3 July 2018. Tuesday

Good morning everybody.

Awake with leg cramps, which have not had for a very long time. Somewhere on YouTube a fellow has posted a picture of his in his lower leg. Ugly. You can see the pain. SO am up, walking the floor and chug a lugging water. Sigh

happy travels Ann. Glad Cecily that all is being resolved. And so happy for us all that those nasty head tapes are hopefully lessening our thrall with them. Alcohol, in excess, is just plain nasty because of its hold on us. Alcoholism is rift in the family.

Have a great Tuesday.

Pooh-poo on those nasty, leg cramps. Walk-drink-walk-drink- point and stretch those toes uppppp when you feel one coming on.

149.4 Whoop!

Off to the dentist for an 8:00 cleaning/check up ( I didn't even know there were slots for 8:00 dentists--thought they held bankers' hours!)

Sending shinning toothed smiles your way!

Ugh. The boys may want to look away for a minute. With my PE, I had to stop my birth control pills that I really take to control my PCOS hair loss (so some balding might be in my future, yay). I didn't even consider what a period on blood thinners would be like. It's as bad as you would imagine. If I wasn't already anemic, I would be now!

I have to drive all the way to Beverly Hills to meet with my plastic surgeon. So not only do I get that fun drive, I do it with the period from hell.

My two positives today are I'm alive and I can now move quickly to get to a bathroom.

I was wondering about your estrogen status. Everybody (everybody!) is stunned to learn that they have a clot and need to be on a blood thinner. But, taking hormones away from women is a whole 'nother level of insult.

You are right to be concerned about anemia worsening.....your doc is going to need to try to stay a few steps ahead.

If it isn't one thing it's another for you Cecily. So sorry! It has to get better soon!

I meant to ask (with trepidation): What happens about Michigan with the PE?

My primary doctor seems to think it's fine if I go, so that's my plan. It's kind of a pain to get bloodwork done there as there are no close blood draw places that take Blue Shield (weird), but I'm not sure how much blood work I'll need? Eliquis doesn't have any requirements for monitoring like Warfarin does, so maybe it'll be okay. It's my plan anyway.

The plastic surgeon is fine with me going and said I can email him 3 times a day if I want and he's happy to direct me via pictures and emails. Regarding one day doing my arms, he also said he's operated on many patients on blood thinners and there are protocols for switching to Lovenox temporarily to make surgery safe, then switching back if I happen to be on them indefinitely. But maybe the 3-6 months on thinners is enough and I won't have to worry as it's not on my radar yet?

I move back a step to the bleach/Dakin's for my stubborn back opening, but I did get the go ahead for real showers again! So that was good news. Oh and underwear is a go again with the closed groin incisions. Yay for showers and drawers!

I did find a Reddit board that has a lot of great information about clots and blood thinners. There are some really good suggestions for things to help periods including an IUD. Some women said it was the worst on the therapeutic dose (what I'm on this week) and better on the maintenance dose. Other said it's been terrible for years. There was a medication mentioned I can ask about called cyclokapron (tranexamic acid) that is used to slow heavy bleeding that one woman has had luck with. Good things to discuss with the doctor...

I guess Carbon posted after me, so everyone is replying here? Here is a copy of my post from this morning with some add-ons:

Weight 117.2, calories 1600. This is a busy week with family so lots of going out to eat. And I still need a really good bathroom trip. But I'm in my range, so I'm happy.

We had a good day yesterday - I got some errands done, we went to an Alzheimer's support meeting (DSD came too), went shopping for a christening gift and ate on the deck at a restaurant on the harbor (ahi tuna and avocado - yumm). We sat in the newly cleaned screen porch last night. I actually haven't used it much until now, but want to sit there more often in retirement. It has kind of a lakehouse vibe that is different from the upstairs deck.

DSD leaves today for Marthas Vineyard (I'm drove her to the boat earlier). But we will see her again Friday when we go over there for the day.

Interesting comment by Devon yesterday on lack of hunger while busy. I've been trying to get a handle on head hunger vs "real" hunger partially because some people on OH claim to never be hungry. Huh? Could it be that I really am not ever really hungry but it is just head hunger? Like Devon, I generally don't feel any hunger shen I am busy, but if I walk into my kitchen, watch out!

Have a turnkey Tuesday!

Busy last couple days

Sorry to hear Cecily. You need to catch a break!

Ann--your FB photos are already having me excited1

168 today and kinda feeling similar to Devon's meme the other day. I sincerely feel like "Zero F*s given" and if someone wants to talk to me about my eating habits I'll just eat them too. PMS here? Yikes. Seriously I never care so little about what I eat but now I want to eat what I want to eat. Nom nom

I'm definitely not happy with my weight as I head off to swimsuit land. And yeah, I'll probably put on some more weight while there. But I'm going to try and not be too hard on myself about it. Got a spray tan so there's that. I probably will try to emulate Liz and not weigh until at least a week from Saturday, after having given my body a few days to detox.

We just changed my sister's flight home! She now gets back next Monday! She will have been in Europe for over 6 weeks, so it's time. She was originally going to stay until late July but needs some R&R.

Greetings Intrepid Ones

Down a pound to 149. Its probably all due to emission of snot due to my summer cold which came on full force this morning. Oh goody. Fortunately I have a supply of the behind the counter cold pills. I may call the doctor for some codeine cough syrup as its the only thing that works for the inevitable cough that will be coming. I found a large 2/3 full bottle of the stuff but it expired in 2012. Shel, think thats toss time?

We are kind of a sickly bunch today. Carbon, leg cramps are the worst. Do you keep some quinine tablets around? Years ago I had a spell of them. I was taught to grab the bottom of my foot and pull it toward me to relieve the cramp. It does work.

And Lordy Cecily yet another issue. Hoping you get some relief from all this stuff. And get assertive with your surgeon if you haven't already. All this stuff needs to be managed and balanced somehow. My brother uses a "concierge" doctor in LA who coordinates stuff and gets him to the right people fast. I am sure it ain't cheap but it works for him.

Shel I am so glad you have that Garmin. I would hate to think of you being lost or hurt in the woods. I may have posted previously of this terrible event here some years ago where an elderly artist used to go out and paint pleine aire. She was off a trail and fell and eventually died out there after quite an ordeal. Such a device would have saved her life.

Well, at least Liz and Ann are having fun. Have extra fun for the rest of us.

Yeah I find that if I am busy - especially out of the house - that I don't get so hungry. I am one of those who for years after wls had little hunger. I thought this whole thing was easy. Then about year five things changed somewhat and now its a struggle. Not like the old days but I do want to eat more and do so. BTW, last night's organic hippie rib eye steak was great. Worth the $$.

We have been actively seeking funny tv shows as the national news is so dismal. DH found this series called "The Unbreakable Kimmie Schmidt". Very goofy and funny. Anyone have any suggestions? DH is well armed with every video service there is.

Well, off to suck some zinc lozenges. Shel, do those do any good? Why is it that we can cure tuberculosis but not a cold? Big pharma could make millions as I would pay a lot to get rid of a cold. And furthermore, coffee doesn't taste good with the zinc. Thats my whine du jour. Diane S