You know, it's taken me 47 years to get it right. I never did drink much throughout the day. I did manage to acquire a Coke habit - Coca Cola that is, Classic. About 3 years ago, I got a nasty virus, and ended up badly dehydrated and had to have IV fluids. A couple of bags later and I'm feeling better, although it was days before I was over that virus. I drank cranapple juice while I was sick. I realized that I hadn't had a Coke in a few days, so I thought I'd see if I could go a week. I found out that Coke dehydrates you instead of hydrating you. You have to drink two glasses of water to even things out.
And just three or four months before the virus, I'd been admitted to the hospital to get re-hydrated, I knew I needed to make some changes.
I made the week without coke and thankfully without the caffeine withdrawal. I tried for two weeks and reached that goal, then I went for a month, two months, and well, you get the picture. I made it a year, and now, it's been three years since I've had a Coca Cola. Like any addict, sometimes I long for that taste, but I have managed to stay strong.
I replaced Coke with cranapple juice, but the problem with that was that I didn't increase the volume much.
Chronic dehydration started causing all sorts of problems for me. After my back surgery in 2010, it delayed me being released from the hospital by 3 days because they couldn't get me hydrated. What was supposed to be a 2-3 day admission stretched into 6 days. My neurosurgeon later commented that I had done great with the actual surgery, he just couldn't get me well from a medical standpoint because of the dehydration.
During my recovery, I started passing out, or nearly passing out. Dehydration they told me. Some tummy problems - dehydration again. I stayed dizzy all the time and found myself holding onto things to keep from falling over when I'd get a wave of dizziness. Fighting that feeling of knowing you're about to faint isn't fun. Being dizzy all of the time isn't fun.
I had to have a tilt table test because of all of this. Turns out - chronic dehydration was causing the symptoms. The doctor told me that 99.9% of his patients were told to avoid salt, but he wanted me to add salt, to everything. And to increase my water intake.
Still, it's hard changing life long habits. I tried, I really did, but I was failing pretty miserably. On top of failure, I was still fighting the dizziness. However, I did notice that I wasn't as dizzy all of the time. For the first time, I was feeling a little encouragement.
It was frustrating to not be able to stand for very long before the blood starts to pool in your ankles and because of your dehydration your heart can't pump it back very well, and the resulting dizziness causes the near fainting.
My GI doctor told me that he believes it is POTS syndrome. Dr Google agrees - reading the information about POTS was like they wrote it for me. Guess what the treatment is? Yep, water and salt. He said that finally for him, the years of trying to deal with my crazy GI symptoms - now everything falls into place. Several years ago, I had a very bad episode of what turned out to be ischemic colitis - which they describe as a heart attack in your intestines. They were all surprised that I actually had it, I did not fit the profile of someone who gets IC - I had none of the risk factors. They just scrathed their heads, but the biopsy confirmed it. He had a light bulb moment at my last visit and for him, the chronic dehydration was the culprit, the last puzzle piece. He said he felt comfortable to release me from further follow up with him unless something comes up in the future and I need him.
So, what I took away from that last visit with him - water and salt. Go figure.
Finally, after having it pounded in my head, I knew I needed to do something. I don't know why it was such a struggle to drink the water, but it was.
So, I had to come up with something that I could stick to.
Four 16.9 oz bottles of water would get me the minimum amount of fluid a day that I needed. So, in order to keep track of what I was drinking. I would stop and grab 4 bottles of water a day and put them on my desk. I won't leave work for the day until all 4 of them are gone. I did it the first day, and the second day, and every day since. Sometimes, I go grab a 5th bottle. So, when I get home, anything else I drink is gravy. On the weekends, I put four bottles on the kitchen table, Chris knows that's my hydration station and leaves those bottles alone.
I've really been successful, and over the past few weeks, I've noticed a pretty significant decrease in my dizziness. Talk about encouragement.
I helped out at a car show yesterday, and was on my feet for most of the day. Once I got home, I realized that I hadn't been dizzy all day. I didn't have to sit down because of dizziness, not once! I did have to rest my feet and back though. I would take a break and go sit in the car and turn on my heated seats, because it was so cold and windy and raining, but I didn't have to take a breather for being dizzy.
Water. Who knew?
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Friends of the best sort
The year is 1990, I’ve only been divorced for a few months, I am in my early 20’s. I have gotten myself a roommate. A friend of hers wanted to fix her up with a friend of a friend. She didn’t want to go alone to meet him, so she asked me to go with her. We met the guy, his name was Buzz, they dated, they broke up. However, he and I stayed friends. Our friendship grew. We had good times, we talked for hours upon hours, about our loves, our broken hearts, our triumphs, our faith, our fun times.
The years passed, I got married, he got married. I got divorced, he got divorced. We only stayed in touch every now and then, but it was always like we’d just spoken yesterday when we’d connect. Some friendships are powerful like that, some friendships weather all storms. Some people can’t understand that type of bond, but Buzz and I knew that our bond was rock solid. We loved each other. I was lucky that the man in my life understood, the women in his life did not. I stood solid, and he wandered away. I was hurt, I mourned his absence, I got mad, and I resigned myself to the fact that I may never talk to him again, but that it would be his choice, he knew where to find me.
A year went by, and one day he showed up at my office, it’s 2011. He looked like crap, I was shocked at the changes in him. But, I was so happy to see him, happy to hug him, to hear his voice, and happy to be able to fuss at him for disappearing on me. It was because the woman in his life didn’t understand the bond, it was no surprise to me. He came back nursing a broken heart, but worse than that, the liver disease he had been fighting was progressing.
We renewed our friendship with a vengeance, our phone calls were not just once a day, but usually several times a day. I started going to doctor’s appointments with him, started taking him to the hospital, spending the night in the hospital with him, making phone calls on his behalf, and even becoming his voice at times.
The year is 1997, I’m only a couple of days away from my secret wedding. The future groom called me and told me there was this girl Edna I needed to meet, she was new in town and was new in the medical field and thought I could help her. I went over to her office, and said hello, I surprised to meet this person who was completely opposite of the type of person the name Edna brings to mind. For some reason, I confided in her that we were sneaking off to get married in a day or two. A bond quickly formed, we spent hours talking and laughing, we got together as often as we could.
She moved to town only a day or two after getting married because her husband got a job here. She hated it here. I was the first friend she made after moving to town. Soon she found Tae Kwon Do, and she blossomed, she found a passion. She moved up in the ranks, achieving her 5th degree black belt, she won state championships and competed in and placed in worlds. I was always in awe of her accomplishments. She never backed down from a fight. Determination and dedication are two adjectives that describe her best, but you can’t leave out hysterically funny, loyal, friendly, stylish, and beautiful because they also describe her best. Charisma was what she possessed, and she possessed tons of it. I always felt lucky that she considered me one of her best friends. Actually, she often called me her best friend, a position I was honored to fill, yet one in which I felt like I didn’t always hold up my end of the bargain.
The year is 2002, and a nasty lump showed up in her breast, our worse fears were realized when the pathology came back as cancer, and triple negative breast cancer at that. I remember sitting on the floor on the phone with her for two hours, much of that conversation was just the two of us crying. She wasn’t going to take this lying down, she was going to fight with everything she had. Two days after she got her biopsy results, I got mine. I had a lump in the same location as hers. My lump was benign, we spent more time on the phone crying with relief.
She beat cancer down like swatting a fly. Cancer wasn’t going to mess with Edna.
Life got busy, I moved to a different town, albeit not that far away, about 30 miles, it alters your daily patterns. Alters your contacts, changes who you see day to day.
She made a major decision and moved her 97 year old grandmother from Kentucky to live with her because she wasn’t being taken care of where she was. I didn’t even know about it until months after Gran was here, and I feel badly that I let our communication slip that much. She structured her entire life and household around Gran. Nothing but the best for Gran would do. When Gran arrived, she was bedridden, on oxygen and in hospice. Edna was having none of that, Gran is now 100, off of hospice care, off of oxygen for the most part, and walking 14 minutes on the treadmill.
Three years ago, she came to work with me, and we got to spend 8 hours a day together and I loved it and so did she. We actually did get some work done, but we also got to renew the friendship in a major way. I also gained 15 pounds because we went to lunch every day and that girl loved something sweet to finish off her meal, and I had to follow suit, and she didn’t have to even twist my arm very hard at all.
The year is 2010 and that nasty lump is back, biopsy confirmed that the cancer had returned, and it had spread to several lymph nodes. Her job duties and our bosses allowed her to work from home while she underwent chemo. So, I didn’t get to see her every day, but we talked and texted and emailed constantly.
The cancer was really aggressive and spread to her cerebral spinal fluid, yet she fought, never taking her eyes off of remission and cure. Hospital visits to see her became more frequent. She beat the cancer into remission.
Buzz would tell me he was praying for Edna. She would tell me she was praying for Buzz. They often asked about the other one.
The year is 2011, it’s November, Edna had turned 40 at the first of the month. After Thanksgiving she went into the hospital, and the cancer came back. She was moved to palliative care, and then to hospice and on December 16, 2011, she was gone.
My world was shaken to the core. I finally made that trip to Kentucky with her, the one we’d talked about taking some day, but this was not the visit I had envisioned.
The year is 2012, the year is only 2 days old. Buzz has been in ICU for a few days. He went into multi-organ system failure. It’s a horrible thing when those who love someone have to make the decision to discontinue life support, but sometimes it’s the only choice. At 6:30 pm last night, January 2, 2012, Buzz took his last breath. I was sitting at his beside. Today, we made arrangements for his funeral.
My world was shaken yet again to the core.
17 days, only 17 days apart, two of the best friends I have ever had departed this earth for their Heavenly home. I am glad that their human bodies are suffering no more, I’m glad that their souls are soaring with the angels and they are embraced in the arms of our loving Father. I am lucky to have a large support system and many other wonderful friends who understand the grief that has taken over my life. I am lucky to have the strong support and loving arms of Chris who has just held me while I wailed and cried and struggled for my breath. I’m lucky to have a mother who showed up to sit for hours with me at the hospital, just waiting. I’m lucky to have friends and family who have texted and called to check on me. I’m lucky to have a father who spoke at Edna’s funeral. I am lucky to be blessed. I was blessed with these two wonderful friends, and I thank God for allowing me to know them and love them, and to have them love me right back.
Godspeed my friends.
The years passed, I got married, he got married. I got divorced, he got divorced. We only stayed in touch every now and then, but it was always like we’d just spoken yesterday when we’d connect. Some friendships are powerful like that, some friendships weather all storms. Some people can’t understand that type of bond, but Buzz and I knew that our bond was rock solid. We loved each other. I was lucky that the man in my life understood, the women in his life did not. I stood solid, and he wandered away. I was hurt, I mourned his absence, I got mad, and I resigned myself to the fact that I may never talk to him again, but that it would be his choice, he knew where to find me.
A year went by, and one day he showed up at my office, it’s 2011. He looked like crap, I was shocked at the changes in him. But, I was so happy to see him, happy to hug him, to hear his voice, and happy to be able to fuss at him for disappearing on me. It was because the woman in his life didn’t understand the bond, it was no surprise to me. He came back nursing a broken heart, but worse than that, the liver disease he had been fighting was progressing.
We renewed our friendship with a vengeance, our phone calls were not just once a day, but usually several times a day. I started going to doctor’s appointments with him, started taking him to the hospital, spending the night in the hospital with him, making phone calls on his behalf, and even becoming his voice at times.
The year is 1997, I’m only a couple of days away from my secret wedding. The future groom called me and told me there was this girl Edna I needed to meet, she was new in town and was new in the medical field and thought I could help her. I went over to her office, and said hello, I surprised to meet this person who was completely opposite of the type of person the name Edna brings to mind. For some reason, I confided in her that we were sneaking off to get married in a day or two. A bond quickly formed, we spent hours talking and laughing, we got together as often as we could.
She moved to town only a day or two after getting married because her husband got a job here. She hated it here. I was the first friend she made after moving to town. Soon she found Tae Kwon Do, and she blossomed, she found a passion. She moved up in the ranks, achieving her 5th degree black belt, she won state championships and competed in and placed in worlds. I was always in awe of her accomplishments. She never backed down from a fight. Determination and dedication are two adjectives that describe her best, but you can’t leave out hysterically funny, loyal, friendly, stylish, and beautiful because they also describe her best. Charisma was what she possessed, and she possessed tons of it. I always felt lucky that she considered me one of her best friends. Actually, she often called me her best friend, a position I was honored to fill, yet one in which I felt like I didn’t always hold up my end of the bargain.
The year is 2002, and a nasty lump showed up in her breast, our worse fears were realized when the pathology came back as cancer, and triple negative breast cancer at that. I remember sitting on the floor on the phone with her for two hours, much of that conversation was just the two of us crying. She wasn’t going to take this lying down, she was going to fight with everything she had. Two days after she got her biopsy results, I got mine. I had a lump in the same location as hers. My lump was benign, we spent more time on the phone crying with relief.
She beat cancer down like swatting a fly. Cancer wasn’t going to mess with Edna.
Life got busy, I moved to a different town, albeit not that far away, about 30 miles, it alters your daily patterns. Alters your contacts, changes who you see day to day.
She made a major decision and moved her 97 year old grandmother from Kentucky to live with her because she wasn’t being taken care of where she was. I didn’t even know about it until months after Gran was here, and I feel badly that I let our communication slip that much. She structured her entire life and household around Gran. Nothing but the best for Gran would do. When Gran arrived, she was bedridden, on oxygen and in hospice. Edna was having none of that, Gran is now 100, off of hospice care, off of oxygen for the most part, and walking 14 minutes on the treadmill.
Three years ago, she came to work with me, and we got to spend 8 hours a day together and I loved it and so did she. We actually did get some work done, but we also got to renew the friendship in a major way. I also gained 15 pounds because we went to lunch every day and that girl loved something sweet to finish off her meal, and I had to follow suit, and she didn’t have to even twist my arm very hard at all.
The year is 2010 and that nasty lump is back, biopsy confirmed that the cancer had returned, and it had spread to several lymph nodes. Her job duties and our bosses allowed her to work from home while she underwent chemo. So, I didn’t get to see her every day, but we talked and texted and emailed constantly.
The cancer was really aggressive and spread to her cerebral spinal fluid, yet she fought, never taking her eyes off of remission and cure. Hospital visits to see her became more frequent. She beat the cancer into remission.
Buzz would tell me he was praying for Edna. She would tell me she was praying for Buzz. They often asked about the other one.
The year is 2011, it’s November, Edna had turned 40 at the first of the month. After Thanksgiving she went into the hospital, and the cancer came back. She was moved to palliative care, and then to hospice and on December 16, 2011, she was gone.
My world was shaken to the core. I finally made that trip to Kentucky with her, the one we’d talked about taking some day, but this was not the visit I had envisioned.
The year is 2012, the year is only 2 days old. Buzz has been in ICU for a few days. He went into multi-organ system failure. It’s a horrible thing when those who love someone have to make the decision to discontinue life support, but sometimes it’s the only choice. At 6:30 pm last night, January 2, 2012, Buzz took his last breath. I was sitting at his beside. Today, we made arrangements for his funeral.
My world was shaken yet again to the core.
17 days, only 17 days apart, two of the best friends I have ever had departed this earth for their Heavenly home. I am glad that their human bodies are suffering no more, I’m glad that their souls are soaring with the angels and they are embraced in the arms of our loving Father. I am lucky to have a large support system and many other wonderful friends who understand the grief that has taken over my life. I am lucky to have the strong support and loving arms of Chris who has just held me while I wailed and cried and struggled for my breath. I’m lucky to have a mother who showed up to sit for hours with me at the hospital, just waiting. I’m lucky to have friends and family who have texted and called to check on me. I’m lucky to have a father who spoke at Edna’s funeral. I am lucky to be blessed. I was blessed with these two wonderful friends, and I thank God for allowing me to know them and love them, and to have them love me right back.
Godspeed my friends.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Vegas Bound!
It's been almost a year since my last trip to Vegas. Before that trip, it'd been at least 5 years. I'm on my way to Vegas as I type this. I'm going to a meeting, a short meeting, but planning on getting the most out of my time there.
Chris wasn't as enthralled with Vegas as I am, of as I hoped he'd be. He passed on going on this trip.
It will be odd being there solo, but I've got so much planned to keep me busy that I know I'll have fun.
I want to see The Lion King at Mandalay Bay tonight, and Ka at MGM tomorrow. Im going to fill the rest of my time eating, gambling and sight seeing. Oh yeah, and attend that meeting.
I signed up for Google Latitude so Chris, my parents and my brother could track me. I figured it was only fair to let him track me because I am tracking his trek across the west on their camping trip to the Grand Canyon.
I'm taking a shuttle to Atlanta. Great service! Let someone else worry about the driving. I know I'll be especially grateful for it after I arrive back home on the red eye.
I downloaded The Help to read on the plane, but I made the mistake of starting to read it. I finished it yesterday! It is a great book. If you're looking for a great read, get this book. It will definitely make you laugh, and cry, and also make you stop and think.
I'm so glad my parents raised me to be accepting to different races. God created us all and loves us equally.
So, I think I might doze a bit, because I can do that, because someone else is driving.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Long week and a half
It started on October 18th, my friend needing the liver transplant called, he was sick. So, I took him to the emergency room. 12 hours later, he's been admitted and is settled in a room. I go to visit at lunch the next day, and he is throwing up into a trash can while the nurse is telling him he is being dismissed. I knew something was wrong and they just weren't seeing it. So, I called his transplant coordinator who told us to get him to Emory.
So, off we go to Emory. About 2 am, they tell us they are keeping him, and I head for home. It's about a 2 hour drive, so I crawled into bed at 4 am.
It's now Thursday. I go to visit my friend who is in a battle with a horrible disease. So glad to get the chance to see her for a little while. She was feeling like crap, but at least we had the chance to visit for a little while.
Friday night, the other friend is getting dismissed, so we get his mom and head out for Atlanta. As soon as we got there, they tell us they just readmitted him. So, we leave to get something to eat while his mom visits with him. We found a great little restaurant near the hospital and had a really good meal.
Turns out the friend has a partial bowel obstruction.
Saturday, we had a family get together for Chris's dad's birthday, then off to a party with the car club who held the benefit for my friend.
Sunday, I go to Emory to spend a few hours with him.
Monday, it's back to work.
Tuesday, he's having a really difficult time. I go home and pack a small overnight bag and head for Emory. I spend the night in a reclining chair so I can be there when the doctor rounds the next morning. Once I have the chance to talk to them, and get him showered and settled, I head to home to get a shower and go to work.
I worked late on Wednesday to try to get caught up on a few things.
Thursday Chris had a procedure, once that was finished, I went to work.
My other friend gets admitted to the hospital for a blood transfusion, so I go and spend some time with her.
Friday, the friend at Emory gets dismissed, so we head to Atlanta to pick him up.
I fell into bed as soon as I got home.
Chris says I'm not allowed to go anywhere today. He says I need a day to be a couch potato. He's right. So, I'm sitting on the sofa, recounting this week.
We saw a lot of nurses this week, some of them went above and beyond and made some differences small and large. Some of them, were sour and did the minimal amount they had to. Sometimes nurses can't do anything to correct a medical problem, but they can show kindness and offer a caring touch. For those who did provide that, I'm very thankful. I wish I could remember all of their names, but the ones that stand out are Adrienne, Darlene and Lynn.
I am tired.
But, I am home, I am being a couch potato. I just wish my two friends could be doing the same instead of fighting the tough battles that they are facing.
So, off we go to Emory. About 2 am, they tell us they are keeping him, and I head for home. It's about a 2 hour drive, so I crawled into bed at 4 am.
It's now Thursday. I go to visit my friend who is in a battle with a horrible disease. So glad to get the chance to see her for a little while. She was feeling like crap, but at least we had the chance to visit for a little while.
Friday night, the other friend is getting dismissed, so we get his mom and head out for Atlanta. As soon as we got there, they tell us they just readmitted him. So, we leave to get something to eat while his mom visits with him. We found a great little restaurant near the hospital and had a really good meal.
Turns out the friend has a partial bowel obstruction.
Saturday, we had a family get together for Chris's dad's birthday, then off to a party with the car club who held the benefit for my friend.
Sunday, I go to Emory to spend a few hours with him.
Monday, it's back to work.
Tuesday, he's having a really difficult time. I go home and pack a small overnight bag and head for Emory. I spend the night in a reclining chair so I can be there when the doctor rounds the next morning. Once I have the chance to talk to them, and get him showered and settled, I head to home to get a shower and go to work.
I worked late on Wednesday to try to get caught up on a few things.
Thursday Chris had a procedure, once that was finished, I went to work.
My other friend gets admitted to the hospital for a blood transfusion, so I go and spend some time with her.
Friday, the friend at Emory gets dismissed, so we head to Atlanta to pick him up.
I fell into bed as soon as I got home.
Chris says I'm not allowed to go anywhere today. He says I need a day to be a couch potato. He's right. So, I'm sitting on the sofa, recounting this week.
We saw a lot of nurses this week, some of them went above and beyond and made some differences small and large. Some of them, were sour and did the minimal amount they had to. Sometimes nurses can't do anything to correct a medical problem, but they can show kindness and offer a caring touch. For those who did provide that, I'm very thankful. I wish I could remember all of their names, but the ones that stand out are Adrienne, Darlene and Lynn.
I am tired.
But, I am home, I am being a couch potato. I just wish my two friends could be doing the same instead of fighting the tough battles that they are facing.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Sweet tooth
Something's got to give with this sweet tooth! I did so well for 6 months on Weight Watchers, then I had my gallbladder out and I can't get enough sweet stuff to eat! I've gone cupcake crazy. Put a cookie in front of me and I pretend points don't matter for a few minutes! I've managed to get off 3 of the 7 lbs I put on, but just not good enough! And, if the cookies I just ate actually have points in them, I'm screwed for today.
Friday, October 7, 2011
The kindness of strangers
Strangers, you never really think that much about them, that is until something happens that makes you stop and ponder. Well, I did some pondering in the past week. I have a dear friend who needs a liver transplant. We need to raise some money for him for his account with the Georgia Transplant Foundation, they will match up to $10,000, so it's very important to raise $10K.
I was feeling sort of alone and overwhelmed with the prospect of where to start, because it was going to be up to me.
A friend of his is part of a classic car group. They decided to do a fund raiser for him. They held it last Saturday. I was completely blown away. So many people came out to give to someone they had never met. I was choked up and just barely held the tears at bay all day.
Everyone I met was so friendly, and so enthusiastic about what they were doing.
At the end of the day, they had raised $4200.
We joined the club. We want to give back. Their monthly meeting was just 3 days after the fund raiser. We went, and were just amazed at the energy and the ideas of this group of people.
We've been living in this town for 4 years, and hadn't really met a lot of the residents, just our close neighbors, and a few people we knew from work, my hair dresser, and people working at the places we frequent - shopping and eating. I feel like we have increased our circle of friends already.
Strangers no more...
I was feeling sort of alone and overwhelmed with the prospect of where to start, because it was going to be up to me.
A friend of his is part of a classic car group. They decided to do a fund raiser for him. They held it last Saturday. I was completely blown away. So many people came out to give to someone they had never met. I was choked up and just barely held the tears at bay all day.
Everyone I met was so friendly, and so enthusiastic about what they were doing.
At the end of the day, they had raised $4200.
We joined the club. We want to give back. Their monthly meeting was just 3 days after the fund raiser. We went, and were just amazed at the energy and the ideas of this group of people.
We've been living in this town for 4 years, and hadn't really met a lot of the residents, just our close neighbors, and a few people we knew from work, my hair dresser, and people working at the places we frequent - shopping and eating. I feel like we have increased our circle of friends already.
Strangers no more...
AMC update
So I watched the end of AMC - what an awful ending. That's all I've got to say about that...
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