CRAZY TOWN WAITING ROOM - TESTS coming up? All Stages Welcome.

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  • octogirl
    octogirl Member Posts: 2,804
    edited October 2017

    Time for me to go back to my retinal specialist too....so much going on! first things first though: knee replacement surgery is Thursday. I am a bit anxious, but ready as I will ever be, I think...

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  • proudtospin
    proudtospin Member Posts: 5,972
    edited October 2017

    octo, good luck on knee surgery, several folks at my gym have had that surgery, very successful. Including one guy who did both knees at same time!

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  • Lucy55
    Lucy55 Member Posts: 3,044
    edited October 2017

    Octo ..yes good luck with the surgery ..it will be so good to have it over and done with !!!

    Our house sale is meant to " settle " today..our solicitors rang yesterday to say our conveyencer up and left their firm last week and they were trying to see where she was up too !! Gosh ..I hope everything goes through O.K !!

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  • duckyb1
    duckyb1 Member Posts: 13,369
    edited October 2017

    I really need to get at least one knee done....horrible.........problem ;is I: have lymphedema in my arm...I am so scared that it could settle in my leg......I have inquired/asked/read/researched, and all I come up with is “no likely, but then we can’t say for sure”.........I have many problems with fluid retention in both legs and ankles, so I am hesitant to do anything.....

    It really has to be done, but heaven’s I”m 82...do I really need another surgery.....I will see what you say Iris, but you are so much younger then me........LoL it would be a plus just to come out of the anesthesia alive.....LOL.....

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  • octogirl
    octogirl Member Posts: 2,804
    edited October 2017

    Iris, anyone who does both knees at once is braver than me!....I am scheduled to have the other knee done mid-February, assuming this one goes well. Ducky, no one has warned me about swelling or lymphedema, but I guess you never know...

    Lucy, I hope all is smooth after that glitch! I saw a sign on a church board in my town that could a good motto: "Everything is difficult until it is easy"...

    Will check in after surgery.

    Hugs to all the crazies, including quiet ones!

    Octogirl

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  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited October 2017

    Bob's eyesight, despite bilteral cataract surgeries and a postcapsular laser ablation in the first eye, is not as good as it ought to be. He still has difficulty with fine print (most recently, our names on airlines' luggage labels and low-contrast menus in low light). Mine's not perfect, but far better than it used to be when I still had cataracts. He had a post-op refraction and exam by our ophthalmologist last spring, and before that, a clean bill of retinal health from the retinologist. He just turned 68 last week. I bought him a little lighted credit-card-size magnifier, but being a typical male he refuses to carry it, because it's an admission that he needs it. Of course, he prefers to complain instead (another "guy thing") that fonts are too small, the ink too light and the paper too dark. (He doesn't say "get off my lawn," though). He has trouble (as do I) bringing up the iOS 11 "control center," which has a built-in flashlight, because swiping up from the bottom often does nothing or brings up alerts & reminders instead. I think I will just have him (or do it myself) download & install the free "Lights" app. Much brighter than the old third-party "Fiat Lux" app, which simply made the screen white, because it uses the phone's own flash.

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  • proudtospin
    proudtospin Member Posts: 5,972
    edited October 2017

    the guy at my gym who did 2 knees at same time, well he is definitly in his 70 s, i saw him when he was doin his rehab, very dedicated, he would do his rehab at the rehab place connected to the gym, then go home and do them again, he said it was painful but he is walking around now, he is a loyal gym rat

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  • Lucy55
    Lucy55 Member Posts: 3,044
    edited October 2017

    Octo ..not long now !!!

    Iris .HaHa ..love the expression "gym rat " !!!

    Sandy ..I always think the fonts too small , ink to light , and papers too dark too 😵😃

    We're going up today to join up the local table tennis club here ..I've been missing playing the last couple of weeks ...and our own table is in storage until after we build !!


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  • proudtospin
    proudtospin Member Posts: 5,972
    edited October 2017

    lucy, the average age of my gym is over 40 is my guess!

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  • GmaFoley
    GmaFoley Member Posts: 7,091
    edited November 2017

    I went for a long walk at the park and took some pictures - I've been crazy with life. Praying about going on a missions trip to Rwanda with our church. I will be able to meet our sponsored child if I do go. The Crazy part is all the vaccinations I've been avoiding are needed to get into Africa.

    Anyway - just wanting to know that I have been praying for all of you even though I haven't been around.

    Here is a picture of the park - beautiful and peaceful place:

    image

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  • proudtospin
    proudtospin Member Posts: 5,972
    edited November 2017

    your photo is lovely

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  • rainnyc
    rainnyc Member Posts: 1,289
    edited November 2017

    Good luck tomorrow, Octo. I hope it all goes well!

    Hugs to all crazies...

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  • queenmomcat
    queenmomcat Member Posts: 3,039
    edited November 2017

    Vision issues: my arms are just too short. And the ink's too light, the paper too dark, the light too low.....as for me, I'm crazy with midterms. And a couple of other things, neither of which are health related.

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  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited November 2017

    What a lovely tranquil park, Gma. Best of luck to you, Iris & Queen.

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  • Molly50
    Molly50 Member Posts: 3,773
    edited November 2017

    Octo, in your pocket for tomorrow! Iris, how wonderful that someone paid for your food. Gma, good to see you. Rwanda sounds like an amazing trip. Hello everyone, crazy busy lately.

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  • octogirl
    octogirl Member Posts: 2,804
    edited November 2017

    Thanks all, for the supportive words as I get ready for tomorrow. Will check in this weekend to let you all know how it goes!

    Octogirl

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  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited November 2017

    Octo, remember to stay ahead of the pain. Don't try to be stoic. It's much easier to keep steady blood levels to hold your pain down to a 3 or 4 than to bring it down from 6 or 7. You need the meds to be able to do the PT to regain flexion & extension. (And be patient--recovery will seem very slow at first for the next 4 weeks, then a little faster at 6 weeks; and the recovery curve rises dramatically at 6 months). Don't worry that you will get addicted--your surgeon will have you on a precise regimen as well as a schedule to wean off the opioids, and which meds to use to replace them. "Wean" is the operative word. And make sure you're getting lots of water and fiber: prunes are your friend. (We're still "BFF"s). This is also not the time to practice dietary deprivation (except as regards food & drink contraindicated with your pain and blood-thinner meds). The second rehab facility where I stayed had a free ice cream parlor & espresso bar. Your endorphin receptors will be fully occupied for the next couple of weeks, so it's unlikely you'll want to overindulge on treats. (Sadly, that will be temporary).

    Only you know your body--if you truly can't do a particular exercise to the extent your therapist wants, don't be afraid to stand your ground. ("Stand" you will--w/in mere hours post-op you will be on your feet, fully bearing weight, albeit with mobility aids). If anyone offers help, accept it--you'll get the chance to cast bread upon the waters soon enough. It's a nice cycle.

    Will you be going directly home a few days post-op or rehabbing at a residential facility? I did the latter both times (and wisely toured a couple and made reservations before the second replacement to avoid being stuck with whoever had room and took my insurance--I thought I could be Superwoman and handle PT at home from the get-go).

    There is a wonderful website (with forums) called Bonesmart.org. That's where I first encountered Brithael (who like me is 2 yrs. past diagnosis). It was founded and by a very dedicated (albeit highly opinionated) British orthopedic surgical nurse named Josephine, who is its chief moderator. She has some very unconventional ideas (chief among them being "anti-physio," just RICE--sans the compression part--and occasional supine heel slides). But she is extremely knowledgeable and experienced (a BTKR "veteran" herself). You'll find all sorts of ways to patiently (no pun intended) recover, PT tips, even how to make your own reusable ice packs if they don't send you home with a cooling machine. Not to mention places to vent and shoulders to cry on. Sorta like here. (You'll be online a lot).


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  • proudtospin
    proudtospin Member Posts: 5,972
    edited November 2017

    wahoo.....chemo day tomorrow, like how fun......got me two drivers! My one gym pal i thought was going to drive me but she went on vacation to.....ready for this.......Romania for Holloween. Did not know when she was returning so asked my neighbor. So now i got me a driver for next chemo

    Crazy day

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  • Lucy55
    Lucy55 Member Posts: 3,044
    edited November 2017

    Iris ..in your pocket for the chemo ..wish I lived close by and could go with you !

    GMA ..lovely photo ..

    Octo ..thinking of you !!

    Only 2.45 am here .. insomnia as per usual :-( ....Oh well ...

    Going to a friend's newly built home for morning tea today ..I'm looking forward to seeing it !

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  • proudtospin
    proudtospin Member Posts: 5,972
    edited November 2017

    lucy, thanks for the thought

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  • octogirl
    octogirl Member Posts: 2,804
    edited November 2017

    surgery went well....so far, no pain at all I imagine that will change but will take it for now!

    Sending greetings. will write more in a day or two.

    Thanks for keeping me in pockets! It helped!

    Octo girl

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  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited November 2017

    Ah, they must have given you one of those little slow-release local-anesthesia balls behind the knee--by the time the stuff wears off, the pain is down to where the pills & the morphine pump can take over. My surgeon didn't use the balls. There's one famous guy at Rush who uses them (he did Dubya's partial knee replacement); his patients get basic physical therapy right away, are taught how to do stairs, and are usually home the same day. They need home care to manage, though. My surgeon had a much better record of avoiding infections & revision surgeries, though. (He's retired from surgery now--teaches and sees patients a couple of days a week in his office....when he's not sailing in Fiji...).

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  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited November 2017

    Iris--your friend went to Romania for Halloween? Transylvania, perhaps??? (I hear Dracula had aspirations toward being a phlebotomist).

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  • proudtospin
    proudtospin Member Posts: 5,972
    edited November 2017

    yeah, can you believe...romania has not yet figured out how to make money from tourists though, guess they do not have too many. Pal complained she could not find postcards or frridge magnets! It did sond interesting but lots of walking.

    Ok, today is chemo day......need to choose my hat for the day, i am picking up a script for wig, not getting hair back anytime soon_

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  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited November 2017

    Make sure the script calls it a cranial prosthesis so that insurance will cover it

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  • Lucy55
    Lucy55 Member Posts: 3,044
    edited November 2017

    Octo ..great news ..hope everything is going well for you !

    Iris ..thinking of you .

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  • queenmomcat
    queenmomcat Member Posts: 3,039
    edited November 2017

    Iris: did you feel us all in your pocket today?

    Booking a room in the CrazyTown Inn for a few days--DH and I found out our insurance premium is doubling.

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  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited November 2017

    Queen, hope the CTInn has a casino so you can have some winnings to offset that premium increase. My son's premium for his high-deductible nearly-useless insurance is also rising. His ex-GF, who receives public assistance to supplement a sporadic (her boss determines her hours on short notice) no-benefits minimum-wage supermarket-checker job, was just informed that she is losing her Medicaid--and her psychiatric maintenance meds are three times what she can afford. She's not sure if she can still be eligible for the free clinics either. Yet even those meager resources disqualify her for an insurance subsidy.

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  • proudtospin
    proudtospin Member Posts: 5,972
    edited November 2017

    sandy, checked my script, all fine. Gonna call local place tomorrow though no idea if open on sat

    I got light headed which freaked out the nurses, checked my bp and it was much higher than when i had checked in . Dumbo here did not drink water during infusion but nurses freaked that it was reaction to taxol. Came home and gozzled lots of water and now feeling fine. Remind me to drink the water i bring with me

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  • octogirl
    octogirl Member Posts: 2,804
    edited November 2017

    yes, drink lots and lots of water, Iris!!! I am joining you, as Sandy recommended in her great tips: we can remind each other!

    I am back home and resting comfortably. The exercises are tough but the pain is manageable. Start formal PT Tuesday. Doc told me post surgery that he thinks I am going to be very happy once I get through this stage...here's hoping!

    Hugs, all. Gabe is keeping me company along with hubby and says hi!

    Octogirl


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