OT August Chit Chat

[stillstANNding]

Sunshine, I did not realize that you had the IVIG every two weeks. That’s a lot.

ANN

[Cherie]

Won't likely find out anything on these tests till after Labor Day. Nuclear Stress test will be done a week from Friday then we have the long Holiday weekend and the cardiologist probably will not read them till the end of the first week or beginning of second week of September. Meanwhile I see my Neurologist on the 30th and he will likely order the next course of Rituxan 11th and 25th of September.

[SuzE-Q]

Jeanie, I've worn blinders to sleep forever since the light would wake me up otherwise.

I agree, they're great, but, unfortunately, they're not helping these days.

Virginia, agate, in my experience, if you squawk over the costs and tell them you're going to cancel your service, that triggers a manager on the line who has always given me a much better deal.

Don't be afraid to play the age and disability cards!

Virginia, hope your brother is continuing to improve!

Cherie, are you having a physical stress test or the pharmaceutical-induced one? Hope it goes well for you, I didn't realize until I just Googled it that there was such a helpful test out there that can tell you so much info!

Howie & other sleepless peeps, hope you're in dreamland right now! ZZZzzzzzzzz

[Howie]

I am....oh look at the purple bird flying in my dreams!

[SuzE-Q]

I am....oh look at the purple bird flying in my dreams!

Howie, you're sleep-chatting again!

We should have a contest to see who can get to bed and stay asleep the longest.

Or else we need to start a late night chat thread for overnights!

[Howie]

Yesterday, after 2 days without sleep, I got 2 hours of sleep. But tonight, no sleep again. I'm sort of getting used to it. If there was just better TV late night.

[Sunshine]

Do you have manic depressive illness? Anxiety? That’s a world champion sleep disruptor.

[Cherie]

SuzEQ,
They are doing the version of stress test where they inject a medication to increase heart rate rather than trying to have me get it raised to the level they want on a treadmill. The specific type of stress test, however, uses a radioactive dye injected into a vein to show how the blood travels through the body identifying areas where the circulatory system may be blocked or impaired. It shows blood flow at rest then again after "activity" the medication to increase heart rate) and then again at rest to see if there was something changed with the activity. This test can often pick up narrowed arteries that might benefit from a stent before there is an actual cardiac event plus it looks at the anatomy of the heart, lungs and circulatory (not lymphatic) system.

Sunshine,
I think you question about manic depressive (bi-polar) illness or anxiety was directed at Howie and not at me but if you were asking generally, my answer would be no.

We finally were able to close on the house we had bought for our daughter when we saw her husband in serial affairs. She has lived there now for a little over 7 years paying rent to own and we were finally at a point where she could afford to buy it with us holding the mortgage. We were also to give her a great deal on it because, as a rental income property, our accountant had been depreciating it every year so our cost basis (what we still had not recouped) was down to $94,000 and the house is now appraised at $210,000 so she will have equity a lot faster and higher if and when she does decide to sell. Closed on that at 8 am today!

[Sunshine]

Congratulations! And how wonderful to be able to help her out like that!

[SuzE-Q]

Sunshine, I don't have those symptoms either.

I think my vicious cycle starts when I need an afternoon nap, which then prevents me from going to bed at a decent hour.

So, like Howie, sometimes I need to go without sleep in order to fall asleep at the proper time again and get back to the right sleep schedule.

I think my issue is with fatigue which disrupts my sleep schedule.

[Virginia]

Calling for all who pray to please do so. Things are not good in South Carolina with my brother or his wife. He has been moved to rehab and his daughter who has been there all week says he is refusing to eat now or do anything. He has become VERY depressed and has given up. He doesn't eat or drink. He says he has had a long life and he is ready to go and has completely given up. Daughter that is there is coming back to N.C. because she has to work Sunday. Another daughter also from N.C. is going down on Saturday and will stay until next Thursday.

Re: his wife. She was scratched by their dog and it got infected. She has been on antibiotics, but she is now septic and in the hospital. We do not know how long she has been there, but I think everyone on here knows that is not good. That may be a lot of what has brought about my brothers deep depression, though having gone through what he has and still facing so much is enough to do so. We here in Raleigh are deeply worried about both of them. However, we are still being told not to call. The daughter who is going down Saturday says he will not answer her text.

[stillstANNding]

So sorry to hear this news, Virginia. I imagine just being in a Rehab and having an all new routine is not helping, either. Does he have a best friend or one of the brothers that can just go any way? A pastor?

This must be such a stress. Again, sorry for these turns of events.

ANN

[agate]

Sad news there, Virginia--and I'm sure you and your family must be feeling very low. I hope your brother will rally and get back his will to live.

His wife's condition too has to be a terrible worry.

Some hospitals have people on their staff who can go in and talk to a patient who might welcome a chance to talk to somebody who will listen but be objective--chaplain, social services people. Might that be an option?

[Pegakafarmgirl]

{{{{ Virginia}}}},, so sorry the news wasn't better,, sometimes life sucks,,

[Virginia]

Yes Peg, sometime life does suck! Just when you think things are looking up life again hits you the hardest.

My brother and his wife are very close to their church in Buford, S.C. and have been for a long time. Both brothers here are hesitant to just go since they are being told not to come and not to call at this time. He said he would call us when he could and he hasn't changed that.

I have two calls on my cell phone that came on my birthday and I am trying to save them. He had been unable to get me here at home and called my cell. In the first he sang Happy Birthday to me and told me he loved me. In the second one he said he was getting concerned and if he didn't hear back from me soon he was going to call and get someone (meaning one of two brothers here) to go to my house and see if I was alright. He again told me he loved me.

Another family thing happened. I am hoping this is small, but we will not know until it is checked out. My youngest brother's wife had something wrong with a tooth and they did x-rays and they saw a nodule on her thyroid. She got word that her PCP wanted to see her about it. I think she will see him this next week.