gemgirl said:Ughh, I've been so out of it for the last few days. Not out of it physically, I'm actually very busy. It's more the apprehension and a tiny bit of dread I'm feeling, and I am so NOT the negative type.
Gailey said:So another big thank you goes out to Ella for listening to us and also thinking we were worthy of a sticky thread.
Congrats don't go to me, they go to WE!!risingsun said:Congrats to UppyThis thread has been stickied!
risingsun said:Hi everyoneGemgirl asked to let everyone know that she is unable to get into PS. Ella has been notified. She would like to acknowledge all of your kind wishes and will do so when she is able to log in again. Let's hope that it is soon!
AGBF said:I am sending love and prayers. I haven't even wanted to start on my health issues and I think that those of you who have talked about your health issues here have been really brave: brave to face them in real life and have them taken care of and brave to talk about them here and thus have to relive them! I want you all to know that I read what you write. I am afraid to start contributing to it. I am afraid to get drawn too far into this thread. But I think you are the most admirable group of women I can imagine. (Unless I were to start thinking of mssionaries who devote their lives to the sick or something, perhaps.)
At any rate, you are all an inspiration. Big hugs, gemgirl!
Love,
Deb/AGBF
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Portree, I hear ya on the colonoscopy. I finally broke down and conceded that I really needed to finally find out what has been wrong with me these last 5 (last 2 have been the worst) years. To that end I went to my GP. After the preliminary bloodwork, he found I am slightly anemic. Now, am I post-menopausal? Nope. Heavy stuff? Yep. Is the first cause that comes to your mind that I'm bleeding out the colon? NO? Me neither. But that's what he ordered. I was not pleased. The oogie factor hit me hard, and I was like, dangit, I'm NOT 50 yet, there is no indication that I have any problems there, he didn't order an occult blood test series first, and can we please at least consider the 900-lb gorilla in the room before we order TUBES inserted?? Geesh. Even the gastro doc seemed a bit bemused and said, "It's probably menstual related, and the anemia numbers are exactly what you'd expect if that was the cause." So, I decided to wait a bit. I let them do the upper GI endoscope, since I have had reflux for a while, but the other? Not just yet. Drs tend to seem a bit single-minded and hysterical when they order tests, if you ask me. All of sudden it's IMPERATIVE THAT YOU DO THIS RIGHT FREAKIN' NOW!!!! No, it's not. I learned a long time ago that I can say NO to tests - and LIVE! It was a revelation. They also throw meds at you and then often don't tell you if/when you're supposed to come in for monitoring. He gives me Cymbalta, which has a laundry list of possible side-effects. Did anyone schedule a follow-up to check my liver? BP? Nope. I figured out the the elevated BP on my own, and weaned myself off on my own too.
And speaking of grousing about drs (my apolgies to any drs out there reading this. you guys need to slap some sense into some of your colleagues though) I went in a week or so ago for my girlie annual that we all love. Right on time they had me go into the exam room and get ready. So I put on the hankies they give you and hit the light that indicates that I'm ready, and waited. And waited, and waited, and waited....and....at the 45 minute mark, slammed my clothes back on, stepped out of the room, where everyone looked at me blankly. I said, (and yes, I was highly scathing) "When you guys are ready for me, you let me know. I'm going back out to the waiting room." One gal was, "I'm so sorry! But we've had some emergencies and..." I was like, "I understand that, but leaving me in there for 45 minutes, naked and freezing, listening to the WORST muzak I've ever heard in my LIFE, is just wrong!" "Well, do you want to reschedule?" (Yes, those of us who aren't doctors have NOTHING else to do except wait on the schedules of those who ARE right??) "No, I need to get this DONE, and I don't mind waiting, but not if it means I'm going to have to sit in THERE naked and freeze my tookus off for another 30 minutes waiting on the doctor's convenience!" "You mean I forgot to give you a blanket??" Honey, you ALL forgot I was even HERE. (I didn't say that last at least). I did decide to stay and was almost instantly seen by the new nurse practitioner, a lovely person who was very kind, gentle, down-to-earth, and OUR age and gender.
Any woman who ever sees a doctor, please read ksinger's very insightful post!
It is a hard thing to realize that doctors are just people too, and they have much less insight into our own physiology than we do! I taught medical assisting (this is most often the individual who helps the doctor in the office setting in these days when a "nurse" is an expensive employee), and one of my major tenets to impart to my students was the role of the patient advocate. I'm so sorry you were neglected as a patient.![]()
Upgradable said:AGBF said:I am sending love and prayers. I haven't even wanted to start on my health issues and I think that those of you who have talked about your health issues here have been really brave: brave to face them in real life and have them taken care of and brave to talk about them here and thus have to relive them! I want you all to know that I read what you write. I am afraid to start contributing to it. I am afraid to get drawn too far into this thread. But I think you are the most admirable group of women I can imagine. (Unless I were to start thinking of mssionaries who devote their lives to the sick or something, perhaps.)
At any rate, you are all an inspiration. Big hugs, gemgirl!
Love,
Deb/AGBF
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AGBF, one of the major purposes of this thread was to provide a "safe haven" for those of us who would like to have a little support without having to go into everything, make excuses, or have to deal with the inevitable "I'm so sorry!"
Since you like what we share, feel free (at any time that is comfortable) to share what you like. We're all just regular ladies with too many balls in the air!!![]()
Portree said:Well, I woke up this morning with my periodafter not having one since January! The first thing I thought was, darn, now I have to start the 12-month-clock all over again and that means the earliest I'll be in menopause is September 2011-- argghhhhh. That means I'll have been in peri-menopause for nearly 10 years
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