Attention-seeking me.

[ryanshoots]

Thanks for the update, Sue, however we are all still here for you. And remember Luke is the most sincerest.

I'll never forget my first time in an MRI. My beloved husband had told me it was like being stuffed into an overhead baggage compartment on a plane. Needless to say, I requested a hit of Valium before I went in - sure that I would feel like I was in The Tell Tale Heart!

We shall all be thinking of you and hoping for the best news.

My prayers are with you, Sue.


BBW, I kept falling asleep in my first MRI. I had gotten up at 4am to be at the appt at 7:30am. So with being tired and that rhythmic pounding noise it was hard to stay awake. The second one I had was 20 years later and they let me pick music to listen to.

 

[Biro]

And here I was feeling sorry for myself because my doctor and I are trying to fine-tune my blood pressure medication. So I haven't been feeling all that well lately. But it's nothing like you've had to deal with Sue. So glad you came through the tests fine. Now here's hoping that there isn't much wrong and whatever is can be treated easily.

 

[kyteflyer]

Wishing you all good things, Sue. As a former smoker (started at 12 and never finally stopped until I was 59) I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. So I'm hoping yours hang on tight.

Too late, the effects of smoking are well established in my lungs... the tests yesterday were to establish just how bad it all is.

And here I was feeling sorry for myself because my doctor and I are trying to fine-tune my blood pressure medication. So I haven't been feeling all that well lately.

If one feels unwell, one feels unwell... theres not worse/better than (IMO). My BP has resisted all attempts to tame it for a long time. I keep telling my GP that Ace Inhibitors dont work (but we must protect your kidneys they cry!). We are now on some related one at maximum of the possible dose and... guess what... doesnt work. The beta blockers I have had over the past 5 days and today have done what 5 years of other meds have been unable to. Perhaps now, they will believe I needed something different, or something additional. BP down to 130/70 for the first time since 2009.

Had a nap, feel like sh*t, still, but am intent on going to trivia night tonight.

 

[BillN]

You got past that one Sue - well done

another day, another dollar

Carpe diem

 

[christilou]

Well done, you got through it. I was in the MRI for 40 minutes a few years ago and even began to do mental maths and I hate maths!

 

[Chrisnmn]

Best wishes Sue, good luck, and keep going strong, just never stop. keep positive, and keep shooting!

All my best wishes to you!

 

[BBW]

Sue, thanks for your update and have fun at "trivia". You're your own best advocate and we're your backup.

 

[pniev]

Good for you! Step 1 completed. I do hope you will hear the results quickly. I will keep my fingers crossed / pray for a good outcome.

 

[Gubrz]

trivia niiiiiiiiight!

 

[kyteflyer]

Well, our little team came third, better than last or second last which is where we usually end up. The two friends I do trivia with are heading over to the US next week, for 5 weeks, so no more trivia til they get back. *cry*

 

[Ray Sachs]

If one feels unwell, one feels unwell... theres not worse/better than (IMO).

It can be relative I think. By the standards of how I felt almost all the time 20 years ago, I absolutely feel unwell almost always these days. I have asthma and I cough a lot every day. I have a bad back that causes some level of discomfort every day. I have high BP that has responded well to medication but I hate that I need it.

So, on my best days I don't feel well relative to my best days as a younger man. But OTOH, I feel a whole lot better than I do on my worst days, when my back won't let me do much of anything or days when I cough so much I'm too wasted to do much else. So I'm deeply grateful for the many days I feel good enough to get out of the house and ride my bike, walk my dog, walk around ant do some photography.

There are degrees of feeling unwell, and I'm grateful for the ones that could be better but aren't that bad. I'm wishing you a lot more of those Sue!

-Ray

 

[kyteflyer]

There are degrees of feeling unwell, and I'm grateful for the ones that could be better but aren't that bad. I'm wishing you a lot more of those Sue!

-Ray

I hear ya about the back. I haven't been pain free for over 30 years but like you say, its all relative and I think you get used to certain levels. Wishing more of the better days for you, too, Ray!

 

[Gubrz]

oh are they going anywhere fun?

 

[m.davidtaub]

good luck to you with all this, Sue...hope you can reasonably control this via meds that don't have too many side effects for you...

been there done that...was on beta blockers for two years, only realized when i was taken off them how much they slowed down my brain,...it was like a constant mellow high, but I didn't realize until my cardiologist weened me off them...

i'm supposed to be taking a statin for super high cholesterol and triglycerides, but my legs get severe pain even at minimal doses and i've tried 'em all...now I'm doing an experiment of 5mg twice a week of crestor to see what happens...my cardiologist says just create whatever sauce works for me, but try to take something...at the first sign of any pain stop for two weeks, three, then try again...

side effects can sometimes be worse than the sickness...my body produces high levels of the stuff, even when I've tried low fat/cholesterol/sugar dieting, nothing helps, it's genetic...and I eat well, exercise, blablabla...

I've got 4 stents in arteries in my heart, do a stress test every year (this year it's going to be a nuclear stress test), all this to say I've had to try a bunch of different meds to help with my problems, deal with the side effects, stop, start, try something new...it isn't easy...

these days i'm just on aspirin and omacor...today my first time in years adding the crestor again (i tried it years ago)...

so, I'm hoping the road ahead for you isn't too bad...

 

[Steve Noel]

Fist full of pills twice a day. I try to get the doc to "lighten up", but just gets more every year. But, hey, I still get vertical every day! Find your reason for living, use it as an encouragement, and push through. We're here for you. Even when you don't see us.

 

[Ray Sachs]

good luck to you with all this, Sue...hope you can reasonably control this via meds that don't have too many side effects for you...

been there done that...was on beta blockers for two years, only realized when i was taken off them how much they slowed down my brain,...it was like a constant mellow high, but I didn't realize until my cardiologist weened me off them...

i'm supposed to be taking a statin for super high cholesterol and triglycerides, but my legs get severe pain even at minimal doses and i've tried 'em all...now I'm doing an experiment of 5mg twice a week of crestor to see what happens...my cardiologist says just create whatever sauce works for me, but try to take something...at the first sign of any pain stop for two weeks, three, then try again...

side effects can sometimes be worse than the sickness...my body produces high levels of the stuff, even when I've tried low fat/cholesterol/sugar dieting, nothing helps, it's genetic...and I eat well, exercise, blablabla...

I've got 4 stents in arteries in my heart, do a stress test every year (this year it's going to be a nuclear stress test), all this to say I've had to try a bunch of different meds to help with my problems, deal with the side effects, stop, start, try something new...it isn't easy...

these days i'm just on aspirin and omacor...today my first time in years adding the crestor again (i tried it years ago)...

so, I'm hoping the road ahead for you isn't too bad...

Yeah, I get not being able to tolerate statins. I have overwhelmingly high cholesterol - I have since they first tested me in my 20s. I don't have any other risk factors (well, I developed high BP too, but not until fairly recently and it's well controlled), my stress tests and EKG's are all good, but I have a cardiologist who's determined to get me on a statin. I've tried three of them and by the time they were in my system for about a day and a half, I had side effects that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. It's like the worst hangover I've ever had, with pain and discomfort everywhere, and total tunnel vision. Even on the lowest possible doses, my system just can't seem to cope with statins at ALL. So I've had to explain very clearly to my doc that I'll take the risk of sudden death over any quantity of life that feels that bad. I'm either gonna be one of those people (like my father) who lives to a ripe old age with very high cholesterol numbers or I'll be one of those Tim Russert or James Gandolfini types who's never symptomatic and then just keels over and dies one day (although I'm not built at all like them, so maybe that helps my odds just a bit). I hope that doesn't happen, at least not in the next 20-30 years - I'd like to stay around for a long long time. But I can think of a whole lot worse ways to go than that, if it should happen. Would suck for those who love me, but not the worst thing for me...

-Ray

 

[kyteflyer]

I know I'm not alone in this. I guess many of us in the forum are at *that* age where things start going wrong. Crestor twice a week... yep, been there, never remembered to take it. They added ezetrol (which I dont mind) which stops absorption of fat, to a degree. My total cholesterol was never that high, its the LDL they get hysterical about.

Re beta blockers... I think I wouldn't mind taking some permanently, it was nice to have a good BP for a change, for a while.

 

[Armanius]

Hang in there Sue!!

And everyone else too!!

Y'all know that Amin is a MD right? Maybe long time members should be getting free consultations.

 

[Lawrence A.]

My triglycerides were up to 270, and the first thing my doctor said, without ever addressing life style issues, was that I needed to go on a statin. I said, No, I want to at least try changing things (I'd spent a depressed winter sitting on my butt and eating sweets) through diet and exercise. Four months later my triglycerides had gone down to 126. Pills should be a last resort, not the first suggestion that pops out of the doctor's mouth..

I know I'm lucky, and that many people's numbers won't budge with the same life style changes, but doctors really ought to mention them, The "pharmaceuticals first" mentality is unhelpful.

I'm not talking about Sue, but only the generalized tendency of doctors to push pills.

 

[kyteflyer]

..but doctors really ought to mention them, The "pharmaceuticals first" mentality is unhelpful.

I'm not talking about Sue, but only the generalized tendency of doctors to push pills.

Docs over here generally do talk about lifestyle changes, or perhaps I have been lucky to have had a series of GPs who did that. One, however, was a definite pill pusher. I am certain she believed everything the drug reps told her about every new drug to market. Sad, that.