It looks like this whole re-introduction of solid foods is going to be very slow. Every time I try something that my pancreas doesn't like, I get a little vertigo and need to kind of stay in bed. Oatmeal went well, but an orange wasn't such a good idea. So what I thought might take 6 days to get back on a semi-regular diet looks like it may be two weeks. Or more. At least I'm not having the severe pain that I believe can come with acute pancreatitis.
I've ordered a Pancreatitis Diet Cookbook to get a feel for some good meals. Then I have to also pay attention to the limitations in diet from the drug Warfarin that I take. This probably will be doable here at home but boy, traveling and eating out is going to be a bitch.
Poor Mia has been so good just laying close to me wherever I am -- she obviously knows things aren't totally right. She is a very energetic dog so staying still must be hard on her. And she hasn't been to Camp BowWow in several weeks. If I feel good tomorrow, I will take her to Camp so she can get some physical and mental exercise. Her trainer has moved on to bigger and better things so Mia hasn't had any training for several weeks, either. She really liked that trainer. So I've been trying to keep up with the things she learned and she does well.
That's it for today.
Sunday, January 28, 2018
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Feeling better
Yesterday I went back to the doctor and had more bloodwork done. Doctor told me not to eat any solid foods until the test results come back, but I was so hungry that I ate a piece of bread but it didn't sit well. I came home and went to bed for the day with Mia by my side.
Today I got the results of the bloodwork and my lipase level is back to normal (went from 145 to 19). So he said I could start SLOWLY reintroducing solid food back into my diet, very slowly. And from here on out, no alcohol, no fatty foods, no red meat, no coffee (boy, nobody wants me to have any coffee). I had a tiny bit of food today and my stomach reacted, so I need to go even slower.
I feel much better, but I'm disappointed that there was no way to figure out what caused all this. Frustrating. But I'm glad to get back into the world again, I felt so bad for over a week.
My brother is doing really well, he's been sober now for about 75 days. He found a job but then found out he had to have spine surgery on Feb 2 so he'll have to pass on that job until he recuperates from surgery.
And to show how much he has improved, he actually called me on my birthday, something he hasn't done in many years. Yay!
PS: An interesting tidbit -- this lipase range differs from lab to lab which I think is kind of unfair. My doctor's lab says the lipase level should be between 7 and 60. But the Mayo Clinic, for instance, has a range of 18 to 180. I asked the doctor about it and said my level of 145 would be acceptable at the Mayo Clinic and he said, "Then you need to go to the Mayo Clinic." Ha Ha.
Today I got the results of the bloodwork and my lipase level is back to normal (went from 145 to 19). So he said I could start SLOWLY reintroducing solid food back into my diet, very slowly. And from here on out, no alcohol, no fatty foods, no red meat, no coffee (boy, nobody wants me to have any coffee). I had a tiny bit of food today and my stomach reacted, so I need to go even slower.
I feel much better, but I'm disappointed that there was no way to figure out what caused all this. Frustrating. But I'm glad to get back into the world again, I felt so bad for over a week.
My brother is doing really well, he's been sober now for about 75 days. He found a job but then found out he had to have spine surgery on Feb 2 so he'll have to pass on that job until he recuperates from surgery.
And to show how much he has improved, he actually called me on my birthday, something he hasn't done in many years. Yay!
PS: An interesting tidbit -- this lipase range differs from lab to lab which I think is kind of unfair. My doctor's lab says the lipase level should be between 7 and 60. But the Mayo Clinic, for instance, has a range of 18 to 180. I asked the doctor about it and said my level of 145 would be acceptable at the Mayo Clinic and he said, "Then you need to go to the Mayo Clinic." Ha Ha.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
I'm hungry
Clear liquids for the past 5 or 6 days and I am so hungry. But I've lost 8 pounds, for whatever that is worth.
And my cardiologist has not called me like was promised so I guess my heart medications aren't causing the pancreas problems or he would have called, right? I love all my doctors, but they can be so irritating. When they don't do what they say they will it just makes me scared.
So tomorrow is more blood work and then wait some more for the results. And I'm not sure what these results are going to tell me. If the lipase level goes back into what they consider normal range, what will that mean? To me, that means I will still have no idea what's been making me feel bad.
That's it for today.
And my cardiologist has not called me like was promised so I guess my heart medications aren't causing the pancreas problems or he would have called, right? I love all my doctors, but they can be so irritating. When they don't do what they say they will it just makes me scared.
So tomorrow is more blood work and then wait some more for the results. And I'm not sure what these results are going to tell me. If the lipase level goes back into what they consider normal range, what will that mean? To me, that means I will still have no idea what's been making me feel bad.
That's it for today.
Friday, January 19, 2018
Life gets harder and harder as we age...
First, my brother. He has been sober for roughly 70 days and is doing wonderfully -- as far as the alcohol goes. He even got a job and was scheduled to start this week.
But remember that accident he had when he slightly fractured his spine? Well, he needs to have surgery (scheduled for Feb 2) and the recuperation will be about 30 days. So the job is gone for now. They did tell him to reapply when his doctor releases him for work. His spirits are still high.
Now, on to me. For the past week I have been feeling really bad. Monster hot flashes, bloating and a little vertigo. I went to Urgent Care and they couldn't find anything wrong and suggested I might be dehydrated. Told me to drink more water.
I went home and drank more water but it did not improve, so I went back to the clinic and this time they took X-rays and bloodwork. They called me Wednesday night and called during the 10-minute time frame that I was outside walking Mia so they left a voicemail. She said, "Your A1C is normal and you are not diabetic or pre diabetic; however, you have an elevated lipase consistent with pancreatitis. Go on a liquid diet immediately and come back in a week to have blood drawn again." I hope that means this thing can do a turnaround if I'm a good girl.
Good grief.
Today I went to see my cardiologist to have my pacemaker checked out just to be sure this wasn't all a pacemaker issue, but no, the pacemaker is still doing a topnotch job.
However, there is a possibility that one of the heart medications I take could have affected the pancreas and caused pancreatitis. My cardiologist is going to go over all the paperwork (medications, pacemaker report and lab work) and get back to me Monday with his opinion on whether it's one of the medications and, if so, what we should do about it. If it is not caused by the medication, then we just wait until Jan 24 (happy birthday to me) when I get the lab work redone.
I did a bit of online research (good old Dr. Google) and learned that 70% or more of the cases of pancreatitis are caused from alcohol. I quit drinking about 13 or 14 years ago, so I don't think we can blame it on alcohol.
Did you ever watch the Redd Foxx show? Whenever things were overwhelming, he would look up and say, "Elizabeth, here I come..." Well, I feel like saying, "Marshall, here I come..." Ha!
In the meantime, I AM STARVING!! A clear liquid diet really sucks.
But remember that accident he had when he slightly fractured his spine? Well, he needs to have surgery (scheduled for Feb 2) and the recuperation will be about 30 days. So the job is gone for now. They did tell him to reapply when his doctor releases him for work. His spirits are still high.
Now, on to me. For the past week I have been feeling really bad. Monster hot flashes, bloating and a little vertigo. I went to Urgent Care and they couldn't find anything wrong and suggested I might be dehydrated. Told me to drink more water.
I went home and drank more water but it did not improve, so I went back to the clinic and this time they took X-rays and bloodwork. They called me Wednesday night and called during the 10-minute time frame that I was outside walking Mia so they left a voicemail. She said, "Your A1C is normal and you are not diabetic or pre diabetic; however, you have an elevated lipase consistent with pancreatitis. Go on a liquid diet immediately and come back in a week to have blood drawn again." I hope that means this thing can do a turnaround if I'm a good girl.
Good grief.
Today I went to see my cardiologist to have my pacemaker checked out just to be sure this wasn't all a pacemaker issue, but no, the pacemaker is still doing a topnotch job.
However, there is a possibility that one of the heart medications I take could have affected the pancreas and caused pancreatitis. My cardiologist is going to go over all the paperwork (medications, pacemaker report and lab work) and get back to me Monday with his opinion on whether it's one of the medications and, if so, what we should do about it. If it is not caused by the medication, then we just wait until Jan 24 (happy birthday to me) when I get the lab work redone.
I did a bit of online research (good old Dr. Google) and learned that 70% or more of the cases of pancreatitis are caused from alcohol. I quit drinking about 13 or 14 years ago, so I don't think we can blame it on alcohol.
Did you ever watch the Redd Foxx show? Whenever things were overwhelming, he would look up and say, "Elizabeth, here I come..." Well, I feel like saying, "Marshall, here I come..." Ha!
In the meantime, I AM STARVING!! A clear liquid diet really sucks.
Saturday, December 30, 2017
Christmas went well
First, one of my oldest friends down in southern Illinois got pneumonia and is in the hospital on a ventilator. That really hit home since I am still coughing. I didn't believe in flu shots or pneumonia shots, but I have just done a complete turnaround. Judy may not make it and I am praying for her.
My brother was sober about 42 days by Christmas Day and Christmas was very very nice and fun. St. Louis was freezing cold and had a bit of snow, but we survived it.
I brought along something called Funny Faces -- cardboard masks that covered from the nose up. So instead of the boring old group photos that we usually take, these are a much better substitute.
My brother was sober about 42 days by Christmas Day and Christmas was very very nice and fun. St. Louis was freezing cold and had a bit of snow, but we survived it.
I brought along something called Funny Faces -- cardboard masks that covered from the nose up. So instead of the boring old group photos that we usually take, these are a much better substitute.
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| My sister and Tricia |
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| Bob and Liz (Bob is bald for real so this probably wasn't the best mask for him!) |
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| Tricia |
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| My sister and me |
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Update
Not sure what is going on with my brother. He went home and I haven't heard a thing from him or his wife. I guess no news is good news. So, for me, it's been a quiet few weeks. I hope it's the same in his household.
When I took Mia to Camp BowWow last week, I took a tour of the inner workings of the place. I've been meaning to do it but always had to rush. It is really really nice. The "cabin" (kennel) for each dog is huge with a bed and plenty of room for blankets and toys and whatever else will make her comfortable. They told me they have 58 cabins of several different sizes depending on the size of the dog. I was so pleased to see where she stays when I leave her for a long stay, like I'm going to do for Christmas. So she will have lots of activity during the day and a nice big "cabin" for the nights. And I am arranging training for her every other day while I'm gong so she has that one-on-one contact, too.
And on the last day of her stay I requested a "spa" bath. They give her a bath and a massage.
And I always bring along her food, her dish, and her treats and they have a special location where they are able to keep it all and know it belongs to her. They call it the "lockers" but it is actually rows of big plastic containers with locking lids. So I feel even better about Camp BowWow. And she still loves going there. When I pull into the street where the Camp is (which is a very nondescript little commercial area where you would never ever think there would be a doggie day care), she starts going crazy. When I bring her in and she sees the girls who work there, it is clear that she really likes them. She gets so excited.
By the way, I don't know if I've ever mentioned this, but if you go to Starbucks and buy something, you can get a free puppaccino for your dog, which is basically a cup filled with whipped cream. So whenever I pull into a Starbucks parking lot or drive-through, she also goes nuts because she knows she is about to get her puppaccino.
Well, that's all my news.
When I took Mia to Camp BowWow last week, I took a tour of the inner workings of the place. I've been meaning to do it but always had to rush. It is really really nice. The "cabin" (kennel) for each dog is huge with a bed and plenty of room for blankets and toys and whatever else will make her comfortable. They told me they have 58 cabins of several different sizes depending on the size of the dog. I was so pleased to see where she stays when I leave her for a long stay, like I'm going to do for Christmas. So she will have lots of activity during the day and a nice big "cabin" for the nights. And I am arranging training for her every other day while I'm gong so she has that one-on-one contact, too.
And on the last day of her stay I requested a "spa" bath. They give her a bath and a massage.
And I always bring along her food, her dish, and her treats and they have a special location where they are able to keep it all and know it belongs to her. They call it the "lockers" but it is actually rows of big plastic containers with locking lids. So I feel even better about Camp BowWow. And she still loves going there. When I pull into the street where the Camp is (which is a very nondescript little commercial area where you would never ever think there would be a doggie day care), she starts going crazy. When I bring her in and she sees the girls who work there, it is clear that she really likes them. She gets so excited.
By the way, I don't know if I've ever mentioned this, but if you go to Starbucks and buy something, you can get a free puppaccino for your dog, which is basically a cup filled with whipped cream. So whenever I pull into a Starbucks parking lot or drive-through, she also goes nuts because she knows she is about to get her puppaccino.
Well, that's all my news.
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
Rehab Update
Well, we have jumped through hoops to get my brother's health insurance extended through COBRA but somehow the rehab center hasn't been paid and they are not willing to work with us so the Rehab Center kicked him out this evening. He is now at Tricia's house in St. Louis -- thank goodness he was in a city where there was some family.
You know, you see ads on TV constantly saying "if you need help with an addiction, call us now." So you try to get that help and it appears all they want is the money. Very very disappointing.
I think his wife is going to drive up and get him on Saturday and take him home where he can start trying to live his life again. We still don't know what Christmas will be like so we aren't making any plans. We'll just play it day by day.
I've been in a "missing Marshall" mood, very down.
You know, you see ads on TV constantly saying "if you need help with an addiction, call us now." So you try to get that help and it appears all they want is the money. Very very disappointing.
I think his wife is going to drive up and get him on Saturday and take him home where he can start trying to live his life again. We still don't know what Christmas will be like so we aren't making any plans. We'll just play it day by day.
I've been in a "missing Marshall" mood, very down.
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