so discontinued the Nardil. Did great. Then some idiot gives me hormones to fix other crud, and I am insane once again. Back on Nardil with not nearly the response as prior. pdoc dies (yes dies at age 50). New pdoc says I'm manic/depression. I disagree, but it's on lithium I go. He says I don't sleep because of being manic. I say I don't sleep because I don't feel any different when I do. (Yes this does sound like denial, but read on) Attempt to sleep, but having major twitching. Adds Klonopin to help with the twitching, and to enhance the Nardil. It didn't help with the twitching, so I discontinued it, and just upped my Nardil to 45 twice a day. Feeling better, but something is still wrong. Gain a ton of weight last year with no reason. (Ok maybe not a ton, but when you pass your husband's weight, it's not looking good!) Forgetful, no sleep, stretch marks, acne. Don't look anything like myself. I take my picture of the "old" me to my regular MD and say I've had it and I don't care what he says, but something else is wrong. Go to a couple specialists and end up at the only endocrinologist in town. He tells me I'm fat because it's the American way of life and get over it. I'm depressed because I'm fat, so get over it. What a lovely dispostion he had! Tell him I want anti-thyroid antibodies and a cortisol level drawn. He tells me I'm insane. I say I know. And he orders them. Meanwhile a few weeks ago they had me do a sleep study. That was interesting becuase you have to be asleep by 10 at the latest. I asked if I could just stay up with them and watch the other people sleep. No go though. Had to stay up 48 hours to ensure I could sleep for them. Results then come today.
Back up to the lab results. Get those after the sleep study is done. Doctor is amazed that I have a high cortisol level. Really? No s---! Through a friend of a friend I get an awesome referral to an awesome REAL endocrinologist who I see the 12th. Meanwhile, get my sleep results today (ok, yesterday since it's not today anymore) I stop breathing for 15 seconds or so about 9 times and hour. Mild he says. Mild? Ok, he's the specialist. Talk about other symptoms. He says my airway is sensitive to the extra weight around my clavicle. Tells me I really look like Cushing's Disease. REALLY... now how long has it taken for me to convince people something was wrong. The high cortisol is Cushing's Disease. I did not tell the sleep doc about it when I went in, just to see what his eval was. He was thrilled when I told him he was the first doc to come up with the diagnosis besides me (and the ridiculous endocrinologist whom I forced to write me a lab order). So, how will things change in the next few weeks, who knows. Right now I'm only on the Nardil and my inhaler. I want to stay on as little as possible till we figure this all out.
Now, not only has this been extremely long winded, but you know my entire life story. In addition, it's 4:30 am and since the sleep doc says I only get 20 minutes of REM sleep and it's from 5:30-6am, I need to get to bed. As far as my goofiness, it has yet to subside. I'm trying to hold onto it a few more days...off to Disneyland on Sunday! Stay well, Jennifer
PS: Why the heck doesn't this thing have spell-check?!
> > Scott, You thought the APA article was a bit confusing? How about parts of your reply.
>
> Which parts?
>
> > Remember I've been on this site for an entire week!
>
> O.K.
>
> You know, it's funny. Regardless of how long I am here, I still never feel like any kind of veteran. I think it is because I was always teased as a kid, and I never felt that I was part of the crowd. (See, I did that all by myself. I didn't need Freud's help - this time). I have been floating around here for about 8 months.
>
> > You've got the ice/heat thing all wrong. For swelling caused by a contusion, it's cold for 24 hours, then heat from then on.
>
> Things change so often. You can eat eggs and saccharine now.
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> No wonder I haven't been able to ease my bruised ego. The swelling has gone down a bit, though.
>
> > Easy to remember because "c" comes before "h" in the dictionary.
>
> I can't remember my own name sometimes.
>
> > Of course migraines get "cold" only, and arthritis is "heat" only. Nardil causes heat intolerance in some people...so what do arthritic's on Nardil do?!!
>
> Ben Gay. It used to work on T.V., but I haven't seen any infommercials about it yet.
>
> Actually, my grandmother has severe osteoarthritis that has really affected her knees. She is 90yrs and doesn't want to undergo replacement surgery. Do you know anything about how to treat it?
>
> > What the heck is LOL? Person, place or thing?
>
> That is an acronym for "laughing out loud". You are funny, and I enjoyed your humor, so I laughed. "I love to laugh. Ha ha ha. Long and loud and clear". (Might be before your time). I thought I was the only one here who didn't know all of the lingo. That particular one is about all do I know. These things are used to enhance communication on the Internet. You'll see a lot of this sort of thing on newsgroups. I don't know how to go about learning them, so I haven't bothered. Also, symbols like the smily :-) are used for expression. I don't know these either.
>
> > I think at this point I am a member of the Lifelong Nardil Association (LNA), except for my brief hiatus a couple years ago.
>
> I think this is probably wise.
>
> What is your diagnosis? What drugs have you tried? Which ones were you partially responsive to? Which ones made you feel worse?
>
> Being on Nardil, you may want to check your liver enzymes from time to time. This should be done routinely when you get a physical. No big deal though, so don't worry about it. Most drugs are broken down by the liver, so you just want to check things out from time to time. I think doctors may get kickbacks from the labs. :-)
>
> > May I recommend you NEVER let someone give you estrogen/progesterone.......totally psycho response...although psycho people have psycho responses, which this is obviously one because I'm sure you would question ANY doctor that would prescribe female hormones (unless Scott isn't your real name!)
>
> It is now.
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> > OK, I'm getting out of this goofy mood and going off to bed. Doc appt in the am...should probably get a bit of sleep. Jen
>
> I sincerely doubt that your goofiness disappears upon awakening.
>
> You're fun. Stay well.
>
>
> - Scott
poster:Jennifer
thread:34894
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000603/msgs/35811.html