April chitchat thread

[Virginia]

I just read Agate's post and it reminded me that I also take a low dose of Hydrochlorothiazide. I take so much I forget what I am on. This was not enough for me, but I think it works nicely for both my sister-in-laws. My blood pressure just would not come down so the PCP added the Losartan last year and then the cardiologist just doubled the dosage of it. I hope your BP will come down on its on, since you may not have had it long. Remember this is your bad month and it is with us even if we don't realize it.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

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

This morning, I called Dr. A's office and spoke to a very nice young lady. She told me that his practice was closed to new patients, and I explained to her that Jon and Michael were among his first patients, when he joined the medical group in 2001. I think this was Dr. A's first job altogether! Then, I told her that Dr. A took care of Jim, when he had his RA flare and then when he was diagnosed with cancer.

If I had had any health issues before now, I would have been his patient. Thankfully, I didn't, because I was too busy taking care of Jon and Michael, and then Jim. Now, I have extremely high blood pressure, and I need him. I asked her if she would send a message to Dr. A explaining my situation, which she did. Then, she said that I should check in a couple of days with the office to see whether he received the message.

When I said I really needed help soon, she suggested I go to Urgent Care. To that I replied, "I don't want to see a strange doctor, who I will never see again for this problem." I told her that both of my sons and my husband are deceased, and my stress is clearly off the charts. When I told her that Jon and Jim died a year apart, and then COVID hit, she was kind, saying that she was so sorry for all that I've been going through, and that certainly could lead to high BP.

She began looking for other family physicians in the practice, who I could see until I could see Dr. A. Then she asked me if I would be willing to see a Nurse Practitioner, who works with Dr. A and the other physicians. Absolutely. So, I have an appointment at 10 a.m. tomorrow with the NP.

I can't imagine that Dr. A will refuse to take me as a patient. He did make that commitment to us, that we were all his patients, whenever we needed care. Dr. A was invited to Michael's celebration of life service, but he was unable to attend, because his wife had problems with her car that evening, and he had to help her. He apologized every time we saw him for many visits afterwords, until we told him that we understood, and it was okay.

He has a 5 star rating, because he is a sweet, compassionate person. Jim, Jon, Michael and I love him.

I am happy to connect with the NP, as I know she can order tests and prescribe medications, which will free up Dr. A's time with me.

At the end of my conversation with the scheduler, I thanked her profusely for helping me. She said, "Of course! I'm glad this will work for you. And Dr. A will get this message, and I think he will take you as a patient. We all want you to be around for a long time."

Aww ... that was so sweet!

So, I texted John with the appointment time and place. He contacted his boss to let her know that he was taking me to the doctor on his lunch hour tomorrow. His boss knows about our family and that John transported Jim to his appointments. She is also a very nice person (although I don't know her), and when John told her about Jon and then Jim passing, she was genuinely sad for me. Of course, John always gets his work done, working around our appointment times. She knows that, and doesn't worry at all.

agate ~

My hair was straight as a stick, and I had numerous perms during the "big hair days" in the 80s and 90s. After menopause, my hair had curl, and the older I get, the curlier it gets. I had been trimming the ends of my hair since 2019, just to shorten it. It was shaped like a sphinx or Weird Al Yankovick.

Now, it is layered, and I have bangs, and it looks like a real hair style. This has given me confidence that I look presentable at least.

I am due to have the wobbly tooth removed on Thursday, but that is dependent upon whether the NP thinks that is a good idea. My dentist asked me to see a physician, and I am.

Yes, a soft food diet can be rather boring and monotonous. One of my issues is finding food with less sodium. The amount of sodium in everything is just amazing. Even cottage cheese has salt in it. Ugh!

Thank you for sharing information about Hydrochlorothiazide. I already urinate a lot, as I drink a lot of water to stay hydrated. I'm not sure how I will deal with urinating more.

Virginia ~

Thank you for sharing your BP meds with me. I Googled Losartan, and headache and dizziness can be side effects of the drug. Barometer changes affected Michael's seizures. I have no doubt that it affects you and others as well.

Losartan is potassium. Here's what I found:

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

I don't know how long my BP has been elevated, because I haven't taken it for a very long time. I do know that Jon's Angelversary was the first time that I experienced symptoms, like feeling woozy, when I turned on my side in bed, or when I stood up. It is probably a culmination of stressful things contributing to my current status.

It has inspired me to finally go outside in the morning for a walk, even if it is just up and down my street. I feel good about doing this, and I'm sure that it will benefit me.

I do hope that your headache and dizziness abate soon.

Thank you agate and Virginia for your concern and support.

Love & Light,

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Rose

[agate]

Rose, I'm betting that Dr. A's reply will be that he would be honored to treat you as his patient. The nice young lady wasn't able to speak for him, but it sounds as if you've reached a satisfactory compromise and will be seeing the NP soon.

There are a surprising number of foods that come in low-sodium versions, I've been finding. I routinely get low-sodium mozzarella string cheese sticks, V8 juice, and peanut butter. I don't buy cottage cheese very often but part-skim ricotta cheese seems to have a low sodium content sometimes, and it's a lot like cottage cheese. If my main dish is a slice of frozen pizza, I try to make sure it's a smaller slice than the recommended serving--and that way I get less sodium. The pizza I currently have lists its serving size as 1/5 of the pizza, which would have 35% sodium, but I eat 1/7 or 1/8 of a pizza.

Low-sodium foods do take a bit of getting used to because they taste different but something like Mrs. Dash can add flavor. I'm not promoting Mrs. Dash--my little bottle of it is dated 2019, and so I must keep forgetting to use it--but it has no sodium. The bottle I have is called garlic and herb seasoning blend and consists of garlic, onion, and a bunch of spices, plus a bit of orange peel.

[Virginia]

I cooked a baked sweet potato for supper tonight. I did put a little butter on it, but it was no salt butter. Over time you will learn some things you can eat without too much sodium.

Hope the appointment goes well.

[SuzE-Q]

Sounds like a good accommodation, Rose. High BP would usually start with tests and meds which an NP can order. I would think he will take you on as a patient too as close family of patients are usually exceptions to "no new patients" rules. Good that they have an NP within the practice. Good luck at the appointment. How refreshing having a new cut and a fresh, clean mouth. You must have taken good care of your teeth if there is nothing more significant wrong.

Phooey on Wordle, first time I missed it in months as too many options for 1st and 3rd letters, I ran out of guesses.

Well, my car is starting again, so who knows what's going on. Maybe I left it too long without even turning on the engine? Still think it's related to the brake switch even though I replaced it. Guess I'll keep driving it, mechanic is flummoxed if it starts fine when they try.

I never add salt to anything except fries and corn on the cob, but you can buy No Salt which tastes the same but no sodium. There are lots of reduced salt options in many products now. Glad you're getting your daily walks in now, Rose. Good for your brain and cognition!

I would dearly love to age into a wave in my bone straight hair sometime!

[Virginia]

Suze-Q, had you on my mind. I got my Halter results back. My very cute and nice cardiologist put the results on Duke's "My Chart". When they add anything I am usually notified by e-mail. He obviously found the monitor and read it. He listed everything he found and I understood very little of it, until he got to the end and then he had typed "0 fibrillation. This is great news". I thought that was so nice of him.

I missed Wordle yesterday and was really disgusted with it. I was so close, just like you and guessed wrong.

I thought we would hear from Rose today after she saw the NP. She may be waiting for test results. I hope we hear from her soon.

Today I went to the Pharmacy, then I went to get my hair cut and colored, then I went to Fresh Market and bought a few items, including something for tonight's dinner. I got in a little walking going in and also inside the store.

I got a new batch of baby pictures on the family album today. There he was just flying across the floor crawling and in another little video he crawled to a little table that is his and pulled up and stood there. I was surprised because I got some a few days ago and they didn't show anything like this. I guess when he started he just took off in the last couple of days. He had a great big Easter basket. I expect that came from his Grandma and Grandad.

Our weather yesterday was wet all day long. It just rained. Today was pretty, but quite cool and tonight is to get down to 36 degrees. I hope I don't lose any plants. However, it is to get to 68 tomorrow and then will go up all week until it gets into the high 80s. That's too hot.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

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

Everyone I met today on my first journey into the medical world for myself was kind and caring.

It began with filling out several forms, which I didn't finish, because I was taken to the exam room, where there was a flurry of questions.

The nurse, who escorted me to the exam room took my BP and SATS. As typical for me these days, the Systolic was high, but the Diastolic was nearer to normal. My SATS were 98, which is exceptional, especially when wearing a mask. My heart rate was 74, which is normal.

I was given an EKG. The results were "abnormal." I asked for a definition, and the nurse and NP simply said that I was being referred to a cardiologist. That's troubling, but maybe they felt uncomfortable speculating.

I gave a urine sample at the end of the visit, and I was told that it appeared that I had an infection. The NP asked me if I had any symptoms of an infection, such as burning during urination, difficulty urinating, discoloration. No. My urine is a beautiful color, and I drink at least 48 oz. of water daily, and I urinate accordingly. Nonetheless, it will be sent to a lab for further analysis.

I'm already taking Amoxicillin, and I don't want to start another antibiotic on top of it. I hope it's just an error.

The NP ordered a mammogram, which I will schedule at a later date. I was supposed to receive an in home colon test, but left without one.

For my BP, I am prescribed lisinopril, which is the BP med John takes. I asked about hydrochlorothiazide, and she said she didn't think it was appropriate for my situation, as I don't have edema. I asked about Losartan, and she said that would be the next option, if lisinopril is ineffective.

The NP ordered blood work, but by the time I was done with my exam, the lab on site closed for lunch. So, when I got into the car to leave, John used his iPad to make an appointment for me with Quest labs, with a 15 minute window. When we arrived, the waiting area was packed. Fortunately, they move quickly there, so my wait was only about 20 minutes. Labs drawn: CBC, CMP, thyroid, and A1C.

Here's a description of A1C:

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

After the blood draw, we went to the pharmacy to pick up the lisinopril. Actually, we detoured to a McDonald's as John was hungry. He offered me to share his fries, and I was really hungry as I had only had 2 T of peanut butter this morning. I had a couple fries, and laughed, "High blood pressure, some kind of heart issue, and maybe diabetes. And I am eating McDonald's fries. Even more ridiculous is that I haven't had a fast food french fry in 20 years! So, why does it taste so good?!?! Accckkk!"

As I mentioned, everyone was so nice to me, and I told the nurse, the NP, and the phlebotomist the story of my children and husband. They were all moved and compassionate. They all said, "You gave everything of yourself to them. Now it is your time to care of you, the same way you cared for them."

I am so grateful that I didn't have any medical issues before my beloveds passed, as they would have struggled without my care. God blessed me with them and let me live issue-free, until they returned to His Arms.

When I was asked about my mental health regarding depression on the forms and by the nurse and NP, I replied that I have been contending with depression every day for several years. I am grieving the loss of my children and husband, so clearly that has taken a toll on me.

The nurse said, "I can't imagine what you've been going through. I'm just glad that you came to us now, and you know that we will take very good care of you."

I do know that, because this hospital system has provided incredible, excellent care to my loved ones.

I was reassured several times that Dr. A has accepted me as his patient. "Of course, he has!" they exclaimed. I have an appointment to see him next Thursday. When the NP told me that Dr. A had accepted me, I burst into tears. I told her our history with him, and she was visibly moved. I am comforted to know that whatever awaits me, he will be taking care of me.

Thank you agate, Virginia, and SuzE-Q for your suggestions about low sodium food. The low fat cottage cheese doesn't have a large amount of sodium in it, but I am counting the sodium in everything else I consume. I have been relying on soup, which is high in sodium, since I can't chew well. I have to process every vegetable I eat, including salad, which is not a problem, and I don't add salt to anything. I use Chef's Shake to season various dishes, when I cook. But I haven't been cooking, because I have trouble chewing, and I've been too tired to cook.

Up to the minute, that is all of my news! Whatever awaits me, I will accept my fate. I am processing everything, and I am trusting the medical professionals, who will help me on this journey. My Angels are watching over me, and my dear friends are surrounding me with love and support. God is always on my side. I am blessed.

Love & Light,

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Rose

[agate]

I'm so glad you're taking steps to look after your health, Rose--and that the providers are being more accommodating now that they're aware of your situation.

The abnormal EKG would need the cardiologist's interpretation. I hope that whatever is making it abnormal will be fixable. There seem to be effective treatments for quite a few heart problems now.

Many doctors are content to ignore bacteria in the urine if the person isn't having symptoms. They've decided that some people just have bacteria in their urine--no big deal. I know because many years ago they would treat any bacteria in the urine by zapping you with some drug or other. In the last 15 years or more, though, they've been telling me that they don't medicate unless the person has symptoms.

I go for A1C tests several times a year. Hope yours turns out to be normal. Does the clinic/hospital where you went enable you to see your test results with a "patient portal"? The one my system uses is called MyChart. I'm sent an e-mail whenever there's a new test result, and then I can go to MyChart and look it up. It will show what is too high or low.

[SuzE-Q]

Hi Virginia, great news on the cardiac testing! You must be so relieved. Little ones develop so quickly, they are little sponges who quickly adapt and develop in that first year. If you blink you, miss it. Glad you're receiving videos to watch. In this day and age and phones that take pics and videos, there's a permanent record of every little thing. It has its benefits for sharing the lives of loved ones with friends and family. Rainy here too, but the Almanac is predicting a hot summer for almost all. Not looking forward to that.

I spent an enjoyable few hours watching youtube videos of songs from my past. It brought up so many special memories, music is definitely the vessel that holds so many moments from my life, nothing can bring up a memory or past event as vividly than hearing a song from my past. It was a really nice way to spend an evening. I'm glad I lived during this time period, the music has been absolutely timeless and enduring.

And then comes Rose to update us on her appointments!

Really glad you're on the road to establishing how your health is and addressing anything that comes up! You've made so many important steps, I am so proud of you. I know I am finding it hard to get back to my former routine out in the world pre-pandemic, and look at you jumping back into society with both feet and swimming forward with strength and purpose. I am so proud of you! You have a strong constitution. You care about yourself. That is the best indicator that you are on a healing path.

I always get my A1C checked whenever I get bloodwork just because my fasting blood sugar always comes up slightly elevated, but not at diabetic level. So I keep track of how I'm really doing by checking my A1C because it looks at a longer time period and is a better guage. It always comes back in normal range.

There are also many cardiac issues that are benign or not of any concern even though the result comes back abnormal. So, please don't worry until you've spoken to the cardiologist. That is the one specialty I have great confidence in because they know an awful lot about managing the heart. I have a slightly abnormal rhythm, but it is inconsequential and benign and no one is worried about it, even though a nurse freaked out when it was first discovered and sent me immediately to be evaluated by a specialist. But he wasn't concerned. I even went for a 2nd opinion who confirmed it was nothing serious, just to allay my own concern. They didn't send you to the hospital ER, so please don't worry before knowing anything more. There are tons of very treatable cardiac abnormalities, and there's many others that are just quirky, but benign. Let's wait to see what the doc says. She did what she's supposed to do as she's not qualified to evaluate EKG results except to know if you're in the normal sinus rhythm or not.

I've always been told the diastolic number is far more important than the systolic as an indicator. Your blood/oxygen is truly excellent which is a great sign of health.

I don't know if amoxicillin helps with UTIs, but best to address it ASAP, an untreated UTI is very serious, please don't take any chances, symptoms or not. A week of extra abx can be managed better than an infection left untreated. They all work differently, so as long as you are ensuring your internal flora is being repopulated as you take them, I'm sure you can manage being on two at once for a short period if need be. So happy he's taking you as his patient and you're seeing him next week.

You have a great diet, I'm sure your meatless diet has helped keep your arteries in good shape. They do have numerous low sodium soups out there now, that should help with soft foods too, if you're interested. You could probably give US diet advice! You've done a lot of good things to take care of yourself over the years as you also took care of your family. It may also help you to consider adding an antidepressant to help you through this calamitous period and tremendous transition. If there ever was an example of situational depression, your circumstances would certainly qualify. But then many also choose to bear their suffering rather than dull it, so that's also a very personal decision. Glad you are in touch with your emotional state and could share it with her, that does not surprise me but goes to show what a strong, reflective, emotionally resilient woman you are.

Lol, McDonald's fries have some tantalizing coating on them that make them so yummy. Glad you treated yourself!

Really glad you had a thorough visit and lots of checkups going on. So happy it was such a positive experience and how great that John is there for you.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

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

Test results are in! (Drum roll, please ...)

My A1C is normal! 5.2%!!!

My hemoglobin and calcium are just a smidge over the high range. The rest of the CBC and CMP results are normal! I'm normal! I am elated! Liver, kidneys, WBC, RBC, Platelets, the gamut.

No evidence of a UTI! Possible contamination of the container is speculated.

However, I do have hypothyroidism. Virginia, I'm in your camp now. John and his daughter are having dinner at a restaurant near the pharmacy, so he will pick up Synthroid for me and drop it off, so I can start it tomorrow morning. John called me when he got a text that it was filled. God Bless John!

The NP called me twice today. She is so sweet and caring. She discussed my results, and was happy to see that overall, I fared well.

We talked about Synthroid, and I told her that it was prescribed for Jonathan, and I had written documentation to give the ICU physicians that he was at risk of seizures and serious side effects if he took it. But one ICU doctor insisted we try it. He was on it for 3 weeks, and he had seizures and just about every other side effect from Synthroid, even on the lowest dose, and we nearly lost him. We weaned him off of it, and he recovered. I had been treating his hypothyroid for several years with diet, but when he began G tube feeding, the formulas all contained the three worst things for hypothyroid: Soy, sugar, and corn.

The more that I tell the NP about my experiences with Jon, Michael and Jim, the more she realizes that this isn't my first rodeo.

She has said several times, "We don't know how long you've had this (fill in the blank), because you haven't been checked for so many years." Yes, I am quite aware of that, and I expected that problems would be discovered now. Once again, I explained that all of my time was devoted to caring for my family, which left no time to care for me. And, yes, I could have started this journey finding out what may be amiss with me after Jim passed, but COVID hit, and I was frozen with fear of getting it. I still fear getting it. But, I knew that I had to address my BP immediately.

Just think ~ a loose tooth led me to all of this.

The NP mentioned that hypothyroidism affects the heart (and all of our body parts, really), so it may be the culprit for the abnormal EKG and even the high BP.

Speaking of my BP: I took the first dose of lisinopril this morning. My BP before the dose was 173/89 with a heart rate of 71. Three hours after the dose, my BP was 165/85 with a heart rate of 65. So, it is working! I have no apparent side effects. The NP told me to take another dose tonight prior to bedtime. I laughed yesterday when she told me to chart my BP, etc. "I am the Queen of Charting! I kept charts on my sons and Jim. And I'm already charting my BP, HR, SATS, etc."

She asked if I was familiar with the medical plaza. I laughed again. In my last year with Jim, when I accompanied him to his appointments, I became very familiar with the plaza. This is where the specialists' offices are, the cancer center, radiation therapy, testing, lab, etc. The hospital has changed through the years, but there was a time when I knew every nook and cranny in the hospital.

We do have an on line health portal, and I am registered and was able to view my test results today, before the NP called me. Jon and Jim had separate accounts on the old portal, which the new one is replacing. I used their portals daily. Again, not my first rodeo.

Virginia ~

Great news about your cardio results! You must be so relieved! As I mentioned, hypothyroid can correlate to heart issues, so maybe that was the problem. How often do you have your thyroid levels taken? The NP told me that they will check my thyroid levels every month for a few months.

agate ~

The NP told me today that I was dehydrated yesterday. That was because I spent all morning getting ready for my appointment, so I didn't have time to hydrate properly. I also had not eaten, so my ketones were elevated. She quizzed me about any evidence of urinating frequently or being dehydrated. No and no. I reiterated that I drink 48 ounces of water/day. I asked if I should drink more water, and she said probably not. Then, she told me that the lab speculated the specimen was contaminated during testing.

She encouraged me to eat more, because "you're so tiny," (words I've never heard said to or about me previously! ). I explained again that I've been eating soft food, and it's not a diet conducive to gaining weight. It took me two years to gain 10 pounds after Jim passed. I was rail thin then.

SuzE-Q ~

I'm proud of you too! I'm proud of everyone here, because none of us has an easy path to travel. But we persevere.

Because my depression is situational rather than clinical, I have not wanted to take an antidepressant. Many grieving parents, who I've met on line and personally, have taken an antidepressant and felt dull and "nothing." Then, they have side effects or difficulty getting off of the meds.

It is healthier to address our grief, to work through our tsunamis of pain and sorrow, and discover coping tools to help us heal and find peace in our grief. I don't want to be dull and feel nothing. If you can't feel sorrow, then you won't find bliss. I call this the "Sisters of Sorrow and Bliss." Everything in our Earthly lives is a matter of a delicate balance between the two Sisters.

That is why I cry and laugh every day, because this provides a chemical balance from the release of stress hormones. If I was on an antidepressant, I might not laugh or cry.

One of my dear friends agreed that McDonald's fries seem to have some kind of hold on people. She loves them too, above all other fast food fries. I don't know what their secret is, but I am certain that it isn't healthy for us!

Thank you for your concern and support everyone! It helps me to know that I am not alone, and I do appreciate all of your observations and wisdom!

As always, my prayers are with you all, and I send you healing, positive energy.

Love & Light,

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Rose

[Virginia]

Rose, overall really good news from you. We will see what the cardiologist has to say but as Suze-Q brought out they have come a long way in treating so many things associated with the heart. However, we are all hoping it will not need to be treated.

My heart problem is not related to my hypothyroidism. I have always known it could affect the heart, but in my case it was the pneumonia and bad chest congestion that I had in my chest for so long. I was in really bad A-fib when I was taken to the hospital. I remember the emergency room nurse telling me he had been watching it on the monitor for about 50 minutes before reporting it. Then when the cardiologist came in to see me the first time he looked at the monitor they had put me on and I had been in A-fib for 35 to 40 minutes that he knew about. My illness brought it on, but he says once you have it you are more likely to have it again, hence the ongoing concern about stroke, but he obviously feels better about it now or he would not have written "that is great news". He knew I would see it and wanted me to know.

Rose, I think when your body adjust to the thyroid medication you might feel better in many ways. Every time they up the strength of my medication it is another adjustment. They usually check your thyroid every 4 to 6 weeks until they get the dosage where they want it and then it is about every six months. Some Doctors will check it every 3 but not many. They have a very hard time regulating mine because my MS medication Rebif tends to cause mine to keep going lower. Still, if it checks out pretty good then they don't check it again for 6 months. My Neurologist that I had for over 16 years checked mine every six months and then sometime my PCP would check it in between, but since the Neurologist I go to hasn't seen me in a number of years it is now left to my PCP.

I believe you will have a little more e energy and it may also help you to deal with a lot of the stress you are going through. This probably depends on how low it is now. If it is just a little low you will not recognize as much benefit as you will if it is quite low. Still, the closer within the normal range it is the better for overall body functioning.

I am so glad you have started on this journey to get your overall health back. You seemed to have grabbed hold and I don't think you will let go until everything is taken care of. You have been through a lot and now it's time to try to move forward. This is a good start.

[Virginia]

Rose, overall really good news from you. We will see what the cardiologist has to say but as Suze-Q brought out they have come a long way in treating so many things associated with the heart. However, we are all hoping it will not need to be treated.

My heart problem is not related to my hypothyroidism. I have always known it could affect the heart, but in my case it was the pneumonia and bad chest congestion that I had in my chest for so long. I was in really bad A-fib when I was taken to the hospital. I remember the emergency room nurse telling me he had been watching it on the monitor for about 50 minutes before reporting it. Then when the cardiologist came in to see me the first time he looked at the monitor they had put me on and I had been in A-fib for 35 to 40 minutes that he knew about. My illness brought it on, but he says once you have it you are more likely to have it again, hence the ongoing concern about stroke, but he obviously feels better about it now or he would not have written "that is great news". He knew I would see it and wanted me to know.

Rose, I think when your body adjust to the thyroid medication you might feel better in many ways. Every time they up the strength of my medication it is another adjustment. They usually check your thyroid every 4 to 6 weeks until they get the dosage where they want it and then it is about every six months. Some Doctors will check it every 3 but not many. They have a very hard time regulating mine because my MS medication Rebif tends to cause mine to keep going lower. Still, if it checks out pretty good then they don't check it again for 6 months. My Neurologist that I had for over 16 years checked mine every six months and then sometime my PCP would check it in between, but since the Neurologist I go to hasn't seen me in a number of years it is now left to my PCP.

I believe you will have a little more e energy and it may also help you to deal with a lot of the stress you are going through. This probably depends on how low it was

[SuzE-Q]

What great news, Rose, I'm so glad you shared it with us! Treating the hypothyroidism may greatly improve how you feel, too, it is such a treatable condition. Goods news on the A1C. I feel the same way as you about antidepressants, I was on an AD when my grandfather died. I was so apathetic, the nurses at the hospital asked if I was okay. I stopped taking them that day, I hated that I was unable to mount a natural emotional response. Of course, they can also be lifesavers when being pulled down a dark emotional path, I wouldn't hesitate to go on them if I felt I was stuck and unable to breathe light and joy and laughter.

Funny but not funny that you're so familiar with the medical buildings.

The medical office is really doing a good job, I think you are so fortunate to have what can be a long term relationship with a great medical support team. So important!

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

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

Virginia ~

Yes, I can imagine that pneumonia and sepsis caused your bout of A-fib. I am so grateful that it has vanished, and I pray it remains a non-problem for you.

Here is my TSH result:


18.82 mIU/L

The normal range is:

0.40-4.50 mIU/l

That is exceptionally high!!

When the NP discussed hypothyroid symptoms, I realized that I've had it for quite awhile. For example, I have had excessive hair loss for months. For years, I haven't been able to tolerate extreme heat, such as any day when the temperature is over 90 degrees. I am also cold many times throughout the day. I wear a light jacket over my long sleeved t-shirts around the house. The temperature in my house is usually 72 degrees, so I shouldn't be that cold, or cold at all.

When the nurse at the doctor's office helped me get dressed after the EKG, she said to me, "Wow! You are cold!" So, I was cold to the touch.

I don't know why I didn't fit the puzzle pieces together much sooner that I could have hypothyroidism. When Jon was diagnosed with it, I researched on line for any and all information about it. The written document I mentioned for Jon's risks on Synthroid was typed single space and 12 pages long. I had references to websites to support my statements.

When John's niece cut my hair, I told her that it was falling out every time I combed/brushed my hair. I thought it might have been because I pulled it back in a scrunchie, when it was long and annoying.

Did I just not want to consider hypothyroidism? Did I forget or block out all of that information I gathered for Jon? I don't know. Maybe both reasons apply.

I took my first Synthroid dose this morning with a full glass of water. Definition of a full glass of water? Depends upon point of view, right? Why don't the instructions say "take with 8 oz. of water." Or 12? Or 16? I drank 10 oz. If the pill was any smaller, I would need a magnifying glass to see it.

Then, I waited an hour to have my fresh squeezed orange juice, decaf, and take my lisinopril (BP) and Amoxicillin.

My BP when I got up was 160/85. I waited 5 hours after I took the lisinopril to recheck. It was 135/78. Excellent!

THIS HAPPENED LAST NIGHT:

The NP told me to check my BP before bedtime to see if I needed to take a second dose of lisinopril. I was shocked when the reading was 112/68! I took it in both arms, and I got the same reading. That was a drastic drop from my lunchtime reading.

I called our doctor's office for the Nurse Hotline. I explained everything to the responding RN. She listened, then she said calmly, "That is not a dangerously low BP. Take a couple of deep breaths and relax."

I told her that I was supposed to take another dose of lisinopril, but I didn't think that I should. She agreed. I laughed, "If you told me that it was okay to take it, I wouldn't take it, so I'm glad you agree."

I was exhausted and wanted to go to bed, but I stayed up watching "West Side Story" (the current version) on TV, so that I could take my BP again after 2 hours.

I did, and my BP was now 187/98!! Again I took it in both arms, same result. How did it go so low and then so high in that amount of time? Probably the stress I felt worrying about it, although I was trying to relax and not do that. I waited another 5 minutes after breathing exercises, and it was 155/85. I went to bed then.

This morning, I called the NP, expecting to leave a message, but she answered! I told her all of the above, and she was glad I didn't take the second dose. "Trust your instincts," she said. I always have, but now this is about me, not my loved ones. I get flummoxed.

She told me to stick to the one pill in the morning and keep track of my BP as I have been doing. "Don't take it more than 3 times a day, because that may be stress-inducing." Again, I took vitals for my loved ones many times a day, because they could turn on a dime in an instant (and often did). That is why I am inclined to check my BP more frequently. But, I won't.

It is all overwhelming, because it is coming at me at once. With all of the referrals I have thus far, and more to come, for tests, specialists, dental care, etc., I could have appointments four times a week and not be finished until Christmas! I am absolutely sure that I couldn't handle that, so I hope I am wrong.

SuzE-Q ~

Just to clarify, I have no opposition to antidepressants for anyone, who needs them and are helped by them. For me, I needed to be present and able to care for my children and husband, which might have been difficult, if I was on antidepressants. So, I have learned other ways to manage my depression, which has allowed me to keep functioning.

Yes, I do have a wonderful medical team, as I know that Dr. A requires all of his ancillary staff to have the same love of and devotion to caring for patients, which he has. I do feel safe in their care, and I am comforted by their kindness toward me.

Thank you all for your good thoughts and positive energy. My prayers are with you and your loved ones.

Love & Light,

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Rose

[Virginia]

Rose, the range they are using for hypothyroidism sounds right. It can vary with different labs but usually not much. However, to have your thyroid at 18.82 - nearly 19 is extreme to say the least. This is not to worry you. They will get it under control, however if you did not question that today then I think it would be a good idea to do so tomorrow. It is highly unusual among the people I have known. I would think that you would have gained weight with every bite you put in your mouth. Also, I know that you have suffered from fatigue, but it would have been even harder to put one foot in front of the other. Again, different labs use different numbers, but still usually if a person's numbers are on the high side by 2 or a little more then that is way off. I may be saying something that I don't know about, but I want to make you aware of what you might look for. They might have gotten a wrong figure in there. When mine gets off just a little I can hardly walk. My former Neuro wanted mine to be kept to about 2 to 3 so that I would feel a little better. I have seen it that one time that I knew of.

I have been cold for the past 20 years. When people touch my hands by accident they often say "your hands are so cold". It has become almost embarrassing for me. My hair falls out so bad that I complain to my hair dresser almost every time I see her. When I went Tuesday and started again, I thought to myself, I have got to stop this. She is also on Synthroid and does great on it. Her hair is thick and full. Mine just keeps hitting the floor of the shower and my bathroom floor.

Maybe my thyroid was as low as yours is when I first was diagnosed, but back then I didn't have a personal computer to look things up and I really wouldn't have known. If the reading is correct then your Doctor will be checking it more often for sure, at least until it is back in normal range.

Keep us posted. I am going to ask my middle brother about this also. He knows quite a bit about thyroid. I don't think he knows as much as I do, but then that's just me talking.