April chitchat

[agate]

New and improved! The April Chitchat thread is being brought to you in this splendid new space.

I hope you'll start chatting, and to that end I've chosen a special icon for this thread. If you hover over it, it says "Talking."

Some people have been very silent but here's a place for you to discuss what's on your mind.

What have you been doing? What's happening?

[Lazarus]

Well,
good morning! I seem to be totally over my week long vaccine reaction and full of hopeful thoughts and plans. Life is good! Here’s hoping the vaccinations free our society and Biden’s infrastructure BIG plans fill the whole country with hope and thoughts that call our better natures to come out of hiding.

John will plant peas soon, my brother and later my sister will come to visit, I will start moving more and eating less! Ah, spring is the start of a new year for farmers!

what hopes is spring bringing to the rest of you all?

[stillstANNding]

Linda, I’m glad you are recovering. I wasn’t clear if you thought that the rough side effects of your second vaccine were because of the Rituxamab? I get my second Moderna today so I’m highly interested. I’d like to be well for Easter as MIL is coming for dinner.

Howie, I miss you. Maybe you are busy with first of the month activities.

ANN

[Lazarus]

Hi Ann,
not sure if I am responding to your post or not but....yes, research suggest that rituximab may have caused me problems but that may be inefficiency problem.... but research also indicates that very strong reaction to the second shot might indicate that I actually hadbCovid in the past.

last year I started coughing in December and coughed for the next 4 months. Dry cough. Had many tests. No answers.
also developed shortness of breath and again, different set of docs, lots of tests and no results. And I was unusually fatigued. Sick for months with all this. That’s why I want a SPIKE antibody COVID-19 test (not lg) that the MS clinic and B&G said I should request from my pcp. The test should be given 2 weeks after the second shot....and will distinguish if antibodies you have are caused by the injection or from having had covid-19 previously.

whatever having the vaccine is better than not having it.

[stillstANNding]

Thank you, Linda. That’s what I thought but wanted to make sure. I remember you had that difficulty breathing for a long while and many doctors. Very glad you are feeling better. So much to plant! Yesterday, I planted radishes very close together in a window box. As they grow, I’ll thin them and use them as microgreens until I have preferred spacing.

My second Moderna was 5 hours ago. My left arm is definitely sore, I’m hot (but not feverish) and flushed. I’ve just taken some ibuprofen. I’m feeling blessed to be fully vaccinated. The nurse who gave me the vaccine was an LPN from NY state who was not vaccinated. “Personal preference.” I said, “Oh, I understand“ but I do not. I’m surprised.

ANN

[Lazarus]

Hi Ann,
so glad we are vaccinated.

I am definitely better...was busy all day...guys came at 8am to install new dishwasher. Installed it and old pipe connection started leaking. Two hours later one electrician called his friend the plumber. Nicest guy in the world. One drip after another and constant trips to get the parts...the biggest part of solution was installing a new garbage disposal which we never use but need in the system.

anyway, last guy just left. Turned on our new quiet dishwasher. Everything is working....so far. But it has been 12 hours almost and 4 guys worked. Whew! But it was sort of fun.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

Thanks for starting the April Chat thread, agate!

Linda, I'm so glad that you are feeling better, and I do hope that you can get the antibody test(s). A friend of mine had a similar situation as you with coughing last year, and I recommended that she get the antibody test(s) to determine whether she had COVID. Her cough was also undiagnosed.

I don't know anyone other than you, who would describe 12 hours of 4 guys working on a plumbing issue as "sort of fun."

ANN, I hope that you don't get any further reactions to your second dose. If you can, please keep us updated.

Love & Light,



Rose

*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!



THANKS!

[Virginia]

Today I went to the Doctor and my BP taken on their machine was 165/76. The Doctor took it with cuff and it was 160/82. She was debating on starting me on aggressive treatment, but she wanted some labs done - urinalysis and blood work and it was time for the lab to close. So she is not going to start anything until I see her again in July. I don't want another pill. I can't figure this out I have always had very good blood pressure and then the last time I saw her it was high. We thought it was just a flook and it would come down, but no such luck.

Anyone else have high B/P? If so how do you keep it down?

[agate]

I tend to have low BP, very low in fact, but I've known some people with big BP problems, and the story has always been that it's not regarded as anything really worrisome unless the second number (diastolic) is 90 or more. According to this chart, you have Stage 1 high blood pressure which looks as if it's really just borderline:

[agate]

When I tried to add this after the link I posted in the previous post, I wasn't able to do that, and so it will have to come up as a separate post:

Your doctor may want you to cut down on salt in your diet, and may want you on a diuretic. I'm pretty sure that exercise or at least physical activity has been shown to help reduce BP.

[agate]

This post was supposed to be part of the previous post but I couldn't figure out how to get any additional text past the link after I'd put the link in.

[Lazarus]

You need to start taking your blood pressure at home multiple times a day and recording the results. You may find it is absolutely normal and no pills are needed. Getting your pressure taken at doctor’s office periodically does not lend an accurate picture.
that’s what I do.

i would look for any changes in diet that would help. I take bp meds so I just am saying to get accurate numbers first. (I once did acupuncture to lower blood pressure).

good luck!

[agate]

I can't find the quotes and so:

"Getting your pressure taken at doctor’s office periodically does not lend an accurate picture."

Linda, that is so true. "White-coat hypertension" seems to be well known. People get nervous just being in a doctor's office, and their BP goes up.

EDITED TO ADD: I found the quotes. What I meant above is:

Getting your pressure taken at doctor’s office periodically does not lend an accurate picture.

So now I know. If all of the editing features aren't showing up in a message window, you can bring them back by clicking on the large A in the upper right. That toggles the Advanced Editor, and suddenly the editing gizmos are back.

[Lazarus]

Large A in upper right of what? Where? I have been looking for ways to do a number of things.

[Virginia]

Thanks Linda and Agate for your replies. I guess I am stressed out about this because I have never had "white coat hypertension" which I have heard about. My blood pressure, like Agate's had always run on the low side, sometimes as low as 90 to 95 over about 45. Then for many years has been in the 120s over 70. I do have a monitor and I plan to take it on a regular basis to see if I can come up with a true number. I had doubted the fact that maybe my monitor is not correct. My brother and I are going to try to meet for dinner one night this week and check it against his.

[Virginia]

My Doctor called me just a few minutes ago. She is phoning in a Rx for me for bladder infection. Also, my thyroid is way out of wack. I had seen that on the patient portal. Their high on their testing for thyroid is 5.66. My thyroid is 8.37. I have been hypothyroid for many years, so I am to take an extra .25mcg per week to begin with and she will check it again soon. We did not discuss the B/P problem. She told me if I had any problems to call her over the week-end. I thought that was very nice.

[Lazarus]

Complicated balance! I too think it is wonderful that your doctor pays attention and cares about what is going on.
Be well

[stillstANNding]

Sorry to hear about your medical problems, Virginia. It sounds like they are getting sorted out.

I’d like to see Howie here. I’m missing his first of the month report and really hope he gets the stimulus check.

I did well with my second Moderna vaccine. I did not have the wicked, MS -like fatigue or the striking arm pain this time. I had aches and chills readily treated w ibuprofen alternated w acetaminophen. Grateful for that.

Now on to preparing the house for Easter dinner.
ANN

[agate]

Virginia, it's too bad about the UTI--I hope the rx will clear it up.

As for Howie, he's still tinkering with ways of getting back here as I understand it.