morgan617

my husband is my greatest support system. he is a wonderful man, husband, father. he has taken care of me for so long, but now he is pretty sick. he started with a cold several weeks ago, everything got better, but he couldn't stop coughing. the cold came back with a vengeance and he got antibiotics and an inhaler. then in the middle of that his gallbladder bit it! he's never had problems. he was miserable for 5 days and they finally took it out last friday. well he still had all that respiratory crud going on and they didn't want to give him a general, but his gallbladder was on the verge of rupture. the doctor said they had to take it. he said it was the worst gb he'd ever seen. he wanted him to go home in two hours, but dave was in so much pain and so snowed by the general, (he has severe narcolepsy which doesn't help) they decided to keep him over night. well his temp was above 100 on saturday, but the doc said that was perfectly normal! not ever in my 30 years of nursing did we consider it normal to have a temp post op. so he went home and then just got sicker and sicker. i called the doctor on call sat night and he said so what, he'll get better. i called the primary on call and he said to just continue his antibiotics. i told him he didn't have any because they didn't send him home on any. he said well that's too bad, but he's young...he's 47. so sunday morning i called a doctor friend and he said take him to the er and get blood work, chest x ray and antibiotics. so i did, and they admitted him. i thought the care from some of my doctors was bad!!!! well they did a chest x ray and his lower lobes on both sides were collapsed and he has pneumonia in the right one. so they admitted him. while he was there they did an ekg and i saw on the sheet it was abnormal. he gets ekg's every six months because of the meds he takes for his narcolepsy. he's never been abnormal. the doctors never once mentioned it, so i thought it was just a little too slow or fast from his fever. but he was going home today and his care was so awful, i asked one of the nurses for a copy of it. it says he's in heart failure!!!!!! not one fricken doctor said one word. it wasn't even signed off!!! now all day long he's been very tachycardic and short of breath. he is seeing his primary tomorrow. they never even called him to tell him dave was in the hospital. i called them this afternoon and they are seeing him first thing in the morning. i am seeing total red. i am so tired and sick myself. i am having to drive and i'm not supposed to , but he is sooo sick. he hasn't missed a day of work in 6 years and now all this! so, please if you could send prayers and good thoughts our way, i'd really appreciate it. thanks, morgan

we have always had rescue animals. they tend to be a little more fragile. we got a dog named ellie that had no hip socket on one side and a bullet in the other. the bullet was imbedded in the muscle so they left it, but they removed the head of her femur and she formed a false socket. so no more pain. we had one we had to take to the university for knee surgery and a kitten that had asthma that was on 8 meds when we decided she had had enough. the list goes on. we put 6 babies to sleep in 4 years. it was ****. so we decided never to get anymore, as it was too hard to lose them. that lasted 2 months. we then got two cats, one a baby and one an adult. amanda weighs 20 pounds! what a monster. but very laid back. lovey immediately got some kitten crud and was in icu for 2 weeks or so. it took 2 months to save her and get her healthy. she is now doing great. then my sister bought me a westie, who is 8 weeks old. what a pill! into everything, pees everywhere and is as cute as can be. then last week my doctor told me he had to find a home for his dog, they couldn't keep him anymore. so we picked him up today. so we have 2 cats and 2 dogs. we just can't imagine our lives without animals, we have loved them all and truly mourn the ones we've lost. so now we have a chaotic houseful of children, plus i feed the birds and squirrels every day. that's my job now. i wouldn't want it any other way.... morgan

spot the pots and stop it!!! morgan

oh danelle, i am soo sorry. i know how hard it is and the guilt is awful. we had to move and sell our car and all kinds of stuff, but don't give up..it's what they expect and want you to do. get a lawyer and appeal! don't let those meanies get the best of you and know many prayers and hugs are going out to you! morgan

ernie, sorry you are feeling so down. i saw my doctor the other day and we talked about how much my life has changed in a few short years and i started to cry. he was very sweet. my hubby is really sick right now. he never ever gets sick, but has developed asthma, bronchitis, and then this week, pancreatitis and elevated liver enzymes from a bad gallbladder. he has to have surgery in the next couple of days. so for the first time he is seeing what my life is like all the time and he can't believe i have remained sane! (i'm not sure why he thinks i'm am ) but it's been a real revelation to him. and has given him, i think a deeper appreciation of what we go through. and he's very understanding to begin with. but it does bring home how isolated we can really feel sometimes. i hope you get over this slump quickly. hugs coming your way. morgan

this is not about me really, but it was pretty funny. i was doing the usual couch spud thing when my son walked in from school. he has juvenile arthritis, crohn's and hyperparathyroidism. he was wandering down the hall towards the bathroom and i asked how he was doing. in a very languid voice he replied, the fiery flames of perdition are resting in the chamber of my anus, and proceeded into the bathroom. it kind of puts things in perspective i guess. he can croack me up more than anyone. morgan

actually there are tests for sjogrens, but only 30% accurate in people, so it tends more to be dx by symptoms. it can raise your ana titer, but not always. my eyes are so dry, i had to have my tear ducts cauterized shut. ahhh the aroma of your own burning flesh. however it is only stinky, not painful. i think it could easily be a pots symptom. i have such a dry mouth i have to use fake saliva, yummy, and gi tract and vagina also need extra fluids. however my ana is elevated, but not the sjogrens serum. so go figure. try using the single dose eye drops. they are more expensive and tend to blur for a longer period but seem to help more. the regular ones you buy in a bottle have preservatives and that can exacerbate the problem..i use celluvisc, which is otc, but there are others. good luck. morgan

i took it for a month with a sinus infection. don't let a doctor ever tell you a regular course is enough for sinus, that's why they recur like they do. anyway, it never bothered me, but i always took it with food. good luck, morgan

the electrical impulses are so low, i can't believe they would affect you cardiac wise. it takes a pretty fair jolt to affect a rhythm. morgan

miscarriages are extremely common. more than 85% of women have at least one. i don't believe your problem is related to pots. there are just some women that for whatever reason, the uterus is just not pregnant friendly. if you have 3 or more of them you are considered high risk. but there are very healthy womwn out there who have the same problem. depending on how far along you get, it can be anything from incompetent cervix to hormonal imbalances to a genetic problem. good luck to you. i know some of the things they do to save a pregnancy are not fun, they do prove to be helpful quite often. just as an added note, THIS IS IN NO WAY TO BE CONSTRUED AS POLITICAL, women who have had abortions can be damaged along the lining of the uterus and develop a condition that makes it impossible to carry a baby. you do not sound like this at all since you are trying to have babies, but for anyone who's had one and is now trying to concieve, it's important that you be very honest with your doctor, especially if you are having problems. many women came to our office and didn't want to tell us about it. it is not our job to judge, but it is an essential diagnostic tool for people having problems. morgan

emily, where is your pain located. lower gut, upper gut etc. i have episodes where it feels like something is ripping my chest out through my back. i also have spasms in my esophagus which are like a cramp in the foot, but continuous. i had a hida scan that showed an ejection fraction of less than 20%, stones and sludge, but they will not take it out. i also get severe pain right above my belly button. i attribute a lot of this to my gb, but they said until it affects my liver or i get pancreatitis, they won't touch me. yea right wait till i'm toxic anyway, i get those horrible belches too and that is classic for gastritis. i don't think you've had an endoscopy have you? do you take anything for reflux? if it's in the lower gut, i have gotten those too. there's a med called levsin or nulev, which helps with gut spasms which are so incredibly awful. it's why i haven't been on much either. i can't even drink boost anymore without severe pain. i see my gastro next week. he will either sh## or get off the pot with me (excuse me, but have just reached my limit ) so you might check into those things. it's sounding like it's time for a couple of scopes. good luck sweetie morgan

i've had about 20 endoscopies and several dilatations and never had a problem either with the drug or the procedure. i've always had versed and fentenyl. all i do is have a nice long nap. if you ask them they will typically give you iv fluids so you don't get dry. they always give them to my son because he dehydrates so easily. i have had about 5 colonoscopies. i remember waking up once saying ouch, (and probably a few choice other words!) but have no memory of the pain i seemed to be having at the time. they are about the easiest tests i've had. as far as the prep, it is the worst part. but i go on a liquid diet for two days and then only have to drink about 1/3 of the nulytley to get cleaned out. also, it's the aftertaste that gets me, so i hold a lifesaver in one hand and guzzle and immediately put in a lifesaver to keep the aftertaste at bay. it works like a charm for me. good luck! morgan

wow, a colp shouldn't really be painful. it's not fun, but i've helped with about a zillion of them and very few caused pain. it was usually the doc if it was, (sorry) i have had chronic cysts since forever the largest being the size of a golf ball sticking off it. ugh, those really hurt, so sorry you are going through it. the nice thing is they usually resolve themselves, even tho they do come back. good luck, hope it goes well, or at least better this time. morgan

happy belated emily, you know where i was. i have been sick since my 20's too and have a very nice hubby, two great kids and three gorgeous grandkids. don't give up hope you beautiful angel girl. anything is possible.... morgan

welcome lisa! glad to have you on board. wish it was a site for people on the go go, but we're a nice place to come when you're not! morgan

i read that he was awarded the nicest actor to work with by all his peers. this is a great loss, but he is free now. i pray for his family. i do wonder tho that he had pressure sores so severe that they caused septicemia. it was an uneccessary way for him to go. i know he died of heart failure and cardiac arrest, but they were caused by the other. no one should ever have those kind of ulcers. i think we will be hearing more about this. the whole thing has been very tragic. i think dana was a great support system for him and i am glad i have my hubby. morgan

wow ernie! how awful. i guess i can't relate, because i don't have syncope. but i don't drive or go places by myself because i am a walking stroke. so for different reasons, i guess i understand. i tried acupuncture once and felt awful, then when to someone else and it was great. just want you to know, i am sorry you are going through this and i am thinking of you. morgan

the only reaction i know of, is it tastes funny and people that have trouble guzzling might get pretty full. as far as dairy or anything, i've never heard of anything dairy or gluten in any type of contrast. so there shouldn't be any reaction. i have a friend by the way that has a polyp in her gb too and they just keep an eye on it. it has only bothered her once in several years. morgan

prayers are on the way!!! morgan

i have gallstones, sludge and my gallbladder works at less than 20%. i am convinced it is a huge part of my gastro problems, but neither my gastro doc or pcp will remove it until it affects my liver enzymes or gives me pancreatitis. they say i am too high risk for surgery. but i sure think i'd feel better. it's pretty frustrating. hope you have a speedy recovery and take it slow and easy. morgan

me too. sorry you are having a rough time and hope it does clear up as things smooth out for you. anything stressful can certainly affect our health and having been through a divorce a zillion (that's for you emily) years ago, i totally understand. i weighed 75 pounds the day it was final. but i went on to work for a zillion years till last year. so it can get better. keep your chin up!!! morgan the masterful weenie (who hates p.t. by the way)

typically coughing will slow down tachycardia, but it sounds like reflux or something. do you get a lot of heart burn or anything. with those symptoms, i'd see a gi doc and not eat anything for a few hours before lying down. morgan

wow, a complete body diagnoses from an mri. i've got to meet this God....not. how annoying. i would get his notes from my visits. and not see him again. if a doctor laughed at me i fear my parasympathetic would kick in and i'd do bodily harm. but that's just my coping mechanism.... i am so sorry you had this completely crummy visit. see the cardiologist. you know the first doctor that mentioned dysautonomia to me was my ear nose and throat. weird huh. hope you can find a decent cardiologist and things get better. morgan

i am so sorry friday, you are feeling this badly. i am going through a really rough time right now too, i believe this is the worst i've felt in a long time. i do have a supportive family unlike you, but i will tell you, that even with friends and family, this can be a very lonely disease process. no matter how much people want to understand, they really can't unless they've felt it. i have felt this badly before and have gotten to a better place. i am in physical therapy now and am hoping that will help with my strength. i don't drive either and am home alone all day. i have lost 50 pounds from nausea and stomach problems, and can't go in a car with wanting to hurl the whole time. so i do know how you feel. i just want to encourage you to do little things you can do, no matter how tiny or insignificant you think they are. you need to remember you did not ask for this burden. but for whatever reason you got it. so like all of us, have your very down days and vent, and then pick yourself up and believe it will get better, because it will. it doesn't always last, but it does happen. we have all been where you are and felt the way you do right now. unlike any family member or friend, we do understand. if it helps you to come here, then come a lot. someone will always be here for you. i also strongly recommend that if you are not seeing a therapist, you start. most of us do and it is nothing to be embarrassed about. i can't even count the times mine has helped me through some really rough times. hang in there and many hugs are coming your way!!! morgan

if no one has you charted as having either of these disorders, it shouldn't be pre existing. it is my understanding pre existing is something already diagnosed. congrats and good luck! morgan