I'm tired of cooking/preparing 3 meals a day. It's just the two of us but boy oh boy can that woman eat!! She stays slimish, I get fattish. It's bad enough I do everything here much less start making her one thing and me the other. At times I feel guilty when I buy her fast food cuz of the nutritional value....not to mention I eat it too.
So much snow! I can’t imagine what that is like year after year.
We got caught in a snow blizzard driving to Vail in the spring. Ski season had ended and a freak snowstorm blew into town.
My husband had never driven in a snowstorm before. He was so happy when we arrived at our hotel.
More SNOW tonight . More shoveling . More melting . Just what I need. That groundhog was
wrong . Spring is not coming early . 😭😭😭
So I have a nice clean up job to do.
The bright side is that nothing was broken, I am discarding a few things that have been around too long for my liking, and I will never buy extra yogurt again!!! It takes up too much space.
Now to wrestle with that shelf and get the glass back in again, more securely I hope. Wish R was here!!! He will be soon but not soon enough for this. ☹
But it has been a much easier winter, to get things done and stuff. And so much easier on the pocket book.
I will definitely have my whin moment when the heat and humidity sets in. This summer
river - glad you are making good progress
Llama - hope you got it sorted out
send - good advice. I was wondering if part of the problem was medications.
ITRR - I'm so very sorry about your dd. There is no pain like losing a child. (((((hugs)))
Anti whine here - this has been the mildest winter I have experienced in well over 40 years, and very welcome at that. Minus 5 C (23F) today and a few snow flurries expected, which we need. A little cooler next week then warmer again. Sure beats 35 below! Woo hoo!!!
Stitches out of my foot and all the blood soaked bandaging came off. Only I pin stays in for 4 more weeks. We had to get pencil erasers to put it on the edge to protect it. They had put a foam piece on it after the operation but it disappeared somewhere. So just 4 weeks more with this shoe but it all feels better already. The other 2 pins stay in the toes. I think this is a more recent technology. Thanks for the messages.
Thank you for posting this. It isn't something people tend to think about, drug interactions and all.
Thanks, since Trazadone is no longer working my sleep doctor plans to take me off of it. He sent me a helpful response to my MyChart message to him today.
This weekend and the early part of today were the absolute pits. However, some additional conversations have given me some hope.
I have been extremely frustrated and exhausted to the point of hardly wanting to live. The weekend was rough and so was this morning.
My sleep doctor wants me to inform him if I start sleepwalking, get depressed or start thinking about suicide.
Update on my sleep problems.
I've joined another narcolepsy page on FB that is focused on medicine.
I learned that contrary to the internet sites about drug interactions, I can take both Xyrem with Welbutrin.
Here are some nice comments from the medicine page.
"Glad you’re here and hope you get answers and help. Diagnosis of N usually is 3-15 years after the onset of symptoms, so you’re not alone! Glad your psych knows her stuff.
(Good) sleep deprivation is torture! Xywav has Been such a help for me.
I have taken Xyrem with Welbutrin as have many others.
Don’t rely on drug interaction checkers online for such a complicated unique medication. There is a speciality pharmacy that dispenses both Xyrem and Xywav, and only certain doctors who are certified can prescribe them. So I would start by making a call to the specialty pharmacy to see if your doctor is certified and to ask any questions you have about interactions with your meds.
They are called ESSDS pharmacy and their number is 866-997-3688. These medications can be life-changing for many of us with narcolepsy or IH because they get to the root of our problems, which is non-restorative sleep.
Hang in there, absolutely nothing worked for me until I tried Xyrem.
I can tell you that for most of us, they are life-changing. But not instantly. It takes weeks to months, but once it works, you’ll never want to hear without it."
So once, my diagnosis is clear, they will start me up on various meds slowly which will take weeks to months to work.
I'm not surprised, but overall this is encouraging news.
I began today extremely frustrated and exhausted, barely made it to therapy, came home, went to bed, cancelled my PT, and sent my sleep doctor an update that his experiment with increasing modafinil did not work. He sent me a helpful reply.
However, tonight, I end this day on a better note.
I was also glad to hear from my sister-in-law that her doctor finally gave her a prescription for her UTI. My wife and I are going up there in a few days. She says that she will be glad to have us up there on this the first anniversary of her husband's death.
I'm blessed to have a sister-in-law like her. We have supported and helped each other through so much over the years, we are more like siblings than an in-laws. She's glad to have me since I'm a stable person in her life and thus she trusts me and my advice. This trust was the bridge by which I reached out to her years ago before she retired and kept her from making a drastic financial error. She thanked me in tears saying that no one had ever cared that much for her. I understand given her family dynamics. I was glad to help and appreciate her being open to me.
I agree with her more recent idea for the three of us to find a triple-level care senior place to move into. However, it is her idea and she will bring that up when she is ready like all introverts do. I think I will go to bed now. I have an appointment at 10:30 am.
Thanks for ya'lls concern.
Please investigate the side effects of Serotonin building up in your brain from the Trazadone and other meds you take. Ask your doctor and pharmacist about these dangerous side effects:
Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: shaking (tremors), nightmares, ringing in the ears, problems urinating, blood in urine, signs of infection (such as such as sore throat that doesn't go away, fever), shortness of breath, stomach/abdominal pain.
Get medical help right away if you have any very serious side effects, including: chest/jaw/left arm pain, fainting, fast/irregular heartbeat, seizures, eye pain/swelling/redness, widened pupils, vision changes (such as seeing rainbows around lights at night).
This medication may increase serotonin and rarely cause a very serious condition called serotonin syndrome/toxicity. The risk increases if you are also taking other drugs that increase serotonin, so tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the drugs you take (see Drug Interactions section). Get medical help right away if you develop some of the following symptoms: fast heartbeat, hallucinations, loss of coordination, severe dizziness, severe nausea/vomiting/diarrhea, twitching muscles, unexplained fever, unusual agitation/restlessness.
Once again, I slept poorly because the Trazadone was not working. I drug myself out to see my therapist after which I came back home, went back to bed and ended up cancelling my 1 pm PT appointment.
I've informed my sleep doctor that my problems are so bad that I am not physically up to doing my PT exercises at home, walking as many steps as my psych wants me to, nor am I up to taking a shower.
I am extremely frustrated and exhausted.
Also, from some of the posts that I read on a Facebook page about narcolepsy, there will be a time of trial and error with various meds until the right ones are found. Dang! I've been through all sorts of trial and error for months with people thinking this was bipolar depression until a doctor questioned if my problem was narcolepsy. Those anti-psychotics made my sleepiness even worse.
My narcolepsy test is scheduled for March 24-25, I've called and called but there are no earlier openings. I was originally scheduled for the end of January, but they overbooked and had to cancel it.
I just got out of bed for the third time today and again lost my balance walking down the hall. When I got up, I told my wife that I just as well be put in a nursing home.
I've updated my sleep doctor and my psychiatrist with this information.
I realize that there are some positive things going on in my life, but this other stuff just overshaddows it.
Very happy for you! So often, it takes a person to become sick and tired of being sick and tired before giving up caregiving.
Now, you as well as I can testify to the fact that the sacrifices we made were not worth the heartache.
Of course, some people do feel that continuing to be an at home caregiver is worth the sacrifice. I totally respect their decision even if I disagree with it.
Wishing you well as you continue to be your dad’s advocate.
Excellent news from you. Yes nature abhors a vacuum. Might should have downsized when dad left. 🤨 Just kind of teasing.
You have come out of “the trance” and life is good. Enjoy!
Glad you and your family are in a better place now and things are working out.
I am starting to lose weight and get my health inline. I did not realize how much stress taking in and caring of an adult cause. To all the care givers out there, I salute you.
She had knee replacement surgery at what is arguably the best hospital (HSS) with a respected surgeon. She had thoroughly researched her options.
She came home and was in dreadful pain. Called the surgeon, who said it was normal. Called again two days later, again, told it was expected.
She finally called another doctor who say her immediately.
She had a massive infection in the bone.
Her advice to us all was to listen to the pain and make sure that the doc LOOKS at what is going on,
You are good at saying what this pain is like, but the doc needs to assess this to make certain all is healing normally. That pulse like "toothache" throbbing is/can be normal. But pain forms a kind of pathway in the brain, and often anything with opioids in it not only helps for a bit, but CAUSES more pain later in a kind of rebound manner. Docs are hesitant now to give these meds. They often do more harm than good.
So given they check what the healing is like, learn to accept there will be this pain, and it may waken you. Turn on the computer and write us on the Forum! Read. Ask doc about elevations and whether that's good. About heat, about ice. He may order them intermittantly. You are going to have to trick the brain which is wanting to give you this forming of a path. Pain can actually become chronic long after healing, and pain meds apparently have been contributing to that in terms of back pain and so on.
Pain is a beast. As a nurse I went into bad back at once point to the point it was close to considering surgery. I recall so much advice that conflicted. I finally got so looking at the back my entire left side was all pulled together and shortened with spasms and it looked like I was walking short legged. I was working then at a desk job checking charts and documentation at night, worst choice ever for a bad back. It got worse and worse until finally I decided to disobey everything, took myself off all meds, went out in the garden and sat on the ground weeding. Couldn't even get up and had to call the kids to haul me to my feet. At first it got a tad worse, but then slowly, with the stretching and movement it got better and better, and finally I was mended.
It taught me one thing. For a cancer you are looking at pain meds. Pure and simple. It hits the bones and you need fentaynl. But for most other things, surgical pain, back pain, muscles, it is not the answer, pain medication.
Talk with your doctor. Make sure nothing is going WRONG here. Once you know that, find out what to expect. Perhaps ask for PT consult. They are sometimes masterful with pain and other issues.
I sure hope this gets better. You are real level headed and I trust all you say about this, but get off the pain meds quick as you can.
Anyway, take this with a grain of salt. You know your body best.
A throbbing pain after surgery that awakens you (try to place it on a 1-20 scale) is a possible indication of infection or something that's gone awry.
Call the doctor today to report what's going on.
I'm so sorry this is going on.
I know there is such a situation to not give narcotics. I only take them when the pain is bad. I am not one who simply wants to stay drugged up. I will see the doctor Tuesday. I wanted to ask for a different medication that is actually a step down in intensity from the previous two. My husband has some and gave me them twice and it really helped.
I am not sure how to get across to the doctor that I still need some medication for the times I feel pain. It was not so bad yesterday but this morning I was awoken with throbbing pain. I am just not sure how to get my point across without seeming like someone who just wants more pain medication. I have 3 pins in 3 toes and at times they cause great discomfort. I take the over the counter medication they suggested to help stave off the pain but that frequently is not much help.
I just wonder if anyone has any suggestions to properly communicate my concerns with the doctor. I do not drink alcohol ever and try to be vigilant about my health.
I hope daughter does well, Barb. Most are recovering nicely though my own daughters co-teacher has felt ill over a month and now worrying about long covid.