Please Pray For WalkInSilence

a reply to: Night Star
Thank you dear, for your love and support. It is all so complicated. Way beyond my 'pay-grade'. It takes so long to get approved for anything. That is why they advised me to become homeless because then I will get aide faster. It is ridiculous. I only want help until they figure this out and have me stabilized. I don't see the logic in this.
That on top of being basically non functioning and with the constant threat of going 'in' is unbearable.
And what to do with my babies? Well I know what I have to do, but..
I have a "Go Bag" ready, I learned that from scrambling to find stuff last minute.

a reply to: Gordi The Drummer

Who am I supposed to Wrassle with if you're not fit for it?

Awww that is so sweet of you, "nothing compares" right. You have always been so 'encouraging' (Gordi made this for me out of sheer admiration for my remarkable attributes)

I have been rather absent too, the Shed is really the only place I venture to but I am grateful Night made this for me, it has provided some comfort. Any support is good support I appreciate every kind word.
I am not sure I got this, this time
Hugs you way Big G

a reply to: WalkInSilence

It is a real shame that it takes so long to receive benefits from an insurance policy you did not ask for but was forced to pay for anyway. It took me 18 months to receive disability, and that was using a disability lawyer. The only thing that kept me out of the homeless shelters was my mother had just died and left me a small inheritance that barely got me through. And I had no debt... that was a big plus.

You're a strong woman... you can weather this storm too. Just keep telling yourself that. And never let anyone tell you the heart cannot heal... my ejection fraction was down to 42 due to a badly scarred area, and I was told it would never be much higher... but now it's back to 60 (normal)! Of course, I also have developed some arrhythmia that is kicking my happy little butt right now, but I believe that will heal too. The point is, I am already past the stage the cardiologists and other doctors told me I would never be past.

Keep us informed, and keep your head up. I know first-hand how hard it is sometimes, but you can do it. Always remember, you may be in the "Valley of the Shadow of Death," but that just means you don't want to stop... keep moving until you are through, and don't be scared of shadows.

TheRedneck

a reply to: TheRedneck
Thank you so much for these very encouraging and kind words ; especially this

The point is, I am already past the stage the cardiologists and other doctors told me I would never be past.

I don't like to be a victim, I am a realist, but if I can see a sliver of light I will go for it.

It is encouraging that your cardiomyopathy healed, I am curious how/what you did?

This is all so new to me, I understand that 'A Virus' can cause Afib, I can somewhat comprehend CM, but it is unfathomable to me when they categorically say it is irreversible and that I could go from fully functioning to this in nine months.
And then comes the money, I am not as fortunate as you and have run through all options. I don't want to be on disability I just want help to get back on my feet and perhaps have assurance that I can actually pay for life saving medication.
Thank you for reminding me

"Valley of the Shadow of Death,"

I must fear no evil.
It is tough though

a reply to: WalkInSilence

It is encouraging that your cardiomyopathy healed, I am curious how/what you did?

That's a hard question to answer directly; it depends on the person and the issue. I can tell you what I did, but my problem was blood thick as jelly (triglycerides alone were over 500).

First and foremost, believe. Refuse to disbelieve. Every human body, whether one believes it is made by God, nature, or evolution, is designed to do one thing and do it best: heal. From the moment we are conceived, we heal to a more optimal condition... at first through growth, then by repair as needed. If something is damaged, the body can heal it given time and the necessary nutrition.

I personally use capsaisin... the stuff that makes hot peppers hot. I don't take pills; I like hot stuff as it is. I simply indulge. There is evidence that capsaisin is actually curative for atheriosclerosis... but it takes a long, long time. That approach has had its drawbacks: I'm pretty sure the constant high capsaisin level led to that heart attack two weeks after surgery which actually caused the damage. On the other hand, it has allowed me to so far not have to have surgery on my carotid arteries.

Folic acid seems to have played a role... my doctor found my folate level was low about a year ago, so I have been taking supplements. I've had good luck with CoQ10, which I tried a bit out of desperation when things started going downhill again. Those may or may not help you... blood tests are the only way to know for sure if you're low on something.

My present issue seems closer related to yours... I seem to be developing irregularities in my heartbeat, caused by excessive Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVCs; not the pipe). That's similar to A-fib (as I understand it; I'm not a doctor) in that both are irregularities caused by electrical problems. Maybe the CoQ10 would help? That's a question, not advice.

But the main thing is believe. And keep a sense of humor. Luckily, my surgeon couldn't find mine so he wasn't able to remove it.

I must fear no evil.
It is tough though

It is tough. But remember, that which does not kill us makes us stronger.

TheRedneck

a reply to: TheRedneck
First. Thank you for the great reply.
[quote] problem was blood thick as jelly[quote] All my numbers are fabulous, so that is a plus. Which is also a concern since they have me on blood thinner and now a statin. Not a happy camper with all the pills.

If something is damaged, the body can heal it given time and the necessary nutrition.

That is me in a nut shell. I have lived my life according to this concept the whole paragraph.
I must to for the time being submit to their protocol until I am stabilized, it truly bothers me I am not accustomed to filling precious body with pharmaceuticals and I can feel the negative effects.

capsaicin

Ahh a fellow capsaicin junky

At sixty I still relish in the euphoric sensation. As a kid Dad used to say I would burn up inside and he was Hungarian!!!
My cardiologist has advised I refrain from all supplements and that would include food and beverage laced with capsaicin and turmeric. I loooove Middle eastern food.
My favorite hot beverage is turmeric pumped with 'hot stuff' a little sour crème for smoothness. YUM
I can detect a notable change in my well being.
For now I follow protocol.
Procedure Friday. More in a bit.

a reply to: WalkInSilence

Still thinking of you WIS!

Hope you can still find a smile everyday!

😁👍

a reply to: WalkInSilence

All my numbers are fabulous, so that is a plus. Which is also a concern since they have me on blood thinner and now a statin. Not a happy camper with all the pills.

That is indicative of atherioscherosis ("hardening of the arteries"). Capsaicin works well for that, but it is painfully slow; as a supplement it might work for you, but it is certainly not a substitute; I am surprised your doc has ordered you off it, but I am unable and unwilling to second-guess him. Those medications do indicate high cholesterol, although I seriously doubt it is anywhere near as high as mine was. I would suggest stick with the medicines and ask your cardiologist about the hot stuff specifically. You should be fine with that.

I must to for the time being submit to their protocol until I am stabilized, it truly bothers me I am not accustomed to filling precious body with pharmaceuticals and I can feel the negative effects.

It could be worse. I wound up on pravastatin for my statin. It is uncoated and can, if held in the mouth too long, start to melt. Here is my description of what it tastes like when that happens:

Take a dozen raw eggs and leave them in direct sunshine in Alabama in August for two weeks. Now dip them in a sewer and feed them to a shark. Kill the shark and open its stomach. Take the contents of the stomach and shove it up an irritated skunk's butt. Now multiply that odor by ten, and that's what pravastatin tastes like. It will make an honest-to-God redneck gag uncontrollably every single time... and I normally eat things that will make a shark gag and a billy goat puke!

Nice to meet a fellow capsaicin junkie. I tried to grow some red ghost peppers again this year, but unfortunately the cutworms invaded before we realized it. Maybe next year; I'll set up some collars. They make some homemade hot sauce that will burn the hair off one's chest before growing it back and burning it off again.

How about this: get better and if the doc OKs it, I will send you some. Just remember to not use around flammable objects or small children. Consider that incentive.

TheRedneck

@WIS

I'm just a-wigglin' my Kilt...

and then dropping off a Big Fat Gordihug for ya!



(*drops mic - farts & leaves)

Gxx

a reply to: Gordi The Drummer
Gordi your beard is a wrong color. My poor poor eyes.
Thank you for the hug.

So a little update.
Last Friday, Sept. 2nd "they" pulled me in for a semi emergency procedure after my stress test. They wanted to take a look for blockages and yep there was one, only one. Thank God. They 'fixed' that during the scope so I avoided a by-pass.
That may have been the cause of all my problems with Covid exacerbating it on top.
But I am not sure. I was not very coherent when the cardiologist talked to me after wards. There will be a follow up.
Any way I do not recommend having a tube inserted in your artery in the groin. Nope. Nor being sent home with no one to look after the same day. It was so painful, I was doped scared and cried every time I moved Friday and Saturday.
I screamed if I coughed or sneezed, could barely walk and was terrified to rupture it. It doesn't take long to bleed to death with a ruptured artery.
But here I am. I CAN sit now, some what, I can use the facilities with out crying, I can finally have a proper discharge and praise the Lord I can fart with out cursing.
I can not put shoes on nor fitting socks I have a procedural bed roll and resting position and of course lifting restrictions and still in some pain.
But I can only conclude this whole long nightmare may have saved my life because other wise they would never have done a stress test and I would just have thought my shortness of breath was asthma and keeled over one day completely oblivious.
So I guess I am grateful. Though still out of money. Please keep the prayers coming.

a reply to: WalkInSilence

It sounds like they put in a stent. You're getting into my area of "been there, done that" now! I've had so many cath surgeries, I don't even consider them surgeries anymore.

My experience: be thankful they went in through the groin instead of the wrist. I've had both. The first cath surgery i had was through the wrist, and the restrictions afterwards were terrible! Groin entry seems to have much lass restrictions. With wrist, I couldn't pick up a gallon of milk for a while... and let me tell you, it is amazing how much force people tend to use in their arms without even thinking about it.

You should have had someone to help you through recovery! Is there no one who would move in for a few days, or let you move in for a few days?

Every cath surgery I have had, they used fentanyl. Good drug; I was actually awake and talking during the entire operations... but I cannot remember it. Heck, I can't remember not remembering it! The trick seems to be the dosage... my first cath surgery, my family had to convince me to not jump out of the window because I was convinced I could fly (the window was locked closed of course, thank goodness)! A little too heavy on the woo-woo juice! Then there was the time they didn't give quite enough... I still have a flash of memory with that damn thing sliding down my arm! Thankfully again, it's just a quick flash. The last time they went in, they seem to have gotten it just right: I remember lying on the operating table reliving that old TV show intro "We can rebuild him; we have the technology" and arguing with my nose (which chose that particular moment to itch, making me beg one of the interns to keep scratching it), then I remember hearing "OK, he's done. Get him to recovery." They wheeled me out perfectly sane that time (although kinda exhausted).

Sounds like they gave you just a wee bit too much. From what I understand the dosage is very difficult to get dialed in just right... which is why street fentanyl is so damn dangerous. It's a matter of molecules between "not enough" and "Rocketmaaaaan..."

My last groin surgery went so well that I couldn't even see the incision point after two days. The bruising area was the size of a pencil eraser. My wife, however, went in for correction of an intra-atrial hole some years before I started playing pin cushion, and they went in through her groin... she literally bruised from her ankles to her neck! It just depends on how easily one bruises.

But it all goes away. Remember that. This, too, shall pass, and it won't be that long until you can look back and make silly jokes about a serious operation like I am doing now.

The important thing, if they put in a stent, is to make damn sure you take the blood thinners religiously! You now have a stent somewhere in your arteries, and any foreign object, including the ones keeping you on top of the dirt, are a perfectly good excuse for the body to create a blockage around it... worse than the original blockage! Those blood thinners are your life, literally. No jokes about that part.

Eventually, your body will heal over the stent and it will be encased in artery walls. Then it's safe and sound. It just takes a little time, which also will pass.

WalkInSilence shall not pass; that's the important part. She's still right here with the rest of us, right where the rest of us want her to be.

Anything more specific you want to know about recovering, just ask. I've had so many cath surgeries, the hospital has a map on their wall in the lobby of my arteries. It looks kinda like a Los Angeles map, if the city planners were on fentanyl, too.

TheRedneck

a reply to: WalkInSilence

Well, that sounds a little bit more encouraging @WIS.
It seems that you'd do just about anything to get away from my Kilt-Wiggle huh??

Don't worry... I'll keep popping up somehow!



Actually, I remember my dad being short of breath for a while, struggling with tasks that he normally roared through, and they ended up having to put stents in his heart - 2 I think? When he recovered... he told me that it was like having his old engine re-bored! It gave him a whole new lease of life and he carried on healthily for years after that.

I wish there was someone there to help you through this. I think we're all feeling a bit helpless at this end of the interwebs. But, I guess we'll just have to fluff up your virtual pillows, tuck in your virtual sheets, send the wee virtual hugs (and kick yer virtual shins for a while), until you get back on your feet again.

Keep on Keepin' On!

Gxx

a reply to: WalkInSilence

I just found out today that I need an exploratory cath procedure myself, WIS. Reasonable possibility I will need at least one stent. So I will probably soon be walking the same path as you.

So I'm counting on you to light the way for me now.

TheRedneck

I love you guys and ATS so much, you are my heroes.
There are a few people in in my life but they are getting caretaker fatigue.
Love you much.

a reply to: TheRedneck
You made me cry and laugh all at once.
With you and Gordi things can't go wrong.
Yes I had a stent put in , he tried the wrist first to no avail and swearing he aborted it and went for the kill.
My wrist is still sore, all the colours of the rain bow, my groin looks fine but is painfull. (How come we can say groin here with out being caught by some 'naughty word' algorithm?)
All this scares the fecal matter out of me.
And no I do not have some one who can stay with my when all this is going on I can barely find a ride to the hospital or home. I hate asking for help. Being poor has made me very proud of my independence.
Your posts are more informative than my doctors. They should be more straightforward.
So please keep them coming.

WalkInSilence shall not pass; that's the important part. She's still right here with the rest of us, right where the rest of us want her to be.

That is so sweet, it made me cry. I need more happy grateful tears.

Anything more specific you want to know about recovering, just ask.

a reply to: TheRedneck

So I'm counting on you to light the way for me now.

Very funny, but here is a light house for both of us.

I hope all goes well for you.

a reply to: Gordi The Drummer

I wish there was someone there to help you through this. I think we're all feeling a bit helpless at this end of the interwebs

A big hug to you
Thank you dear. I hope things go like your Dad, right now I appreciate every loving virtual hug I can get.
Love you much you old curmudgeon.

a reply to: WalkInSilence

Ooh, the wrist... had one bad, bad episode with that.

It was while I was waiting on the open heart surgery. A nurse walks in and announces that she needs to draw blood... OK, the blood discharge port (otherwise known as an IV) is right there. No, she needs arterial blood! That sounds painful (I'm a baby with needles... I'll fight a rusty chainsaw with a worn out switch, but show me a needle and I'll run like a whipped dog). It looked painful too, when she let me see the needle!

Anyway, she checks my right elbow... nope, she isn't happy with those arteries. So she goes to my left wrist. That she's happy with! OK, so I grit my teeth, go as limp as I possibly can (one step beyond rigor mortise), and get ready. She puts the needle in and apparently drives it right through the middle of a major nerve! I was shouting and screaming so much the other nurses came running in thinking I was fighting a wildcat or something. I finally screamed "GET THAT DAMN THING OUTTA ME!"

She apologized... was actually very sweet and I don't think she intended to hurt me at all. She called her supervisor in, an older lady who looked at my right elbow again and decided she liked it. The first nurse was nice enough to hold my hand (the one that was throbbing of course) while her supervisor drew the blood. That one hurt, but nothing like my wrist! Considering how deep she had to go, I'm surprised it hurt as little as it did.

It was something like 12 hours before I was brave enough to even try to use my left hand.

I never had a problem with the caths in my wrists though. Of course, I was somewhere else when all that happened. I think I rode a unicorn... not sure, might have been a griffon.

This time is going to be somewhat of a new experience. Before, my cardiologist didn't perform the cath... he ordered it and a surgeon worked the needle. This new cardiologist is also a surgeon! And of course, it is a new facility... not even sure they'll use fentanyl, but I damn sure hope they use something good! This new guy is supposed to be excellent, and so far I like his approach... just nervous with a ten foot needle threatening me.

The good news is this new guy is dead set against popping me open like a walnut again. That's good... open heart surgery SUCKS! If there's any problem with the grafts, he'll just pop in some more stents.

One of these days I'm going to start walking around saying "You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile."

TheRedneck

a reply to: TheRedneck

One of these days I'm going to start walking around saying "You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile."

Very funny.
I am taking a break today from being 'good'. I am putting my pills off till 9. I am so tired of being on a Fn schedule.
Will reply later.
I truly appreciate your response.