I guess I wasn't paying attention - hadn't noticed the date. But I love it.  I'll bet there will be lots of weddings today, too.

We're getting lots of rain this week. At least, it's not snow - even though we are having flood warnings.

I saw the cardiology folks Monday for recheck. EKG and blood pressure both okay, but having lots of fluid retention. They've increased my diuretics (2) for a few days (ARGGHHH!!), and then continue as before. I'm also to limit fluid intake to 1.5 liters. That's about what I usually have. I hope this works. I really hate taking the diuretics.

Good to hear from everybody!

Marilyn...that's what I was told, too, by the Veterans' Commission here and they'd submit the request to the St. Louis place where the records were...and that was 2 1/2 yrs ago...and nothing ever came.  When I went back to the Soc. Security office to tell them I didn't have a DD214 because he'd never been on active duty, the woman said...Oh for heaven's sake, you don't need that.  He was getting social security and we can check online.  Ray never had any veterans' benefits, so I don't know what SS problem was, but the second woman cleared it up immediately and I got the increase in my check.

Sharon...glad you had a good visit with Melanie and Sangman {sp?}.

Mary...hope the pills work for you soon.

Darlene...all ok in Texas?

MaryPage...looks like New England to get another storm.  Hope that'll stay far north of you.

Weather here nasty today...temps falling all day and snow and ice pellets to add to the slipping around. Down to 13 now.  I went out for a pedi at 2:45 and was glad to then get home and the car in the garage.  We may have more snow on Thursday and I saw on the national news that storms are heading to New England again. 

Stay safe and healthy,

jane

Jane. most often the stuff coming in from the West hits D.C., and then, instead of continuing Eastward toward our beaches here, it starts flowing North, towards Baltimore and beats them up and continues on North to Pennsylvania and New York and New England.  Right here where I am, we don't get it anywhere near as bad as others do.

If you take a ruler to a map of our part of the country, and draw a straight line between us and Washington, D.C. and then another between us and Baltimore, you will find your third line, to close the open end of your triangle, will show you the area that comprises a megalopolis made up of human habitation and workplaces that just goes on and on, seemingly forever.  When I was a child, you could drive from one to the other passing through mostly pastures and farmland: beautiful open countryside.  True, this was 35 mph driving in old Ford Models A & T on 2-lane roads, it being before Dwight David Eisenhower came along and gave us the Interstate Highway System with endless concrete roadways and exits and so forth.  What I don't understand now is why they built all of that and then seemed to believe it was never going to start crumbling and failing us and be in need of humongous money for repairs and replacements.  No accounting for what people think, though.  Perhaps many, if not most, of us do not think at all!

Good morning...it was 85 yesterday...40 and dropping this morning..the old saying....if you don't like the weather...just wait a few minutes..it will change...that is true for Texas Jane...good luck Marlyin on getting help from VA...my husband was 100% service connected...took us 2 years to get help....Mary sounds like you had a good report at cardiology...my BP always goes up at Dr office..Sharon sounds like you are staying busy...stay safe and warm buddies

Good morning to MaryPage and Darlene...it's always a treat to come in and see posts from you two. 

I'm slow moving this morning..well, slower than usual.

Our temps are falling, too.  From near 50 on Sunday to 2 this morning!  And snow for tomorrow.  No wonder the body aches.  Laundry is my big project for the day. 

Have any of your docs said anything about a 4th Covid booster?  My BIL's rheumatologist at the Cleveland Clinic told him and my sister to get it in April.  He was in the hospital with Covid, so that may be the reason...I don't know.

Stay safe,

Jane

Good morning everyone! We've surprisingly held steady temperature-wise since Christmas with the now usual symphony of early morning snow removal and backup alarms. It makes me wonder if that will change with March. That month is normally the month when we get a big snow dump. And the preceding months are usually little to no snow. That hasn't happened in the past two years.

Jane, while we remain one of the state's and the country's Omicron hotspots, we haven't had a death in the past month, which is an accomplishment. Especially when you see the people running around without masks.

I heard, on either this morning's or last night's news, that no decision has been MADE as yet about that 4th shot.  They are studying the matter.

Well, we wake this morning to find the World is back at War again.  As if we don't have enough to do, such as defeating Covid and all of its manifestations, before it defeats us.

No, no!  The money must not go to saving the innocents; it must go to slaughtering as many of them as possible.

As an observing innocent, I am aghast.  I am disbelieving.  And I'm not looking for the Cavalry to thunder in and save the day.  I'm hoping for a contingent of grown-ups.  I'm rooting for the U.N.

God Bless us, Every One.

MaryPage—-The greed for power is overwhelming to so many leaders.  I hate to turn on the news again. 

Patricia...we're having snow today and dropping temps. 

Nothing exciting here...me and my heating pad in my recliner before the fire. 

Stay safe,

Jane

And it's Friday again and February is almost over.
 I'd thought about going out to the grocery stores, but I think I"ll wait until it warms up a bit.
 10 degrees now.

Stay safe and healthy,

jane

    

I was a bit startled, sitting on my couch in my pajamas to hear a commotion and see two guys in hardhats step off a conveyance and onto my balcony. Especially as we had received no notice!?!

They were placing a mulberry-colored piece of wood over the outward front of my balcony. Of course, Farrah took a swan dive from her by the window cat tree and slid up behind me on the couch. You know who she expected to go first!

Next comes a knock at my door, a neighbor announcing that $20.00 haircuts will be available Sunday in the main hall. After I signed up, I asked about the hardhats on my balcony. It turns out they have a new contract in June, so finishing the outer balcony covers and attaching all the screen doors to all five floors is suddenly a priority. With its mix of offices, libraries, and apartments, the first floor will be daunting. If they'd done a better pre-plan, accounting for supplies and mistakes such as wrong window measurements, they might have been finished last summer!

Edit; we've been in the thirties all week. Today is plus 32.

Good morning ....another cold wet day here....but according to weather report...warm up to 70 next week..not much going on here...was recommended by my Dr..was time to schedule a colonoscopy....ugh...at what age do we not have to do this..anymore...Hi to everyone looking in.,have a great weekend...I will read and do puzzles...color]

Good morning, nothing new here but general chores and activities.

We had 222 new local cases of Omicron last week, yet the Governor is going along with others of his ilk and scaling back and stopping protocols.

Cottoncandy  in regard to the colonocopy  I have never had one .  Our doctor has us use a kit which we use & send it in by mail .

Darlene, I had my second, and last, normal colonoscopy in 2010. After that, I decided that without symptoms, I had passed the "old age" line (age 74), and didn't have to do that again. This was before those Cologard home test kits.

Nothing exciting going on here - after a solid week of rain. Still no sunshine, though.

Happy weekend, Buddies!

I had a colonoscopy before, during, and after my 2000 bout with colon cancer. It was indeed the hardest thing I've ever done. That salt solution wouldn't stay down. Alka-Seltzer has the same effect on my system.

I have something called the Paradoxical Reaction. For example, I will awaken under anesthesia which is noted in all my records, and I notify everyone before a medical procedure.

A paradoxical reaction or paradoxical effect is an effect of a chemical substance, typically a medical drug, that is opposite to what would usually be expected. An example of a paradoxical reaction is pain caused by a pain relief medication.

Afterward, I was told to do another colonoscopy every three years. I simply never followed through and it's been 22 years.

Afternoon, Buddies!

As you probably guessed, I'm a rule follower when it comes to medical things.  I've had colonoscopies faithfully every ten years since my 60s and a sigmoid thing before that.  When
I got my notice last year, I checked and found...if you've not had previous polyps, etc that "The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) recommends that adults age 45 to 75 be screened for colorectal cancer. The decision to be screened between ages 76 and 85 should be made on an individual basis. ---https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/basic_info/screening/tests.htm


Sooo, I have no symptoms at all and I talked to my Nurse Practitioner that I wanted to stop and she had no problem with that. 

Darlene...You might check with your doc. I think those notices often so out on an auto scheduling.

Patricia...we're the same temp wise...or almost...may get into the 30s today.  I tried for a very short walk...but this darn sprained ankle let me know if wasn't happy, so I didn't get too far, but I did get a short stretch in on clear sidewalks.

Alpiner...My NP will usually do a quick test there in the office for blood between colonoscopies. Not the most pleasant, but not as miserable as the prep for the colonoscopy.

Maryz...me, too...not going through that again. 

You're all going to have a chance to see my Governor if you watch the GOP reaction to the State of the Union address March 1.  Yes, Iowa's Kim Reynolds is giving it.  I have no idea who's writing it for her...I'm sure she's not. 

Sharon...your little Harrison is a cutie.  That's Jocelyn's son, right? 

Nothing else new here. I need to write some checks for my second half property taxes and a couple other things.

Stay safe and healthy,

jane

Thanks for your input on conoloscopy...I get a copy of every test I have done...my last colonoscopy was 2018...report stated no polyps....and I'm not having problems other than occasional constipation...so think I will talk to my Dr in April about it....

My yearly check after open heart surgery (at 78) the surgeon said everything looked fine (surgery) so "when did I have my last colonoscopy?"  Told him "I've never had that pleasure"... he looked at me & went right on as if he didn't hear. My understanding was if you passed 75 with no problems Medicare didn't pay for tests after that. I think doctors & clinics have totally different ideas what we should be tested for & write it up so it passes the Medicare restrictions. I am not a good patient, around here if you sneeze you "need a new valve".... and if you've had one heart procedure the doctors assume anything wrong with you must be heart related.

My worst problem is most medicines do the opposite on me for what reaction most normal people have. When I was 30 my heart jumped to 200 beats a min so the doctor put me on digitalis & no coffee or caffeine. In normal people it speeds the heart but it slowed me down for the first month. THEN it hit & I was telling a friend I could "clean the ceiling & floor at the same time 24/7". Her comment was, "we have to get you a script for downers". Woke me up, we used same doc & had the same script & I was not going down that bunny trail with her.  I started weaning my body off & after a month was completely off & had a normal heart beat.

Jane, my husband's best friend/golf buddy, wife was a surgical nurse & when I mentioned seeing a physician's assistant instead of the doctor she got on her soapbox about, "MY insurance pays for me to see a doctor, not a wannabe".  So since that was what was offered at that clinic I switched clinics/doctors & have not seen a PA since. I really don't put all my trust in anyone but the best chance I have of getting in to see the doctor fast is to have a conversation with his special nurse. I really am a bad patient, but after so many close calls with meds that go wrong "scared me & I'm fearless" (my husband's saying). 

Mary, sorry to hear you are having fluid problems. Cas had to limit his & his doc had him take a bottle size of his limit (2 ltr, I think) & any liquid he consumed he had to pour that amount into the bottle... if it got full that was all he could have that day. He had to go into the hospital several times to have fluid removed from around his heart, think the first time he came out next day nearly 30 pounds lighter! It is something new all the time, not easy getting old but we are still here!

Hugs to all, I come read often but know it's just too easy to talk too much. I really do type as fast as I think & then just post instead of editing. Don't get out a lot, most of my "old friends" are gone except for one. She is 10 days younger than I am so we have our days of griping about life, the world & solving the world problems. Too bad nobody listens to us old ladies! Stay healthy as you can, be tough. Shirley

Shirley, I believe you have this as I've stated before.

I have something called the Paradoxical Reaction. For example, I will awaken under anesthesia which is noted in all my records, and I notify everyone before a medical procedure.

A paradoxical reaction or paradoxical effect is an effect of a chemical substance, typically a medical drug, that is opposite to what would usually be expected. An example of a paradoxical reaction is pain caused by a pain relief medication.

Awakening under anesthesia is something that would frighten me and I'm into martial arts, sold drug years ago and a lot more. LOL That would probably freak me out especially if it was heart surgery or something like that.

I've never heard of paradoxical reaction or paradoxical effect. That is new to me but very interesting. I've always been very different or the opposite of other people and things.

Quote from: Skhilled on February 26, 2022, 11:36:33 PMAwakening under anesthesia is something that would frighten me and I'm into martial arts, sold drug years ago and a lot more. LOL That would probably freak me out especially if it was heart surgery or something like that.

I've never heard of paradoxical reaction or paradoxical effect. That is new to me but very interesting. I've always been very different or the opposite of other people and things.

One time I told the anesthesiologist and he literally rolled his eyes but I insisted and told the nurse to be sure. He told me later that they had to stop the operation four times to put me back under and of course, I was charged for each time! Another part of that is sleeping pills can keep me awake for days and some dental drugs make me seem drunk. People are all different and their reactions may be different from the norm.

Re medical tests: I don't do any even blood work except to check 1 x year on my thyroid state. I asked myself when I turned 65 What would I do with a 'bad' answer. I decided I would do nothing. No Chem, no surgery so why do the test? At 86 this has worked for me!

Diglady, I do blood work but my doc doesn't seem impressed with a blood problem in the family & that many,many men & women with the blood line have felt better because of B-12 shots or the combo B-12 & iron. I quit doing "pap & mammy" years ago because I would not do anything to change a bad report. I'm 87 & hope to at least reach my gr-mother's 96 before cashing in. I'd like to breathe easier than I do right now but not willing to play the heart game anymore. They have done 3 by-passes, pig aortic valve, 2 stents & been after insisting I do the TVAR for 2 years & I refuse. They said this pig would last 15 years but got a surgeon in that specalizes in the TVAR & they don't like to answer how long that would be good for or what happens to the old one. I point blank asked if it reacted like a blood clot if they pushed it out of the way to install a new one. Didn't get a real answer to that question.

Patricia, at least your doctor put a name to the condition, everyone that's worked on me (eyes & heart plus primary) don't want to believe until my body proves it by crashing. I do like my primary but he doesn't know what to do with me & sends me off for special tests if I complain about anything. I'm sure I make him nervous by not following the rules as HE was taught but I've only had me to take care of for a lot of years & do as much research as I can before trying anything new. My oldest son was like you about waking up, was in the hospital as an out patient to get wisdom teeth cut out & kept sitting up to tell them how to do it. Maybe 8-10 at the time. Not easy to watch as a parent!

Shirley, some things I've learned. The condition is genetic, tends to run in families, and is common to some degree in most of the population.

Because of this, I've read as much as I could about the paradox, decided at an early age that besides the illegalities, it wouldn't help if I tried unknown drugs, and to be proactive even if people like that anesthesiologist, roll their eyes at me.

My family seems to be really big on genetic conditions such as colon cancer happening to four of us all within a ten-year period.  My mom opted out and had breast cancer instead. I don't know if it's from my Celtic background or simply unknown, but the majority of issues seem to come from my genetics.

Jane, referring back to your sprained ankle, my sprained foot from 2021 seems to affect my tibia, the long bone in the lower leg; instead of my foot. The pains are the worst when the barometric pressure flucates. It aches, and nothing seems to help until the pressure stabilizes.

Good to see the posts here today!

It's finally above freezing, so I put on my boots and got out for a short walk.  When I hit ice on the sidewalks under water I either walked around it or came back home.  It did feel good to get out in the fresh air.

Patricia...so many of my joint and muscle problems seem directly related to barometric pressure. 

Shirley...I'm sure everyone has his/her own opinion of PAs, ARNPs, etc.  My very best provider was an MD, but he had the nerve to die on me.  I haven't found a good replacement one yet and that was years ago. 

Hi, skhilled

DigLady... I don't mind blood work, but I refused for a long time to get another dexascan for osteoporosis and told them not to waste the resources because I wasn't taking the medicine they prescribe for it. 

I was finally asked to do it so they could check on the prednisone I'm on for PMR...and...funny thing, that scan was better than the previous one which was just borderline.  I think the reason is that I'm a cheese hound and get a lot of calcium that way. 

Stay safe and healthy....nasty stomach bug going around here...kids bringing it home from school and daycare. 

jane

Jane, I didn't know you sprained your ankle. I must have missed that post. I'm glad you're able to walk on it now. We had 60 degrees last week, dropped to 40 yesterday and today, to be back in the 50's heading toward 70's by next weekend. It's no wonder we hurt.

I haven't had a colonoscopy for probably 12 years and not planning to have one again. I don't have a problem reacting to meds the way I'm supposed to except for some I'm allergic to. I have seen some NP but don't want to on a regular basis.

We had a lovely visit with Melanie & Sangmin last weekend and they really liked our facility and our villa. Yes, Mel is Joc's Mom and Harrison's Grandma. We have set up a gettogether for the family in June in Indpls. I don't know if Joc's family will get down from Minneapolis or not as she will be 7 mos pregnant, but I sure hope so. I definitely plan on seeing baby Ceci. She will be almost a yr old then. Also hope to attend Leyton's baseball game if possible.

I've been busy with the newsletter and think the first issue is almost ready to be proofed and then printed.  I hope. I have a final story to write this afternoon.

Hi to everyone. Stay well and stay warm.  Sharon

It's odd to complain of severe pain from osteo, and when they want to do further tests or medications, I get the side-eye when I tell them the severe pain is intermittent due to barometric pressure.