OT November Chit Chat

[Cherie]

Today would have been David's parent's 65th wedding anniversary. He went in the hospital for the last time on their 35th (esophageal cancer) and was dead 10 days later. She waited nearly 20 more years before joining him. Wonder what that celebration looks like in Heaven?

[SalpalSally]

Hello to all my friends. And how is your body treating you today? I'm enjoying the fall weather and wishing I could get out more...just take a walk with my doggy, rake leaves, clean out my garden or whatever..:o

I'm trying to lose some unwanted pounds, gained since my DH passed. Soooo, I'm doing more exercising and eating less. So far I've lost 5lbs in one week.:o

I wish your weekend to be a good one..

Don't worry, be happy!!

[Cherie]

My body is telling me I have overdone in the past couple of days. Yesterday, I packed the car, cleaned the house, drove 3 hours (with David) to a conference that got started late then drove from there to the condo arriving after midnight. Had to put our linens on the beds, unpack, put away the food we had brought and got to bed by 1am.

Today we set up a new (used) entertainment corner in the master bedroom (had to go to the hardware store to get stuff to stabilize it to the studs in the wall) tried to hook up VCR and DVD to the bedroom TV and discovered why they were not being used at home...they don't work. Discovered the blender at the condo had been dropped and the base broken so replaced it. Went through rental linens and pulled those that were stained or worn and replaced them with new.

Then David and I spent an hour outside with hand saws removing dead branches from the white pines outside our window. Maintenance staff has had it on their "to do" list for more than two years now and tomorrow is the annual homeowner's meeting so we wanted to see it spiffed up. After that, I met with the property manager, went over the financials to put finishing touches on my Treasurer's report for tomorrow then came back and did a two hour continuing education module on line.

Tomorrow we have the annual homeowners meeting from 10-12, a Board of Directors meeting from 12:30-2, our association homeowner meeting from 2-3, then the annual owner's reception from 5:30-7:30. We'll clean the condo, load the car and be on the road for home before noon Sunday getting home around 5PM.

My brain and body are fried!

Oh...it snowed here for a couple of hours this afternoon but temps stayed just above freezing so nothing stuck.

[ssusan]

Cherie, I am exhausted just thinking about all you did. OMG

[Cherie]

Me too:ambivalence:

Last night's conference was with Mark Freedman (head of MS for health Canada) on emerging therapies in MS. He pointed out through a number of new head to head studies that have been recently published the relapse rate for the CRABS is closer to 1 in every three years...not a 30% reduction rate in relapse which is the assumption we have all been working under for years. He believes this has to do with more people going on meds earlier in the disease process and fewer persons in the trials with "old" MS. Although there tend to be more relapses in the first 10 years of MS (off med) the most axonal loss and disability occurs after 10 years even with the meds. Another statement he made was that the interferons have all been shown to reduce the time and severity to disability but GA (Copaxone) has failed to show any correlation to disability prevention. (TEVA, makers of Copaxone, were the sponsors for the evening).

He said that with Tysabri, the relapse rate is down to one in every 5 years but this drug is the first we have seen PML emerging with....not true...there have been cases reported with CellCept. He had forgotten that when he made that statement.

He said "newer is not necessarily better" as is shown with fingolimod which is the first DMT ever to have macular edema and potential for blindness. Also fingolimod is showing higher than anticipated liver enzyme elevation. It was forecast to start elevating at 9 months into therapy when in actuality it is happening within the first month. He does not see this as a major problem.

There are 4 monoclonal antibodies probably coming on the market in the next two years, three more orals and a couple of irregularly injected medications (monthly injections). So...we are looking at having a dozen and a half meds in our kit bag within the next 5 years.

Cladribine was thought initially to be the first oral that would be brought to market. The pill would have been costly compared to the parentaral (IV) med which is currently approved and can be prescribed off label. I asked him what the dosing of the IV cladribine was and he said the same dosing as the oral. I will have to look that up as is it not coming back other than there are 4 doses week one, 4 doses week two then a single dose 8 months later and the cycle repeats itself every year. Dr. Freedman did say that Cladribine looked like it could eliminate relapses for 10 years but it was not going to make the company enough money to make the last phase III trial the FDA requested profitable. (This was his stated opinion/observation and I have nothing to back it up other than what was said last night.).

[Gary]

Cherie I guess that I don't need to remind you........................

I am at the end of the oral roid taper. And am just at the end of my rope. It was a shorter taper than I have done in the past. My heart is about to jump out of my chest. and I am restless. I have some crazy pills. I had to get a new script the old one were really expired and the refill had ran out. I guess that I don't use Xanax too often. Never has done much for me.Bad thing is I am really restless but I am so tired I don't want to get off the couch.

And walking around gets my heart racing all most to the point of being sick to my stomach. No I am not having a heart attack. But having an entire family in the medical profession I would naturally get checked out if necessary. Real reason is not only does it run in the family but I am a walking poster child for heart problems, really bad cholesterol, triglycerides about 25 lbs over weight, and then there is the ole high blood pressure.

I cleaned up the leaves in the yard and had a wind storm fill the yard back up yeah I cheat and blow the leaves off with the riding mower and I had put the mulching attachment on first.

27 deg today but the sun is shining it is so pretty. Now if it was about 72 deg...............

[stillstANNding]

Gary, 27 degrees? Good that you are in Southern Idaho!

ANN

[Cherie]

Home again. Pool is refilling (semi annual water change) and with any luck, I should be back in and exercising in the morning.

Homeowner's meetings yesterday (one master association and 6 sub associations) were lengthy but a lot got accomplished. I have been on the Board of Directors of our sub association for 5 of the past 6 years and yesterday was elected to represent our association with the master association. Ends up I'll be acting treasurer of both. At least the new president of both is all for both meetings (quarterly) being on the same day so it'll make for fewer trips there.

Gary, I'm sorry you're feeling so poorly. I know exactly how you feel and that is one of the reasons I won't do steroids but it sounds like you really don't have that option.

[Gary]

Cherie as you are well aware I have tried just about everything else.............

Still coming off the roids for some reason it is really knocked me for a loop. Blood pressure is approaching normal well for me anyway. I fall asleep at 7 PM and wide awake at 5 am.

Nuttin new to report. Snow for this week end

[Cherie]

Things sure are going slowly here.

16 weeks today since last Cytoxan and I am doing well. Liver functions and basic metabolic panel are all normal now. Sed rate is within normal range for the first time since the fall of 2006! White count is up to 4.2 (first time over 4,000 in three years). I am now only borderline anemic instead of severely anemic. Except for partial loss of vision in my left eye since the bleed 4 weeks ago, I feel quite well. Still dealing with spasticity on the left side as was brought home during massage today but I am walking better as a result of her efforts on my behalf.

Pouring here all day with temps in the mid 50s. This is not our typical week before Thanksgiving weather.

[Whisper]

Seems everyone is busy living their lives this fine November! That's great! I got the results of my EKGs and Echo last week. It would seem that I had a very small heart attack back in August (I assume it was August as that was when I had the chest pain and discomfort).

Doctor did not prescribe any meds so we are looking at losing weight and diet (me not him, lol) to make sure it doesn't happen again. I have lost 15lbs...yay me! And I am eating more salad and other veggies.

I hope everyone is doing well and that is their reason for being absent from here!!! All the best everyone.
Lorraine:)

[Cherie]

Good for you Lorraine! Not easy to lose 15 pounds. Way to go! Sorry to hear about the heart attack.

[Whisper]

Thanks Cherie, it was very mild, so my doctor didn't seem overly concerned...so I'm not gonna worry too much over it. I am trying to lose 50lbs by August for my daughter's wedding! 15 is a good start. Thanks to everyone on here...you are all like family to me even though I don't 'keep in touch' as much as I probably should. I wish everyone here better days and health.

Lorraine:)

[Jeanie Z]

:) Hi everyone. Gary and Cherie I am glad you are both better.

I woke this morning with my left foot and lower leg swollen a LOT and reddish. We went to the Med Express clinic and the doctor said I have cellulitis. It started from a spot between my little toe and the next toe. The doctor gave me a RX for Keflex 500 mg to take every 6 hours.

I came home and put athlete's foot cream on and wrapped it in gauze then put on a compression stocking. Then I put the other stocking over the first one and elevated my foot. I am so stressed out.

David's sister and hubby will be back here Sunday. The family friend who helps my Mother has his brother in the hospital critically ill, so Mother is having to get a lady from church to help her. I have nothing done for Christmas and I have no energy and now I need to stay with my foot up.

Please say a prayer for Mother, Bill's brother and me. I pray for all this board's posters nightly. Jeanie :)

[stillstANNding]

I'm praying for you Jeanie. Keep taking the antibiotics and things should be much better in 48 hours.

Whisper, take care of yourself. We need you. Here's some chocolate- just a bite.

Glad that you are improving, Cherie.

Hope that Lady is well. I'm thinking about her, and Jan (Boston/Maine) and Sally and Kathy. So many people.

Where's Howie? Does anybody know?

Best to you all,
ANN