WinterSown

Thank you @Potsie1990 and @Delta. I bought a bag of bread flour today--I thought I would expand my repertoire. It's really not that hard to do and homemade bread tastes as good as it looks. I will make another bread and go for rustic, perhaps with less ingredients and less kneading. So shamelessly lazy but it comes out looking great either way. I'd like to say I refuse to cook anything that takes longer than ten minutes prep but the truth is I cannot stand longer than ten minutes to cook anything, it's really not a choice, lol. Sigh. I am still learning how to cook simple recipes from scratch; some of the meals have been as good and as they are easy. Hubs is still happy. I didn't take a picture but lunch today was a five-minute prep meatloaf that we'll get a few more meals from. YUMMY

They've only called it "The Smart Pill", I don't know if it has another name. If you can't travel to PT sometimes the center can send out a therapist to work with you at home and give you a set of exercises that are manageable for you. In the meantime you can build up your strength by eating as best you can and eating foods rich in electrolytes. I've found if I keep up on that then my symptoms are much less intense. On bad days I do fall back to an IBS type diet and restrict myself to what I eat. I found some pelvic floor exercises for men on YT, obviously look first and try a little then build up. If you have limitations or concerns call your doctor about how to get yourself into a routine where you can start living your life again.

A neurologist can assess your neck quite well, s/he can then decide the proper course for imaging like xrays and/or doppler. Please do not wait to tell your your physical therapist that the exercises you are doing now are not adequate, and that you are not improving so an adjustment can be made and you begin to improve. Squeaky wheels get the most oil. Speak up and let your doctor know you need more help. Feel better soon!

This is my worst problem. I go to PT for pelvic floor issues which has given me better muscular control. Next week I have another round of tests including swallowing a Smart Pill to track my motility.

Salt is both a preservative and a desiccant, it makes meh food taste better, and most important, it helps us regulate fluids in our bodies. Sitting in a salt cave, attended by non-medical staff, may not have much medicinal value. But with mood music and lighting the cave might just be a nice environment to chill out and relax--and that itself can be beneficial. Enjoy the experience but take the healthful aspect with a grain of salt until a lot more study has been done. https://www.healthline.com/health/halotherapy#research

I am sorry to hear you are having problems with your kidneys. We all suffer from fluid problems. Kidney problems can be quite painful. I had a cyst on one of mine a zillion years ago that fortunately went down without surgery. I thought the doctor was very nice too. I hope you can get help very soon. What to expect on your first visit to the nephrologist.

Welcome!

I use shampoo for a lot of washing and scrubbing. Find one you like that doesn't irritate you, organic baby shampoo is wonderful, and make a solution in a bottle to use for general cleaning.

I've made bread before but this time I used a clay baker and lined it with parchment--new techniques for me but they are old world ways. I don't remember where I heard this but if your bread comes out perfect call it Artisan, and if it comes out ugly call it Rustic. It's a very forgiving point of view. Some days I am rustic and some days I am zee artiste.

Photo?

I loved having long hair, it went up so easy in a bun, it looked so nice too. Now it's gel and a finger wave but I'm done in moments.

Take that damp washcloth and run it over your arms and legs. Your scalp can use some too. Do not dry off, just evaporate. If you are in the wind of a fan then all the better. For a quickie I bend over the kitchen sink and use the sprayer to wet my scalp and neck. Kinda drippy but it's an instant cool down. I wear my hair in a short pixie because I need to cool down frequently and wetting my head is the fastest way to do that.

I'm sorry you are going through this. Lack of support from your own family can be very depressing. I am very concerned about your father's behavior and I think you should reach out to an organization that assists families. There will be someone on the line who can listen and talk to you about how to reduce or avoid confrontations. https://al-anon.org/

Do you have a neurologist? It sounds like you are describing TVL, Transient Vision Loss which is a temporary loss of sight. You can call your neurologist and discuss if coming in for an exam is warranted to determine TVL and how to correct the condition, it is very treatable. I had bilateral TVL earlier this year; my EP made a drug change and it was gone.

You don't know from the beginning how to deal with it, no patient does. It's a learning thing. You learn how to react to your symptoms, you slowly learn how to modify your life so you can get back to living your life. Today, I went to a state park with my husband for a walk. We took the longer 1.5 mile trail today and I was great until the last 1/8 of it; I lost most of the feeling in my arms and legs except for pins and needles, had a drop attack too, but I kept walking, I was able to stand--I powered through it instead of collapsing or even just sitting down on the path. A year ago I would never even attempted such a walk but I've been exercising and eating healthy, taking my meds and getting enough electrolytes. You will get better but it does require willingness for the effort. Getting bogged down by thinking you won't get better is not going to help. You can work towards remission and getting your symptoms under control which so very many of us do, it will happen but realistically, it doesn't happen overnight. Start with baby steps. Getting out of bed, getting showered and dressed, eating, drinking fluids, remembering to take your meds on time, gentle exercise weeks before moderate exercise, months before anything more strenuous--slowly building strength and endurance. You can do this. WS

Please do not increase your medication without the supervision of a doctor. Try doing less exercise for a while and then build up your endurance instead of increasing your drugs so you can sustain your endurance. It's better to build up your strength slowly in a safer manner.

I remember taking tabs of brewer's yeast along with my daily vitamins when I was younger. Marmite is very healthy for you, it's got a lot of B12, it is basically a yeast spread loaded with nutrients and salt. I just checked, they do sell it at Amazon, and I think I've seen it at some better stocked supermarkets in their international aisle. https://www.livestrong.com/article/357418-marmite-nutrition-information/

V8. Yum. Especially with a dash of worcestershire, a jigger of something potent, and a stalk celery--and celery has sodium. With dysautonomia there is always exhaustion right around the corner. I use a lot of shortcuts in the kitchen. The packages of noodle and rice mixes are very quick to prepare, can be tweaked with some veggies and/or meats, and are loaded with sodium and make for a fast quickie meal. Cold Cuts from the deli are also sodium heavy--make yourself a sammich, a bag of fritos and a pickle on the side, and wash it down with a mug of tomato soup. You're good to go! If you want to try something healthier, which I like and helps too, I make a large glass of water and squeeze a juice orange into it, the orange is rich in electrolytes. Good stuff too.

Last summer one of my doctors tried me on Thermotabs. After a month of them killing off my stomach biota my cardiologist took me off all supplements. I now get all my nutrients through the foods I eat and drink. Tonight we had takeout, I just finished a pint of wonton soup--yum. There are many salty food choices but they often can contain high fats--like bags of chips or ramen. If you need to watch your calories some of the saltier snacks may not be appropriate. This is a nice list of sodium rich foods--it is meant for the must-avoid-crowd and not us, lol.

Before dysautonomia I used to quite obese and in the summer would get prickly under my breasts. It only cleared up after I started taking my stick of Secret and applying it where I was chafing (under the fold, ehem) and I also must change my bras whenever they got soaked with perspiration. Anti-perspirant to t he rescue! I still do this everyday and I have not had prickly heat since I started. Hope you all feel better, stay cool and dry. Heat Rash

These are my balance boards. From bottom to top: Easy, Advanced, and Insane.

Have you tried taking an allergy pill? Your sinuses may be swollen from summer allergies and placing pressure on your innder ear.

I think you do too. Keep plugging away at your doctors to get an accurate diagnosis.