INSOMNIACS place to talk in the wee hours

PattyPeppermint

marla. - good morning

Chevyboy

Okay Marla! If you can just get your hands on some Aloe Vera! I mean even order it from Walmart.com...

http://www.walmart.com/search/?query=aloe%20vera%2... This is the one we get, and it takes care of so many things that go wrong with your innards! I had an ulcer! The pain was enough to double you over... But a friend at work said "Oh just go get some Aloe Vera, and drink it like 3 times a day either plain or added to juice or tea.".... It worked! After that first day, that pain was gone! Helped my BIL AND my Husband with their digestion problems also!

Mix it with a smoothie, or any kind of juice... You will notice a difference right away... I would call around, to see which Walmart carried it. It is too expensive at the health-food stores.

Spookie! "Chevyland".... Haaaaaaaaah! Yes, we would see Big-Horn Sheep above Timberline, either on Trail-Ridge road above Estes Park, or going up to the top of Mt. Evans... They come right up to your car, on the road there! We are going with the girls up above Idaho Springs early next week, to Echo Lake, and have lunch at the Lodge there... If you go up FURTHER, that is the Mt. Evans road... which is way above Timberline... which means no trees grow past that level... Once you get to the TOP, you can park and walk around, and try and not run out of breath.... It is like 14,000 feet high up there... My Brother from Nashville got altitude sickness, and lost all his energy, and thought he would throw-up. I just laughed... Such a sissy-pants! We turned around and came back down before he died....

But such beautiful wondrous scenery up there! You can look across the tops of the mountains across the whole world it seems like!

Went to that "memorial" at my friend Sheilah's house... What a difference a few years makes in people you haven't seen for 25 years! I mean my Daughter's X looks like an old man... Could have something to do with all the wild life, and partying, and smoking what-ever and not to mention countless drugs and that kind of life just fry's your brain.... AND he had a heart-attack, and finally a pace-maker with a De-fib on it... Had his shirt open the whole time, to show everybody his scar. Lost his drivers license for too many drunk-driving arrests, and driving his truck into lakes and poles, etc....

And the worst part he is living with his Mom.... still! I feel so bad for her... She would be better off alone... but being the Mom that she is, will not turn her Son out... he wouldn't make it... His 2 Brothers have no use for him AT all.... Such a waste.

Chevyboy

Picture of a Mountain Goat...

Used to be a cliff-house, where you could buy hot donut holes, and coffee, and even a stand to breath oxygen, for the panty-waists! It burned down years ago, so nothing to do once you reach the top.

Chevyboy

Mountain Goats on the road, at the Top of the World!

Jazzygirl

Marlanab- I want you to know dear friend that your time on the couch will only be a temporary one. When you are in treatment, you feel like that will be your life forever, but it won't. There is life on the other side of this crap. It is waiting for you. I hope you are doing okay this weekend, I think you had chemo again on Friday, yes?

Spookiesmom

Chevy, I've seen you talk about Estes Park before. For some reason I thought it was an amusement park. Silly me!

Mar, my son in law was a mental health tech, now LPN at a psych hospital. We understand about the inmates running the asylum. And Jazzy is right. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and it's not a train.

Spookiesmom

Spookiesmom

PattyPeppermint

spookie - whos in the pic

Good morning all

Doing OK woke up this am with throat burning and sinus headache - funny how those things don't seem like such a big deal now gonna lay back down for awhile and try getting up later.

Hugs all around

Hootie hoo

Chevyboy

Spookie! Yes, Estes Park is where our chicken neighbors have a place they stay in up there.... But this past few days they went up camping around Steamboat Springs.... Got 6 eggs is all ..... so far...... the "girls" are just in no hurry to lay those eggs.... going to make a yummy quiche later!

Loveroflife

Good morning lovely ladies.

Spookiesmom

Patty, my DD, her 2 kids.

Loveroflife

Marlana, hang in there dear friend! Few more weeks and you will be done.

sas-schatzi

GOOD MORNING OWLIES DBF want's to do honey do stuff. Will catch up later , but need to talk to Patty.

Patty. Nice on the pain med. As long as you don't feel goofy. If you feel goofy let me know I have a few suggestions. Happy, happy you finally are in the realm of pain control

On thyroid: I apologize for not asking before this. I know you think I know everything. Not true. For example, I know standard blood stuff, but would have to study Marley's problem to be versant on it. With thyroid though I learned allot b/c of going through so much stuff. Putting your post here to dissect it line by line. It may not all be done at one time. I'm going to work from the easy to the more involved. With each thought it will be complete, even though I know you know stuff about thyroid too. Please, don't take offense if it seems like I'm saying stuff as if you know nothing.

Your Post: I've been on thyroid med for several years and haven't needed s doseage adjustment. I take synthroid 100 mcg. Tsh standard range is 0.35 - 5.5. Mine was 150_ then to 100 and steadily down with increased synthroid dosesge . a couple weeks ago it was 9.81. Getting closer. Feeling so much better not going to increase doseage anymore for now . For pain taking 60 mg extended release morphine twice a day. For break thru pain taking 8 mg diladid as needed. Haven't taken the diladid in a few weeks. N

Synthroid: Trade thyroid replacement. Pure T4. All drugs generic and trade are suppose to be equivalent in efficacy(actual work). A small percentage difference is allowed. Within the Endocrine and PCP community, there is a perceived difference of efficacy with this drug Synthroid (Pure T4) and it's generic levothyroxine (pure T4), greater than what is real. Too many docs will recommend the trade drug Synthroid for that reason. Even if that difference was real, levothyroxine WILL accomplish replacement levels b/c once it is to blood threshold level it works. There is no excuse for the docs not to use the drug. They scare patients in to using synthroid by saying one drug is better than the other.

Levothyroxine is completely fine for accomplishing you goal of normal thyroid levels

Why spend this much time on this. Money. Most insurances don't cover the cost of Synthyroid. It's very expensive. This spring my doc screwed up and automatically ordered Synthyroid not levothyroxine. That's the reason I have a clue about costs

Synthroid 90 day supply $104.00

Levothyroxine 90 day supply $16.00

Suggest you switch too Levothyroxine. It will work for you. Don't let them scare you out of saving dollars.

TSH LEVEL: Pituitary hormone that stimulates the thyroid to make more thyroxine. You were very severely hypothyroid. You are still hypothyroid. Eventually I would like more history on timeline, but it's not needed to address the present problem. Your statement ""Feeling so much better not going to increase doseage anymore for now". You've come from a TSH of 150 to 9.8. To us, this looks like it's close enough to normal that leaving it alone would be okay. WRONG, can't stress enough how wrong. You signs and symptoms @ 150 were so severe, that even feeling awful @ 9.8 feels better. True, but you need to bring it down more. Every cell in your body will thank you for this diligence. If you think I know anything, please, trust me on this one. Please.

Recommendation on action: Call your Doc tomorrow and ask ........

1. To be switched to levothyroxine (you can finish out the synthyroid on hand without any problems then start the levothyroxine)

2. A dosage increase to 125mcg. BUT, BIG BUT ask that the dose be it be dispensed as levothyroxine 25 mcg.

3. Take the 100mcg and 25 mcg for 8 weeks then retest TSH.

4. Ask for a Thyroglobulin and autoantibodies test

5. Selenium 200 mcg /day and zinc 50 mg/ day

6. Google foods that are high in iodine, then EAT them.

7. Vitamin d3 --5000-7000 units /day

8. B complex one/day

9. Omega3 1000mg /day (Barlean's or Bluebonnet)

The standard reason for the wait for 8 weeks is that it takes that long for the pituitary and thyroid to adjust. The real reason is every cell in your body has been deprived from thyroid for sooooo long it will take those cells a very long time function normally. If you increase the dose too fast you will end up with lot's of side effects. Could go into more depth, but don't want to muddy the waters.

The reason you want to ask for 25mcg to go along with the 100mcg is you will likely end up increasing dose at 8 weeks too 137mcg. This way you won't waste allot of pills. Each dose increase time must be allowed for the cells to adjust. On the 150 and 175mcg level it's taken the cells since maybe March to adjust. It's still happening. It's been a fascinating process. The greatest number of s.e.'s were from 150 >>175. What's happened with the lab work is even more fascinating. Way too long for here.

The thyroglobulin(Tg) test and auto antibodies: Two reasons. If Tg is above normal and autoantibodies are positive then the disease is Hashimoto's. If the Tg is above normal and autoantibodies are normal then it can be an indicator for thyroid cancer. Don't flip out now. This test should have been done when you were first diagnosed with hypothyroidism. You may well come back and say "I was dx'd with Hashi's years ago". Have them get another level anyway. If you had a test years ago, it doesn't address what your autoantibody level is now.

Okay done.

I'll link a page where I had the D search stored.

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/102/topic/826526?page=4#idx_102

Loveroflife

Uh oh Patty, you were on the roll having good days. Glad to hear pain is better controlled with the extended release Morphine. Make sure you do stool softener with the increased dose if you haven't already done so. Iam going to throw in the vitamin D supplement for you to consider. It has been shown to benefit autoimmune-mediated thyroid dysfunction, assuming yours is. Hopefully, you are already on it.

Loveroflife

Ms. Chevy, I forgot to ask you who were the other two person who flew under the bed with you and your brother when Dad came home??

Got to get ready for hospital for sinners. Have friends from Nepal coming to visit us the next few days. This picture reminds me of Nepal

sas-schatzi

Patty done. if you were following from the beginning go back and read the whole thing now-----a couple three times. Then write your questions. NOT acceptable to say "I want to just stay at this level" Generally, I respect what a person wants too do. BUT you have accepted the stage 4 diagnosis. There hasn't been much quality till now. It's not just that you have found the right combination of pain meds. I've been in the hypothyroid state that you were in, it compares to nothing else. It's unconscionable that docs allow this state of dysfunction to exist. It's unconscionable that your doc would not encourage you to get to normal levels. You are still in a high level of dysfunction.

Just did another revision #5. --8

Loverly I added the D to the list. We did a whole D discussion before you came. But it's good to be on this list incase someone finds it.

I'll link a page where I had the D search stored.

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/102/topic/826526?page=4#idx_102

OFF to help DBF........lot's of making up being done

Loveroflife

Great! Thank you! You are the Bomb. Learn so much from you.

Spookiesmom

Jazzygirl

Spookie- that made me LMFAO! Somebody mixed up their seedless and boneless sticker role!

sas-schatzi

Marlry, give you credit for all that travel. Not done much, ridiculously too CHEAP. But made sure DS didn't follow that trend. One time some unexpected money came my way. I called Steve and said do you want to go to Paris. "Yes", then a call back "No, I hated Paris they weren't friendly. Let's go to London they are great". I loved it. He had an opinion

Chevy, Have you got the asparagus figured out? I don't remember you being on the first hundred pages of OMG They Found a Cure for Stupid. I do recommend you read it from page one. Great laughs. It's hard not to get glued too it.

Is Sheri still there? How was the wedding? Do you understand a trifle now? Completely endless ways of doing them.

Jazzy, This ones for you --perfect with the music

Jazzygirl

Sassy- thank you for that. Birds and music together, how lovely!

Chevyboy

Yes, came home from the Wedding awhile ago... I knew what Trifle was, but I thought you meant trifling aound! So you mean you smoked asparagus? Is that what you are talking about?

The girls are coming over for spaghetti tonight.... and I made a quiche out of 8 of those eggs, and Ricotta cheese and veggies in a deep-dish refrigerated pie-crust.... along with salad....

I am just so worn-out for some reason! I'm drinking a chocolate coke, in that GLASS Sass... So now I will feel better!

sas-schatzi

Blondie, Happy Thoughts. Our new greeting-hugs. Another day in Paradise? What you been doing? Sunburn? George? Andrew? Dee? Food finds? Still wish I had some of those Kitsches(?). Love dough with stuff inside. Nothing like that around here. Oddly, I don't like calazones. With me, it's always about food finds when traveling. If " Yay wish times could have been different " is in reference to us --no, except for outside temp.

Jazzy, Blondie showed us the scarf ---pretty. The hummingbird pic. I googled "free images hummingbirds" It came up in the mix

Loverly, so romantic about the way Brandon proposed. What a beautiful couple. Interesting about the way the bridesmaids will be dressing. Question-did they check out Disney as a venue for the wedding? In Florida the young dating men always include in the gals 'bio' that they were a Disney Princess. I always thought it was so cute. Told me the fellas liked faiytales too:) In Detroit in the 70's, the 'bio' was Playboy Bunnie. Nice change of value......ROTFLOL, pic of Nepal family. Here we have to have a minivan at least. Here those parents would be charged with child endangerment. 7 on a bike

LOL I ask if they checked it out as a venue. Here the young ones don't think anything of doing weddings at a distance. It's gotten crazy. Plus, the destination bachelor and bachelorette weekend thing is usually Las Vegas or a cruise.

Rosie, hope the day is good Hope the family has a fun day at the fair

Missed lot's WAVING..............

Making for the first time crock pot chicken and dumplings. The smells are divine. The taste of the broth is divine. Hoping for a good outcome of the dumplings. I watched my Mom do it so many times. Not sure why I never thought to try it. On a search for instructions.

Jazzygirl

Sassy- glad you got to see the scarf. I knew she needed it for her trip!

MarlanaB

Thanks all for the encouragement! It's tough to not have a pity party when we're probably getting one our best weeks of summer weather this week (and no cocktails for my party, either!). But as you said, it's only temporary and my dx could be much worse. I'm shooting for Tuesday as a day that I will at least drag myself out with a sand chair and sit on the beach, even if I only make it 10 feet from the parking lot.

Chevy--I checked your link and it said Ventura had a "limited" supply which is where I looked but Oxnard has it which is on my way to and from work so it'll be easy to pop in and pick some up. Quiche sounds good, too bad I can't get the dogs to "lay" anything useful.

And those goats on your mountain obviously didn't read your tag line because they're either leading or following you. Maybe for them you need add a caveat "if you don't want to stand beside me then get the f¥€% out the road!"

Loverly--love the dog photo! I get woken up like that occasionally but they always move before I can snap a pic!

Sas--I take most of the same supplements that you listed or I did BBC (before BC) but I was advised to stop during chemo. I also take gingko biloba, l-tyrosine and co q-10.

The trips can add up and I should probably replace my carpet before I take another one but I'm planning on using my Aflac cancer $ for another, probably just the east coast in October if I'm up to it. But the good thing about a career with almost unlimited overtime is that I can work a little more to pay for a trip (or carpet!).

Spookie--the little goat was hysterical! My mom started as a psych tech at Camarillo State and got her RN while working there. The state hospital closed in 1997 but became the site of a state university in 2002. My mom laughs and says that there's not much difference between a psych patient and a college kid except maybe the locks on the doors

PattyPeppermint

Sas. - thanks for the thyroid info. Ibwill def have to go back and read it 3 or 4 more times. To take notes and ask questions.

Wanted to say last week they took lab for thyroid because I wss already in and getting lab for Xgeva shot. It hadn't been 8 weeks since last increase. He said we will recheck after ,8 weeks. I have been totally amazed at how terrible that lil ole thyroid can make me feel.

I did want to say that the pain med does NOT make me feel goofy. At least not any more goofy then normal. I was taking a stronger dose which put me right to sleep. Much better now

Hugs to all

Hootie hoo

queenmomcat

Marlanab: sand chairs all around then? It counts as long as we make it onto the sand, right? (I've been dragging myself out onto my front porch to draggle amid all the flowers I set up before I was diagnosed, trying not to feel too sorry for myself. I mean, my chances of being arrested for committing GBH on one of the local oncology/hospital staff is higher than my 10-year likely survival percentage with appropriate treatment. I'm a bad patient.)

And I'd say the carpet will still be there when you get back from your trip. Post pictures.

Jazzygirl

Marlanab- if you feel better this week, sitting outside for a bit might help you. Little sunshine and fresh air is good for the soul.

I can tell you are already making "the list" as I call it of things you will do when you get better; taking a trip where you want to go, doing some things around the house. I have noticed so many of the women here do the same thing, I did too. Even my friend who just completed cancer treatment has been focusing on getting things done at her house and is taking a trip to see her son in August. I took a good trip along with my sister to Hawaii about six months after I finished treatment, and then got into my house stuff the following year. It is really important to have something to look forward to on the other side of this crap.

Another t-storm has rolled in for the evening. I am getting ready to watch the next episode of Season 2 of True Detective. Anyone a fan of the series?

Spookiesmom

I've noticed that on some other threads too. It does help to plan for something nice after tx is done. Some plan trips, cruises, home improvements. None of that was in my budget, but the American Maltese Assoc. was having their national Show in Orlando a few months after I finished. I went. Got to meet some online friends in person, see some drop dead gorgeous Maltese. That wouldn't be everybody's idea of fun, for doggy me, it worked.

Plan away!!!!!