beyondwords

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Health notes 2023-2024 Summary (most recent now on top)
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Many thanks to all for your good wishes and encouragement. They mean a lot to me. YOU mean a lot to me.
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It’s been quite a couple of years! Biggest issues now:
- Haven’t gained much muscle so still very weak
- Pain
- Posture (very bent at hips)
- Balance
- Carrying more than ~2 litres/5 lb
- Reaching up high
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Dec 7, 2024: Three wonderful appts with wonderful doctors in past week. Feeling overwhelmed with all I've learned, all the followup required. And hopeful! Will report soon.
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Nov 30, 2024: Had 7 medical appts in 4 days past week.
- Knee surgeon who replaced both knees again says nothing can be done for weak & painful left knee (which was in terrible shape before 2023 surgery). Ablation (scheduled in December) might ease pain, but not very promising. Must try to strengthen it in spite of pain (now in knee, not front leg as before surgery).
- Report on ultrasound of leg veins looks like improvement. Seeing new internist next week mainly about blood clots & blood thinners.
- Physiotherapist gave me arm/shoulder exercises that may help with putting items on mid-high shelves and hooks.
- Cortisone in right hip bursa has eased some pain, but other pain in right SI and beyond is still severe much of time. Hope ablation scheduled in December will help.
- The other appts: Chiropractor weekly visit, drivers' licence medical with family doctor, triannual teeth cleaning with hygienist (who used gentle Cavitron ultrasonic scaler).
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Nov 28, 2024: Oh oh! Have regained most of weight lost, but not much muscle. Want to lose 10 of those pounds without losing muscle. Have cut back some on junk food. No longer have much on hand.
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Nov 21, 2024: Monday's haircut and today's pedicure/manicure were a nice break from all my medical appointments. Drove myself there and to grocery store (all nearby) on snow-covered roads. Glad I don't have to go anywhere next couple of days--snow and cold predicted.
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Nov 18, 2024: Sleeping 10-12 hours when I can get by with it, much less when I have a morning appointment. Don't have a snooze alarm, but can wake up enough to reset my timer again and again, so I sometimes count on my partner to get me up.

Day & night taking ibuprofen (up to allowed max) and a little acetaminophen for pain, but still really suffering part of time.

Have lots of appointments booked now into January, including several for pain management.
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Nov 14, 2024: Got flu shot, barely within required 2 weeks before cortisone in hip bursa Nov 28. Have to wait a few weeks for COVID shot (min 3 months after having COVID).
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Nov 13, 2024: Radiologist said vertebroplasty has healed and so removed restrictions on forward bending and heavy lifting. Yay!

Family doctor says at my age (82) don't need to be concerned about A1c of 6.5. I think she said to keep it below 7.0. I still need to cut way down on junk.
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Nov 4, 2024: For past 5 nights, sleeping 12-14 hours with just 1-2 quick bathroom trips and no alarm clock has been wonderful. But I don't want to lose more muscle. And I have things to do. So it's back to the alarm clock (actually a timer). :-( Will aim for 9-11 hours now, then 8-9, and probably less when I have a morning appointment.
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Nov 2, 2024: Leg edema has come and gone again.
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Nov 1, 2024: I’m diabetic! After a stable prediabetic A1c for years at 5.8-5.9, an unexpected A1c test ordered in March and just now happening is a blessing. A1c has spiked at 6.5. I’m not surprised—in spite of healthy meals I've been binging on junk--crackers, chips, candy, cookies--ever since I got my appetite back. Have regained less than 10 lb of all the weight I lost, & some of that should be muscle, so thought I was getting by with it. Will cut out candy first, then cut way down on rest.
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Oct 30, 2024: Vertebroplasty (cemented stress fracture on L2). Painful procedure! Now little local pain, little relief from back pain. Must avoid heavy lifting and “excessive” forward bending for 4 weeks. Must also delay regular physiotherapy and chiropractic treatments that always give me some pain relief.

Really, really want assessment & treatment of sometimes severe pain on right: glute & sometimes hip, pelvis, groin, outer thigh (sciatica??)
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Oct 2024: Gardening finished for year, just in time for vertebroplasty & winter weather. Figured out ways to move heavy things (water, plants, mulch, compost). Partner helped with some carrying. Didn’t water in beds & trees as usual in fall.
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Sept 2024: Today's ultrasound of leg found improvement from April, but still clots stuck to walls of two different veins--chronic thrombosis. On blood thinner since March.
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Sept 2024: Eating lots—healthy & unhealthy food. Not regaining weight. Wishing for better results from exercises. Still no strength, no energy, and some brain fog. Don't know how much is still weakness from severe muscle loss in spring.
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End of August 2024: Partner got COVID 3 days before me, recovered quickly. I wiped out, slept 18 hours, felt better but like with head & chest cold for a few days. Relost those last few pounds. Then back to how I felt before COVID.
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July-Oct 2024: Can do easy gardening tasks, but can't lean over for long as I used to and can't carry much. I like sitting on lawn at edge of beds to work. I stay down as long as possible because to stand up I have to scoot across the yard to porch steps, sit on second step, then pull myself to standing.
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July & Sept 2024: X-rays show lungs clearing, but not clear. Pneumonia effects are hanging on, but not stopping me. I get out of breath, get very tired, still have some laryngitis. Have regained my appetite and a few pounds, but not much-needed muscle. Following a simple exercise routine.
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June 2024: Pneumonia entire month, confirmed by x-ray mid-month. Started like bad cold. Two weeks mostly bedridden. Lost appetite and another 10 pounds, mostly muscle.
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End of May 2024: Cleaned up flowerbeds & planted annuals.
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End of May, July-Oct 2024: Driving short familiar trips & doing some food shopping. Partner doing most of driving and some food shopping.
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May 2024: Leg edema almost gone. Lesions healed.
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May 2024: Have lost 20 pounds, mostly muscle, & now weigh what I did in high school (was fit then). Appetite briefly returned big time!
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May 2024: Partner had bad cold entire month. Still managed to care for me when necessary. I cared for myself when possible, but couldn’t care for him.
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May 2024: Major pelvic surgery to remove large mass on ovary plus complete hysterectomy. No cancer found!
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March 2024: Ultrasound found blood clot in right thigh vein. On blood thinner immediately.
Lost appetite & started losing weight. Partner fed me healthy high protein food + Ensure (found a good variety).
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Mar-Apr 2024: Leg edema, draining through open lesions around right ankle.
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June 2023 & March 2024: Knee replacements. Left knee (first) not rehabbed, still very weak & painful. Surgeon says he did the best he could on knee that was in very bad shape. Right knee (latest) now stronger & pain free after rehab.
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My name is Patsy. I'm addicted to jigsaws, and now Jigidi. I'm amazed at the huge collection of puzzles here to choose from. And the way the whole site works. I enjoy being part of wonderful communities here. And Jigidi University, where I learn so much. Thank you everybody.

My new avatar is Mango, our cute bully, bonded only with his twin Papaya and with humans in the household.

To see all my cat puzzles, go to Puzzles>Most Recent and type patsyscats in the search bar.
To see all my bargello puzzles, go to Puzzles>Most Recent and type patsysbargello in the search bar.
Will set up collections soon.

You'll also find lots of pictures of plants and flowers here. Many of those are from my wonderful sister: pcteacher.

K Jigidi jsem se připojil 22 října 2017 a naposledy jsem byl viděn 14 prosince 2024. Vyřešil jsem 26325 puzzle (10.1 denně) a složil 1840396 dílky (705.2 denně).