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The Where in the World is Bill Column ~ Part 7 of 7

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 11/14/2009 8:43 AM (GMT 0)
Bill,
Congratulations on the job! Maybe the 23rd is best considering you're not feeling so hot. I've been coughing a lot lately and can't figure out if it's the Barrett's/acid stuff, sinus drainage (a frequent culprit for me), or some mild version of the swine flu!

Rest up, so you can move into that new job feeling a little stronger!

Good luck!

PaLady
Posted 11/14/2009 5:03 PM (GMT 0)
Good Morning Everyone, Bill, PALady, Anne, Barb and all,


I am so glad it is the weekend and I get 2 days off work. I work 3 days next week but will try to be here ASAP. Sorry I was missing but had to put my head back on straight. Every once in a while it goes crooked on me in the thinking department............but feeling more solid now.



Bill, glad you made it through your trip and hope the new combo of drugs will help.........sounds like the injection wore off pretty quickly. Sorry to hear that.............and also I had heard from Loyola that there was a guy in Iowa that was using mega drugs............LOL. I still have things on my med record that I have not used in years but for some reason they cannot manage to get them off their computer.



Barb, sounds like your dog day was awesome..........that is great. My baby, King, was at the Vets for an eye infection..............11 months old and 72 lbs of solid muscle and still wants to sit on my lap. Argh. He is a beauty though and such a big baby yet.



PaLady, no matter what page your reading a new post will fall into it's right place. So good to hear from you but sorry to know your having some problems. You have my prayers and support as always.



Anne, seems like you need to get some more prayer chains going to help our friends in pain and of course we are praying for you too. ((((((Hugs)))))



Take care all................I am off to lunch with a friend.



Love,



Kitt
Posted 11/14/2009 7:03 PM (GMT 0)
Oh know Bill those sinus infections are awful. I hope you can get some sleep to get over it. Congrats on getting the new job though. My doctor never found out what was causing my cramps either. I haven't had any for a week and 2 days now. A few times I thought I was going to get them. I started eating prunes again on a daily basis which have a lot of potassium and then am taking extra magnesium. My blood work didn't show that those were very low, but it seems to be working for now so I'm going to stick with what works and hope it continues. The only thing that was low in my blood work was iron and they don't know why and said it wouldn't cause the cramps. The only thing my doctor was interested in solving right now is my bladder control problem. I called my hand doctor yesterday to find out if I could have both surgeries in the same week and they are going to call back Monday. They want me to see a urologist down there and then have the hand and bladder surgery at the same time. I was really thinking of a second opinion by a urologist any way for more options to choose from than what my gynecologist gave me. I want the best and most permanent procedure for me. I just don't want to take any more time off of work than I have too also. Oh well will let you know what they say.

Kitt so glad your feeling better. Our doggy photo day was such a huge success we are doing a fundraiser with santa next month. My hubby will dress up as santa. We didn't have any dobbies. Your baby sounds adorable. He's a bit big for a lap dog though. Lol. There were some beautiful dogs though. My favorite was the black and white schitzu puppy. My daughter fell in love with the Bermise mountain dogs. My hubby like them all of course. Most of the people said they would be back for pictures with santa next month. I can't wait.

PA lady, sorry to hear about your cough. If your sinus is not draining the cough could be from the acid reflux. I get that myself. Not a fun thing. Have you gotten your flu shots yet? I got the H1N1 last week at our health department and then last night I was able to get the regular seasonal flu shot. I hope you don't have the flu. That is some awful stuff. Take care and I hope you feel better real soon. Barb
Posted 11/14/2009 7:38 PM (GMT 0)
Careful with that cough, Bill. My little cough and sniffle quickly became pnuemonia.

I'm feeling much better today. I was able to go to work yesterday and went to town for a quick trip to Wally-World (what my family calls Walmart). :))
I'm heading to the big city nearby to see my hairstylist. I'm due a major haircut. I'm looking like the Shaggy DA. Hey, I'll fit into the doggy photos! LOL!

Kitt, great to hear from you. I used to have a large black chow who would sit on my lap every time I sat down in a beach chair in my yard. He would also come up beside me and sit his head under my arm so I was hugging him, too. ROLF!


Joy
Posted 11/14/2009 8:35 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, everyone,
I feel a tad guilty just popping in and out here, as I know many of you have a lot going on. It's just all I can manage right now, but I do know you understand. Also know that I wish each and every one of you the best and think of you more often than you know! You always have a kind word for me, and I appreciate that. And I have a lot of kind thoughts for each of you even though they may not make it to paper!

Panda - Would you beiieve I'm almost 60 and have never had a flu shot. Of course, the year when I try to get one we have shortages. I do have a seasonal flu shot reserved for me, but with not feeling well neither I nor they want me to have it. I kind of wondered about the H1N1, as I heard coughing was a major lingering symtom, but I'm not running any fever. If I had it, then it was extraordinarily mild and it was a couple of weeks ago when I had some mild - and I mean mild - chills and fatigue. It felt really more like my typical sinus infection.

Since I'm having more burning in my throat area I tend to this all this is more reflux related than anything. Probably coupled with sinus drainage. I do know that since I resumed taking some allegra it's gotten a bit better. But not gone away.

Last night I bought a wedge pillow at Bed, Bath & Beyond. It's sitting on my kitchen table. I hope it helps the table's reflux! LOL Seriously, it's pretty high and firm (7" at highest point) but I am going to try putting it between the mattress and box spring so I can still get the benefit of my tempurpedic and neck pillow. I looked at the bed frame for my tempurpedic, and it has 3 posts going across the middle for extra support, and it would be very tricky to raise it. So I'll try finding a wedge. At least Bed, Bath & Beyond said I could return it - which shocked me!

Ok - hugs and MOOO's to everyone!

PaLady
Posted 11/15/2009 5:53 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Joy, hope you continue to heal.

PA lady, I have a 24 inch wedge. The highest you can get. I put a pillow on the bottom part of it and then put my contour pillow above that and it is very comfy that way. I can't sleep with out my contour pillow and the wedge is too hard with out that one and the other pillow. The regular pillow I put below my contour pillow is kind of flattened out so it works really well. You can also try putting risers under the front legs of your bed. I got some really cheap at Walmart. My stomach doc doesn't believe in wedge pillows as he says it puts more pressure on the gut causing more reflux. The risers were not high enough for me and I had horrible back pain as I am not used to sleeping flat like that and my back couldn't take it. Just some thoughts of things you can try though. Pop in when ever you want as we are always here for you to help out in any way we can. Oh you could also try putting some plywood between the other supports in the bedframe for extra support of the mattress. Let me know what you do and what works for you. It is always nice to hear how other people deal with the reflux and what works. It does sound like your cough is from the acid and the sinus drainage though. Have you tried rinsing your sinus with a sinus rinse bottle. That has been such a blessing to me since I started using it 2 years ago. I rinse in the am and pm and more if I am having drainage or feel a cold coming on. I averted sinus infections and it has really helped when my other allergy things have not worked alone. I think the bottle works the best as it really gets up in there and rinses all the allergens and infections out of there. My asthma doc insists his patients use it because post nasal drip irritates asthma. In fact he has the bottle in his office to give out, but I already was using it when i started going to him last year. Talk to you later. I am off to the paper store and perhaps the bike trail as it is pretty nice out today. Take care and have a great day. Barb
Posted 11/15/2009 10:49 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, Barb!

Wow - 24" has got to be like sitting up! I did manage to put my wedge between the tempurpedic mattress and the box spring, and then use my contour pillow on top of the mattress. Then my back still gets the benefit of the tempurpedic, which I love and is one of the few places my back can feel soothed. I tried putting the wedge on top of the mattress, and then putting pillows on it but it was way too hard. It did seem like the burning was less this morning when I awoke. I'll have to try it a bit and see. But my neck didn't fare so well. My neck has been bothering me a lot latey anyway, and I always have to play around with various contour pillows, sleeping positions, etc., and now this wedge is complicating things. But I want to see if it improves it at least somewhat.

Lifting the bed up is going to require some doing with those middle 3 posts, and living alone it's very hard for me to get help. I have had to ask for a lot of help lately for a few other projects, and haven't been able to get family with time free to do all of those, although they're doing what they can. Seems lots of people are busy, and over the holidays several will be out of town for a few weeks. So the wedge, if I can get one to work in some way shape or form, would be the easiest thing for me because I could maneuver it myself. Cross your fingers!

Thanks!

PaLady
Posted 11/16/2009 3:34 AM (GMT 0)
Yes I am sitting almost straight up and it doesn't help with my tailbone pain that has returned. Why is it you get rid of one thing and then another pops up. When my tailbone was good my asthma was bad and now the asthma is so much better then my tailbone suddenly started hurting. Well I have to go find my contour cushion with the tail bone part cut out so I can sleep with out so much pain tonight. Talk to you later. Barb
Posted 11/16/2009 4:39 AM (GMT 0)
Barb,
I sure know what you mean about one thing piling on top of the other! Curling up on my tempurpedic was one of the few things I enjoyed....now I've got to hope I can adapt that and still improve my reflux stuff. It's always something, right?!

BTW thanks for reminding me about the sinus draining thing. I have thought about buying one for a long time, then forget about it. I do use the sea spray a lot. My head would feel like Linda Blair in the Exorcist if it wasn't so stiff!

Hellos and hugs to everyone!

PaLady
Posted 11/17/2009 1:26 AM (GMT 0)
I have a lot of back trouble due to my OA, does a Temper. really help?

Joy
Posted 11/17/2009 4:47 AM (GMT 0)
Joy
All I can say is I love mine. Now it doesn't "cure" anything like the commercials advertised - unless your pain is pretty minimal and do to sleeping positions and a bad mattress! That being said, it was the best purchase I've made in recent years - glad I did it when I had some money! You can always do the trial, but I recommend buying it from a local store (the prices are all the set by the manufacturer, I think, and are the same in the commercials as they are in stores). A local store will usually bring it and set it up, and come and get it if you're going to return it. I've read that some people have had problems sending theirs back at times - plus it's a pain to pack up! For me it's the one place I can feel soothed - although I don't know with this wedge now! Jury's still out on that one!

PaLady
p.s. I would add the free pillows they gave me with the mattress were horrible! Flattened out too quickly. I think I slept on them one night! So definitely don't pay for them!!!!
Posted 11/17/2009 3:26 PM (GMT 0)
Good Morning All,


Joy, I have OA and a herniated disc in my lumbar region so I understand the pain of OA. I have a pillowtop mattress that has worked well for me but I still have pain every morning. I bought the top of the line when I got it but I think perhaps my problem is my OA has become worse and the mattress has nothing to do with it right now.



I have slept on a memory mattress and when I first laid down on it I thought I will never sleep on this but I did and felt good in the morning. Sounds like a good plan.



Barb and PaLady, I have visions of the two of you sitting upright in bed all night................ouch. That does not sound comfortable but if it helps you then you do what is best for you.



Hugs to everyone and Bill, glad you got that job.



Kitt
Posted 11/18/2009 4:09 AM (GMT 0)
Kitt, that's why lazy boys work so well for us to sleep in. It does help with the stomach problems. It helps me get some sleep. My bottom disk in my back is deteriorated and causes me problems along with the accident problems. Back pain in any form is no fun.

PA lady I have a matress pad with the temperpedic foam on top of it and I love it. I am currently sleeping on an air mattress. That seems to work the best for my back and tailbone. The sinus rinse kit is the best thing to use. I keep a saline bottle of spray in my purse for when things act up and I'm not near a sink to do a sinus rinse. I hope you work something out so you can sleep.

Joy my sister has a tempurpedic and she has bad back problems and says it really helps. Well I am off to bed. Barb
Posted 11/18/2009 4:42 AM (GMT 0)
Dearest Barb...love the lazyboy thing...guess

what ??

I sleep in my lazyboy every night of the week !!

I have tried to sleep in a bed and it gives my back fits and my acid relfux just goes crazy.

I love, love, love my chair though !!

Sleep in a fetal postion sometimes even.

I tell my friends not to feel bad for me, and tell them to be careful about trying it though..they may find thay love it too!!! LOL

Hope all is well with all of you !

love you, Anne  

Posted 11/19/2009 1:23 AM (GMT 0)
Anne, I posted to you above but you must have missed it. Oh well I guess I did not have much to say anyhow.


Glad all are doing well. The forums are a bit down right now, not a lot going on in any of the ones I moderate.



I am wearing down working so much but hate to say no. I am feeling every bit my age. Argh !



Love and hugs,



Kitt
Posted 11/19/2009 4:02 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all I have been so busy at work and home and doctors visits. I had to go get my hair trimmed and it was really bad in the back where the hair all broke off from taking the steroids and stress of being so sick. My poor hairstylist couldn't believe what a mess it was. She had to cut over an inch off the bottom. I have to go back in 6 weeks so she can look at the back and see if it needs to be cut more. Steroids do a real mess on my hair and my system.
Anne I slept in my chair for a year and lots of time inbetween and since. It is the best for back pain and acid reflux. I pile a bunch of pillows in mine and a nice big commfy quilt. All this talk of chairs and sleeping is makin me very tired so better get ready for bed. Hope you all have a good night.
Kitt hang in there. You'll do fine. It's almost the weekend and then we can rest our weary bones. Barb
Posted 11/19/2009 6:17 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Y'all-
Sorry I haven't been here much. Tings are kinda crazy with the antibiotic and starting the lrica and nortriptyline. It is really messing with my eyes this time. Also trying to get my tool box back in order. What a mess! Since I didn't use them every day I wouldn't always put things back where they belonged. Now I have to go through everything and make sure it is all there and everything is in it's place. Remembered a few tools I loaned out that haven't made it home yet too.
Got to go to the plant tomorrow and get my tools from there. That will be fun. I brought them in a few at a time, but have to get them out all at once. Guess I will have to take my totes in and make a couple trips.

Take care,
Bill
Posted 11/19/2009 1:46 PM (GMT 0)
Good Morning Bill,


I understand so well what it is like starting a new medication especially ones that mess with your head.



Try to stay in the moment remembering that your body should adjust to the meds and hopefully you will be feeling better. Nortriptyline is the one medication that worked the very best for me for my Depression and I used it for years until one day it just pooped out on me. I have yet to find one that worked as well.



Many people use it for back pain, fibro pain and for sleep.



I hope you are able to pick up your tools and get all organized. Remember anytime your starting a new job it will be stressful so take it one day at a time and be kind to yourself.



Your cheer leading squad is all right here for you.



Sending lots of good vibes,



Kitt
Posted 11/20/2009 2:13 AM (GMT 0)
Give yourself time Bill you will adjust to the meds. I'm sure you'll have every thing together for your new job come the 23rd. How exciting to get back into a job you enjoy. I'll keep you in my prayers for a great first day and beyond. Barb
Posted 11/20/2009 7:23 AM (GMT 0)
Bill,
Yes, these meds do take some time - and often dosage adjustments. I do hope things calm down for you so you can start your new job with a smile!

I have my initial appointment with a different GI doc on the 24th. I'm due for another EGD in Dec. If I like this guy, I'll stick with him, as I believe he does the HALO procedure and I'm definitely going to be asking about that.

Sorry I'm not keeping up with everyone here, but am sending you all hugs!!!

PaLady
Posted 11/20/2009 1:34 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the replies about the new meds. I am off t Chicago for an advanced coaches clinic. Won;t be back until Saturday night. Tlak to you all then.

Take care,
Bill

PaLady- Good luck with the new GI doctor. I sure hope he is one you will like since he seems to up and the new stuff.
Posted 11/20/2009 3:09 PM (GMT 0)
Bill,

Have a great weekend and say hello to Oprah for me.  Tell her Kitt says Hey !  Be safe and enjoy !

Gentle Hugs

Kitt

Posted 11/21/2009 3:33 AM (GMT 0)
Hope you have a great weekend Bill!
Barb
Posted 11/23/2009 1:52 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Y'all-
Well I made it back home. I hate Chicago traffic. Got to talk with some great softball coaches. One was the catcher for the National team the last 3 Olympics and one is the head coach of the College World Series champions Washington Huskies. I already knew quite a lot of what they talked about, but did learn a lot also. Too bad my daughter quit catching last year because I won a catchers mitt. Oh well, guess I can use it to catch her when she pitches. I also got a great deal on the batting helmet she needs for high school. Got it for half price.
Tomorrow is my first day at my new job. Got a busy morning ahead of me. Got to load up my tool box in the trailer and get it t the shop. I hate moving that thing because it is very heavy.

Take care,
Bill
Posted 11/23/2009 4:23 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Bill, I hate Chicago traffic too. Sounds like you had a great time though. It's great to get things half price. Do you go shop the day after thanksgiving? My hubby and I do and get some great gifts. This year we need a new ladder and a few other house hold items. Well time to get ready for bed. I have a big day tomorrow with the start of the courage program through the doctors office to get me in shape and healthy. I'll be thinking of you at your new job tomorrow and praying that it all goes well. Take care and have a great first day! Barb
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