Pearl

[Guest guest]

If you want to go to Sweet Tomatoes here in Fresno, it makes no difference

to me what time, and if it is lunch or dinner, as it is only a mile or so from

my house. If you have a favorite place in Visalia I have no problem with

that, except of course on MWF's because of my therapy which I started today. My

daughter is out on Tues and Thurs. until the 7th, then she starts back. I

kind of imagine it is just going to be us though. It is kind of far for the

Bako

group to travel for lunch, and I understand that. Me, I am ready to eat just

about any time, any place. I love to eat and I am not a picky eater. I eat

meat, fish, and shrimp, but I also eat salads and soups. So pick a time and

place, tell me and I will be there. I don't work, so my schedule is more open

than most.

Pearl

In a message dated 8/4/2008 11:31:22 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,

plwboy1@... writes:

Hi Pearl-

I can meet you anytime. Do you want to do lunch or dinner? If we do

dinner, I can bring my hubby- or if we meet on a weekend. If we do

lunch, I will come solo. Just let me know when is a good time for you

and I would love to meet you and anyone else who can join us.

Vicki

**************Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget?

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)

[Guest guest]

Pearl

Have you had your appointment with Dr. K yet?

Hugs

Jo

[Guest guest]

Yes, I had it yesterday and came away totally screwed up. Nothing was the

way I expected. First off he said my hernia is very large, therefore it does

not have to be operated on anytime soon. I knew it was very large, but he said

it was the little ones that are dangerous. So unless this one is causing me

problems daily it doesn't have to be operated on. It will just keep getting

larger though. It is pretty big now though really. And he admits that. Then I

asked about a boob job. Well, wrong wording. What I want done and what he can

do depends on how I word it and what my results will be. If I want the

insurance company to pay for it, because they are causing me pain, then I have

no

guarantee of what size or the outcome of the surgery. In fact I was warned

about the nipple not necessarily attaching and I really came away with my head

and heart in a deep black hole. I have never been so depressed with a meeting.

Then I asked about my anemia, and he said to just take a regular dose of

ferrous fumarate, which he insists I can get at any drug store and I insist I

can't. I wanted to know what strength and he said just take whatever the

bottle said, once a day. So that didn't really make much sense to me. I asked

for

copies of my labs and they gave them to me. Took pictures of my face and

boobs and sent me on my way. I was entering them in my computer today and

discovered they did not give me any results of the vitamin tests, none for the

urine

tests none for the A1C test, and I know they were ordered and I took them.

So, I just didn't come away happy. My iron is low, that is fact. total iron

is 31 when it should be 40-160 and % transferrin saturation is 8 when range is

15-50. What I don't understand is total Iron binding capacity is 366 and

range is 250-450. So why is my iron off? Transferrin is 298 and range is

188-341. All I can figure from reading about it is that I may have been

dehydrated

that day, as of course I had been fasting for 14 hours with nothing to eat or

drink. I don't remember what you said about the PTH and calcium but it was

60 with a range of 10-65. So I don't know if that is good or not. They did an

Intact Parathyroid Hormone and Calcium test and that was in the normal range.

So all in all I feel my labs came back okay. I would like to see what my

cholesterol, vitamins and such were though. I was surprised when I was going

through the papers this morning and they weren't there.

Now I have to make a decision about how much this big bump is too me. He

said it is a laproscopic procedure and I would go over to my brothers and not

even have to stay in the hospital. He said I would feel really bad for a

couple of weeks and I would have to be careful for six weeks. I was asking

about

how long until I could drive to TN to see my daughter. Also if I would be able

to swim this summer. Said it all depended on when I decided to do it and

what all I decided to do. What do you think? I wear these binders all the time

to try to keep it from getting bigger. but it still does, and he said it will.

I just have to decide when it bothers me enough. If it doesn't bother me,

leave it alone, if it does, then we go after it. I guess I need to talk to my

family. I am just in a mess right now. My brother was with me and he couldn't

make any sense of it for me either.

End of story. Pearl

In a message dated 2/19/2009 2:32:56 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, m

oobabies@... writes:

Pearl

Have you had your appointment with Dr. K yet?

Hugs

Jo

**************Need a job? Find an employment agency near you.

(http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=employment_agencies & ncid=emlcntusyelp00\

000003)

[Guest guest]

Hi Pearl,

I posted this to you on the " other " site, but I'm not sure how often

you check either place so I am copying it below for you. Sigh. Is

anyone other than me still really sad that this lovely group split in

two? It seems such a waste of time/energy to have to monitor both

sites. And often the information is duplicated, as in this case

where I'm just reposting what I posted there. Do we think there

might be ANY chance of our all coming back together as one group

again?

Oh well, anyway, a copy of my post follows relative to your hernia

repair:

Hey there Pearl,

Just FYI, I had my BIG ventral incisional hernia repaired a week ago

yesterday up here in Bellingham. The surgeon had warned me that I

was going to be " really sore " afterwards, so I was expecting the

worst. It was to be a laparoscopic procedure, also. Well... It

turned out she couldn't do it laparoscopically because she found I am

all full of scar tissue and adhesions in there (which she took

pictures of for me! Very cool.). I came out of anesthesia (2 1/2 hr

surgery) with THREE incisions: 2 little ones from the laparoscope

and one long one right in line with my DS incision scar. The day of

surgery, I was indeed really sore. Only could walk a few feet from

the bed & then had to " back up " to get back since it was too painful

to turn around. However, when I woke up the next morning it was a

whole other story. I had very little pain, was able to walk very

well, first with a walker & then without, and felt surprisingly

good! I stayed a second night in the hospital just because I was

leery of having to sleep in a flat bed at home, but the next morning

I went home bright & early & have done amazingly well since then.

Almost no pain to speak of, very little discomfort. Went for a 1 1/4

mile walk on Tuesday (6 days post-op)and about 3/4 of a mile

yesterday with no problem at all. My big hernia also was not

dangerous, but it had become darned uncomfortable. I am so glad to

have it fixed! Plus I think I can go down a whole nother pants size

now that the big " bulge " in front is gone! So, don't let the surgery

scare you off it you think you'd like to have it fixed. You know I'm

around your age and the surgery was an easy one for me. Hope this

helps ease your mind just a little!

Bellingham, WA

[Guest guest]

I'm glad you're feeling better. I too had hernia surgery in Dec. Dr. K did a

wonderful job.

 

To show you how out of the loop I am, I didn't know there were two groups. lol

Subject: Re: Pearl

To: DS_Friends_Keshishian

Date: Thursday, February 19, 2009, 2:06 PM

Hi Pearl,

I posted this to you on the " other " site, but I'm not sure how often

you check either place so I am copying it below for you. Sigh. Is

anyone other than me still really sad that this lovely group split in

two? It seems such a waste of time/energy to have to monitor both

sites. And often the information is duplicated, as in this case

where I'm just reposting what I posted there. Do we think there

might be ANY chance of our all coming back together as one group

again?

Oh well, anyway, a copy of my post follows relative to your hernia

repair:

Hey there Pearl,

Just FYI, I had my BIG ventral incisional hernia repaired a week ago

yesterday up here in Bellingham. The surgeon had warned me that I

was going to be " really sore " afterwards, so I was expecting the

worst. It was to be a laparoscopic procedure, also. Well... It

turned out she couldn't do it laparoscopically because she found I am

all full of scar tissue and adhesions in there (which she took

pictures of for me! Very cool.). I came out of anesthesia (2 1/2 hr

surgery) with THREE incisions: 2 little ones from the laparoscope

and one long one right in line with my DS incision scar. The day of

surgery, I was indeed really sore. Only could walk a few feet from

the bed & then had to " back up " to get back since it was too painful

to turn around. However, when I woke up the next morning it was a

whole other story. I had very little pain, was able to walk very

well, first with a walker & then without, and felt surprisingly

good! I stayed a second night in the hospital just because I was

leery of having to sleep in a flat bed at home, but the next morning

I went home bright & early & have done amazingly well since then.

Almost no pain to speak of, very little discomfort. Went for a 1 1/4

mile walk on Tuesday (6 days post-op)and about 3/4 of a mile

yesterday with no problem at all. My big hernia also was not

dangerous, but it had become darned uncomfortable. I am so glad to

have it fixed! Plus I think I can go down a whole nother pants size

now that the big " bulge " in front is gone! So, don't let the surgery

scare you off it you think you'd like to have it fixed. You know I'm

around your age and the surgery was an easy one for me. Hope this

helps ease your mind just a little!

Bellingham, WA

[Guest guest]

Sigh. Is

> anyone other than me still really sad that this lovely group split in

> two? It seems such a waste of time/energy to have to monitor both

> sites. And often the information is duplicated, as in this case

> where I'm just reposting what I posted there. Do we think there

> might be ANY chance of our all coming back together as one group

> again?

++++++++++++++

:

The group split was/is upsetting. The two groups will probably always

happen as long as People choose to be at both places. If at anytime in

the future folks just stop posting to one of the groups (or for that

matter both the groups) then that group(s) will fade away.

The only reason for the other group existing is because Marta got upset

and left this group and formed another. Everyone she invited to go

over there was already here. If Marta ever wanted to come back to this

group she would be welcome. We hated to see her decide to go.

I never joined Marta's group. I am still friends with her, I still

email her and see her in person. I still miss her being here, it was

just easier to keep in touch. But I didn't join her group because I

simply don't have the time to keep up with two groups and what I knew

would happen...double reading copied post to both groups. I decided to

stay here because this is the group that Dr. K officially recommends

for patients to go to for support. I wanted to be there for those

patients who are still in a learning curve, who are excited and scared

at the same time. (sounds kinda egotistical when I put it in

writing..lol).

As I said...I'm not in Marta's group so I don't know what goes on

there. I'm sure there is some good stuff going on. But if you are

like me and find two groups are too much hassle..then choose the group

that suits your needs the best. The group that gives you the support,

friendship and info YOU need. " IF " you have to choose one group I hope

it is this one because the New Kids need us Oldsters hanging around.

(besides, I value each of our members and would miss you) Each group is

what the members make it by their participation.

Some folks like and choose chicken soup

Some folks like and choose beef stew

Some folks LOVE both and don't need to choose between them!

Hugs

Jo

[Guest guest]

I only drink iced tea, so I don't add anything but Splenda. Not gallons, but

I do like two or three glasses a day when it is hot. It is getting tea time,

and I thought it was one of the reasons my iron was low. Where did I get

that idea?

Pearl

In a message dated 3/6/2009 12:58:36 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,

moobabies@... writes:

> I am having a hard time giving up my tea. I am not sure just how much

damage

> tea really does to us.

======================

Pearl

I drink tea. Not by the gallons but a few glasses a week. The problem with

tea is it contains oxalates. Oxalate's is part of the formula that creates

kidney stones. So if a person is having Kidney stone problems it is certainly

something to look at.

You can offset some of the oxalate in tea by taking extra calcium. Calcium

and oxalates taken at the same time will bind together in the gut and you will

just expel it. Also adding a splash of milk in your hot tea serves that

purpose...and if memories serves.. there is some benefit to adding a squeeze of

lemon.

Teas can have many health benefits. lol...including MENTAL health benefits.

Sometimes the caffeine keeps me sane!

If your not a kidney stone builder. Go ahead and enjoy a glass/cup of tea.

Hugs

Jo

**************Need a job? Find employment help in your area.

(http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=employment_agencies & ncid=emlcntusyelp00\

000005)

[Guest guest]

>

> I only drink iced tea, so I don't add anything but Splenda. Not gallons, but

> I do like two or three glasses a day when it is hot. It is getting tea time,

> and I thought it was one of the reasons my iron was low. Where did I get

> that idea?

> Pearl

--------------------------------------------------------------

Pearl,

I have " iron overload disease " (hereditary hemochromotosis)and need to drink

tea, coffee or red wine to minimize absorption of iron. So if you're taking

iron supplements you should avoid ingesting at least these three items in close

proximity to taking your iron.

Phil