OT May Chit Chat

[SalpalSally]

Well it decided to be Summer here in SWOhio and my A.C is not cooling....Grrrrrr!!!
it's gonna be close to 90 today and they will be here tomorrow morn to fix.
Money money money!!!!! I'm just hoping this furn and AC last a few years
longer. I can't believe that it's been 22 years since we installed these.

My MS body does not like being warm/hot. Even in the winter I set the thermo.
at around 62. I wants it coolish!!

Other than that, all is well in SWPodunkit.
Hope you all are okie dokie.

[Howie]

It's 80 here headed for 85, and like you Sally, heat is not my friend!

[Gary]

Temp dropped and looking at a high of 67 today down from 82 yesterday. Despite the # of cats around here a mouse got behind the dishwasher and chewed through the drain hose. Got that fixed and this morning son started the dish washer and water poured out. Yet ANOTHER chewed through hose and in the same area Grrrr. Off to HD I go. But I needed some parts to finish my smoker when its done everyone can come over for a BBQ I am thinking a brisket and or a standing rib roast. It is a 55 gallon drum laid on its side and a automatic auger feeds special pellets into the fire box. It works like an Iron Fireman, the old time automatic coal stoker.

Sally I have a 30 lbs jug of R-22 Refrigerant in the shop I can throw it in and some gauges and tools in the truck and be right over to fix the A/C. Dinner is on you!

I have a question for you tech savvy folks. When I sign into BT and go from one thread to the next looks like I am not signed in at all. I have to sign in again. But if you look at the bottom of the thread list page it shows that I am signed in. Funny huh? Not really a problem but I do wonder why.

[Jeanie Z]

:) I am not going to sleep until the morning hours like 6AM last night. I slept until 3 PM when the phone rang. I usually wear support hose around the house without shoes.

Yesterday I visited my friend in the nursing home and ate out. I also discovered I have a corn in between my third and fourth toes on my weak left leg. It is all the way down in the crevice. I tried every which way but I could not see it. I just put a bandaid with Neosporin on it. Today when Andy came by he put a corn disc on it and a bandaid to keep it in place.

Andy's Jamie was admitted to the hospital this morning. Since the latest rounds of chemo and radiation she has had to wear diapers because as soon as she stands urine pours out. Plus her badder feels full. Several years ago the radiation and chemo damaged all her female parts including her bladder. She can only take a few steps with the walker and she is done. She is very weak. In July she will be 50.

I have not gotten around to finding someone to clean yet. I need to take Lacy to get her nails trimmed and have them check her teeth as she has bad breath. Toimorrow I have a hair appointment and need to go to the grocery store. It is cooler here today in the mid 70's. I discovered that Andy had unplugged the back up camera in my van to use the cigarette lighter for the small vacuum, so it does not need repair. Yay! Everyone take care. Maybe Spring will bring everyone's BP down. Jeanie :)

[Cherie]

Howie,
Remember when you and I were competing for the times we mowed the lawn? I think I am done too.

Lovely day today. upper 60s , a bit overcast but very comfortable. David and I actually walked a mile after dinner. Haven't done that in a very long time. Booked a Bermuda 5 day cruise in June to celebrate our 40th anniversary and got a call from Royal Caribbean today from someone who was committed to making this our most memorable cruise ever. He got info on freezing cooling vest inserts, booking shore trips, dining reservations, etc. I think I am getting psyched. We will drive to Staten Island for the night before the cruise and get to park for the week free and be shuttled free to the port and back.
Hibiscus tea seems to be lowering my BP. Clinical trial dine with Catopril shows it to be equal to BP control as the medication. Seems to be working like that the past couple of days. See the nephrologist tomorrow to see what can be done to manage BP

[SuzE-Q]

Jeanie - do you get b12 shots? I think I'm going to try them myself to see if if it gives me more energy.

Cherie, your cruise sounds great! Hope you get pampered now that they know you're celebrating a special anniversary. Glad your bp is moving down...maybe Gary can try that tea too...

PS - I'm in the barefoot camp myself.

No answers yet on my health issues, tests coming back normal so far...

[Cherie]

Saw the nephrologist today to see if he could shed light on why the BP is up. I love this guy when I was working as a nurse then when I was taking an elderly gentleman to see him. When he came in the room, he beamed and said, "I wondered if it was you" and gave me a big hug! He listened. He affirmed. He feels this is a cardiac issue and when my schedule allows would like me to have a stress test. Says the cardiologist that I had seen in the past is, in his opinion , not a good fit for me and suggested another. He said too many docs play by the book when there is so much to be learned from patients who advocate for themselves. Lots of white blood cells in my urine but no bacteria noted.

So, we are trying HCTZ as my neuro suggested (I clearly have a lot of water weight on board despite a diuretic). He wants me to continue with Hibiscus tea since that and garlic are the only food sources that have shown in clinical trials can lower BP. He suggested a bet blocker that we might try if this is not helping in a week or two. I mentioned that my new PCP had sent me to him thinking that the BP was caused by adrenal malfunction. Get this Gary, he said "if it was adrenal, your BP would be 250/130 and you would be on 5 BP meds to keep it that low." He also said that people who get a lot of steroids to treat MS or RA or lupus often kill their adrenal glands and end up with chronically high BP. He also said people with MS have "idiosyncratic" responses to meds and have the reverse effect that we would expect to see normally. BP is topping off at 150/80 now that I am drinking the Hibiscus tea instead of going from 112/60 to 208/104 in a 24 hour period. And that's after only three days of drinking the tea.

Low 80s here today but the house is still holding on to 70 degrees without the windows opened. Everything that was barren a few days ago is now leafing or budding or blooming and the yard is full of color and birdsong.

My neuro ordered B-12 shots for me but Medicare will not pay for it and a dose a week costs $56 out of pocket (unless I were to go to the office and get it there). SuzE-Q...praying you get answers that can be worked with.

[Jeanie Z]

:) I did take B12 shots for awhile and still have some vials. I just have not for quite awhile. I think I will try that again, thanks.

Cherie and Gary I hope your BP's go lower.

Jamie is still in the hospital. They put in a catheter and she has a lot of residual so the radiation apparently narrowed her ureters. She really needs to go to rehab she is so weak now. Also she will have to have the catheter for awhile and she is right at 90 lbs now. Andy is so worried. I'm praying a lot for them.

My hairdresser gave me a ladies phone number who cleans houses, so I will call her next week. Jeanie :)

[Howie]

Some stuff my brother ordered through Amazon came in the mail today. Tee shirts and boxers and socks. MUCH needed and appreciated! That's the family I come from. I love them both, my brother and sister.

[SalpalSally]

Got my AC fixed. It was low on freon and got a new digital thermostat
installed too. I didn't know how much I need AC until I did without it!!!
I cannot live without it and that's a fact.

I pray we have no power outages this summer. I hate growing old with
MS...grrrrrrrrumble.

[renee]

B12 works for Mick Jagger.
Botox might work for the rest of Mick Jagger.

[Frog42]

He's gotten even uglier as he ages. Botox couldn't hurt.

[SalpalSally]

ROTFL @ Renee and Howie.

[Gary]

Yesterday afternoon my son and I burned out the old oil barrel we used to build our new pellet smoker. Yes everyone can roll their eyes. Since it was glowing red by the time we really had the fire going it will be clean! It is a UDS (ugly drum smoker) I will post pics if I can figure out how.

It will be in the low to mid 70's for the next 10 days. I love spring.

One of the BP meds I take is non generic and my part is over $140 a month. Total cost is about $700. Now that I am so wealthy (by $32 a month) and no longer get Part D help I am going to see if there is something else that I can take. It is sad when people have to choose between electric power bill, groceries or monthly medicine. Funny thing is I can afford to GO to the doc I just cant afford to take the pills he wants me to take. So it comes down to eating or pills.

Howie and Renee not even the rich and famous can look as good as we do.

[Howie]

Gary, I'm just prancing around, like Mick Jagger, in my new underwear today! START ME UP!!!......