Report from my PCP today, about weight loss

I hope they can solve the mystery of your weight loss. Was the doctor a VA doctor or one that you've seen before?

Very best and let us know the result. The cycle of stuff happening can be so draining I hope it all turns into something simple.

Thanks for the update David, and hopefully he can help answer some unanswered questions about your weight loss and other health problems. It was a hot day in Georgia and I know your not too far from me, so summer appears to have set in. We did have a nice breeze today. Take care.
Michael

wishing you the best David. the weight loss really seems to be snowballing. I hope someone has the presence of mind to look at the PC angle and perhaps order a PSA test.

ed

Michael, hit 90 today in Greenville, and the heat always makes me feel worse, have a lifetime intolerance to heat, makes my fatigue much greater, and harder for me to breathe. For me, cold, clear winter air makes me feel the best. Yeah, had breeze going until sunset, now its muggy outside.

Thank you Lynn, at the doctor's suggestion, I went to the store and bought a box of walnut covered frosted brownies from Publix bakery, one of my favorite past treats. Wrong move, for starters, it didn't do anything for me, kind of tasted neutral, and that with the small dinner I forced into myself, let's just say within 30 minutes, dinner exited me in the form of violent diarrhea. So I didn't accomplish anything but bringing on more cramps and back aches. Now that I have been emptied, I feel ok again, but that didn't help me with either calories or nutrients. Thus the vicious chain I am stuck in currently.

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As a general statement, I appreciate all the positive input to this and the past couple of threads. I seek not sympathy, but just want answers, and that is where I get frustrated. I have so much on my plate, above the worry of dealing with advanced PC, and such a declining quality of life, that I am open to all ideas and suggestions. Was given a good one tonight that I will be e-mailing to my doctor in the morning. Whatever is happening, it's definitely a progressive thing, and some of once were detached symptoms that didn't make sense, are starting to chain together to paint a not so pretty picture.

No matter what this adds up to, I would rather know the truth, and know for sure what I am dealing with, even if I don't like the answer.

If you only really knew in real life, how hard I struggle to stay positive, stay useful, and stay relevant to those around me, that itself is a constant battle. However, even on my worse days, I absolutely will not allow myself to lay around and feel sorry for myself. It's not me, not my style.

But its not reasonable for anyone to think I can be or act Mr. Super Positive all the time, it just wouldn't make sense with all these assorted issues tearing away at me. I try extra hard to never take it out on my loved ones and friends in r/l. but I am not perfect, and sometimes I slip, and pain and anger speak instead of my normal passive manner.

Even here at HW, I can get touchy at time, try not to take it personal. I always write from the heart, and sometimes I probably disclose too much, but I am open like that. I don't mind suggestions, new ideas, and thinking outside the box. I don't have all the answers, and my combined case is so complicated, that even the best doctors can't always come up with answers for me.

But I will not give up - no intention of doing so. I just keep enduring these sufferings in stride, and keep hoping that tomorrow will be a better day. I realize there are so many other people that suffer worse than I do, I am conscious of that at all times.

I know we can't detail matters of faith here due to the rules, and I support the rules, but if I were not a person of strong personal faith, I would have given up long ago. I know in the "big picture" that I am ok, and whatever happens is ok too. Hope that makes sense.

But thank you to each person that sincerely tries to help, I need it, I appreciate it. And if something you suggest has been tried and failed, don't take it personal, it doesn't mean I don't like what you are saying, just means its already been considered and/or tried.

Where I get my most joy at HW, is in the stories from the men that are winning their fights with PC, while I am not sharing their good results myself, I take pride and joy in knowing that others are doing ok, and will probably get to live the rest of their lives - without being taken out by PC itself. And that's a good thing. When I say "I am happy for you, or congratulations" on your great PSA reading, I mean it sincerely, without any envy or jealousy.

David

David,

Since your primary care doc has known your medical history for 20 years, it must make you feel confidence in his aggressive pursuit of the cause of your weight loss. Take care and hang in there. You're an expert in patient endurance.

Tim

David:

I'm very relieved to hear that your PCP is going after this aggressively. You've lost way to much weight in a short period of time and they need to know why. I know when I had my 3/4 of my colon removed in 2005 I couldn't eat. Lived on apple juice and my surgeon wasn't happy about it at all. Got to the point they were talking about a feeding tube.

We somehow figured things out once the GI doc got involved. So here's praying that the GI you see is a good one and takes the time to listen, read, and think about what may be the cause of your issues. I hear you all the way about being a complicated case and doctors sometimes not knowing what, how, or even why something is wrong with me. I like you get VERY frustrated and down. I try not to show it when I'm having really bad days, however, Bill and I have been married almost 29 years this June 8th. He knows when I'm doing well and not.

I hope that you can get something into w/o dumping it all right away. That's a terrible way to live and I'm truly sorry that you're going thru this. You know that I'm here for you no matter what, I'm just an email or phone call away.

You take care of your self and thank you for the update. I hope that you can get some rest and maybe feel a bit better so that you can enjoy the holiday weekend. Have to say that the anniversary of my Dad's death is coming up on May 27th so this is an emotional time for me. Will be praying for you all weekend. Make sure you take care of yourself and get plenty of rest.

Hugs,
Barbara

Thanks so much Barb, you are always a dear one. Sincerely. Congrats on your 29th coming up, we just hit #40 in April, hard to believe looking back, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Sorry about the bad memory associated with your Dad's death. I am the opposite with mine. My father died 21 years ago this past March, and to this day, even though he was buried in central FL, I am still afraid of the man and he still plagues me in nightmares even at my age.

Thanks for your prayers. Please get rest yourself, your plate is actually fuller than mine at the moment, and I can't bear to think of all your personal suffering.

I left my PCP feeling a bit more hopeful, though it was way too soon for answers, but the serious level he put to my current problem gave me confidence. We will work through this together. Right now, other than stating the obvious, I see no point in eating, because the cramps and the dumping aren't worth the pain and effort. Thankfully, I am not "too" skinny at this point, so I think I still have some time on my end while we sort this out. However, as the doctor warned, at some point, it may cause an automatic shutdown of something more vital - and that could spell serious problems. Don't want to end up in hospital with IV's and feeding tubes. I got too much going on this year, don't want to be down and out in the hospital, or worse.

My wife dodged the bullet on her foot. It seemed certain that a screw installed 20 years ago was working its way to the surface. She saw her original surgeon yesterday, and with fresh x-rays, it was not the case. It was some weird kind of infection/swelling, he said the screw was safely in place, and gave her some special meds that should take the swelling done. She did not want a 2nd surgery on that foot and have to hobble around all summer. So she's happy at the moment.

She does sense the potential seriousness of my weight loss, and is doing all she can to support and help me. Just only so much she can do, however.

Take care, my dear friend, you are the best.

David

David,
Frankly, I'm surprised that the weight issue wasn't brought up by someone else on your care team. Nevertheless, hope you get to the answers fast on this issue.

David -

It is my sincerest hope that things are now falling into place, with your old doctor on board now, for you to finally get some real answers to your situation.

Frankly, I had been wondering when reading some of your posts over the past few weeks just why so many specialists had seen you so far, but in spite of this mass of expertise, not one of them had seemed able to figure out what has been going on with you. Hence, the number of guesses and suggestions from a lot of us here to you, trying as best we can to come up with something that maybe might just hit on what it might be.

It sounds like the doctor, your old doctor, who is now involving himself in this could be the one who might break through this logjam, because he seems so determined to do so. I sincerely hope so.

I hope the next step for you is indeed to learn, to at least learn, what it is. Perhaps things are lining up to be similar to the image of a poker player at a table facing a competitor. The betting is on, and the player has just put his hands down on his chips and has just pushed every one of them into the middle of the table, betting it all. If he wins, he wins big.

Maybe now you'll at least find out what is going on with you. I think that would definitely count as a really big win.

Try to stay as well as you can and do keep us informed.

David
I get it - am a big person myself

Dear friend recently lost a buncha weight & everyone just raves about how good she looks.
But loss of weight was due to stress / domestic abuse - NOT a healthy way to lose ..

Like yours.

Take care

David - I am going into my workshop tomorrow and make something for you.

Pictures later this weekend.

I'd come over an mow your lawn instead, but it's a little further than I can drive in an afternoon.
Andrew