OT April Chit Chat

[Howie]

Check it at home? What would my brothers (men) think of that? Besides, I'm broke until payday! Oh darn!

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Howie)))))) ~

I know that you probably feel like we are ganging up on you. Because we are. Why? Well, we love you first and foremost. And you don't have any other women around you to nag you into doing what is best for you. So, we're all taking on that role.

Blood Pressure is not something to be taken lightly. Fluctuating BP, low BP, high BP, all have serious, sometimes fatal consequences. Stroke, heart attack, dizziness and falling, etc.

Previously, I suggested to you that you check with your Medicaid and Medicare providers to see whether either one would pay for a BP monitor for you. You clearly have a need, and you should be checking your BP several times a day, and keeping a record of the readings. This will also help your doctor in determining the best treatment options for you.

You don't have to spend a fortune to get a BP monitor. Here's one for about $13 at WalMart:

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

That's an incredibly long link, so if it doesn't work, just go to a search engine and type in Blood Pressure Monitors. There are many kinds in a wide price range.

You live alone. If something happens to you, let's say you fall and are unconscious, who will check in on you to make sure you're okay? How long might that be before it happens?

This is why it's so important for you to keep track of your BP at home and tell your doctor about your adverse side effects to the new drug, and to consult with your doctor about the safest protocol for you.

We want you to continue to be well until your doctor's appointment next month, but maybe that is too long to wait. What if something happens to you in the meantime, which might have been prevented, if you saw your doctor sooner?

Yes, I'm giving you worst case scenarios, Howie, because they can happen.

And yes, 99.9% of women will answer: "men are stubborn" on any survey handed to them. Because it is true!

Here's some recent proof:

Jon's nurse's son-in-law is a doctor. He had a heart attack on Thursday evening, but he claimed it was indigestion, then he got sharp chest pains, and he said it was a pulled muscle. Then his wife, our nurse's daughter, who is also a nurse, drove her husband, the DOCTOR, to the hospital. He had a major blockage and a stent placed and is in ICU.

Another example:

Jon's and Michael's ICU pulmo doc started drinking diet Pepsi, and he gained a lot of weight in his gut. He isn't much older than my son, Jon. The last time Jon was hospitalized, I said to this doctor, who I've known since 1999, "This stuff is bad for you. You know what is good for you? Water. Water is very good for you."

He just grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

So if men, who are doctors, won't take care of themselves, then what hope is there for men, who aren't in the medical profession?

This is why WOMEN exist!

I rest my case.

Please Howie, as soon as you possibly can, get a BP monitor of some kind. And don't think that everything is fine, until you've been completely examined and have discussed all of this with your physician.

I keep sitting on my hands, Howie. But I just could not do that tonight. I care too much about you. And I want you to be well and safe.

Love & Light,



Rose

[Howie]

But Rose, Sam looks after me, well, when she's not begging for cheese or sleeping.

I used to have a little machine to take my blood pressure, and I'm sure CVS has them, and I promise I will get one come payday. But until then, I am absolutely broke. That's less than a week away, so that's the best I can do. I'll be fine God willing and the blood pressure don't rise!

[Catdancer]

I was reading Howies post about his "seizures". I'm not addressing this to him as he doesn't much listen anyway, but for everyone and maybe he'll read this: I don't think he has seizures. I think what he's describing is what my doctor calls positionaj vertigo. Vertigo -: ,dizziness -:which will occurs upon rising quickly, like out of bed or up from a chair. Or it can be triggered by closing your eyes, or even walking too fast and turning a corner. The sensation can last anywhere from a few seconds up to thirty second or more. It can be anywhere from a mild annoyance to do severe it causes nausea and vomiting. It's usually a sudden drop of blood pressure, the blood rushing from the head to the legs. It's a major cause of falls in older folks like us. So be careful out there!

Epilepsy, on the other hand, is generally a loss of consciousness for a few seconds to several minutes. The person having a seizure loses the sense of their surroundings, is unconscious, falls d the floor. Even with petit mal seizures there is a brief poem of consciousness. This doesn't sound like what Howie described.

Epilepsy, o

[Howie]

Cat, I read EVERY post in this forum because I love everyone here, even an old curmudgeon like yourself!

I call these episodes "seizures" because that's what my doctor calls them. And you're right with the first description, and I have noticed it's very dependent on getting up from being resting or sleeping, to standing up.

Today was better, and I only had one episode when I first woke up. It's like the blood rushed from my head to my feet, too fast. So tomor...uh, today, I hope not to have any since I'm taking half a dose of one of the new BP meds, and none of the other.

I may not sleep tonight since I already tried, and now having coffee, and watching TV, but I couldn't not check in here. I'm glad I did. I'm going to get this med thing figured out, so keep posting your ideas, I REALLY appreciate it!

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

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

Howie ~

I'm concerned about your BP rising and dropping, which I think is the factor in your episodes. This is why I'm encouraging you to call your doctor. I don't think this is something that should wait.

Also, I realize that you can't afford a BP monitor right now, which is why I suggested you look into Medicaid or Medicare as a possible source for paying for one for you. But, as soon as you can afford one, please do get one, because it's important for you to keep track of your BP every day, throughout the day and night. This will give you an indication of how well your BP meds are working. And it will be helpful information for your doctor in determining the best medication for you.

Cat ~

There are numerous kinds of seizures, which do not involve falling or convulsing (known as a tonic/clonic seizure), or loss of consciousness. Some seizure types are imperceptible to others, if they aren't aware of specific seizure types. Absence seizures, complex partial and partial seizures. My sons both have/had gelastic seizures, which involved uncontrollable laughing.

I posted a link in a previous post to Howie about the different types of seizures:

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

I also posted this link about orthostatic hypotension, which I agree with you is likely the cause of Howie's episodes:

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Love & Light,



Rose

[stillstANNding]

Rose, You really don't get much sleep. I never doubted it. Maybe Linda will give you some of Cat's Ricotta Muffins to have with your morning brew.

ANN

[Cherie]

Howie,
You will be receiving a home blood pressure monitor Tuesday. I had Amazon points to use. Please, please take care of you.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

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

ANN ~

Actually, I went to bed early at 2:45! Jon fell asleep about 2:30, which is about an hour plus earlier than usual. After my morning walk, I had half of a blueberry oat bran muffin with my decaf. Next up, breakfast for Jim and me and then ... LAUNDRY!

Cherie ~

What a wonderful gift for Howie! Bless you!

Love & Light,



Rose

[Howie]

Wow Cherie, thank you so much for that! See, NOW I don't have to wait and go to CVS which I was already dreading. I promise to put it to good use, and I'll post my results. Again, thank you!!!

[Catdancer]

Thank you, Cheri, for the gift for Howie. That's a very nice gift.

As for seizures, I do know there are the kind you referenced, but I was trying to make my post simple so that Howie might take it seriously and go to his doctor. If he is indeed having seizures he needs more attention than having the doctor just tell him that!

At any rate, I still think it really is a vertigo issue..

[Howie]

Well, what ever they were has stopped, along with me no longer taking the two suspect meds. I'm anxious to get the blood pressure monitor from Cherie to see exactly what it is. Stay tuned!

PS If it is really high, I will call my doctor for an immediate visit. I promise.

[Cherie]

Thank you, Cheri, for the gift for Howie. That's a very nice gift.

As for seizures, I do know there are the kind you referenced, but I was trying to make my post simple so that Howie might take it seriously and go to his doctor. If he is indeed having seizures he needs more attention than having the doctor just tell him that!

At any rate, I still think it really is a vertigo issue..

I have to agree. It is unlike any seizure with which I am familiar as it was described.

[Howie]

Remember the time I had "seizures" one night, about 15 or more, and called my doctor the next day, and he prescribed Gabapentin, and I never had another "seizure" again. I still take them, 2-3 times a day.

These are like those but MUCH milder. And it's like the first part of one of those starting.

The BP was a more recent issue, and not tied to the seizures, but one or both of what he prescribed gave me the scaled down seizures. That's why I stopped them.

It's all very hard to describe, but that's the best I can do. I'm not sure that vertigo really describes it, but I've never had it, so that may be the problem. I'm sure there must be a medication for that if that's what it is.

I need to look up vertigo and see if it is described like what I am experiencing.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Howie)))))) ~

Please read the link I provided to Mayo clinic about orthostatic hypotension:

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

Do the symptoms listed on the site correlate to the symptoms you experience?

Have you ever had an EEG?

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

If not, then you should have one to confirm whether you are having seizures. If you are having seizures, then you should consult a neuro, not your Primary care doctor. Neurontin may not be the best drug for you, and a neuro could determine the best drug. If you haven't had an EEG, then I don't feel confident that you have been diagnosed properly as having epilepsy.

Based upon your description of your recent episodes, and the changes in BP meds, I strongly suspect that these are not seizures. However that, or some other brain issue, cannot be ruled out fully, without a complete workup by a neuro.

As I said before, your irregular sleep patterns, as well as caffeine intake, can be contributing factors in triggering seizures and in affecting your BP.

I hope that you don't have any more episodes, and I hope that you will at least call your doctor to tell him what has been going on with you. I worry about you, Howie.

Love & Light,



Rose