My string of bad luck has hit me again. Ever since my incident with the anemia last summer, my digestive tract has not been right, and i keep getting constant bouts of diarrhea. I went twice now to the doctor and they said i had a bacteria infection and put me on antibiotics, but it did not help and so i actually made an appointment to see some one else .
Well then over the weekend, my feet and hands kept getting real puffy. Then yesterday I woke up with the worst pain in the mi idle of my chest like someone was slamming their fist in me. I had pain running down my left arm too. I was like " OH shi... !! " ( excuse the language !! ) The pain got worse and i was in a cold sweat. My husband called for the ambulance and i was rushed to the hospital.
In the hospital they did EKG, and blood work. One of the blood tests they did, showed i might have a clot, so then they did a cat scan. I spent several hours in the ER , because my pulse keep racing over 100, and my blood pressure went up to 210 over 140. Every time i moved, or sat up, it would send my pressure even higher.
I thought sure they were going to admit me, as did my my husband.But as everyone who knows me, knows that i do not care for the local emergency room here, or the service very much. Even though my blood pressure and pulse were still on the high side they released me, and told me that i was to contact a cardiologist in the morning that was on staff there.
So this morning my husband called the cardiologist for me and told them went happen yesterday, and to make a long story short, I can not be seen until Monday.
So i am trying my best to think positive, but it so frustrating. as everyone who knows me, knows i have been thru enough health wise, these last three years, with my thoracic surgery, the tumor on my spine, and the surgery i had last year. This was going to be my year to be healthy again.Oh well, I am not going to let this get me down. I have gooten thru before...but I have to admit,,,,i am scared this time. I never had blood pressure that high.My arms and legs are still very swollen.
Keep me in your thoughts please, and my family too. Thanks !!
Keeping you in thoughts fro out here in Az
Lady Amy when we meet at Sterling this year, (Notice I said when, think positive) I will give you the hug. You have been through a lot. I don't like the idea of you waiting until Monday or Tuesday. You do need to be in a hospital. Both the wife and I will keep you in our prayers and if you come to Strong in Rochester let me know and we will even visit after one of my treatments.
Quote from: Xantrawler on February 10, 2010, 09:38:20 PM
Lady Amy when we meet at Sterling this year, (Notice I said when, think positive) I will give you the hug. You have been through a lot. I don't like the idea of you waiting until Monday or Tuesday. You do need to be in a hospital. Both the wife and I will keep you in our prayers and if you come to Strong in Rochester let me know and we will even visit after one of my treatments.
I am holding you to that hug my friend ! :) We both need to think positive, for i know you are dealing with your own health issues too right now.
Yea, I am not thriiled about waiting till Monday to see the cardiologist, nor are my parents, but as anyone who knows me and my health story, they know I am not thriiled with the local hospital here.
Well, if i do not get any satisfaction here, one of my nieces works as a nurse on the cardiac care floor at the hospital in Albany, and she said she could give me names of some doctors there.
Good Grief! What will we do with you? No more being ill! Got that?? :D
I hope things work out on Monday. Make sure you call, if you need to talk. OK???
Positive, healing thoughts headed your way from northern Minnesota!
Hi. So here is the latest :
Went and had cat scans done on Friday of stomach and pelvic area to try to find cause of the chronic diarrhea and side pain, i have been getting for the last three months now. Doctor called this morning and said tests came back normal. he still wants to see me Thursday to go over them.
Then i saw the Cardiologist this afternoon. Bottom line they did not feel that the swelling in my arms and legs, the high blood pressure, chest pains, shortness of breath was heart related, and had no deffinite explanation to what could be causing it. They did another EKG, checked my pressure, listen to lungs.
I'm still getting the diarrhea, my hands and feet are still puffy, and i'm still short of breath and dizzy.
So good news is that the tests showed nothing wrong. The bummer news is that i am left like usual without any answers to what is going on with me. I feel like screaming ! Even my husband Tim just shooked his head. I think i will go down to the corner tavern and have a couple drinks ! :'(
UGH !!!!
Anyway, thanks for the prayers. :) Hugs--Amy
Hang in there, we're all here for you
{{{AMY}}}
Dang Sis! Maybe you need a few good shots of rum? ::)
As always, you are in my thoughts and prayers!
;D
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Good news ! Finally. finally....and for a change...took long enough...we have some answers to what have been causing my symptoms. Yea!!
The swelling, and puffiness of my hands, feet, legs and arms are due to the Premarin (Estrogen ) they put me on after my hysterectomy last fall. So plan is to lower the dosage.
As for the diarrhea i been having for months, since the Cat scans showed nothing wrong with my stomach or intestines, the doctors feel that it is a food allergy. To what we don't know. But they felt it could be to diary products.
And as far as the chest pains, erratic heart rhythm, and palpitations...one of my blood tests showed i was very low in potassium. Low potassium levels causes the heart to work harder and can cause cardiac like symptoms.
Also, low sodium can cause tingling that i have been getting in my hands and feet.
So i had the thoracic surgery 2 years ago to remove the tumor on my spine that was pressing on nerves and causing problems.
Then i was still left with dizziness and passing out, and tremors, which we found was due to the anemia, so i had the hysterectomy last fall.
But there was still the tingling, diarrhea, swelling, and the erratic heart rhythm, and palpitations, and the numbness in my hands and feet.
But as i said, now we know the Premarin caused the swelling, and the low potassium caused the tingling, and the heart stuff. As for the numbness , who knows maybe it causes that too.I do know also i have 2 bulging discs in my back that may be causing it, but no way am i having back surgery.
But finally some answers. Yea !!! Yea!! ;D :) :) :)
Keeping you in the thought from out here in AZ
Congrats on the good news!
crazy
Answers are good to have
YEA!!!!!! Finally!! I am so glad they have given you some answers!
Still in my prayers and still need some rum! :P
So glad to hear that you have answers to your problems! Yea! I had physical therapy because I had tingling in my fingers caused by a bulging disc. The tingling disappeared and a year and a half later I still have no problem. I didn't know that low potassium caused palpitations. I've been having them and thought I was on the verge of an anxiety attack. I figured one of my other medicines was causing that, and a recent EKG showed no problems. I was just diagnosed with low potassium and the doctor put me on a supplement. Hopefully that will get rid of that little problem. Thanks for posting about it because you helped relieve my mind!
Amy, if I were you I'd tell my doctor I wanted an alternative to Premerin. It's a horrid drug. Not just for the side effects, but for how it is made. Do some reading about it and say no.
I wish you could find a natural health practitioner up there. One that would look to making you well.
Oh Lady Amy! I am so glad you are FINALLY starting to get some answers! :) I know I'm not on often, but you are in my thoughts and I am always sending thoughts of strength & healing whenever you come to mind.
Thanks everyone !! ;D
so happy you have some answers, Amy :D. it's about time!
Quote from: Anna Iram on February 20, 2010, 10:44:08 PM
Amy, if I were you I'd tell my doctor I wanted an alternative to Premerin. It's a horrid drug. Not just for the side effects, but for how it is made. Do some reading about it and say no.
I wish you could find a natural health practitioner up there. One that would look to making you well.
i agree with you Anna. Premarin is unkind. for those that don't know it's made from estrogen that is collected from pregnant mares' urine. these mares are bred only for the purpose of providing estrogen/urine. what happens to their foals is sad. some are saved and find homes many do not.
Quote from: Celtic Lady on February 21, 2010, 12:04:51 AM
so happy you have some answers, Amy :D. it's about time!
Quote from: Anna Iram on February 20, 2010, 10:44:08 PM
Amy, if I were you I'd tell my doctor I wanted an alternative to Premerin. It's a horrid drug. Not just for the side effects, but for how it is made. Do some reading about it and say no.
I wish you could find a natural health practitioner up there. One that would look to making you well.
i agree with you Anna. Premarin is unkind. for those that don't know it's made from estrogen that is collected from pregnant mares' urine. these mares are bred only for the purpose of providing estrogen/urine. what happens to their foals is sad. some are saved and find homes many do not.
I agree with you Anna and Celtic Lady. Being a horse owner, i knew all about Premarin. I had a friend who would go around and adopt the Premarin foals.
I told the doctors i did not want Premarin, if that was the form of estrogen they were going to use. But what happen was that the hospital after the hysterectomy last year, while i was still knocked out from the anesthesia, they, without, my knowledge had started administering the Premarin thru IV.
Since they were giving a large dosage thru IV, i was told I could not just stop cold turkey. I had to wean off of it.
I have been trying to get my Obgyn to switch me to something else, with not much success. so i just said " Forget this. I am not going to take the prescription ." Plus the new family doctor I am seeing was not too keen on me being on Premarin either.
I am a believer of natural health. I too wish I could find a natural health practitioner around here. I do have a store near by that i love, that carries natural health products, so i may go there and talk to them, and see if they have some biodentical, or natural estrogen cream. To be honest though, i'm not really crazy about using estrogen at all, so i may not use it all.
UPDATE :
I contacted the natural health store by me and they have two different estrogen products made from soy. But the more I research about the pro and cons of estrogen I'm not too sure the beneifits are worth the risks. So undecided at this point.
Lady Amy,
I am glad you have at least a partial answer to your problems.
Personally my body is too sensitive to any form of outside hormone, to the point that I can't eat anything soy based as it will make my hormones go nuts.
May I suggest you look into acupuncture??
it has done wonders for my mom's back problems- things they told her she could only have mitigated by back surgery which she absolutely refused.
I stay away from soy products too, but there are other products to consider . Keep in mind I am not a medical professional nor have I had personal experince with any of these alternatives. I also don't know the specifics of why your doctors chose Premarin and why they are taking so long to get you off of it. Anyway...disclaimer having been made... :D
Here's a lit of possible alternatives. Some are yam based. Some are better for certain conditions. It's a good list to start from anyway.
http://members.tripod.com/p3_acres/id49.htm
It's confusing to decide what you really need and what women are being told they need. Perhaps you could sit with your new doctor and discuss some of the products off the list. I'm always reading about something or another. I'll keep an eye out for anything that might be of help Amy.
Thanks Anna.
I don't know why my OB doctor decided on Premarin either. He had told me before the surgery that since they were taking the ovaries too, that I would nedd estrogen. I told him I was not too thrilled on the idea, and i also recall telling him, not to put me on Premarin.
But that is what they went and put me on while in the hospital recovering f rom the surgery, and I was told by them ( although i don't think it is rellay true, based on some research i have been doing ) that you can not just stop taking it cold turkey.
But I did. I totally stopped taking it . Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands. Only you really know your own body.
Thanks for the info on Yams.
I am constantly reading health books and researching on the internet. Yes, you do have to be careful what you read and take. I always research everything very carefully first, but i have found some times doctors do not always know everything. There is alot of info out there if you take the time to read and research. You just have to be careful that you don't start thinking you have every disease in the book. I am a firm beliver now, of researching every prescription your doctor hands you and finding out all about the possible side effects.
Thanks again.
:) You are very welcome.
Lady Amy, this is great news. Does this mean not only do we get to send hugs all around (And keep Irish out of trouble) but perhaps we two, our loved ones, family and friends as well as others we know at Sterling can join in and do the Maypole dance together? We can call it the pole of Hope, or Survivor's Pole.
Catch my update to find out why I have been absent. I'm doing much better now.
Once more this has been great news and I'm looking forward to July to give you your hug.
Hmmmmmmmmm........I wonder who is going to keep you two out of trouble, cause, if you are keeping me out of trouble, then you'd be in trouble...hell! let's just get in trouble all together and let SterlingFan and Tygrkat, watch us.....ummmmmm, well, they need to be in trouble too, so..........it will just be a troublesome affair at the faire....lmao! ;D
I'm definitely no help when it comes to staying out of trouble....now if you need help FINDING trouble, that is another matter ENTIRELY ;)
*ETA* I CAN'T WAIT FOR FAIRE!!! ;D
Quote from: irish on March 07, 2010, 07:10:16 PM
Hmmmmmmmmm........I wonder who is going to keep you two out of trouble, cause, if you are keeping me out of trouble, then you'd be in trouble...hell! let's just get in trouble all together and let SterlingFan and Tygrkat, watch us.....ummmmmm, well, they need to be in trouble too, so..........it will just be a troublesome affair at the faire....lmao! ;D
Irish..Lets see, between, me ,Xantrawler, Tygrkat, Sterling Fan, ..the four of us should be able to keep you under control....then again.... I think we need more recruits , or we could just take away your mirrors and floggers ! ;D ;D
Xantrawler, I definitely hope to meet you in person this year at faire.
Lady Amy I'm hoping we all can meet. My wife wants to meet you all. Hmmmm I wonder if she will keep us out of trouble. All of us will come together, perhaps at the Bad Dog. Raise our mugs to each other and all those who are fighters. Then afterwards we can take Irish for a short walk to the pond, if he has misbehaved. Lol
Xantrawler! LOL! I am a SHE........lmao!! ::)
whoops, I was wondering why I had an extra S after I got done with that post.
Hey Amy. Hope you are doing well. Have you any updates for us with what is going on with you?
Celtic lady ! Hugs girlfriend !
I'm doing good. ( knocks on wood ! ) The potassium pills seem to have help the heart palpitations. ( knocks on wood again ). As long as
I watch what i eat ( i deffinitely have food allergies ) i don't seem to get the diarrhea. but sometimes i will forget and then i pay the l price the next day.
I stopped the estrogen all together and that helped with the extreme swelling i was getting in my hands and face. I still get some swelling sometimes if i have been doing alot of walking, in my feet, but that is due to my diabetes.
I still get numbness on and off in my hands and feet but alot of that is due to nerve damage from my diabetes going undetected for so long, plus the neurologists told me i had definitely had something at one time that attacked my nerve cells. Could have been the Lyme disease i had back in 1992.
I just went to the eye doctor last week, and got new lenses to help me see better. At least i better see better, seeing how for the prescription regular glasses, then the sunglasses, plus the exam it came close to $1000. Unfortunately my health insurance does not cover eye care.
i go this week for a root canal and a crown put in on of my teeth for the tune of $2000. So needless to say there goes the family vacation we were going to take next month. oh well !
I go next week to my family doctor, the new one that i like, to have my potassium levels checked again, and to have my cholesterol and blood sugar checked. depending on my blood sugar reading this time, they may start me on meds for my diabetes.
overall though, things are doing good for a change. Thanks for asking ! :)
I'm so glad they're starting to figure out what the different problems have been, and are treating what needs to be treated! I will continue to pray that things get better every day for you, dear! Take care, Amy! :)
Quote from: Rani Zemirah on May 11, 2010, 08:36:31 AM
I'm so glad they're starting to figure out what the different problems have been, and are treating what needs to be treated! I will continue to pray that things get better every day for you, dear! Take care, Amy! :)
i second that. i'm so very happy to hear things are on an upward curve now :).
You both (Rani and Celtic Lady) might as well go ahead and throw me into the mix as well. Amy I am very proud to hear that things are looking up for you now and that you are finally being treated for all the problems that you have been faced with so long. Please know that you are still in my thoughts and prayers like you have always been.
Love and Hugs to you as usual Amy.
Thanks everyone. yes, nice to have things looking good for me for a change. :) Could not have made it thru all that i went thru these last 5 years though without my family and you guys. Thanks for everything ! < Prays things continue to go well, don't want to jinx myself here ! :) ;)>
So glad things are looking better! Still sending healing prayers your way!