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The Where in the World is Bill Column Part 2 0f 3

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Posted 7/3/2009 8:24 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, everyone,
I've tried to skim all the posts, but honestly I know I didn't catch all the details. Please forgive me! I do wish everyone well.

I can see why you named this thread now! Bill does seem to move around a lot!! Bill - you mentioned the pain meds. I don't know how much you were on and how quickly you were taken off. Feel free to pop over to the CP forum and leave me a message if needed. The last thing you need is to go through withdrawal symptoms, so you may need to be slowly weaned. Or maybe you need some stronger medication for awhile. Especially with all the activities you do!

Panda - I think you were talking about Carpal tunnel surgery in December? If you have any questions on that, please let me know. I've had both hands done, and I only wish all my other surgeries had been that simple and successful. I put off the first one for years, fearing it was going to damage my hand, etc. But the pain went away immediately. Funny, I didn't have anything but OTC pain meds before the surgery when I had all kinds of hand pain (that kep me up all night!) and then after the surgery they give me narcotics - when I didn't need them! You will have fresh sutures for about a week that you'll need to keep dry. And then it takes awhile to build up hand strength, but after a few months you're good to go. But you'll be using the hand way sooner than that, just not lifting things and such. And the incision is a bit sensitive. I took care of a bedridden cat 2 days after I had my left hand done in 2004. I got lots of those plastic gloves food workers wear, and boy do they help. Showering is tough though. Sorry I went on so long!

Someone mentioned an old car. Have you checked out cars.gov for the cash for clunkers program the government recently started? I'm looking at it myself, since I have a 12 year old car. Course you've got to have the cash to buy the rest of the new vehicle!

Janice - still wishing you all the best!

As for me, to be honest in the area of the Barrett's and GERD I don't know how I'm doing because I don't know what to expect. I'm on 40 mg. nexium twice daily. Juggling that with all my pain meds is a real challenge. Especially the not eating for an hour after you take it part, and the part where you can't eat for a few hours before bedtime! I feel like my life is now totally ruled by my health, my medications, etc. It was already pretty close with the chronic pain meds and such, now with this it's almost too much to take at times. The nexium is helping, but it's not taken away the periodic acid taste in my throat and mouth, and periodic light heartburn. It's not all the time, but I find it odd that sometimes the heartburn in my chest feels better but the taste in my mouth seems to be more frequent. Is any of this normal? What should I be expecting? It is scary, as with the mild dysplasia I sure don't want that to progress any further.

Sorry for going on so long!

Thanks for all your support! And my best to each of you for a relaxing weekend!

PaLady
Posted 7/3/2009 11:10 PM (GMT 0)
PAlady

Happy 4th of July to you too. I am sorry you have to juggle so many meds.  That makes it tough I know. 

I may pop into your forum just to meet some new people and complain about all 15 of the pain pills the Work Comp Doctor gave me yesterday for my problem with leg pain which has developed.  I have a herniated disc from a work comp accident sustained in 2005.  I have not had any Rx pain pills since 2006 and now my pain has changed.  I have been posting in Osteoarthritis.  shocked

I know I do not have the kind of pain so many have so I am lucky but I do fret a bit about the whole situation.  smhair

I am always glad to see a post from you.

 

Happy Holiday

Hugs and pogo sticks!

Kitt  smurf turn   shocked   cool  

Posted 7/3/2009 11:33 PM (GMT 0)
Kitt,
Feel free to jump over! There's a lot of knowledge and wisdom over there!

Happy Holidays to you, too! And to everyone!

PaLady
Posted 7/4/2009 1:25 AM (GMT 0)
Hi PAlady, thank you so much for your input. That is wonderful news to me. I have had to give up so much since my problems with my hands started after my accident in 2007. I just can't do things any more because of the pain and weakness. I just found a doctor in May that diagnosed the problem as carpal tunnel. I am having the left hand done July 15th and will be off 5 days and then back with lifting restrictions for 5 more days. I am thinking of having the right one done in December. I have to use vacation for both surgeries because all my sick time was used up from my accident and then surgery I had this spring which I shouldn't have put off so long. I am so much better since that surgery(hysterectomy) was done, but it took me almost bleeding to death to do something about it and this time with my hands I decided I'm not going to be stupid and wait to have it done. I know what you mean about coordinating pills. I take nexium in the am and then carafate before bed and sometimes during the day and the carafate has to be taken on an empty stomach too and you can't take it after taking other meds so those have to be taken an hour before the carafate and then you can't eat for an hour after the carafate. That one drives me crazy but it helps. Maybe you need to be taking something along with the nexium if you are still having problems. That is nothing to let go. I take pepcid 2x a day too. I am the one that is having my van engine rebuilt because it has a lift in it for my husband who is wheel chair bound because of Becker Muscular dystrophy. Well I am off to ride my  bike to see how the shot they gave me in my tail bone is working. This will be the true test, because that's when it hurt the worse was during and after riding my bike. My hubby wants to ride his scooter up town to see the electric light parade at 9:15pm so I'll ride along on my bike.

Kitt, I hope you had a nice lunch with your friend today. I ended up taking a 2 hour afternoon nap with my hubby and the dogs. smurf We all needed that. Sorry to hear about your back pain. That is not a fun thing to deal with. I keep mine under control with the chiropractor, massage and heat. When on vacation though I have to take my pain pills and muscle relaxer or I can't get out of bed. Have a great night. Barb

Posted 7/5/2009 2:33 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Kitt,
Sorry to hear that your back is kicking up again. I have a herniated disk, so I feel your pain. I went the PT route, and it helped tremendously, but once your back is bad, it's always bad. Have you tried physical therapy? I find that it always helps when I have a flare up. Of course if I kept up the exercises after my back is feeling better, it would stay good...oh well! Good luck with your pain management!

Hi PALady,
You started posting here when I was off finishing up all my school responsibilites, then went on vacation. Welcome to this little corner of Healing Well! I don't know your exact situation, but I can tell you that I always had some breakthrough heartburn--even with 40mg Protonix twice a day. I do think, however, that once you're on the PPI's , your esophagus begins to heal--even though you might feel some intermittent heartburn. I don't think you have to worry about that. I did have the Nissen surgery--more to deal with GERD related asthma, than the breakthrough heartburn problems. I can't believe how much better my lungs are. I wish I'd had it done years ago.

Hi Bill,
Hope your stomach is feeling better! I know you've been struggling with that pain. Actually, when I overdo it, I have some wrap and stomach discomfort. I overdid it a lot on vacation!

Hi Barb,
Glad to hear you're having the hand surgery. You need to get all those things fixed up. Your hands are too important to have so much pain with them. Good luck with the surgery!

Take care, All!
Denise
Posted 7/5/2009 6:18 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Denise, are you back from vacation already? I hope you had fun. It's hard to watch what you eat on vacation. My stomach has been really bad because of all the junk I have ate and drank that I'm not supposed too. I'm working on getting it under control again. I've been getting lots of sleep this weekend so that should help too. I was getting really nervous about the hand surgery, but hearing how much it helped PAlady really was a big help. I have plenty to keep me busy until surgery. This week will be too busy once again. I have the first 3 days booked up a funeral, chiropractor, doctor and a massage and then Thursday I get to work until 6:30pm for our popcorn stand at the farm market. Well I better get off to bed. Take care and I'll talk to you later. Barb  
Posted 7/5/2009 6:47 AM (GMT 0)
Denise,
Thanks for the comments on the intermittent heartburn. I had heard that the ppi's help the esophagus heal, and so it makes sense it wouldn't heal all at once. It is notceably better, but then I've really been trying to watch what and when I eat. I'm up this late because I had a snack a couple of hours ago and needed to wait to go to bed! BTW I spend most of my time on the chronic pain board. Took a bad fall a few years ago, had failed lumbar fusion surgery in 07, so I'm on a lot of pain meds. So if any of you have questions about pain pop over to the CP board and catch me there if I don't show up here for a few days!!

Barb,
I wish you all the best with your hand surgery. I live alone, too, so I managed all by myself both times. Did a lot of advance planning with things that needed to be done with 1 hand. Get a package of those lose gloves food workers wear (not the tight cleaning gloves). They were a godsend to help keep the hand dry for a week. Do you know what type of procedure your surgeon's going to use? I had the old fashioned kind where he cut straight down the middle of my palm. But some doctors do a simpler procedure; I've heard it described as "roto rooter" LOL, because they just do a small incision and slide some kind of instrument in and open the tunnel that way. My hand surgeon (who was great) told me those don't last as long, but I knew someone who had it over 20 years ago. Either way, it's not a horrendous healing process. Nothing like back surgery - or the kinds of surgeries I see mentioned on this forum!

Janice, Kitt, Bill and everone - hugs to you all!

PaLady
p.s. Barb - I was back typing on the computer the day after my hand surgery. (Not for an all day work thing, but enough to do some e-mail and such)

Post Edited (PAlady) : 7/5/2009 12:51:20 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/5/2009 5:05 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks PAlady for the info. From what my doctor told me he will be doing the small incision. How bad was the pain the first night? He said his patients usually take the pain pills the first night and then don't have to take them after that. I am looking forward to getting rid of this pain. Yesterday all I did was cut up some rhubarb for a pie and squeeze 2 lemons and my hands were done for the day after that. The pie and lemonade were really good but I don't know if it was worth the hand pain and weakness though. Where do you get those gloves from? My husband does the dishes and he can help me with cooking, but I'll still need them for showers. My doctor had suggested the gloves from Fleet Farm that go all the way up your arm that they use for delivering calves, but that might be a bit much. Well I am going to get out and enjoy the beautiful day by walking the pups. NO more bike for a while my tail bone still hurts from it. I think I may pop over to the pain forum and ask some questions about broken tailbones. Barb
Posted 7/5/2009 6:57 PM (GMT 0)

Hello Everybody............I am glad to know you are all behaving today.

Barb, glad to hear your resting and back to eating healthy but vacations just seem like a time we should be able to let our hair down.  cool   I need surgery on my hand, I should schedule for the same day as yours.............that would be so much fun.............NOT.  Mine is for osterarthritis and I was schedlued 3 years ago but had to cancel due to having pneumonia........I think I have stalled long enough. 

Denise, Glad to see you are back and hope you had a grand time.  ((((((((((((Hugs))))))))))))

PAlady,

I am headed for your forum to read today.  :)

Now to all,

I was standing in the kitchen at the window and I looked up and a beautiful doe was walking through the yard right past the window, past our deck and down through our back yard.  Wow.  So now we have pheasants, wild turkeys, squirrels, rabbits, birds, a red fox that comes and goes  and deer.  Oh yes and one wild and crazy Doberman puppy and 2 cats.

Happy Sunday

Kitt

Posted 7/5/2009 7:34 PM (GMT 0)
Kitt, you should have that hand surgery if it can help. I am usually a procrastinator myself especially when it comes to health things, but I'm sick of the pain and am willing to try any thing at this point. Deer are such beautiful creatures and to have them in your yard is extra special. I'm surprized that the crazy puppy doesn't scare all the animals away. Lol. Well I am off to swim at my aunts cottage  with my sister. That place is like a little slice of heaven. Have a great day. Barb
Posted 7/5/2009 9:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Kitt,
I loved your description of the view out your kitchen window. I also live in an area where there is lots of wildlife. It's fun to watch! Thanks for your warm welcome back. I'm glad to be able to participate again!

Barb,
I had a great time on our vacation. I'm now in the process of getting things put away and dirty clothes washed. There's a lot to do! My son is here also, doing some landscaping work. He's not a pro, but is smart and a hard worker, so he'll figure out what he needs to do. We'll be putting our house on the market probably in the fall, so we've got lots to do this summer to get things ready. I'm planning on going through and hoeing out stuff! We've collected a lot over the years!

Hi Bill,
Hope you're feeling well, and your stomach is cooperating. Mine has been giving me some trouble due to medications, mainly. I'm sure I'm challenging it with our vacation food, but oh well...it'll eventually straighten out. Until then...maalox is comforting!

Happy 4th Weekend everyone! Hope you're having fun on your vacation, Bea!
Denise
Posted 7/6/2009 1:33 AM (GMT 0)
Barb,
When I had my right hand done in 1994, I didn't need any pain meds the first night - maybe a couple of advil or tylenol. Can't remember. I had a script for narcotics which I filled but never needed! I had a lot of night pain in my hands so it was getting to the point I could hardly sleep. The first night after surgery the pain was gone. GONE. Have some pillows hand in bed to rest your arm on as you have to keep it elevated. Remember I did this living alone and had no big problem. Have some tops that are easy to slip into for that first week. I think I bought the gloves at a place that sells to food suppliers but also sells retail. The gloves your doctor is talking about may be a lot better for the shower. I think I put a large plastic bag over my arm and a rubber band and then you shower with 1 hand! Fun! I could never do it now! LOL

When I had my left hand done in 2004 I had pain the first night because the bandage was wrapped too tightly. If that should happen be sure to call the doc and ask if you can loosen it. They told me the next morning I could have, but living alone that would have been tough. As soon as the bandage was changed the next morning, the pain was gone.

Hope I answered all your questions. If you can't find the gloves, maybe go to a sub shop or somewhere they use them and ask if you can buy a box. I actually found them handy for a lot of other things!

You'll have to work for a few months with some exercises to get your hand strength back, but like you said you don't have much now. And the scar will be sensitive. That's about it.

Kitt,
I haven't posted until tonight on the CP forum. Feel free to join us! Barb did.

Greetings to everyone else!

PaLady
Posted 7/6/2009 1:56 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Denise, glad you had a great vacation. That's really nice of your son to help you out like that. Good luck with the house sale. My daughter tried for a whole year to sell her house and then just refinanced at a lower interest rate and stayed in it.

PAlady thanks for all the advice and positive input. That will help me with planning ahead. It helps to hear good out comes about a surgery your having soon. 

I wonder where Bill has been? On the ball field I bet.

Barb 

Posted 7/6/2009 3:31 PM (GMT 0)

Good Morning All,

Just popping in to let you know I am here and glad all of you are too.

I am struggling a bit with my depression but will get a grip.  May lay a bit low for a few days but please know I am reading and thinking of each of you.

Love

Kitt

Posted 7/6/2009 3:52 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Kitt,
We're here for you! You are the light of this forum, so don't hesitate to ask for some sunshine coming in your direction! You definitely deserve it. You take care of yourself...take some walks, enjoy your soft new carpet, read a book...just stay in the NOW, and allow yourself a treat--anything that you enjoy. You've been here before, and obviously have lots of tools. You tell your mind to stay in the positive...don't let it control you. You're in the driver's seat! I'm going to email you some information that you might be interested in.
Just relax and take care of yourself. We'll take care of things here for you!
Denise
Posted 7/6/2009 6:05 PM (GMT 0)
Kitt, so sorry to hear your feeling down. Try writing down all the positive things in your life. My dogs always make me feel better an laugh when I'm down. Send your hubby out for some comedy movies. Laughter is always the best medicine for any thing. Take care of yourself and I hope your feeling better soon. Barb
Posted 7/6/2009 8:57 PM (GMT 0)
Wow.... That was a lot of reading to get caught up. I hope everyone had a great 4th. The softball team did fairly well. We ended up 3 and 3 over all. The last lost was a pitching duel that was scoreless through regulation and we lost 2 to 1 in extra innings. There were a lot of people and coaches watching that game. It looked like the championship with so many watching. It was a heartbreaking loss for the girls, but they will bounce back. We head to nationals in northern Indiana July 18th.
I get to return to work Tuesday night. The true test will be about 12:30 am when I have to remove the blades. If something is going to hurt that will get it going. Those things are awkward and heavy. Michelle doesn't think I will make it through the night. She thinks I am going back to soon and was surprised the company doctor let me come back. We will see.

Take care,
Bill
Posted 7/6/2009 9:30 PM (GMT 0)
I'm glad you had a fun weekend Bill. Sorry about the loss though. I am off to my best friends funeral in a little bit here. I am not looking forward to it at all. It will be really hard for my husband and me. My husband has known him almost as long as I have. Well I'll talk to you all later. Barb
Posted 7/6/2009 9:40 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Bill,
You did actually disappear again! Glad to see you back. Sorry to hear that you've got to go to work already! Good luck with the lifting. If your own surgeon has released you, it must be safe at least. Don't be a hero. Ask for help! No sense in putting yourself back into problems if you don't have to.

How is your eating going? Is your stomach healing well? Has the pain subsided?

Sorry to hear about the loss, but wow, it sure was close! It's great that you can be so involved with her sports. My husband is a huge basketball fan and played in college. He loved coaching the kids in basketball (and baseball, actually), and always spent a lot of time with them. Now my oldest coaches JV basketball in a big high school about an hour away, and we go up to watch him coach all the time. He can't wait until we move up that way, so he can help out with practices.

Good luck going back to work tomorrow.
Take it easy!
Denise
Posted 7/7/2009 12:18 AM (GMT 0)
Denise -
I have been able to eat just about anything, even breads. Things do get stuck at times, but will go down with patience and water. I do have bouts of stomach pain from time to time. I was so happy the incision under my left ribs didn't hurt this time.....until it heard me! It isn't as bad as the first time, but it does get me pretty good when I am sleeping on that side. It is funny how things change once you heal a bit. Most of the pain has gone, but I have to figure out how to taper off these dang meds.
I thought my daughter brought her laptop with this past weekend. I finally got her a laptop and she doesn't even bring it with for a long weekend. Kids! I don't have any plans to disappear again anytime soon. We do head to nationals in a couple weeks, but I will make sure to bring the laptop or the PDA with.
How was your vacation? Did the weather cooperate?

My work partner called today to make sure I was coming in tomorrow. The evil laugh he has suggests all has not been going so well at work. If you all remember I am a maintenance mechanic at Oscar Mayer and seems the new machinery is being finicky. Maybe I want to take another month off! Oh well, I only work 10 days and then am off for 10 days. I think I can manage that.

Has anyone heard from Teala? Any word about her PH study?
Take care,
Bill
Posted 7/7/2009 2:57 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Bill,
I'm glad to hear that things are going well. My rib incision really hurt the most, and for a long time (it was horrible as I was healing, with the bad asthmatic cough...ouch). Once that started getting better, the one near my belly button started to hurt. Go figure.

My stomach is giving me trouble at the moment. It's a lot like Barb's stomach, and is very reactive. I had to take some meds for thrush (caused by all the inhaled steroids, prednosone, and antibiotics I took during and after surgery) and they're bothering my stomach. Then it didn't help to challenge it a lot on vacation! Our weather was halfway decent. We had a great time.

I'm sure getting off the pain meds will be a challenge, but you have such a great attitude about everything, I'm sure you'll manage. Just don't be afraid to ask for help from your surgeon and other docs.

Good luck getting back to work. I hope things go well. Just a day at a time...you'll enjoy those 10 days, and be ready for a rest, I'm sure!

I haven't read anything from Teala...hopefully she's doing well, and will let us know about her test results soon. Good luck Teala!

Take care, Bill!
Denise
Posted 7/7/2009 3:40 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Denise, our stomachs could be indentical twins. I think I posted on Thursday about my heart doctor saying I still wish you could take a statin. I told him no way since it had taken 6 months to get my stomach and asthma under control after taking one for a week. I couldn't believe he said that after my cholestol test came back the best it's ever been. 174 total and LDL 103, HDL 63. It used to be 280, 168, and 45 so don't know what he's complaining about. I hope you get your tummy under control again. Try taking the carafate a few times a day. Mine is not doing well tonight. I'm very upset from my friends funeral. I cryed so much I couldn't hardly breath after the service my sinus was so full. I had to go sit in the bathroom and just calm down and kept blowing my nose until I could breath again. It didn't help that I was sitting by his cousin and I cryed every time she cryed and then the friends on the other side of me would start when she would stop. It was just so very sad. We laughed a little bit at some of the stories people told, but it was mostly just so sad. I knew him longer than I knew my parents before they died. Rob helped me through both of their deaths and all the other bumps along lifes road. Well that's all I can say because just thinking of not ever talking to him again makes me cry.

Bill, I hope your first day back isn't too hard on you. Try to take it easy. Have a good night every one. I am exhausted and drained so it's off to bed for me. Barb

Posted 7/7/2009 5:00 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, everyone,
This thread is so neat, but when you take off and are MIA (ahem, Bill! devil) you will have a lot of catching up to do!

I do hope we can help you a bit with the meds over on the CP forum. They take awhile, so be patient, and it sounds like you may need some with that job of yours. What's this about blades? And lifting? shocked I think your doc needs to go to work with you and see just what you do!

Kitt - hope you get the rest and peace you need! Even from the short time I've been posting over here, I can see you're the heart of things.

((((((((((Barb & Kitt))))))))))))))

The nexium seems to be helping a bit more. But watching every lousy thing that goes in my mouth and timing everything and not eating before bedtime are driving me crazy! smhair

Hope everyone has a good or at least a better day tomorrow! :-)

PaLady
Posted 7/7/2009 1:09 PM (GMT 0)

Good Morning Everyone cool

Thank you for the kindness and concern.  I had a talk with myself and said a prayer before I got out of bed this morning so I am going to forget about the past few days of feeling the blues and move ahead.   On the road again..........ta da da ta da ta ta ta !

Denise,

Thank you so much and your wisdom amazes me.  You are the best and the way you respond to the members with so much knowledge and indepth insight is awesome.  Thank you for being here with this great group.

Bill

I hope tonight goes well for you but do give yourself permission to "take it easy" if you can.  Let the others help you out a bit. 

Indiana nationals........wowzer, that is fantastic news for you and the "girls".  How fun for all.  It is always great to go to go to nationals.   My son coaches volley ball for 5 year olds..........LOL.  I do not believe they will be going to nationals.

I will be going with my dauther and granddaughters in October to a dog show, Doberman Nationals, in Kentucky. :-)   Take care of you.

Barb,

What a sad day for you yesterday and I am so terribly sorry for your loss again.  I know how awful it is to lose people we care about but I know you will carry the memory of your friend forever in your heart.

I did try your idea and put in a video, a comedy last night but Barb, I have to tell you, it was one of those sick comedies making jokes about war and was the worse piece of garbage I have seen in a long time and actually had some big stars in it. Tropical Thunder with Ben Stiller and Matthew McConaughey, argh!

So I took my book and went to bed to read. smilewinkgrin

PAlady

Thanks for the hugs and kind words.  I did read a bit in the pain forum.  I will be back.  My nasty thumb joint kicked up a storm yesterday for some reason so I ended up with Aleve and heat and went to bed early. 

As for my GERD, it has been good most of the time.  So I caught a break there. Yeee haaaaaaaaaaaa !

I am so glad your with us here.  You bring something special to the forum and we are all loving it.

Teala,

I hope all is going well with you sweetie and I will look for words from you somewhere else on the forum.  If you have a chance drop in here and let us know how things are going.  (((((((((hugs))))))))))))

Janice,

I am hoping you are doing okay and just wanted to remind you we are here for you and we have not forgotten you.  I will check in on your thread next.

Happy Tuesday to All

Friends are kisses blown to us by angels,

Kitt


 

Posted 7/7/2009 4:51 PM (GMT 0)
PaLAdy -
We have to remove the slicer blades every night for clean up. They are about 3 foot wide or so and weigh about 20 pounds, but the counter weight weighs about 45 pounds. Then you have to lean sideways and stretch out all the way to reach them. It is quite a balancing act, one foot wedged under the frame the other leg kicked out for balance and pray you are strong enough. Unfortunately there is no way for someone top help either. Oh I forgot to mention they are sharper than razors too. They cut 5 inch diameter 8 to 18 degree meat for 20 hours a day. I saw a 15/16ths wrench cut in two by one once. I have had a lot of dangerous jobs like farming, being a final checker for aircraft launches on a carrier, work on helos and aircraft TOW (tail over water), etc. By far, removing those blades is by far the scariest thing I have ever done.
Kitt - I am so glad you are feeling better. Sorry you tried to watch that sorry movie though. I even bought it thinking it would be good. I watched once only.

Take care,
Bill
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