Big day today: Doctor's appointment, next state over. Wish for me that I remember all the questions I have, and that we get on some kind of fast forward time table. See ya this evening.
Still sleepy, so I have to get back to bed. Don't know if I'll be able to teach my class tonight. I've missed a lot, and I'm feeling pretty screwed (but not in the good say).
Just heard from my sister-in-law in Stafford Springs, Connecticut. They *still* don't have power. Although apparently parts of Stafford got power today, so it may not be much longer.
Hoping the day went great and you brought all your questions and ALL of them got answered. Rest all you need to. What sort of picnic food did you pack for the day? Did that aspect go okay? =HUGS= ♥
Ally had a rough pain time today, but tomorrow is her last day and they seem to have their act together for that day. I'm sure that once puddle is home and has rested up a bit she'll post the update with photo. Meanwhile, thanks for the candles! (I lit another for you Bill.)
listener, people who spit up most of what they eat *do not* take food to eat on trips. They try *not* to eat for hours before a trip takes place. . .
That said: I got a whole huckuva lot done today. Dropped off a load at Mercy House, stopped at a new Asian Market, got shrimp chips, mung bean thread, spinach, two beautiful bunches of green lettuce, after the appt. went over to Costco, rejoined and shopped: heavy cream, butter, cream cheese, pot stickers, pesto, triple creme brie, Jarlsberg, English cucumbers, minced clams, organic chicken thighs, broccoli (lots). Am finding the weird little slushee salads to be one of the best things I make. So the lettuces, spinach and broccoli are to be used there. If not the *best*, the ones I most *long for.* Change of texture, I think.
Forgot to get/ask for my prescription, but they're supposed to email me about it. A manometry is scheduled for Tuesday morning at seven. (means I have to leave at about five). The is a test where they drop a line through your nose into your esophagus and measure what it does (how hard and in what order it squeezes) when you swallow. In Achalasia, it can do nothing (according to the barium swallow, that's what mine does/doesn't), or over react and crunch down. People with the latter feel a good bit of pain. I asked, and didn't get a good answer as to WHY this test is necessary. The answer, is they won't proceed further unless it's done. So. After it's done, with luck, we can continue to the balloon dilation. This resembles what they do with heart arteries, but is a lot more forceful. The *intent* is to tear/rip/damage the LES (Lower Esophageal Sphincter) so that it lets go/loosens up just a little. It often has to be repeated months/years later. After some reading, it's preferable (if it works) to the operation, in that it has much less tendency to produce GERD as an after effect. After all this, GERD would be a really nasty gift. . .
I suspect they want to do the test just to be 100% sure they're right.Wouldn't do to discover they'd made a wrong diagnosis *after* the baloon dialation.
Heading for bed even though it is very early for me. Was up late last night in order to reach a good stopping point in my work. Slept a bit late this morning but obviously no enough to really catch up.
Hi, Renee! Yes, it can be hard to get any sleep in the hospital, and sleep is right up there with food as the most basic medicines. Your bone marrow should kick in sooner than mine did, what with the chemo I had. I definitely didn't get my energy back until my hemoglobin got back to near normal.
Re Ally pain patches (either fentanyl or buprenorphine, I am guessing), they do indeed have their own issues, and need to be treated with great respect. Hard call. And tolerance to opiate-like analgesics can disappear quickly; one can't just go back to the dose used before a hiatus, for fear of respiratory depression. Mom and Dad shouldn't beat up on themselves. (Easy for me to say, but still true enough.) Even the pain specialists have to experiment to find out what works best for a particular patient, and it does change. Loving parents are something modern medicine can't provide. And Ally probably won't remember the pain.
Howard's the guy!
ReplyDeleteBig day today: Doctor's appointment, next state over. Wish for me that I remember all the questions I have, and that we get on some kind of fast forward time table. See ya this evening.
Haven't had my act together for quite some time, but wanted to make sure I shared this here
ReplyDeletehttp://bitesizethinkings.blogspot.com
Also this.
ReplyDeletehttp://kindarandomrl.tumblr.com/
Still sleepy, so I have to get back to bed. Don't know if I'll be able to teach my class tonight. I've missed a lot, and I'm feeling pretty screwed (but not in the good say).
Going back to sleep.
Good luck, Renee. Hope you're feeling more yourself soon.
ReplyDeleteHope everything goes well.
ReplyDeleteJust finished "teaching" my Thursday evening class (if you can call that teaching--I'm not sure). Going home now. I intend to lie down.
ReplyDeleteJust heard from my sister-in-law in Stafford Springs, Connecticut. They *still* don't have power. Although apparently parts of Stafford got power today, so it may not be much longer.
ReplyDeleteHoping the day went great and you brought all your questions and ALL of them got answered. Rest all you need to. What sort of picnic food did you pack for the day? Did that aspect go okay? =HUGS= ♥
ReplyDeleteAlly had a rough pain time today, but tomorrow is her last day and they seem to have their act together for that day. I'm sure that once puddle is home and has rested up a bit she'll post the update with photo. Meanwhile, thanks for the candles! (I lit another for you Bill.)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=allys
You did it! Wow. That's impressive! Yes, rest all you need.
ReplyDeleteToo bad puddle can't come be your chef for awhile.
listener, people who spit up most of what they eat *do not* take food to eat on trips. They try *not* to eat for hours before a trip takes place. . .
ReplyDeleteThat said: I got a whole huckuva lot done today. Dropped off a load at Mercy House, stopped at a new Asian Market, got shrimp chips, mung bean thread, spinach, two beautiful bunches of green lettuce, after the appt. went over to Costco, rejoined and shopped: heavy cream, butter, cream cheese, pot stickers, pesto, triple creme brie, Jarlsberg, English cucumbers, minced clams, organic chicken thighs, broccoli (lots). Am finding the weird little slushee salads to be one of the best things I make. So the lettuces, spinach and broccoli are to be used there. If not the *best*, the ones I most *long for.* Change of texture, I think.
Forgot to get/ask for my prescription, but they're supposed to email me about it. A manometry is scheduled for Tuesday morning at seven. (means I have to leave at about five). The is a test where they drop a line through your nose into your esophagus and measure what it does (how hard and in what order it squeezes) when you swallow. In Achalasia, it can do nothing (according to the barium swallow, that's what mine does/doesn't), or over react and crunch down. People with the latter feel a good bit of pain. I asked, and didn't get a good answer as to WHY this test is necessary. The answer, is they won't proceed further unless it's done. So. After it's done, with luck, we can continue to the balloon dilation. This resembles what they do with heart arteries, but is a lot more forceful. The *intent* is to tear/rip/damage the LES (Lower Esophageal Sphincter) so that it lets go/loosens up just a little. It often has to be repeated months/years later. After some reading, it's preferable (if it works) to the operation, in that it has much less tendency to produce GERD as an after effect. After all this, GERD would be a really nasty gift. . .
I think D is a pretty good cook. . . .
ReplyDeleteThe LAST DAY of something like this is always a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI suspect they want to do the test just to be 100% sure they're right.Wouldn't do to discover they'd made a wrong diagnosis *after* the baloon dialation.
ReplyDeleteHeading for bed even though it is very early for me. Was up late last night in order to reach a good stopping point in my work. Slept a bit late this morning but obviously no enough to really catch up.
ReplyDeleteHi, Renee! Yes, it can be hard to get any sleep in the hospital, and sleep is right up there with food as the most basic medicines. Your bone marrow should kick in sooner than mine did, what with the chemo I had. I definitely didn't get my energy back until my hemoglobin got back to near normal.
ReplyDeleteRe Ally pain patches (either fentanyl or buprenorphine, I am guessing), they do indeed have their own issues, and need to be treated with great respect. Hard call. And tolerance to opiate-like analgesics can disappear quickly; one can't just go back to the dose used before a hiatus, for fear of respiratory depression. Mom and Dad shouldn't beat up on themselves. (Easy for me to say, but still true enough.) Even the pain specialists have to experiment to find out what works best for a particular patient, and it does change. Loving parents are something modern medicine can't provide. And Ally probably won't remember the pain.