July chit-chat

[Sunshine]

TY Rose for the great suggestions.
You buy the RN in two hour blocks, but its the same RN for the entire infusion. I will pay through the nose for the first infusion, since its been so long, and then ask dr to rewrite the order so its once a month, instead of alternate weeks. This will cut expenses in half, and hopefully no medical consequences....might also save my veins...

Re why HH has the product and hospital doesn’t:
It is a national pharma chain called BriovaRX. They buy large lots of Ig and then distribute them locally to local RNs who infuse it at home. The hospitals do not buy large lots as they have more limited population, because the hospitals do not band together— it would be too cumbersome, easier to just cancel the patients infusions. Its all about the bean counters now, not about patient care...but we knew that...

[Lazarus]

That’s not right that you have to pay so much for the IVIG infusion, Sunshine. I hope this gets resolved after just this one. Is it scheduled?

I went to the Farmers’ Market today. We have them three days a week in our neighborhood. Today I bought a shocking yellow squash, edible flowers, strawberries and scapes. Linda, these were from Stillman’s Farm. There was another vendor there with fresh, never frozen fish off a day boat out of Gloucester, MA. I bought a pound of haddock.

For supper we had the fish pan fried in butter, toaster oven roasted yellow squash (mmmmm), brown rice and salad w spinach and my own greens and herbs plus edible flowers. So good!!

ANN

I am eating a lot of our own veggies....funny how when you grow them it is hard to find time to cook and eat them! I am making large dishes mixing everything in sort of stew things.....I have a formula down pat.....and end up with a pot of yummy food. I will have to come up with a name for it. Mishmash?

[Cherie]

Home again. Pain is almost gone but meds are hard on stomach. Eating small bits again. However, (TMI?) Things are still not moving for 10 days now. Getting concerned. Maybe my body, now that it's getting better, will realize it's home and can do what is needed to finish the healing process. Have to fly to Milwaukee 5 days from now so window of opportunity for healing is narrow.

[stillstANNding]

Cherie, would a glycerin suppository help get you going? My second choice would be Miralax.

ANN

[Cherie]

Cherie, would a glycerin suppository help get you going? My second choice would be Miralax.

ANN

Miralax cannot be taken while on Flagyl (another week of that). Going to try some good old fashioned Milk of Mag in a half dose and see if that helps. Thanks. It still seems too high for a suppository to have any impact.

[agate]

There are always prunes or prune juice...my remedy of choice. And stepping up the fluid intake, as well as increasing any possible exercise.

I've found it useful to find out what my recommended daily fiber intake should be and add up the fiber content for foods I typically eat in a day, then adjust the fiber intake by increasing it--but not too much at once.

[Sunshine]

CHerie: Here is my daily regimen for med induced severe constipation:
Lactulose, Senakot, stool softener (Docusate sodium), Benefiber, ...you start off with modest doses, and then increase per PCP. Is your PCP involved. I also added Linzess recently.
Becomes dangerous to be so impacted: Call PCP or GI?

[Lazarus]

Miralax cannot be taken while on Flagyl (another week of that). Going to try some good old fashioned Milk of Mag in a half dose and see if that helps. Thanks. It still seems too high for a suppository to have any impact.

Hope you get relief soon....remember when we were younger and nothing could touch us? You must be weary of new hurdles to climb...

[Cherie]

I appreciate all of you for your support and suggestions. First of all , this is not dietary related constipation but infection related bowel stopping. With acute diverticulitis, it is not uncommon to go for a week with nothing because the spasms that move food along have stopped. Laxatives or enemas or suppositories are to be avoided as in the acute stage, they can force contractions of the colon which, if still inflamed , can actually cause a puncture, rupture or leak. I do not have constipation as a rule and do not need added fiber, stool softeners or more. In fact, I am almost prone to the opposite. Diet for this condition is clear liquids for several days advancing to soft diet, no salads, seeds or fiber for at least 10 days.(or until pain has stopped and nausea has abated)

Fortunately, for those who have not experienced this before and have this happen, the patient education materials that are handed out and the labels on our medications warn not to add fiber or stool softeners or anything with polypropylene glycol (Miralax) are not to be used for a period of 2 weeks unless under direct supervision of health care team. I opted not to take Milk of Mag last night and today things are starting to move and I have already lost three pounds in the last 5 hours. That is a relief on so many fronts.

[Sunshine]

Thank you so much for saying that Cherie. I had no idea that these things are contraindicated in Diverticulitis! And thankfully you are so educated that you knew not to try it just cuz someone on line suggested it!

But mostly, thank goodness you are healing! 3 pounds!! Holy Mackerel! (Or Holy Sht!)

[Cherie]

Love it! And it's another pound since I posted that. What a load off my mind!

[Sunshine]

Excellent! There goes your worry about bursting colons, down the drain. Literally!

[Howie]

Folks like Cherie and Sunshine, and pretty much everyone here, are what makes this forum a family. We can share such personal hardships, and victories, that we can all relate to.
Thank you all!

[nuthatch]

Glad you feeling better, Cherie. I had a co-worker friend who had bouts of diverticulitis. She avoided anything with seeds or nuts and drank lots of water. I didn't know that certain drugs may be associated with the condition.
This is from the Mayo Clinic site.

• Certain medications Several drugs are associated with an increased risk of diverticulitis, including steroids, opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve).

[Howie]

And I am the king of Ibuprofen use. I couldn't live without it. I go over the recommended amount everyday, because I have to.