June 2021 Chit Chat

[Sunshine 2]

Nurse is coming two days in a row to be sure I am emptying bladder with a bladder ultrasound. I have done this before with this nurse and she is very capable. She shared a trauma she had many years ago, and I was able to give her a nice gift to ameliorate it. I enjoy being kind to others and giving when can. As Tim McGraw sings , Always be Humble and kind:

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Worth listening to this on YouTube—you wont regret it.

[Virginia]

Sunshine, glad to see you. You always outdo what we expect and again you are doing just that. DH is definitely a keeper. So glad a RN is being sent to help with the bandages on a regular basis. That is one less thing you have to think about.

I am sure this is a tiring time, but just think how long and hard you have fought to get to this point. I hope all is downhill from here.

By the way, I am sure DH doesn't mind giving up sleep or whatever else he needs to in order to help out.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

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

Sunshine ~

You have been in my prayers, and I am relieved to hear that you're home and receiving superior care. How wonderful to have a nurse, who you trust, visiting you regularly. We always gave gifts to our nurses, and other medical professionals, who provided home care for Michael, Jon and Jim. It's important to express our gratitude and appreciation for their support.

I hope the nausea is subsiding and that your bladder and bowels are working properly.

Your DH isn't giving up anything. He is giving you LOVE.

Positive, healing energy on the way for you, your DH, your nurse and your loved ones ~

ANN ~

It's great that you and Peter can spend this time with your Mom. I hope that therapy will relieve your bursitis.

Howie ~

Have you told your doctor that you are skipping doses, so that you can have a back up supply, if s/he fails to renew your prescription in a timely manner?

It is unsafe to skip doses with many drugs, but especially drugs for seizures. I'm not a neuro, or even a doctor, obviously, but I have 50 years of experience with my boys' seizures and meds. I had to deal with the same kind of garbage you've been dealing with to prevent my boys from running out of their meds. Our pharmacists always gave us a "tide over," until the physician refilled the prescription.

My boys were on Medicaid, and there are thousands of miles of red tape around health care provision, medications, et al. Sometimes, I could avert a crisis in getting their meds, by calling the pharmacy and the doctor's office 10 days in advance of the prescription renewal. They might say it is too soon to refill, and I would say, "I'm giving you a head's up. He has X amount of Y drug, which will last him another 12 days. Weekends, holidays. It needs to be in the works now."

Sadly, I had to keep following up, and sometimes, I still had to get a "tide over."

Just tell your doctor and your pharmacist that if you don't get your gabapentin refilled on time, you are at risk of having a seizure. And if you do, it will be their fault.

Prayers and positive energy to all ~

Love & Light,

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Rose

*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!


THANKS!

[Howie]

Seizures are the pits!!! The first one I had, I had no idea what it was. I thought I was having a heart attack or stroke. I was in bed sleeping, and when it started, I jumped out of bed, and started to run down the hall. I didn't get far. I fell on the floor, and just endured it while it lasted. I called my doctors office, (as soon as it opened) and they told me to come on in.

This is back when I had a real doctor. He listened to my description, and prescribed Gabapentin. It took me a while to see this was the right med for me, and I could let my guard down, and not always be expecting another seizure to begin.

[agate]

Pharmacists aren't always willing to let you have a little extra of a medicine to tide you over but it's certainly worth a try, Howie. Have you asked about that possibility?

[Howie]

No, I'm fine the way I do it. And when I said I skip a dose, I meant I only take one. I'm prescribed 6 a day, 2, 3 times a day. Now and then, I take just one instead of 2, and stash the one in my stash,

[Virginia]

As long as you only skip one Howie I think you will be fine. I have done that on gabapentin. It isn't being given to me for seizures but even so if I stopped all of a sudden it could cause one. I am on it full time like you, but on a lesser dose. Hope you and Sam are having a good weekend.

[stillstANNding]

We are home from PA and I have a cat in my lap. We’re getting some spinach pie for supper.

ANN

[Virginia]

Ann, good for y'all. Spinach pie sounds good. Sounds kind of like spinach quiche. Glad you are back safe and sound.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

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

Howie ~

I am not a doctor or a neuro, as I said, but I have witnessed hundreds of thousands of seizures, between my two sons and their peers. I have seen every kind of seizure type in existence. I know all of the seizure meds, and my boys tried many of them. I managed their medications for their seizures, based upon blood work regularly and their clinical presentation. ICU intensivists relied upon me to manage my boys' seizures in the hospital.

Unless you are overmedicating with gabapentin, based upon blood work and/or a change in your usual status, you should be taking the prescribed dose every single day. Every time you stash one of your pills, you take the risk of having a breakthrough seizure.

It is common for seizures to be associated with sleep. It certainly was for my boys.

Breakthrough seizures happen without warning sometimes, Howie.

Please tell your doctor about the hassle you are having with getting your gabapentin refilled, and that you are reducing your dose every so often to have a stash to tide you over. Tell your doctor that you are afraid of having a seizure, because you are. Tell your doctor that the stress of getting gabapentin increases the potential for you to have a seizure.

Our physicians take an oath, First Do No Harm. If they do not provide us with the care and attention we need, they could be doing harm.

The most important thing is to protect yourself, which is the reason you are taking gabapentin. And, I am trying to protect you, even though you may think I am clucking.

None of us, not one of us, should be scrimping on our prescriptions, because our physicians and pharmacists are not doing their jobs. Nor should we have to follow up dozens of times to make sure we get the scripts we/our loved ones need. Unfortunately, that's the way it is for many of us. We have to stand up for ourselves. If we don't, who will?

Out of love and concern for you, Howie, I encourage you to have a frank conversation with your physician about your gabapentin, so it can be resolved, and you never have to deal with it again.

ANN ~

Welcome home to you and Peter! Enjoy your spinach pie. Sleep well.

Prayers, healing, positive energy to all ~

Love & Light,

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Rose

*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!


THANKS!

[Virginia]

I had more bad news in my family today. My older brother, who lives in Hilton Head, S.C. fell a week ago tomorrow. All of my information is 3rd hand from my youngest brother. Anyway, I think he was in much pain and went to the ER. They did a scan and didn't find anything wrong. A couple of days later he fell in his house. So, today he was in so much pain he and his wife decided to go to a different ER. They did another scan and say that he has SIX cracked ribs. Some in front and some in back close to his lungs. He cannot go to bed but will have to sit in a chair until he heels.

Neither of these falls was due to an illness or medication. The first one came in his garage where he was removing a grip from a golf club and he tried a new way of doing it and slipped and fell. Neighbors came and got him up and called his wife who was on the golf course playing a round of golf.

The second one was in his house and he has all hardwoods. He was walking with a rollator and it slipped out from under him. He does not normally use a walker or a rollator so he may not have known how to do it. This is the 2nd person I have known who has had a rollator slip out from under them. So, for those of you who use one be careful. My brother was using his due to the first fall. We are unclear as to when the six ribs were cracked, but we think when he fell on the cement in the garage when he fell the first time.

We have been asked to not call him. My SIL says he is in no condition to talk. However, my younger brother did talk to him briefly. He says he sounds congested and he really sounded bad when he tried to talk.

I asked my younger brother to send a text and ask if they couldn't get a hospital bed. My SIL could let it down for him to get in and out to go to the bathroom. Otherwise it could be adjusted the way he wants it.

Saying prayers.

[Parsi]

I can understand why he doesn't feel like talking. Besides being painful, it's an effort.

[stillstANNding]

Sorry to hear about your brother, Virginia. It sounds like circumstances caused the falls rather than dizziness or weakness or balance issues. I hope that’s right.

We have two more days of a four day heat wave. Today I got up at 6:15 AM and went out and picked lettuce, kale, a little chard and spinach before they bolted in the strong sun.

Later in the day, I had R. Trigeminal neuralgia. I’ve been given gabapentin 300mg caps for that and am happy to say that it works. At least it’s did today. I’m glad to have a prn drug on top of the Tegretol.

ANN

[agate]

Too bad about your brother, Virginia! Injured ribs can be excruciatingly painful. It probably hurts him to talk or even to breathe. That may go on for quite a while.

When I injured some ribs years ago, I recall taking aspirin in the middle of the night just to get through the night with less pain. No position was comfortable. I hope that he will be able to heal up enough to communicate soon.

I'm not sure how the rollator slipped out from under him unless he was trying to sit on it? I hardly ever sit on mine, partly because it always seems as if it's about to slip away (and the seating isn't something I can sit comfortably on for any length of time). It's nice to have it there just in case I get detained somewhere and end up needing to sit down for a couple of minutes, though.

[stillstANNding]

Last night I had a small pizza w sausage and pepperoni,mushroom , onions and peppers. . I ate half of it and saved the other for lunch.
We found our cats Cassie and Jack w the box opened and toppings all over the counter and floor. The “saved” half of the pizza was naked - licked clean. They were not remorseful.

It is good to be eating anything I want again.

ANN

[Howie]

Cats will be cats!

I always give Sam my plate to lick the gravy or whatever is left. I don't know what smelled so good yesterday, but she was about to climb into my bowl while I was still eating!