May chitchat

[agate]

I've noticed that items coming in the mail or by UPS/FedEx tend to have lots of delays. Hope your antenna fix gets there today, Howie.

[Jeanie Z]

:) I put my power bill in the mailbox to go out yesterday morning. It is still there today so I had no mail delivery. We do not have a regular postman. Different people take this route after they have finished their own. I do not like that an envelope with a check in it stays there overnight. Jeanie :)

[agate]

I don't like that either, Jeanie, and have noticed it here as well. We never know what carrier we'll get. There are days when nobody here gets mail. The carrier just doesn't show up.

For quite a few years we had a regular carrier. That worked much better though the last regular carrier we had was pretty careless.

I often got other people's mail and they got mine.

[Howie]

26 hours since anyone posted. For shame!

[nuthatch]

Well I'll post! Home health nurse just left after taking blood for lab work. She was sent as I requested after talking to the NP the other day. NP looked at my records and told me that when I was in the hospital and they did a chest x-ray, they noticed I have an enlarged heart! This is the first I've heard of it and I'd like to know why I was never told. As Howie says, FOR SHAME!!! NP has ordered a complete blood work-up and referred me to a cardiologist. He said it could be congestive heart failure or something else, hence the bloodwork and referral. When it rains, it pours!!! I'm getting tired of the fight but then I think of my grandchildren, especially Tula, who lost her other grandmother less than a year ago. That is another complicated story and should never have happened.

Sorry for the whine but sometimes I just gotta let it flow.

[agate]

Maybe the doctor didn't want to trouble you unnecessarily and thought that if you had no symptoms that needed attention, why mention it? I've heard that they do this routinely--note a condition in the chart notes without mentioning it.

From my very limited experience (doing EKGs in a hospital years ago and typing pathology reports, etc.) I know that an enlarged heart is very common but I don't know if that's any comfort to you.

It sounds as if now they're deciding that it deserves more attention. Doctors have entirely too many cases to handle, and it's not surprising that they overlook things.

But you have to wonder who it is that obliges them to take on so many cases. I think their case load is usually up to them to decide on. So yes, shame on the doctor who failed to mention it.

[Jeanie Z]

:) Wow Nuthatch when it rains it pours. Keep us posted on what you find out. Prayers for you in addition to the ones I already say. Jeanie :)

[Howie]

Not a good day here. The seizures have started again, so I called my DRs. office, and now I'm waiting on CVS to call and tell me it's ready. Here we go again.

[Virginia]

I am also suffering right now. Have not slept more than 3 hours at a time all week. Now spasms have started up really bad, having trouble walking, and bad parathesis in feet and legs. Mine is all MS, but nothing I can do about it.

I have a Dental appointment on Tuesday of next week. I am terrified to go because of COVID, but feel I must with two fillings having come out. Lady who does my hair called yesterday. I am due to go in there on Wednesday afternoon. She asked me to bring a mask. I told her not to worry that I would be wearing one. My State is opening up today, but I am very frightened about it because our cases are still going up. I know we are testing a lot more, but still it means there are more people with COVID regardless of how they find it out. Just my take on it.

Nuthatch, concerned about your enlarged heart. My brother (maybe two of them) have that and have had it for years. They don't seem to think too much about it, so maybe Agate is right in that a lot of people seem to have enlarged hearts. I wonder if it depends on how enlarged it is? Sounds reasonable to me. Whatever you find out please keep us informed.

Howie, I hope you get some medicine soon for the seizures. I worry about you when you are having them. Very frightening.

[Howie]

I got my script. It's the same med I was taking before, Gabapentin. It works well. Guess I'll be on it the rest of my life which is fine, the seizures are the pits!

[stillstANNding]

I am sorry you have another problem, Nuthatch.

And Virginia, I hope you are not in a flare but sounds as if you are. Take care. I hear you about opening up the state. You can make your own decision to delay going out in public until you think it is safer. Peter is going to resist going in to work as long as possible. I cut his hair and the front of mine and did my color with Keracolor from Amazon. I’ve used it three times now.

Sunshine, I hope things are some better.

Howie, be cautious the next few days, please.

Best to everyone,
ANN

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

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

nuthatch ~

When you were in the hospital, the attending physician should have told you about your heart, as well as the results of all tests you were given. You should have had a cardiology consult while in the hospital, as well as any related tests to rule out congestive heart failure or any other possibility. Based upon my countless hospital experiences with my boys and Jim, that is pro forma.

Do they have access to any other chest x-rays you've had in the past to compare with the one you had in January? That would indicate whether this is a new or a previously existing condition.

I hope that your NP will call you to discuss the results of your blood work. That is also pro forma.

Did you talk to your home health nurse about your heart? Of course, we have a great home health nurse, who has decades of experience, so she was able to answer all of our questions. Always feel free to ask your nurse anything.

Your anxiety is absolutely understandable. Like being out on a limb. Please try to find ways to help reduce your stress as you go through this process. I know how difficult that is.

You are in my prayers.

Virginia ~

I'm so sorry you are going through this. These are such stressful times for everyone, and stress manifests itself physically in many ways. Flares are one example, as ANN said. I can't speak to MS, of course, but I know that stress exacerbates my RA, digestive system, and sometimes, I'm covered in a sunburn-like rash.

Your fear of going to the dentist right now, but needing to go, is so familiar to me. Perhaps your current symptoms could be related to the lost fillings. Our oral health is critical to our systemic health. You might find that after your teeth have been repaired, your MS symptoms will lessen or subside. I don't know, of course, just thinking outside of the box.

Let me just say this about hair:

I have not had my hair cut since October 2018. The length of it is to the middle of my back. I pull it up in a scrunchie pony tail, because it is so annoying. It takes too long to wash and condition it, a lot of towel drying, and an hour of air drying.

It would be wonderful to have my hair cut, and I've thought of cutting it myself, but all of my long mirrors are gone with the restoration in progress.

So I just look like a hippie grandma now, grey hair and all, and I don't care. I put on a little make up, and I look at myself in the medicine cabinet mirror and shake my head. "That's the best it's going to get. Done."

I've never met you nor have I seen a photo of you, but I don't have to, because I know you are beautiful.

Trust and believe that your dentist will take all of the necessary precautions to fill your cavities. Hope that this procedure will reduce your MS symptoms. And when you recover from these two things, then make an appointment to have your hair done.

You are in my prayers.

Howie ~

Have you been taking Gabapentin, or did you stop taking it, and now you're back on it?

Did a neurologist diagnose your seizures (I can't remember)? If not, have you considered seeing a neuro related to your seizures?

If you stopped taking Gabapentin and were seizure-free for some time, that's great. Unfortunately, seizures have a way of appearing at unexpected times, and when that occurs, medication is again necessary.

I know that you don't want to hear this, Howie, but I worry about you driving, until your seizures are controlled. I think some of the hens here might cluck in agreement with me. We love you and want you to be safe and well with Sam. And for your antenna situation to be resolved.

You are in my prayers.

Sunshine ~

As we all are, I'm anxious to hear from you about your results and IVIg.

You are in my prayers.

To All ~

You're all in my prayers, of course, and I send each of you healing, positive energy.

No matter what our situation is, or what we are dealing with day to day, it is a stressful and frightening time.

We have to confront all of this with the same determination we have had all of our lives. MS hasn't beaten you down. You've battled it victoriously through every obstacle it has presented to you. We've lived through global and national tragedies, wars, and tremendous loss. Most of us were vaccinated for small pox. Remember that? And polio?

If we continue to follow the CDC guidelines, regardless of the re-opening throughout several states, we can protect ourselves. I wear a mask 8 hours a day, while two workers are in my home rebuilding it. They wear masks. It's still a risk, but what option do I have? I'm diligent about cleaning any surface they may have touched, but they are in my home.

We do what we have to do.

The rest can wait.

I love you all ~

Love & Light,



Rose

*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!

[stillstANNding]

Virginia and Howie, how are you today?

I’m good. Staying home. I planted some herbs and beans. I might have bought more seeds than I can plant. How can I resist? Look at these names:

Christmas Lima Beans
Dragon Tongue Beans
Red Velvet Lettuce
Black Valentine Beans
Bird Egg Beans
Bridge to Paris Peppers
Chocolate Runner pole beans!

I rest my case.
ANN

[Virginia]

Ann, at least they sound pretty and good, now we will want to know if they taste good.

I went to the pharmacy and got some Azo. I felt maybe that might be part of my problem. If I had known about the hair color you use I would have gotten some from Amazon. I did not want to go out here. However, I will say on Belinda's behalf she is one of the cleanest persons with the cleanest shops you could ever hope to see. She is a very energetic person and often jumps up when I am there to go clean something. The bathroom is spotless. There are large plate glass windows and she sometimes goes down to wash the windows on the weekend. She will also be wearing a mask and gloves, as will I. There are only about 4 beauticians in that shop and they all have separate rooms, also they are supposed to work at 50 percent capacity. Belinda has a ton of energy and she said when she called me that she was a happy camper now that she could go back to work.

[Howie]

Howie is here, but I'm getting ready to call it a night. See you all in the morning. Good night.