Re: Doris, IBS, FRUSTRATION!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest guest]

Anne,

Joe has had nausea, vomiting and diarhea (man, I'll never learn how to spell

that) for a month? This is not good. It sounds like he needs to go to the

ER!

[Guest guest]

HI Pam, Doris, !

Thank you for your responses to my long post. Yes, Pam, it is unimaginable

the treatment (or LACK of it) that our vets have to endure! I, too, am

ashamed of that hospital. I have no words for how I feel right now about it!

(At least none that are appropriate to share here!) I am EXTREMELY upset at

the " abandonment " I feel, and I can only imagine how betrayed Joe feels

tonight as he struggles through his work. It is truly heartbreaking. There

should be a way to convince the VA to take better care of its proud vets. I

have no words.

Doris, at your prompting (how did I not think of it?) I researched a bit more

on PTU and those ARE, in fact side effects! (Vomiting and nausea, although

they are rare.)

When you ask about vanishing before my eyes ... I remember a commercial I saw

as a kid about an alcoholic father " vanishing " from the picture of his family

.... I see Joe just like that now. Yes, he's lost an incredible amount of

weight, but the real " vanishing " is with his spirit. The last three days

it's as if he's a life breathing it's last breaths. And I mean that

absolutely sincerely. It's had me in the most uncomfortable position, as I

want to be strong for him, yet the stress of it all if affecting MY control

of my diabetes. I've pricked my fingers so much in the last week that they

hurt to type with!

I can honestly say that I'm feeling very depressed/anxious about everything

right now, and taking him to the doctor tomorrow is my hope of regaining

control again. I know I don't need to be in control of his life and disease,

but when it adversely affects mine, therefore hindering my capacity to be

helpful, it is an extreme problem.

LOL I am realizing here, that while I accuse Joe of being stubborn and

strong, I am also guilty of wanting to be both too! I spoke earlier today

with a friend of mine who has Type 1 diabetes too and her husband has Crohn's

disease. We were talking about how crappy life can seem and that sometimes

we think, " Why me, why Us? " And we also commented that there always seems to

be a positive side, even in the face of such adversity -- sort of? Right now

Joe is going through a lot. What can I do but do what I can? I love him!

Pam, you're " I'm tough, " is exactly Joe! And I don't want him to end up in

emergency like you! I'm glad you made it through. Sometimes it takes

getting kicked all the way down before it sinks in. Yes, we'll go in the

morning and hopefully he'll be his wonderful self again very soon!

Last Tuesday he was feeling okay enough to take me out to a very special and

surprise dinner at Shennanigan's with one dozen of the most beautiful roses

I've seen and a lovely full body massage after arriving home for my getting a

raise at work! These treats were presented to me with the most professional

looking " You Are Cordially Invited ... " invites (yes, his hand shaking is

gone) I've seen. It was a delight and a celebration I'll not forget! I tuck

away those special moments to get me through all of this. I'll let you know

what happens tomorrow, and thank you a million times over for listening and

responding!

Much love to all,

Ann

[Guest guest]

Oh my gosh Ann,

You should have told us how sick he was. And that is an odd mix of symptoms.

Please do get him in first thing in the morning.

Yes folks, This is how they treat all our wonderful veterans here in

Portland. It is not just Joe.

I held my tongue when you said where he was going Ann, till the other

night, because I didn't want to make you worry more, and we did not realize

how bad he had gotten.

Several of my dear friends have had the same ongoing issues with that

hospital . One was a housemate, and ill the whole time he was here, so I had

a real close up view of the entire event. Like Joe, he now has a better job

and health insurance, and is only now getting some help. But that damn

hospital stole about 20 years of his life.

But what about the other veterans that have no way of getting better

insurance because of age, or the long drawn out illnesses that cause us to

not get better jobs.

These are the men and women that stepped forward and put their lives on the

line for all of us. It is all just so wrong. I continue to be so ashamed

that this continues.

Ann....

I don't know if it will help, but they told me I had Ulcerative Colitis for

years ( after one of my famous, I am tough and ending in emergency and then

the hospital for 4 days ), then when I got better ( due to my own efforts,

thank you Doc very much), the new Doc said , " oh..it must have been a

misdiagnosis, you now have IBS. " Funny thing though, NOW the IBS is gone.

????

The nausea could be the PTU, as it is a side effect.

You say Joe is vanishing before your eyes. Do you mean his weight or do you

mean his emotions ?

Hopefully you get quick results, and can great improvements soon, with

proper attention being paid to his levels.

-Pam-

[Guest guest]

How did you get better?? I'm having a horrible time. Thought I would end up

having surgery this weekend.

Lona

http://tahomagirl.com

Health Links for the aftermath of Radiation

:

: Ann....

: I don't know if it will help, but they told me I had Ulcerative Colitis

for

: years ( after one of my famous, I am tough and ending in emergency and

then

: the hospital for 4 days ), then when I got better ( due to my own efforts,

: thank you Doc very much), the new Doc said , " oh..it must have been a

: misdiagnosis, you now have IBS. " Funny thing though, NOW the IBS is

gone.

: ????

:

[Guest guest]

Lorna,

So sorry to hear that. I remember the pain, and do sympathize.

I will never know for sure what was wrong with me then.

When I was in the hospital, they had me on major pain meds, and huge shots

of Prednisone. On the third day, I refused any more prednisone , as I was

going crazy. I broke down and asked to be moved to within sight of the

nurses station while the drugs wore off. I knew it was a drug that was

making me crazy and I told them so. The IVs hurt so bad, the drug made me

fantasize how good it would feel to push my arm through the window glass and

kill that IV pain. Crazy huh?

But thank God, I had the thought to ask for help before it was too late. I

would not allow them to leave me alone, until I got moved. So of coarse they

had to send in the shrink, to be sure I was not going to hurt any of them.

Talk about a slap in the face. Then that jerk told me I had unresolved

issues in my past. Excuse me ! I am being over dosed on a strong drug here,

and not handling it very well !

In 24 hrs. my panic was subsiding and I was sent home due to refusing

treatment . ( anyone see a pattern here ).

Came home with lots of pills. I was told to eat bland food. The end.

But it seemed everything bothered me. I then had to come up with my own

plan. Here I was alone in this house and obviously not able to work.

I picked one food that did not set me off. It turned out to be potatoes. So

I ate plain potatoes till there was less pain. Then I added one new food. I

think it was either salt ( uniodized because of the dermatologist) or

margarine. I don't remember which. I was so tired of PLAIN potatoes. I

bought only plain food and only organic , from our small co op.

I was unable to work for 1 1/2 years at that time, because I was so weak and

my mind was off. I had enough money to keep things going here, but had to

watch every penny.

If you are sick, you are not able to draw unemployment because you are not

seeking work.

I read every book on the subject at the library, and all I remember was the

SLOW addition of foods, and the lack of stress by not going to work.

The Prednisone did make a difference in the amount of blood I was loosing,

and did allow me to go home. When I was admitted the only thing left to come

out was blood.

While I was there I turned very yellow. I have always wondered what that was

all about.

OK, I went and looked at my old prescription bottle. The pills I kept

getting refilled that did help are Sulfasal. But they only helped, it was

food that was my answer and my curse. That was when I stopped eating fruit,

and citrus, and PEPPER, among many other things. It was such a treat, when I

was able to eat lettuce again.

I filled myself with bananas, as they have lots of potassium, and potassium

was the first IV I got. It took a while , but it finally slowed my heart

back down. When I went in to the hospital, I was not sure if the bloody

stools or the impending heart attack were going to be the death of me.

Here's the thing I can not figure out. They never did a thyroid test during

all of this, as far as I can find on any of these old bills.

And the diet I found worked for me, was the same diet I use now for Graves'

?????

I went to one local support group meeting for Crohn's. What I saw was a room

full of people waiting to die. Not a good support group. Scared the you know

what out of me. I made up my mind, right then and there, that I was not one

of them.

So I worked on diet, stress, supplements, visualized my colon healing... all

the same things I have done with Graves'. Eerily similar.

So did I have Ulcerative Colitis. Or was it a hyper phase of Hashis ??? Why

did the IBS only go away once my thyroid levels got closer to normal?

Haven't sat on the pot sweating in pain for a long time now.

Well, all my friends here. Sorry to be a bit graphic on this, but the only

thing I can think to help Lorna is just to tell it like it was.

I also know, none of us can guess the answers to these questions, and that

is why I have never told this part of my story.

Lorna... I do not know if you can pick through what I can remember now that

it is history, but at least I tried.

And, you know... I can not bore my friends with this whining and

reminiscing... :-)

So we will just call it my therapy session for the evening.

-Pam- HEY>>>> in my spell checker, I just realized the drug Sulfasal is

sulfa...PTU is sulfa ???and so is Tap ???

[Guest guest]

Lorna,

So sorry to hear that. I remember the pain, and do sympathize.

I will never know for sure what was wrong with me then.

When I was in the hospital, they had me on major pain meds, and huge shots

of Prednisone. On the third day, I refused any more prednisone , as I was

going crazy. I broke down and asked to be moved to within sight of the

nurses station while the drugs wore off. I knew it was a drug that was

making me crazy and I told them so. The IVs hurt so bad, the drug made me

fantasize how good it would feel to push my arm through the window glass and

kill that IV pain. Crazy huh?

But thank God, I had the thought to ask for help before it was too late. I

would not allow them to leave me alone, until I got moved. So of coarse they

had to send in the shrink, to be sure I was not going to hurt any of them.

Talk about a slap in the face. Then that jerk told me I had unresolved

issues in my past. Excuse me ! I am being over dosed on a strong drug here,

and not handling it very well !

In 24 hrs. my panic was subsiding and I was sent home due to refusing

treatment . ( anyone see a pattern here ).

Came home with lots of pills. I was told to eat bland food. The end.

But it seemed everything bothered me. I then had to come up with my own

plan. Here I was alone in this house and obviously not able to work.

I picked one food that did not set me off. It turned out to be potatoes. So

I ate plain potatoes till there was less pain. Then I added one new food. I

think it was either salt ( uniodized because of the dermatologist) or

margarine. I don't remember which. I was so tired of PLAIN potatoes. I

bought only plain food and only organic , from our small co op.

I was unable to work for 1 1/2 years at that time, because I was so weak and

my mind was off. I had enough money to keep things going here, but had to

watch every penny.

If you are sick, you are not able to draw unemployment because you are not

seeking work.

I read every book on the subject at the library, and all I remember was the

SLOW addition of foods, and the lack of stress by not going to work.

The Prednisone did make a difference in the amount of blood I was loosing,

and did allow me to go home. When I was admitted the only thing left to come

out was blood.

While I was there I turned very yellow. I have always wondered what that was

all about.

OK, I went and looked at my old prescription bottle. The pills I kept

getting refilled that did help are Sulfasal. But they only helped, it was

food that was my answer and my curse. That was when I stopped eating fruit,

and citrus, and PEPPER, among many other things. It was such a treat, when I

was able to eat lettuce again.

I filled myself with bananas, as they have lots of potassium, and potassium

was the first IV I got. It took a while , but it finally slowed my heart

back down. When I went in to the hospital, I was not sure if the bloody

stools or the impending heart attack were going to be the death of me.

Here's the thing I can not figure out. They never did a thyroid test during

all of this, as far as I can find on any of these old bills.

And the diet I found worked for me, was the same diet I use now for Graves'

?????

I went to one local support group meeting for Crohn's. What I saw was a room

full of people waiting to die. Not a good support group. Scared the you know

what out of me. I made up my mind, right then and there, that I was not one

of them.

So I worked on diet, stress, supplements, visualized my colon healing... all

the same things I have done with Graves'. Eerily similar.

So did I have Ulcerative Colitis. Or was it a hyper phase of Hashis ??? Why

did the IBS only go away once my thyroid levels got closer to normal?

Haven't sat on the pot sweating in pain for a long time now.

Well, all my friends here. Sorry to be a bit graphic on this, but the only

thing I can think to help Lorna is just to tell it like it was.

I also know, none of us can guess the answers to these questions, and that

is why I have never told this part of my story.

Lorna... I do not know if you can pick through what I can remember now that

it is history, but at least I tried.

And, you know... I can not bore my friends with this whining and

reminiscing... :-)

So we will just call it my therapy session for the evening.

-Pam- HEY>>>> in my spell checker, I just realized the drug Sulfasal is

sulfa...PTU is sulfa ???and so is Tap ???

[Guest guest]

Hey All,

I am thinking about this now.

Do large doses of Prednisone make you shake like Graves; does ?

I remembering while reading my own post... when I thought I was going crazy,

I was shaking and could not get water in my mouth, just like before and

during my storm. I had forgotten that part.

-Pam-

[Guest guest]

Hey All,

I am thinking about this now.

Do large doses of Prednisone make you shake like Graves; does ?

I remembering while reading my own post... when I thought I was going crazy,

I was shaking and could not get water in my mouth, just like before and

during my storm. I had forgotten that part.

-Pam-

[Guest guest]

Ann,

I am so sorry Joe is feeling so bad. I hope you will find some answers and

comfort soon for him.

As for VA hospitals I don't have much good to say about them. My cousins

boy was born with a form of cancer but wasn't diagnosed until he was sick at

16 months. Her husband was in the service and they did test after test and

treatments, he became very anemic. For three weeks he was having seizures

and she told them something was wrong. It was meningitis, but too late, by

then he was in a coma type state. He is still alive and needs 24 hr. care,

he is now 12 yrs. old and will never be normal. When my uncle had cancer

after the first surgery they told my dad and family that he was terminal.

But they did chemo and rai up until it made him so sick he couldn't

function. He believed he was going to beat it and when they talked to him

about doing different things he believed he would beat the cancer.

I feel the same as Pam, these are the people that have placed their lives in

danger to protect us all.

We are all here for you to talk to. Being there for Joe shows how special

you are and how lucky Joe is to have you. I remember when I was so sick and

all my husband did for me.

Debbie R.

[Guest guest]

Oh Ann, I'm so sorry that Joe is going through so much pain and

trouble! And his doctor sure doesn't seem to be helping by canceling his

appt. That would be incredibly frustrating!

I hope you two get some answers tomorrow when you take him to the urgent

care, or at the very least find someone who's willing to figure out what is

going on and help him to get better! I can't imagine how he functions at

work like that - poor thing!

He is so lucky to have you there to help him. Can you imagine what would

happen if he didn't have you? He might not even bother to get help until he

was _really_ sick.

(By the way, the story about him taking you out for dinner and all was so

sweet! Another good reason you're there - you can tell he's really hanging

in there for your sake as well!)

Good luck tomorrow - I'm praying for you both!

Doris, IBS, FRUSTRATION!!!!!!!!!!!

>Hello all, and boy am I glad I read today's posts!!!!! And I'm so glad I

can

>vent here, so I will (I know it's okay and I need to).

>

>I have simmered down quite a bit after putting myself through an ordeal

this

>evening that has made my blood boil! Doris, your response to Ann's mention

>of IBS has given me the GREATEST hope I've had in WEEKS! Thank you! You

>don't know how much that mention has calmed me. I'm in tears. Thank you,

>thank you, thank you. xo

>

>As some of you might remember, Joe's endo appointment at the VA hospital

was

>scheduled for this Wednesday morning June 12, at 9AM. I've taken time off

>from work for it, and have been reading the thyroid books like mad this

>weekend in order to be armed with questions. Joe has ALSO (I've alluded to

>it) been extremely sick with vomiting and incessant diarrhea for over a

month

>now, and I've urged him to call his endo to the point of being a nag. Joe

is

>a very stubborn and strong person (really) and has been determined to wait

>until June 12th, which we have! BUT....

>

>BUT ... the VA called him today and CANCELLED his appointment, giving no

>explanation even when prompted by him, and told him there was NO

rescheduled

>appointment. I learned this when I arrived home this evening and

immediately

>got on the phone with the VA, spoke to a nurse and she could give me no

>explanation either, but promised someone would follow up. (Great, I'll

hold

>my breath.) She did say that he should be seen for evaluation ASAP.

>

>The extremely frustrating and agonizing part for me is: Joe refused to wait

>for advice from any nurse before going to work (graveyard) at 6:20PM. I

knew

>how bad he feels because he waited an extra ten minutes before leaving

while

>I was on hold forever. He said he had to leave for work, that he couldn't

>let his stomach mess up that part of his life, and left.

>

>He recently has coverage through his work that is very good so I called an

>advice nurse THERE this eve to express my concern and hopefully get some

>help. (Amazing that I got such a great (and fast response since I'm only

the

> " girlfriend " -- damn, we've got to get married!) She mentioned (and THANK

YOU

>Doris again!) that while trying to regulate meds for thyroid function some

>very odd things can go on in the body. (Duh!) I had never heard anyone

here

>(or read in the books) that they've experienced diarrhea and/or vomiting

like

>he has.

>

>This has been going on for over a month, as I said, and tonight he looked

>like walking death when he left. He is so stubborn I couldn't keep him

here.

>But, now I am going to take my 1/2 day, that I planned to take off work

with

>him Wed, TOMORROW and we're going to go to an urgent care facility and get

>him on track with some real doctors this time. I am so very, so terribly,

>worried about him that I just want to break down and cry some more, but I'm

>going to be strong and get him the help he needs. I feel like he is

" fading

>out of the picture " right before my eyes. There have been times when he's

>been so sick to his stomach that he has just laid on the bathroom floor in

>pain after getting sick. It is crushing to see someone you love like that

>and be powerless to help.

>

>I forwarded your message to him Doris, and damned if I'm not going to write

>some kind of letter to the VA and that endo personally expressing my great

>disappointment in her as a medical doctor. I am angry, worried, yet

grasping

>now to hope.

>

>If any of you have read this to the end, thank you very much. I really

>needed to vent. Hopefully my darling will be on the road to feeling better

>very soon. My heart aches for him, as it does for all of you as I know

that

>you've all had to go through so much with this insane (at times) disease.

>Like my mother always tells me, " Honey, life isn't fair, and it's never

going

>to be. You make what you can make of it. " It is sometimes so hard to be

>strong.

>

>Much love and hugs to you all,

>

> Ann

>

>-------------------------------------

>The Graves' list is intended for informational purposes only and is not

intended to replace expert medical care.

>Please consult your doctor before changing or trying new treatments.

>----------------------------------------

> DISCLAIMER

>

>Advertisments placed on this yahoo groups list does not have the

endorsement of

>the listowner. I have no input as to what ads are attached to emails.

>---------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------

>

>