Re: Thought I would update on the flare - To Darlene//Debra V

[Guest guest]

Debra,

The cardiologist who saw me in the hospital in January stated that I

had lower extremity blockages (heart checked out okay) and he also

said that me being on Lasix for as long as I had been was not good

for my heart or my kidneys and they needed to change it - well, they

did, to something called Bumex (2mg dose). Anyhow, my legs have

slowly continued to swell. When I went to the vascular guy last

Friday, he could see that from the knees down, I have definitely

got " something " going on so he is doing a venous (sp?) test this week

and I guess that will tell the tale.

I opted to go back to Lasix to get the swelling down some because

quite honestly, I couldn't take it any more and figured if it got

much worse, it was going to throw me into congestive heart failure; I

was already struggling to breathe and take 4 nebulizer tx a day

w/atrovent (sp??). All that plus dealing with hypertension (which is

under control....lololol) and diabetes (which is not because of the

stupid steroids, thus the glucophage) and the BEAST? I am one woman

spoiling for a fight.......lololol.....

Actually, tomorrow I am resting. I think I will cancel my daughter's

play therapy for tomorrow so the only thing I " have " to do is take

them and pick them up from school! That sounds like a marvelous

plan!!!

Thanks for the well wishes; I know you've been struggling with the

resp crud and trying to work thru it plus the beast. You get my pats

on the back girl, there is no way I could work like that right now!

(((Hugs)))

Darlene

Well, we know that I was in horrible fibro flare Saturday so I won't

> repeat all that jazz. Suffice it to say that I switched my

diuretic

> back to Lasix (40 mg) on Saturday to attempt to help the swelling.

I

> took 2 on Sunday (have been up to 120 mg so figured 80 was okay),

> drank about 1/2 gallon of water or better, stuck with only 1 soft

> drink (diet coke) and kept them propped as much as possible.

>

> By bedtime last night, from the knees down, my legs were bruised

and

> still swollen from whatever is causing them to swell. DH woke me

up

> this morning around 4 am because my breathing was off so I got up

and

> my swelling is down (I can ALMOST see my ankle bones) ***but*** my

> feet are so beyond tender from how swollen they are that it may be

20

> degrees outside (I am not really sure) but flip flops are going to

> be " my friend " .

>

> I will also be babying them today because I know they hurt so bad

due

> to how badly they were swollen. I am staying on the lasix too and

> calling the doctor and telling him I made an " executive decision " .

> They have GOT to find me something that works, at least until we

get

> the testing for the lower body extremities blockages done. I

cannot

> put my family through what I went thru this weekend. I was at my

last

> edge of impatience with my kids and DH. All I wanted to do was

cry.

> I went ahead this morning and took a naproxyn because I know

there's

> still inflammation. For heavens sake, there is still an extra 10

lbs

> of fluid on me somewhere (although I think the steroids are not

> helping either - think Tim in " The Santa Clause " and how his

> face just poofed up!).

>

> Anyhow, I wanted to give an update. Thanks to everyone for their

> ecards and well wishes and tips. I have them saved and can only

pray

> there won't be a " next time " when I swell so badly it brings on a

> fibro flare like that. I'll take the twinges any day!

>

> As for the Lyrica, I am on a 150 mg dose and haven't noticed any

> weight gain. Mine is coming from the extremity swelling, as well

as

> massive amounts of steroids for my COPD. My doctor is going to

have

> to find " another way " to keep my lungs open and clear!

>

> (((Hugs to all; have a great Monday))))

> Darlene

>

>

>

>

>

>

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

> Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.

Try it now.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Darlene,

Have you ever seen if epsom salts baths would help you?

I just did a listing on epsom salts and diabetes and google and was

surprised to see a lot of entries so there is apparently a lot of

experience with this.

I wonder if this would help with the swelling... Epsom salts is a good

supplier of sulfate in a way that avoids the gut and any interference with

gut microbes in its metabolism.

I can tell you that my daughter says that epsom salts helps her fibro

pain. One morning, she just couldn't get out of bed for pain, and I put

some solution on her skin, and she said that where I put the epsom salts

solution, the pain diminished, but she didn't like it because it made her

feel the other places (not covered) even worse. Eventually, I got her out

of bed and immediately into an epsom salts bath and she was so much better

after that.

This is just something to look into that might help in more than one way.

Do you have a child with developmental issues (play therapy)? I do

research in autism.

At 01:45 PM 3/3/2008, you wrote:

>Debra,

>The cardiologist who saw me in the hospital in January stated that I

>had lower extremity blockages (heart checked out okay) and he also

>said that me being on Lasix for as long as I had been was not good

>for my heart or my kidneys and they needed to change it - well, they

>did, to something called Bumex (2mg dose). Anyhow, my legs have

>slowly continued to swell. When I went to the vascular guy last

>Friday, he could see that from the knees down, I have definitely

>got " something " going on so he is doing a venous (sp?) test this week

>and I guess that will tell the tale.

>

>I opted to go back to Lasix to get the swelling down some because

>quite honestly, I couldn't take it any more and figured if it got

>much worse, it was going to throw me into congestive heart failure; I

>was already struggling to breathe and take 4 nebulizer tx a day

>w/atrovent (sp??). All that plus dealing with hypertension (which is

>under control....lololol) and diabetes (which is not because of the

>stupid steroids, thus the glucophage) and the BEAST? I am one woman

>spoiling for a fight.......lololol.....

>

>Actually, tomorrow I am resting. I think I will cancel my daughter's

>play therapy for tomorrow so the only thing I " have " to do is take

>them and pick them up from school! That sounds like a marvelous

>plan!!!

>

>Thanks for the well wishes; I know you've been struggling with the

>resp crud and trying to work thru it plus the beast. You get my pats

>on the back girl, there is no way I could work like that right now!

>

>(((Hugs)))

>Darlene

>

>

>Well, we know that I was in horrible fibro flare Saturday so I won't

> > repeat all that jazz. Suffice it to say that I switched my

>diuretic

> > back to Lasix (40 mg) on Saturday to attempt to help the swelling.

>I

> > took 2 on Sunday (have been up to 120 mg so figured 80 was okay),

> > drank about 1/2 gallon of water or better, stuck with only 1 soft

> > drink (diet coke) and kept them propped as much as possible.

> >

> > By bedtime last night, from the knees down, my legs were bruised

>and

> > still swollen from whatever is causing them to swell. DH woke me

>up

> > this morning around 4 am because my breathing was off so I got up

>and

> > my swelling is down (I can ALMOST see my ankle bones) ***but*** my

> > feet are so beyond tender from how swollen they are that it may be

>20

> > degrees outside (I am not really sure) but flip flops are going to

> > be " my friend " .

> >

> > I will also be babying them today because I know they hurt so bad

>due

> > to how badly they were swollen. I am staying on the lasix too and

> > calling the doctor and telling him I made an " executive decision " .

> > They have GOT to find me something that works, at least until we

>get

> > the testing for the lower body extremities blockages done. I

>cannot

> > put my family through what I went thru this weekend. I was at my

>last

> > edge of impatience with my kids and DH. All I wanted to do was

>cry.

> > I went ahead this morning and took a naproxyn because I know

>there's

> > still inflammation. For heavens sake, there is still an extra 10

>lbs

> > of fluid on me somewhere (although I think the steroids are not

> > helping either - think Tim in " The Santa Clause " and how his

> > face just poofed up!).

> >

> > Anyhow, I wanted to give an update. Thanks to everyone for their

> > ecards and well wishes and tips. I have them saved and can only

>pray

> > there won't be a " next time " when I swell so badly it brings on a

> > fibro flare like that. I'll take the twinges any day!

> >

> > As for the Lyrica, I am on a 150 mg dose and haven't noticed any

> > weight gain. Mine is coming from the extremity swelling, as well

>as

> > massive amounts of steroids for my COPD. My doctor is going to

>have

> > to find " another way " to keep my lungs open and clear!

> >

> > (((Hugs to all; have a great Monday))))

> > Darlene

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

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

> > Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.

>Try it now.

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

>

> Darlene,

>

> Have you ever seen if epsom salts baths would help you?

>

> I just did a listing on epsom salts and diabetes and google and was

> surprised to see a lot of entries so there is apparently a lot of

> experience with this.

>

> I wonder if this would help with the swelling... Epsom salts is a

good

> supplier of sulfate in a way that avoids the gut and any

interference with

> gut microbes in its metabolism.

>

> I can tell you that my daughter says that epsom salts helps her

fibro

> pain. One morning, she just couldn't get out of bed for pain, and

I put

> some solution on her skin, and she said that where I put the epsom

salts

> solution, the pain diminished, but she didn't like it because it

made her

> feel the other places (not covered) even worse. Eventually, I got

her out

> of bed and immediately into an epsom salts bath and she was so much

better

> after that.

>

> This is just something to look into that might help in more than

one way.

>

> Do you have a child with developmental issues (play therapy)? I do

> research in autism.

>

>

>

>A bath with epsom salts or bath salts of any kind would be great ---

I just need a volunteer to come really scrub my bathtub first!!!

It's one thing to stand in there taking a shower, but I refuse to

take a bath!!! Only because we have this horrible water that turns

shower curtains an ugly yellow in no time and I know that's all I

would be thinking about --- sitting in that corrosive water!!! Just

hope when we move, the water will not be so bad, although my niece

does say their water tastes awful!!! DH decided the filter shower

head I was using was clogged so instead of just getting a new filter,

he bought a new shower head --- of course, he did not realize that

that is why my hair turns yellow and eventually green if exposed to

too much chemical treatments.

And I do remember I scrubbed that tub for hours when we first moved

into this house 10 years ago, I want it cleaner so that when we sell

it the new owners won't be bitching about the dirty bathroom the way

I was!!!

Oh, and there is another bath additive that one of my so called

friends suggested I use --- and I did so like it because I love the

smell of lavender and it does help with the sleep --- oh, I guess I

could get a lavender body wash --- have to check the grocery aisles

for that!! And take a shower before bed, that would really help with

sleep. One thing I plan to see if it will grow when we move is

several different lavenders --- I had a splendid crop at the house

out east and the last time I was there before I got the local

legislator and senator to complain to my husband's department that we

wanted out belongings moved. It was over the 4th of July weekend and

I was up early one morning with my trimmers and harvested one large

black garbage bag of the blooms --- one could have passed out from

breathing that wonderful fragrance --- especially as the fog was

rising from the waters of the Delaware River that morning. And I

also think that the fact that I had the lavender drying in the

apartment we lived in until we closed on this house was one way we

retained our sanity during those grueling months.

Breathing fresh lavender is like nirvana with none of what I would

associate with many people my age's drugs of choice back in the

1960's.

So I thank all of you for the suggestions of bath salts but I am

going to check out shower products!!! And that means that I can take

a shower at night, let my hair get almost dry and then get to bed!!!

Saves me time in the am!!!