I grew up in Monsanto country, the Pacific Northwest. They are responsible for poisoning the aquifer to the city. Just like so many, they promised all the agricultural communities of the safety of their products. The poison leeched into the water supply, over decades and what was once a pristine aquafer, is now another underground dumping ground. Like so many of these medications (poisons), they aren't studied long enough to really know. Think about the 50's and 60's, they used to think LSD was the answer to mental illness, ha!

I got the results of my recent tests. Looks like my heart is doing okay, no major blockages or plaque deposits. Yeah for that! The lungs are shot, spine is bad and arthritis in my left hip is obvious. Their answer? We need another MRI, more XRays, maybe an enema filled with invoices. No wonder people get tired of this crap...

Forgive me, I'm in a bit of a sour mood.

BOO HISS on Monsanto. and Disneyland tried to make it look so wonderful

Hi Harry here I was recently reading where in regards to allergies that soy is in a lot of things besides sauce,unfortunately Monsanto  chemical company the makers of roundup pesticde ,also have a monopoly on soy, so because the seeds are gen modified they can use as much round up to clear the ground and the soy is not effected not sure what it does to allergy sufferers but it didn't sound very natural,in fact round up is banned in a lot of countries ,unfortunately not Australia,anyone interested look up Monsanto roundup cheers

Hi Tig ,yeah well looks like I'm gonna learn about statins ECT,went to drs this morning ,said keep up the pumicort suppose to help breathing not aggravate it takes a while to kick inmeanwhile i have been given appointment to see if my heart is working ok,as that may cause numbness toes fingers ,also could be reason IV been getting shortness of breath lately IV been making up excuses hot weather smoke from fires ECT, the thought of having stents or surgery worries me a bit, but as my dr said you don't smoke for years and expect no damage !!plus the hcv and lifestyle that went with it anyway be good to find out why I'm so lazy lately ,keep up good work 5, still trying the excercises ob think they help with my breathing take care all. From Harry

aaawwweee obs 

as a fellow allergy sufferer my heart goes out to you. i am not even close to being that allergic but know the pain.

that sounds like a sad awful experience. i'm glad you tracked down the soy and hope you can return your allergy sheets.... you shouldn't have to keep them if they give you hives.

since i started on the azelastine antihistamine spray all my allergies seem to be better. i got the lowest dose so can use more or less as needed.

i hope you do have an easy, restful sleep tonite

Heres my latest frustrating situation...thanks to my decades of HCV, I am super allergic to soy...in any form from candles to lecithin...well....its getting cold here in rainy Vancouver so I got some nice plush flannel sheets...dark blue...washed them and then last night we put them on the bed

 Well...I felt restless and uncomfortable as soon as I got in bed and at 1 am my legs started having burning pain..my hives on my back activated and were super itchy ...my hands and knee got very swollen and arthritic ...my pn was painful...my sciatica started up . I couldnt get comfortable and I tossed and turned and couldnt sleep a wink all night...  

so when I got out of bed I started googling and low and behold...soy is in the dyes that they use in sheets...they were saying it like its a good natural product not realizing that some of us are gravely affected by even touching it...

its not on any labeling 

i ran into this issue many moons ago when I was using a natural laundry detergent and first got hives which at the time I thought were bug bites so I washed my sheets and clothes almost everyday until I started thinking....laundry soap from plant based...hmmmmmmm wonder what plant... the company confirmed it was 60%soy.

anyhoo I went and bought another set of sheets not flannel and just organic cotton and white

hope I sleep tonight

If you are stopping steroids I think you have to wean down and not do cold turkey... I dont know the medical wisdom behind this rule but I believe it is important to do..i do not know about inhaled steroids but I assume if they say to wean down, it is for a reason...

That being said...I was put on prednisone a number of years back...it was for a horrible rash ...I had to slowly build the number of pills to get up to the amount my Dr wanted me on...I took  them for almost a month, then I suddenly realized they were causing me very serious manic episodes and sleep problems (my health/life was such a mysterious mess it took me a while to pinpoint the cause) .....I did quit cold turkey and did not suffer any problems from doing so.

Our livers affect our immune system so having had a damaged liver for umpteen years is going to affect your immune system 

Having bit of trouble signing in ,think ok now

 I forgot my pass word I can't keep up with all the names and numbers these dsys bank numbers phone numbers ECT must be the brain fog maybe ,so glad your going ok 5,Tig hope your going ok I'm still doing exercises  on,IV recently been put on steroid inhaler called pulmicort turbohaler with budesonide in it for mage onsdt asthma dr prescribed it because he said I'm using my Ventolin too much any way I told him I was using it more becourse smoke from nearby fires were giving me more asthma issues,anyway I read where it said. line somewhere that if youhave had liver issues budesonide should be avoided I'm on twice a day also read that it can weaken immune system an cause serious infections,!has anyone else heard of this,as I really don't want infections after being infected for so darn long,my dr just doesn't seem to understand or care that much it seems any thoughts really appreciated ,they also say don't stop taking steroid med strait away ???IV only been taking 5 weeks I don't think it would hurt if I stopped it,seem to be really putting on weight Edema around stomach I really don't feel right with it,maybe having liver problems for so long effects me.any clues anyone.hope this mess gets through .thanks Harry

Yay 5! Glad it sounds like all is going OK, and will be OK. : )  C.

hi obs,

oh the pain is from the incisions, they are healing but they are still sore. when i move in certain ways it does hurt.....not a lot of pain. just enough to remember i had surgery.

i don't want the ultrasound till the wounds heal up but do want to know what they think.

the surgery went well , i just heal slow from surgeries. the same happened when i had other surgeries. i do well but it's only two weeks after the weekend.

Oh good 5

it will be interesting to have the notes to look over

when is your ultrasound booked for...?

i hope they dont make you wait too long if youre having pain.

yay, the GI office will get the notes to review so i can see them or get copies there or call the surgery office later. 

for now i'm not doing the abdominal ultrasound cos my abdomen is too sore.... but it will be fun to have no gallbladder on the next one

yea, for some reason i felt awkward pressing him..... like i didn't want to put him on the spot since he was not there to diagnose my liver. 

i'm just going with "looked pretty good" and keep doing what i've been doing to take care of myself.

i emailed the GI spec. and asked them if they were gonna get reports and that i think it's a good idea.

i'll have to call the surgeons office tomorrow and maybe ask for medical records and see if i can do it that way....

i was still actually kind of in "stunned" mode when i went for post op..... still mesmerized by the whole thing and that it turned out so well and i didn't want to ruin the moment by investigating too much.

so here's hoping that  the surgery notes say something interesting.

Id sure want to know how your liver looked when they were in there... 

if you can decipher the report and they will send it to you...Id say for sure ask

Do you have a follow up apt booked with your GI Dr so you could go over it with him/her?

hahhaahaa, well i made it thru the day with the buns in the house and i didn't have even a bite

hey guys, what do you think.... should i ask the surgeons office for any reports they have? or have them sent to my GI dr? just wondering if there is anything in them that might be useful to me to have.

or will they auto send them since the GI spec. did refer me to them..... 

i'll do the same with the hospital i think.

i feel weird doing this but it does give me something to think about.

thanks for input friends.

5  

hahahaha, just realized we wrote cinnamon buMs..hahahahaha, that's where it will go if i eat more

Ohhh Canuck      nice to see you sweetheart 

5...cinnamon bums are my favourite!!!!! I make an ooey gooey mixture of butter, brown sugar and of course ...maple syrup (being Canadian its a staple in my house)

I do my second proofing with them sitting in it..... all filled and rolled and almost ready to bake...then after I bake em I flip them onto a plate and the goo drips down the sides and hardens a bit...sooo yummmm  I wish I could make some for you  

Im so glad you could digest your cinnamon bun and are not going back to work this month...

pamper yourself and continue to heal 

oh oh, no problems with the cinnamon roll , so now i have to be careful not to eat all day every day

back to normal tomorrow , but what a joy that cinnamon bum was

5-1, so sorry to hear you had a gall bladder operation. Sounds like you are recovering. BUT it's still tough to have another health incident. Glad you enjoyed your cinnamon roll. That sure sounds good to me. 

'

well it's all good news at my post op.

the gallbladder was inflamed so it was the right thing to do. i even said i feel better so it must have been making things worse for me and am thankful i had it out...

he said my liver actually looked pretty good , not sure if he meant "for someone with fibrosis" or in general. but i'm going with "it looked pretty good".

i'm off till the end of the month so i don't have to strain in pain at the job

i ate some cinnamon roll so we'll see how that floats.... since it's more like bread it should be ok. pumpkin cake was harder to digest.

and i got new windshield wipers today too! 

now to relax and realize that i am stress free for a cpl weeks to heal and enjoy easy stuff

i wish good news for all of you friends

There you are, Chuck! We’ll be right here, with bells on. When you hear us ringing, it means the party has started! Thanks for checking in... 

no worries C ;

it's good to see you socialize a little bit. take care of your wonderful selfie

Hey, Hi everybody! 

Sorry for being MIA - just happens sometimes (shrugs). I have been peeking in (off-line) quite regular, and reading and checking up on everyone, being concerned or celebrating right along with you (where appropriate, given your circumstances!) - and, as usual, i have been tempted to write scads and scads, but ... just have not been able to, and/or made a judicious choice not to, as i have been  - PRE-occupied! ... shat happens ya know - and, I have been having to spending some time doing shat stuff of late. Oh well, shat stuff interfering with my communication style should not last, bear with me please! Not to worry - "aw'll bay bach" (like they say). Boo to too much cholesterol, yay for GB-light 5. Wish i could respond in full to all the posts I have been seeing of late. I'll try to get back in the "posting" saddle (pun intended)  as soon as I can.  ; )  C.

I’m happy to hear you’re doing so well, 5! It’s good news and I know you’re taking your recovery period seriously. That’s what it’s all about! Keep doing what you’re doing, it’s working for ya.

WOOHOO!!

your thanks giving sounds wonderful obs, happy thanksgiving

yea, i was pushing my luck for sure

i can eat my low sugar organic grape jam with anything so that will have to do for now... and oatmeal with sweet potato.

def am back on the lean cuisine now , lighter for now ..... home made chicken broth is my best friend along with low sodium breads and that jam .

i felt much better today so tomorrow i should be back to where i was before the fun fest. 

but if i'm a little bloated the doc might make sure i get the time off i think i need , not gonna stuff myself before the appt tho.

It is a good  idea to re-introduce previously problematic foods one at a time so you can read your bodys reaction (or hopefully lack of reaction)... 

I have found if I eat processed or manufactured foods (like cakes) I will react to them but if I bake stuff myself ...the only problem I have is overconsumption. 

If you are craving sweet and you know you can digest oatmeal...perhaps make some oatmeal cookies.

im glad youre getting out and about 5, and Im glad youre letting others help you with lifting and carrying.

We had our thanksgiving dinner tonight..all our children came and we had a wonderful time 

hhahahaha,

i had a boiled chicken sandwhich with the lettuce. 

after that i ate the pumpkin cake

since my stomach is still swollen anyway, i think that was just too much for my digestion.

i can eat otameal and babyfood sweet potato but not the harder to digest stuff yet i guess.... gonna have chicken without lettuce today... maybe in a few days.

and no cake for a week or so 

Okay 5, I’m concerned about something. Other than being thrilled about your continued improvement, I’m worried about your diet. Did you actually say you ate Lettuce and Pumpkin Spice cake? Please say they were on different plates? Ha, ha!

i am feeling better now so at least i know i can recover from test foods ; so it was worth it to get a bit of lettuce and pumpkin cake, but gonna put the cake on the back burner and try lettuce again for sunday dinner.  fingers crossed for the lovely lettuce

and sneezing is the worst, at least i didn't have any sneezes the first few days... i got lucky there.

day 5 i got out of the house and drove to the smaall strip mall. made some returns and got some groceries. the checker loaded my basket and i unloaded each little bag , hubby hauled it into the house

today i added lettuce and half a mini pumkin bundt cake.... i think it was too much too soon cos i'm bloated.....i hope it's not the lettuce :( . i ate some shredded chicken too. 

i will go back to a milder diet and see how it goes. maybe i just ate too much at one time.... trial and error here

i started pooping friday , just normal so that's good... i'm taking my fiber and actually had one half of a senokot on thursday morning. just to get things motivated in there. now i'll just see how it goes...hopefully easy

i sure did love the lettuce and pumkin cake , i don't have indegestion, just bloated..

i see the dr on tuesday so all of this is good data

friday i had 4 mini meatballs and that didn't seem to bloat me, so i like that 

i usually wake up not bloated, so here's hoping that is good...... so tums for now and ice and heat and tv

oh and yea, the incision under my bra was not happy even tho i put padding there... i'll get to tell the doc that i'm not going back to work till i can wear a bra and lean against a table while reaching forward.

yep, nothing seems easy

i don't think the bbq is as bad as cakes, pies ,ice cream, cookies ,chips, deep fried 

Atorvastatin is the same statin he’s considering. It’s common and doesn’t cost a fortune. I find it odd that the results did such a flip in a 3 month period. I know I eat too much junk and don’t pay much attention to my diet, never had to. I’m sure I can get it down some, just by diet alone. That said, I know it’ll be a struggle, because I like to eat. I’m a big fan of the BBQ, I do it all year. Meat is my friend, lol! 

I‘ll work on it and see what happens. I was told previously, to try Niacin daily, to reduce cholesterol, which I’m doing. When my doctor talked to me about it, he referenced a study that said they used to encourage that, but now find it only reduces the numbers, not the actual cholesterol. Guess it was worth a try, didn’t work anyway. Nothing’s easy!

I take my prescribed statin (Atorvastatin) before I go to bed. For me, I have not noticed any side effects but it may be that I have gotten used to it over the past two and a half years.

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian neighbours and a sincere thank you to all of you amazing people here as well. (Yes, Canadians spell neighbours with a 'u'...British thing lol.)

Tig,

If you start an oral statin I really hope you don't have side effects like muscle pain or fatigue. Doctors used to tend to choose to not believe us when we told them the statins were making us feel bad, there have been enough reports in the literature about side effects they are taking it seriously now.

I have high cholesterol and really need a statin, diet did not help but I could not tolerate oral statins. Muscle pain and fatigue. They have a new injectable called Repatha but Medicare won't approve it until you have tried four different oral statins and had side effects.

I finally got approved for Repatha and can take it without muscle pain or fatigue. Have not been on it long enough to get my lipid panel redone that comes next month. If you search Repatha it comes with its own set of side effects though. So far I am doing OK.

obs, i'm so sorry about your rib going out due to allergic coughing... we are so fragile yet so strong.

I agree with 5 Tig... think about adjusting diet before starting statins... if he doesnt want you to start right away... that gives you time to adjust and maybe not need them (hopefully) 

5 ... so glad youre healing up.. cant wait to hear about all the foods youre had to be deprived of that you may be able to digest soon

I had three days of dramatic allergic coughing from some chemical in the environment/air.. and I coughed a rib in my back out of whack  I couldnt even stay lying in bed this morning...Luckily my sweetie gave me a massage and it crackled and popped and pain level dropped significantly 

tig, can you change your diet instead of statins? oatmeal, fiber , fewer fats?

i hope your tests are ok tho

i took it real easy mon,tues,wed and today i did some laundry and moved around more. i'm being careful about lifting, pushing and pulling, but there's no way i could get out of bed without some painful difficulty; so i tend to stay in or out of bed longer that way.

i do see  why they give us a cpl weeks off from work tho. i'll make sure of that!

i decided not to take the pain pills since it only hurt when i moved and was sleeping well. and i didn't want the side effects of pain pills, including sleeping even more.

be well friends. be back soon to see how everyone is doing.

Keep up the TLC, 5, it’ll make your overall recovery, much smoother. Now is the time to take special care of everything!

My doc appt went like I thought it would. He was skeptical of the triglyceride level, but barely. Wants me to start a statin, but not right away. Hard on the liver, but so is a heart attack. Thinks there are some hip issues (duh), X-rays to follow, as well as a cardiac and lung scan. At least I have something to do for a couple weeks. Oh boy, deductible and copay time!

sticker,obs,tig

thankyou for the wellwishes and encouragement.

yep, water and broth and toast right now...some oatmeal ,applesauce and baby sweet potato......plus rest and tv. 

i do get up and move around every so often.

my medical team was super...even the last nurse who told me to stand up bent but straighten up once i get up so i don't walk bent...that was good advice since my muscles were stabbed also

it was like a symphony with grace....so much better quality than the the harvoni clinic guy ...but he had a good place in my life too.

i'm so glad it's over and now i recover ... no lifting over 5 pounds for 3 weeks to keep from getting a hernia..that makes sense.  i willl prob go back to work after 2 weeks. will know after next tuesday when i go for post op.

stay well friends.

Good going 5!  Keep up the good work and take it easy.  How long is the recovery supposed to take? I hope you are feeling much much better soon, champ.

Glad that it went well 5! We are so often told that, its a common procedure, doctors do this, all the time but it doesnt feel so reassuring when YOU are the one going under the knife. I am happy that it was successful and take it slow and easy during your recovery.

Yay 5.  so glad it went smoothly and you are home resting and healing.  

good riddance to that silly old gb

as Tig said........ stay hydrated  and take it easy  

Excellent report, 5! Get some rest and stay hydrated. Good night! 

it's all good news .

didn't feel a thing, they gave me relaxing meds b4 and the whole team came in to see me b4 the op.

i discussed my antibiotic fears with everyone

i was home by 11 am and have been dozing on and off.

when i first woke up it hurt and i let them know, about 7.5 level, got a little more pain meds but was at max since my breathing was too relaxed... soon tho the pain level went to  5.5, and then 4.5, [i love thoses halves.ahhahaaha ]

lucky it only hurts when i move . i get up now and then and have been icing. i just took an ibuprophen to see if that works; i dont think i'll pick up the pain pills at this rate [kim has vicoprophen if i need an eighth of a pill later.

can't lift anything that might give me a hernia; so far no cake , just toast and broth.

now for some tv after lovely toast and broth dinner

thanks for the support friends.

oh and of course, the best news is the fibrosis didn't interfere with the laproscopy , maybe he'll even let me know how my liver looked .

be well friends, gonna just chill now

Hello 5,

I trust all went well, but will reserve telling any jokes that might cause laughter! I do have compassion for the ill, injured and newly repaired. Seriously, I hope things went as expected and you’re home resting by now. The bloated feeling will take a day to go away. They blow you up like a balloon and some of that gas is left to be absorbed. All normal stuff. You’ll be feeling better in no time! 

Talk soon

here i go friends i'll leave my gallbladder with the hospital and i'll come home. i'll check in soon

and oatmeal is supposed to help too , i eat that everyday with some sweet potato baby food mixed in....very good and healthy

Tig --- thinking of you and hope the test results improve and that you can have an uncomplicated diet to follow,,,nuts, fruits and vegetables,,,a bit of meat if you want,,,nuts, fruits and vegetables,,,a piece of fish...nuts fruits and vegetables, repeat..

ps

Tig

Some of that would have to do with what you ate the day before. Ahhh.. years ago my triglycerides were high doc told me to watch what I ate. Night before my next blood test

I looked at the clock and finished lined in a bag of jelly beans. Needless to say I had to be re-tested triglycerides came back 1800. Watch that starch and sugar Bro.