Merrill

Hi, EM--how are you feeling this morning? A wee bit better? Hopefully these posts will cheer your day... they did mine! Like Horton Hears a Who ... I am Here, I am here... hiding from mice in my little corner. Join me! Can I hitch a ride on your rocket outa here? Glad your doctor's appt went pretty well yesterday ... and I hope he's right; a virus that will pass on its own. Keep up those vitamins and get some rest! And keep us posted. merrill

Sophia, first, fire the cats and hire new ones. You may have to take an assertiveness training course, offered free by Forum Folks, in order to do this effectively. Unlike doctors, cats--especially the highly domesticated variety--have a way of squirreling their way into our hearts and it can be very difficult to get rid of them. (Squirrels and mice are like that too, unfortunately.) Important question: Are your cats currently catching (and eating) ANY mice? Or are they lolling about, enjoying the extra company? If they're not impressing you with their mousing prowess, then don't worry about the goodies the exterminators put out. If they are showing off even a little, then you MAY have a problem--but your veterinarian will tell you everything you need to know. This is the fourth winter in my house (in ANY house--I always lived in mouse/bug free city apartments, remarkably...and I'm 43) and this is the FIRST year we've had mice. I have shed quite a few tears over this (maybe it's not all the beta blocker--or the bb exacerbates other problems...chicken? egg? mouse? drugs? I digress) and the first thing we did was hire an exterminator. Same guy that captured a bat from a bathroom vent and released it in the wilds of the suburbs, but I digress again. Anyway, the "professionals" (and I use that term lightly) put out sealed boxes (with a hole on 2 sides) of a kind of poison that basically dries the critters from the inside out. They eat, they go back to their nests, and they croak (like frogs)--but no smell for you. Only thing is, we found that the mice don't really like to eat that poison; they much prefer birdseed and whatever else we have lying around. If your mice DO like this stuff and eat it...and your cat catches and eats a mouse who's ingested the poison... that's where you could have trouble. If they just catch the mouse and kill him, you might be OK. Snap traps do work great--we've caught many that way. My husband handles the carnage, and I sob in the bathroom. Everyone's happy. Except the mouse, who doesn't know what hit him. Then again, your cats could investigate the snap trap and injure himself! We put little cardboard boxes around a few traps in the kitchen ... but our parrot doesn't typically land on the floor. We weren't too worried ... but cats are really curious--and the box might not be enough protection. Ooh, this is hard. Anyway, if you do try snap traps, use Three Mousekateers candy bars--teeny bits--for bait. This is not a joke; we learned it from the "professionals." Mice love chocolate. Are you going sugar free too? This is a good way to get rid of your sweets without feeling wasteful. Put the traps along the routes they travel, typically along the floor next to a wall. Altho one evening, a mouse just marched right into our den down the middle of the hall and into the room while we were watching TV. I screamed at him, "HEY, I'm LIVING here..." and he ran away. Awfully, bold, don't you think? You really must do this: as you're killing the mice inside your house, hire someone (or do it yourself) to carefully examine the exterior of your house to find out how they're getting in ... and then seal it up. There are foam products you can use, and steel wool. Combination ... Start talking to people at hardware stores. If you go to certain chains, someone may try to sell you a gun. Turn around and run far from this person; he's not to be trusted. Ok I gotta run. Best of luck. I feel your pain!!! I really do. This is a tough tough tough situation. But you can work it out in time. Be patient. And try your best to NOT feel badly about killing a few if you can do it painlessly. (The sticky traps turn my tummy too, and we won't use them.) Merrill

I take claritin for my allergies with no icky side effects. Do NOT take claritin-d (with decongestant); that often triggers symptoms for people. Regular claritin is OK. Actually, I get the prescription kind, clarinex, which is partly covered by insurance. Copay is cheaper than a month's supply of the OTC claritin.

Got room for one more down here? The best thing about being in this potshole is that the company's fine... I'm finally starting to say the truth out loud: I'm miserable. Depressed, fat, tired. For most of the last 3 months, I've been quietly saying to myself I'm depressed, I've gained too much weight, and I'm tired. But for the last couple weeks or so, I've been saying it out loud (which only makes me cry more) ... but I've also been doing some thinking, and I'm able to trace my quiet commentary back a couple months and to correlate it with starting on beta blockers (25 mg Toprol XL). I was told initially that beta blockers are one of the most commonly prescribed meds and that they're extremely well tolerated. I figured that would be true for me... and the truth is, this medication lowered my heart rate to normal ranges and I actually felt better! It's sooo tiresome to race between 120 and 160 ALL the time, sitting, standing, no matter. But I was down to 80 sitting and 100 walking and that was just fine and a great improvement. But I emailed my cardiologist and detailed my symptoms--besides the 3 I mentioned, I also have experienced breakthrough high tachycardia with mild exertion and some freaky nighttime episodes of POUNDING heart rate that I couldn't calm without taking xanax. He replied that my symptoms are, in fact, RARE side effects from beta blockers. (oh, grrreat). I realize I'm not saying anything most all of you have already said--if it's a rare side effect, we'll experience it. We pots people are a rare breed. But sheesh. He said that the BB is for symptomatic relief, and I could lower the dose ... but I did lower the dose by half over the last 48 hours, and found my tachycardia is back to where it was! Only now, instead of experiencing tach as my normal state of being as I had before (I'd become rather used to it after all these years), I find that I HATE it. I LIKED being "normal." Now I wish I didn't know what that felt like, because I can't actually BE normal without feeling absolutely miserable. Sorry to be so whiney tonight, but I'm cranky and confused. By the way, the other night when I was having a pounding nighttime "storm," I thought of all of you ... I almost posted, but then instead, I just applied what I'd learned. Breath, relax, tell myself I won't die or have a heart attack...I drank a glass of gatorade and took a salt pill ... and then finally resorted to the xanax. Together, your advice worked well and set me at ease. I heard your voices and found comfort offline. Hope you're all having a good night. I took my full dose and hope to have a better tomorrow. Merrill PS I'd love to hear from you if you had these side effects from bb and what you're doing for tachycardia instead.

I think it's an extra ... free with something we hardly ordered and didn't want. Good news from the doc ... keep us posted on how the allergy tests work out. Antibiotics make tons of people nauseated ... hopefully that's the deal for your daughter as well, and she'll start to feel better with more appropriate treatments. best, m

June 1 ... that's an easy date for us to remember! Corina, I'm so happy that you've found a specialist you can work with and who will work with you ... I hope your spirits remain high and that your symptoms aren't giving you too much trouble during this waiting period. (By the way, I've also been really pleased to see that you've had the energy to post a little bit and to keep up with Ernie as she goes through her tests. This is a good sign! ) All the best, merrill

Remember too that emptying your bladder immediately before and after sex is extremely important ... I can't tell you how many infections I've had as a result of not being 100% disciplined about doing so. It's hard to know what to do about the peeing afterwards part when you're trying to get pregnant ... I'd ask your doctor about how to handle that bit. m

Morgan, I'm so happy to read this news; I too was worried. Phew! all the best, merrill

Just thought I'd chirp in and say hi ... Can I brag about the weather we had here over the weekend? Perfectly clear and sunny both days, high in the 50s--my favorite. My purple and yellow crocuses, white snowdrops, and something I can't identify (purple ones and white ones) are in bloom and daffodils and tulips are on their way. Wasn't all fun and games; I spent all day Saturday in the ER w/my mom, who fell and broke a bone in her foot . Anyway, I was pleased to know that I could post something for EM that meant something; that's very curative for me. I was just saying to my husband that in the last year, since I've joined the site, I've learned from all of you new ways of expressing compassion for others... and it's truly a wonderful thing. At a family dinner party Sat night, my 75 year old cousin who hosted the dinner was fretting about various physical maladies--she had a stroke and brain surgery last year, suffers back problems, and severe carpal tunnel and arthritis in both hands, and was expressing fear that since she couldn't use her hands easily, that she couldn't take adequate care of her 5-year old granddaughter. I told her--in front of everyone--how silly that was and to look how much she had accomplished on this day with her hands. Single handedly cooking appetizers and dinner for 10 people, cleaning her house, setting a beautiful table--all by herself and with very capable hands. She was near tears when she thanked me for noticing all of that and for saying it out loud. That really meant something to her, I think--the naming of abilities and capacities, not just the disabilities and limitations. And I honestly think I learned how to do that here, since talking about the things we CAN accomplish (even as we vent about how hard it feels to do things differently or not at all) is so critical to our lives now. The intuition I've always had (along with the pots...I'm a sensitive lass, I guess) .... but the capacity to talk about things in new ways is, well, new. I hope EM--and all the rest of you--have had good and relaxing weekends. Stay well, friends. (While some of you are going cold turkey on sugar, I'm going to try a week or so of cold turkey on the Forum. Maybe room temperature; I'm bound to take a peek at some point. But if I don't get some insurance paperwork done and planning for some work we need to do on the house, I'm going to be in deep doo doo. I already am! So wish me luck and productivity.) Merrill

I heard something today worth adding to the chain--something that might work as a cheer for some... The son of a friend of mine, the greatest 5-year old boy I know, said the following while eating a bowl of strawberries: "Fruit is G-d's candy." Isn't that wonderful? (I think I'll remember that one for a long time to come...)

Tearose, I'm joining you on the sidelines to cheer these guys on. I'll help you with the castoffs ... what's our cheer? Give me more after April four?

Morgan, how are you and those you love tonight? Did your husband get any meds today to cure what ails him? (What's going on w/him? I hope he's on the mend soon... ) I'm sorry to read about how difficult things are for you; I know you haven't been feeling well yourself, and these hardships your loved ones face are wearing you down further. When will you know a course of treatment for your son? It must be hard to see him go through all this; I hope he's able to keep a positive attitude through it all. You too! We're all with you; keep us posted, OK? Best, merrill

Earthmother, you dear, warm, loving, supportive, surprising, generous, compassionate, and talented person ... I have noticed in your posts of the last couple days that you too are not feeling your best, and that this has, in fact, been a tough period for you. You are so fantastic at lifting us when we feel down ... providing counsel and advice and information ... and you need and deserve the same! But what to say? I know it's hard some days to hear our own words of wisdom and comfort --to feel that they apply also to ourselves. Some things need to come from outside and not only from within. So let me take this opportunity to say "same back at ya" ... I hope whatever stressors are affecting you from the inside out--whatever is going on to make your heart go flippity flop and wear you down and out--can just fade away this weekend. See if you can get some extra rest and think about what has helped you out of similar times in your past. What was magic for you? A long nap? Extra B vitamins? More gatorade? Chocolate? Sex? Something's just gotta work! Remember too that we're here with you and for you. Vent away! It feels good sometimes. All the best, merrill PS May I just say how impressed I am with your technological savvy in figuring out how to put images in your posts? I loved the palpitations article, by the way, and have been meaning to tell you so!

Oh, purplefocus, that's too much loss in such a short span of time. I'm so sorry... Sometimes it seems we actually ARE given more than we can handle ... and yet we do. We must! And you will. Hug your boys today. They will grieve in their own ways and when they are ready to do so ... and they may not be ready to talk yet. This is good, as it sounds like you're not ready yet either. Breathe deep and take your time. Life is a process and so too is death and coping with the loss of those we love. Please remember in these difficult days to take care of your physical needs--drink as much as you can, and try to eat something you like. Minute by minute, day by day, you will get through this. You've got lots of people sending support and courage your way. Best, Merrill

Hi, Monica. Welcome here; you've come to the right place. I encourage you to use the search function to find information and tips--and to keep posting your questions. I don't think you're crazy at all; I have POTS, and I too am adopting a child. Compression hose, salt, and water--and plenty of the last two ... (one pair a day will do for the hose ) will become your best friends. These are non pharmaceutical interventions most of us do... Gotta run for now... Keep reading! (especially the information posted on the potsplace home page; also check out the links posted at the top of the discussion home page) merrill

So far so good on toprol xl, but it's only been a couple months. I don't have a clue what my blood pressure is doing b/c I don't have a cuff or meter... I only know when I feel crappy (read: short of breath, tired, low energy, squiggly inside, shakey... like now!) and I can usually trace it back to not enough salt, water, electrolytes, sleep and too much walking while carrying things (like packages and a coat! Why is it 70 degrees today?!? I hate sudden onset of warm weather ... actually, I hate it any time at all, and 70 is feeling too darn hot). I digress; sorry! the nice thing about toprol is that you can take it once a day and fahgeddaboudit ... I take mine before bed w/my ambien. best, m

I think it's a really cool idea too. (I'm all thumbs when it comes to this kind of thing...)

Amy, it just hit me in a way this morning that it hadn't before ... have you and your doctor talked about the possibility of the 50 mg of Toprol XL causing your shortness of breath (or making what you've got from pots a bit worse)? We emailed about this one time ... 50 mg of Toprol gave me that symptom too, remember? I dropped down to 25 and am doing just fine on it (that is, many fewer episodes of shortness of breath and my tachycardia is under better control). Now my heartrate is definitely a little higher on 25 than it was on 50 (I only stayed on 50 for a week), but since I'm so used to extreme tach, being in the 90-120 range doesn't bother me a bit. All this is to say ... I wonder if you'd feel any better on a slightly lower dose? (to help with the shortness of breath you've reported in the past and mentioned below). Also--everyone--I'm concerned when people start talking about having "heart attack symptoms." Heart attacks manifest very differently in women than in men ... and I'm not sure exactly what people are saying. I've never had a heart attack, so I couldn't say that I ever have symptoms that feel like one! I have had sharp pains in my chest that have turned out to be gas, fatigue that's turned out to be pots & low blood pressure, numbness and pain radiating down my arm that's turned out to be bulging cervical spine disks... Know what I mean? Take care all, m

Tearose, good luck with your procedure tomorrow! I hope you see this before you leave home... Please know that we'll be pulling for you and hoping for a pain-free procedure, an easy recovery ... and the best of all possible outcomes. Treat yourself to a cookie and a strong cup of coffee when you come home. Keep us posted when you are able ... m

I have United Healthcare PPO, Nina, which is not managed care (nor am I part of any managed care program). My husband's plan, blue cross, is my secondary (backup) insurance; both insurances have durable goods coverage and they cover the costs of my hose (up to a certain dollar amount or number of pairs a year--I can't remember which all of a sudden!) I realize that I'm lucky--even in having health insurance, let alone durable goods coverage. The reason I post about it is that people sometimes never know what they're covered for unless they call their plans and ask. (I didn't know I had this coverage, in fact, until after I had spent a couple hundred bucks on hose last year!) I don't want to get anyone's hopes up, that's for sure! I just think it's worthwhile to tell people to call their insurance to ask--and if you have coverage, all you then need is a prescription from the doctor. It's worth a try, no?

Julie, I just did a quick google search for canker sore and cold sore b/c I wasn't sure what the difference was. (I was thinking maybe you had a cold sore back there--and you could--but you were using the word canker sore...so I didn't know.) Anyway, here's a good site from mayo clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=DS00354 and the two are not the same thing. At any rate ... have you or anyone else been able to see this thing in your throat? Can you have your husband shine a flashlight down there ... say ahhhh? I had a friend who used to get hideous cold sores all over the outside and inside of her mouth when she had an outbreak--they attacked her tongue, cheeks, throat. It was horrible for her. So I know it's possible to get painful cold sores in your throat and mouth. I had my first cold sore in the corner of my mouth a couple months ago and it lasted weeks and weeks with no signs of abatement UNTIL I started taking a B-complex vitamin. Within 2 days it started to go away and it got better each day. If what you have is, in fact, a cold sore ... I recommend immediately taking a B-complex vitamin. You'll feel quick results (another friend who used to suffer from frequent outbreaks turned me on to this cure; she takes this vitamin as a preventative, and so too do I now!) I hope you feel better soon, m

My two cents is that if you can get a prescription and get these suckers for free, go for the expensive ones. If you're experimenting with brands and money matters, start cheap. But wait a day or two if you can; others with more similar builds may weigh in. So to speak.

Jenn, in case you couldn't tell, yes--there are different levels of compression. (Even Walgreens and other drugstores carries light compression knee highs... but those won't do you enough good.) My doctor thought I wouldn't wear anything higher than knee highs so I began with those and moved up from there, so to speak. (He was wrong; I told him to insist on thigh high or higher for his pots patients. He doesn't see people like us very often!) I noticed an improvement on 20-30 mmHg thigh high--but then I read medical articles by leading pots researchers (Grubb et al.) and they all said to wear 30-40 mmHg compression, so I switched--and I was very glad I did. I occasionally put the 20-30 back on when I need to do laundry and all my 30-40 are dirty (I too put mine in the washer and hang to dry) ... but they don't work nearly as well (and I have to do a few stairs to get to the machines in the basement). I don't find them all that difficult to put on most days; it does take a bit of effort, but it's worth it. BTW, I said my height and weight in hopes that we might be of similar build and you would find Mediven workable for you. My thighs are a bit heavier than I would like and my legs are long (ish)--and I found that other brands were neither long enough for me nor big enough to be comfortable around the thigh. If the hose don't fit as they should, they're VERY tough to get on and they don't stay up. Frankly, it's kind of trial and error--I did measure myself according to other companies' guidelines, and the hose STILL didn't fit. I'll wear only Mediven now because I know they're high quality and comfortable for me. (By the way, Ames Walker does have a fairly generous return policy--they carry all the brands and they let you exchange if something doesn't fit; call and talk to someone--they're very helpful o the phone.) Maybe you could tell us more about your height, weight, etc; someone out here may fit your profile and can send you off in the right direction.

I'm 5'7" and about 145 and I LOVE my Mediven Elegance size III thigh high 30-40 mmHg (w/top band--I think most or all come w/wide elastic at top). Couldn't live or walk without em. (I don't even like to be without them in the house...and take em off only to shower and sleep.) I don't like panty hose and can't have anything tight around my waist; some people, though, have abdominal blood pooling and need compression around the middle as well. I do OK w/thigh high. I can't even tell most of the time if I'm hot or not--even in summer--because my legs (and the rest of me) feel sooooo much better when I'm wearing them. The comfort more than outweighs the discomfort. The ameswalker.com site sells Mediven brand (along w/a gazillion other brands--their own brand doesn't fit me, I tried). Also, if you carry medical insurance, you should have an annual allowance for durable medical goods. If you get a prescription from your doctor for medical compression hose 30-40 mmHg, take it to a medical supply store and they will be able to fill it for you. They may have em in stock or they can order what you want. good luck finding what works for you, m

Hi, Corina! I was so happy to see your post today... I've been missing you! (I've also been owing you an email--and I'm feeling so bad about that. Hope you'll forgive me! It's been a busy time, but I haven't stopped thinking about you and hoping you were doing OK.) I agree with the others, as you know: when you're most down and out is the perfect time to reach out here ... we will throw you a lifeline and help you through as best we can. Offer advice, support, good humor... someone always has a little something in a pocket worth sharing. I will keep you in mind as we approach your appointment ... we'll do what we can to give you the confidence you need. Maybe it would help if we were reminded of the meds you're on and the therapies you've tried? Has anything at all given you a boost? Please keep us posted on how you're doing--physically and emotionally. This is a great place to let off some steam; remember that you're not alone in your struggle. Take care, merrill