anxiety in restaurants...

[stef80]

I don't know if anyone else would have this but figured to see if anyone had tips just in case....
i am an emetophobic (fear of vomiting)
Since i have severe GERD(gastroesophagul reflux disease) i experience nausea all the time even though i have been on meds for it for a long time....
but anyway.....
i find that if i am not totally hungry or even when i am hungry, i sorta think to myself oh good i am eating everything is fine and then i get kinda nauseous and then i get freaked out that i am going to throw up in front of everyone and oh no now i am real nauseous and feel that acid up in the back of my throat....
so i was wondering if anyone has experienced this or not....
and also if you have....what helped....
i do take digestive enzymes and ginger pills....
both help but sometimes the anxiety is too much and i have to leave (i haven't eaten in a restaurant for over a year and a half)
i am on two antidepressants and i don't think antianxiety pills would work in this situation since i would probably feel loopy or just pass out....since that is what has happened in the past when i have had them(but of course that has been for hospital diagnostic procedures so probably i would be on a lower dose for this..)
but just thought to put this out there....
hope all are doing ok
take it easy and take care
*cat2

[tic chick]

stef *smallrose,

i am so sorry you have this problem.

i don't have fear of vomiting to the extent that you do, but i WILL do anything to avoid vomiting if i feel like i have to.

ok, first of all, you have to consider if something else is wrong besides the gerd. i had h.pylori and it constantly caused me nausea and burning in the middle of my chest. you need to have an endoscopy (really, no big deal, trust me) and have the doctor see if anything else is going on in your stomach.

yes, this IS an anxiety issue. really. antidepressants usually don't work well for phobias. the anti-anxiety meds they give you for hospital procedures is a big dose, because they want it to work fast and give you the greatest possible relaxation. if you take an anti-anxiety med daily, it's a smaller dose. you might feel tired when you start taking it, but that should go away.

other stuff to try for nausea:

-coca cola syrup (hard to find, but go to google.com and type it in to see who sells it)
-plain, flat coca cola (coke)
-a pressure point band you wear. this puts pressure on a spot of your hand that correlates to having nausea. the band will stop the nausea just by putting pressure on the point on your hand. a lot of pregnant women wear them, cause they don't want to take drugs during pregnancy. you would have to look that up on google.com, too.
-emetrol. this is an over-the-counter medication sold in most drug stores.

you should read up on gerd and see what you might be able to do to help it. possibly avoiding spicy foods, alcohol. taking a walk after eating. losing weight. sleeping on a higher pillow so your head is elevated.

another important measure would be to take vitamin b-12. get methylcobalamin, NOT cyanocobalamin. you put them under your tongue and let them dissolve. take them about half an hour BEFORE you take your acid-reducer meds in the morning. usually people who take acid reducing meds are deficient in b-12.

there are also drugs that reduce nausea, but you would need a prescription for them. however, i think the nausea that you feel when you are eating is psychologically caused. please don't misunderstand me when i say that. i don't mean you are crazy or not experiencing the nausea. it's just that you start thinking about it and pretty soon you are nauseous and fearful of throwing up. your brain is a powerful organ and can do that to you.

i would also suggest counseling. for phobias like this, there is a special method of desensitizing you to the fear of vomiting. it has worked for a lot of people with different phobias.

i hope this will be helpful to you. this is a life-altering problem and you have to deal with it, cause you can't avoid eating, stef.

please take care of yourself and post anytime. i usually check this column out as i have had panic disorders and agoraphobia in the past, but am now doing fine with the help of anti-anxiety meds.

jeannie

[Jim59]

Ladies Ladies, Ladies...

I have a PhD. in GERD, OCD, GAD etc...

It has taken me 20 years to earn and be awarded my PhD. Mine was awarded to me on 12/31/07. I went to the University of Fran. That's Fran not France, but Fran like Frances.
My poor wife takes 2 40m.g. Protonix a day. She eats Pepcid Complete like breath mints. She is on Zoloft and Klonopin. She always gets that I think I'm going to throw up feeling several times a week. I gave her two Tylenol once when she was sick and thought she was going to puke. It killed her nausea in 20 minutes. She refers to the flame thrower being on in her stomach from time to time and one Klonopin puts out the fire. At night because of her stomach she has a cocktail she takes every night. One Tylenol extra strength, a Pepcid AC, and yes one more Klonopin. I have a recent restaurant story to share with you ladies.
Fran grew up in an abusive household. Her Mom was bigger and stronger than Dad so poor old Dad got his with little Frannie, their only child caught in between. Last week we stopped a restaurant for my favorite burger called a Rebel burger. A older couple in their seventies started carrying on like two street home boys and the wife was the instigator. My back was to the drama scene and I could see the fear in her body begin. I know this number well. I had to go over to these people and shame them into leaving. I paid their bill to get rid of them. I was pissed my Rebel burger was getting COLD!! Next I have to convince Fran that she is safe now and the situation is over. Leaving my Rebel burger and some money for the bill I took her hand and got her out of the restaurant. The rest of that day was shot. Whatever part of her brain that is encoded with that image from childhood will send her into such panic and terror because she's like the little girl Frannie who feels so unsafe. That terror will not pass until the next day. Our cats will sense her distress right away and that helps calm her so that she can sleep that night sometimes. Her OCD is her most life altering condition that lowers her quality of life. I really haven't figured any way to make it better but I have learned how to not make it worst. I really have a great marriage despite these challenges but we make it through OK. Too bad anyone has to suffer like you guys or Fran. Caretaker is my most normal mode so all this stuff doesn't phase me except watching Fran suffer.
jim

[houghchrst]

Jim I just wanted to say that your story was one of the sweetest things I have heard in a long time. Fran is a very lucky woman.

[stef80]

for understanding....
tic chick----i have had two gastroscopies done and have b12 shots for a few years now....
is that b12 sublingual mint?? since i can't handle mint either....
it burns....
yeah i have been living with GERD for 9 years now, it started with an ulcer and now it keeps getting worse but i have had it checked out twice and nothing physically wrong....
it is frustrating when you do know that you feel this way but since there isn't anything physical then they just give up but man i love ginger pills...
they are my saviour....
and yeah i have club soda a lot since it helps me burp and also coca cola is the only thing that stays down since just plain water just comes back up...
and yeah i have had to sleep on two pillows now...
its funny too since the only stuff that works for my GERD is the proton pump inhibitors and your body gets addicted to them so you have to take them for life....this doc said that he finally got himself off of them but it was 3 months of hell.....and i was thinking to myself man i have it worse than him so no way am i going to subject myself to that....
its bad enough that i have to give up most fruits for my irritable bladder and haven't had juice since forever.....
and yeah i do realize its a big anxiety issue i have with the vomiting thing...
i should get it sorted out....
thank you for responding though....
and thank you for your tips....
hope all are doing well today....definitely need more days like that....
take it easy and take care
and if you have anymore tips feel free to send me them...
sorry i didn't mention the other stuff of the history of my stomach...
but yeah been through the whole whack of tests....
and also diets....
now i just eat stuff that i either don't mind tasting twice or that definitely stay down....and if its not those things i just avoid it like the plague.....
thank you guys though....anything and all helps....
*boogie*cat2

[Jim59]

Jim I just wanted to say that your story was one of the sweetest things I have heard in a long time. Fran is a very lucky woman.

Sorry Christina:

You are totally wrong... The story may sound sweet BUT I'm the LUCKY DUMB ***, excuse the French, Fran has ALWAYS and will ALWAYS be the stronger link in our marriage. Without her there is really truthfully nothing I've done successfully for 20 years+. I even stopped smoking at 17 years. Actually, I did make my Mother sick for at least 45 years before she passed. I only made DAD sick for 40 so Fran is my savior, my best friend, and most of all she transformed me from a boy with a wasted existence into a man(?) that even Mom would be proud of. Finally. Thanks for your kind words. We are in a crisis now so your thoughts are quite invigorating. Mom has a torn rotator cuff so I'm home alone(oh no!) while Fran takes care of the important stuff. I'm not use to this alone stuff. Neither of us has to work and we are together 24/7/365 except when we have a parent in need. Mom is our only living parent so the worst is yet to come.
Jim

[tic chick]

hey, stef!

yes, mint isn't good for the stomach, despite the claims. the sublingual b-12 is not minty.

well, glad to know you are on top of the causes of your physical issues. they say that ulcers are caused by the h.pylori bacteria and the way to get rid of them is by taking a 2 week course of 6 antibiotics and 2 proton pump inhibitors daily. when i had my h.pylori symptoms, i had an endoscopy and stomach lining biopsy. the surgeon said i had gastritis, which is an inflammation of the stomach lining, probably a precursor to an ulcer. i took the antibiotic and acid reducer regime for 2 weeks and haven't had any problems since then. of course, the doctor said that it could come back.

stef, i really think going to a counselor would be great! from personal experience, i know they can be very helpful and caring. think about it.

we have a great support group in the "emotional support" forum. check out the "what's happenin" thread. a group of us post about what's happening in our lives, we vent about anything on our minds. you are welcome to join us.

keep posting here, a lot of people have anxiety issues. if you want, you may send me a private message here at the forums by clicking on my name in the top of this post.

take care of yourself,
jeannie

p.s. jim, nonetheless, it was a caring thing to do to get your wife out of that situation. you underestimate yourself.
i am sure, though, that leaving the "rebel" burger behind was the best thing that happened that day :).

[stef80]

jim i hope that your wife and mother get some relief soon...
and thank you tic chick for your kind words....
its nice to know people who understand things ya know??
makes me feel not so alone.....
i know that seeing a counselor to work on somethings from my past and to work on this would be good....i have a lot of trust issues with letting anyone get too deep in my brain...
i know thats something to try and get over too....
but its kinda nice with the internet how it is since you can get personal but its not as real as it is if you are talking to someone in the same room with you type thing.....hard to describe but yeah....
i have a few really weird issues and such.....take one day at a time right?;)
i hope all are having a good night and not having any pain or anything and if you are i hope you find some relief soon....:rolleyes:
take great care and take it easy
*cat2

[Jim59]

Good morning stef,
I forgot to mention that Fran has wicked IBS that gets her every morning without fail. She has at least two or three total watery, explosive, uncontrollable diarrhea. Our older and wiser PCP has her use Imodium after each episode. He's the same doctor who really believes in the Pepcid AC for night time coverage. Some days she can barely make it to the toilet. Once she has this double episode in the a.m. she's OK till the following morning. I had surgery in June and we had to rush to the hospital at 4a.m. for my surgery. We had never thought about her IBS before hand. Well of course her wicked morning diarrhea arrived later in the morning and she didn't have time to get to the bathroom room and messed herself. Makes you wonder why nature would do that so vicious to a sixty year old woman. She is such a good and compassionate person for EVERTHING in the World and her body treats her as a vicious enemy. Maybe one day I'll understand that but for now it just really pisses me off.

[stef80]

yeah IBS is a real killer sometimes too...
I have had alternating all my life except it really hit me when i had an ulcer for some reason.....i blame all the antibiotics i was given as a kid since i have a heart defect and they kept putting me on them for prophylactic reasons and now i hardly need them for anything as they realize that it does more harm than good....(that info doesn't help me now...:rolleyes:)
yeah i have had a few infections that has caused me to mess things up and thankfully i have only had a couple in public...i ran to my house and just hoped people didn't smell me.....:eek:
so i can understand a whole lot about bowel issues and stomach issues....
its hard when your young and you have problems that you shouldn't have....
when i was starting treatment with my bladder issue i was put on one med and it made me incontinent....and then i realized it was the med that was doing it...
:eek:
i still sometimes have issues like that but not as bad thats for sure...its a bit more manageable now but man i was looking at diapers and stuff....:eek:
and my back sometimes gets so bad i feel i need a cane....
if you ever need to vent or anything just message me...
*cat2

[tic chick]

hey stef!

how ya doing? just wanted to check in with you :).

oh, i have a second cousin, (you know, i don't know how all that second cousin, third cousin, once removed stuff works...lol) but anyway, she's my mom's cousin, so she is some kind of cousin to me, that lives in fernie, bc. i'm pretty sure that's a tiny place just above the us of a border somewhere in the middle :D.

jeannie

[stef80]

thanks for checkin in....
yeah i have a nasty bug in my stomach....it hurts me when i eat....and i know the drill with this thing....i have to stop eating for a couple days and let it go through my system but i was just so hungry so i had some frosted flakes and now it hurts....
one baby step forward and 4 gigantic steps back..:rolleyes:
ahh well...
yeah i think if its your moms cousin then its your second cousin....
i think....:rolleyes:
my mom stayed in fernie way back when....its close to the border of B.C. and Alberta....
i am on vancouver island....
where are you located??
well i guess i should get doing something.....:confused::eek:;):cool:
hope you are having a good day...
take it easy and take care
*hug*kitty

[tic chick]

hey stef!

i'm in detroit, michigan, just across the river from windsor, ontario. i have a lot of second and third cousins in hamilton. i have gone to niagara falls and i used to go to toronto with my dad when i was young...to visit his friends. my mothers cousin in fernie is the only cousin that lives outside of ontario.

you didn't have milk with the frosted flakes? cause milk just feeds the bug and makes your stomach queasy. dry toast or with smidge of butter is good. have you ever made ginger tea? thats about all i would try on my stomach if i had a virus...tea and toast.

sorry you're feeling unwell. i hope you feel better soon.*bunch

oh, i found this site for your ic. you probably know a lot about it already, but i thought it was a good site: http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/interstitialcystitis/

take care of yourself, stef,
jeannie

[stef80]

Well you are real close to toronto....
My mom used to work there and she still owns a few places there and goes back every so often.....
You know whats funny......i don't ever remember seeing niagra falls....i might have as a young kid but as far as i remember i haven't....kinda funny hey?:eek:
Yeah when i ate the frosted flakes i don't drink milk with them....
i am lactose intolerant but i just love chocolate milk so i do splurge in that every so often....and milk is good for ya so i don't see why not....
yeah i used to love ginger tea....i don't know why but i don't have tea anymore for some reason...
but i do take ginger pills----i pop those like theres no tomorrow....
they have helped me a lot....
i think the bug has left me...i hope so....but just having a dysfunctional stomach at best on a good day isn't that great either....
i still am tuckered out....have to go see the doc tomorrow for my iron shot...
and see how my levels are doing too(had a blood test done recently)....
i don't know why but man i am just so tuckered....
its quite frustrating...:mad:
two steps forward and 6 steps back sorta thing....:rolleyes:
i hope you are doing well today....we need more good days...:rolleyes::cool:
take it easy and take care
*hug*kitty

[tic chick]

hey stef! *bunch

they have pills here you can take before you eat something dairy and it will not cause an upset stomach. they also have a special chocolate milk that already has the sugars pre-digested, it's called "lactaid".

i have never seen the united states side of niagara falls. it's closer from detroit to niagara falls, canada, then it is to new york. i've gone at least 3 times to the canadian side of the falls.

when i went to toronto the first time, i was about 7...lol. the toronto i remember was wooden painted houses, house after house. it wasn't very populated. this was back in ummmmm..well, the very early 60's. the next time i went there was in the late 70's, with my husband on our honeymoon. i remember going underground shopping and the science center and taking the free buses! i would like to go again, cause i love ethnic food and i know toronto is just famous for all it's ethnic restaurants. i think i would also like to go to montreal, but i don't know why :confused:.

i hope you're having a nice weekend there. it's warm here and we haven't had any rain in 3 days!

take care of yourself, stef,
jeannie

[stef80]

thanks for checkin in....;)
yeah i tried lactaid and the milk lactaid...
the pills would make my reaction to milk worse and the milk---i found really gross
but of course my taste buds seem to change a lot so who knows...:rolleyes:
yeah i was born in montreal....
i haven't been there since....we moved over here when i was one...
so i don't remember it :p
i would like to go there and see where we used to live and where i was born n stuff....
i get motion sick now in planes (i basically grew up on planes---my parents had me on a plane at 3 months old and we would go to a lot of places (since my dad had worked for the airline here so we would get cheap flights---cost next to nothing---now they do cost a lot but still not as much as regular at least for now anyway)
so it was hard for me to become motion sick and not be able to do all the stuff i used to as a kid.....the acid reflux meds did it to me....
i read somewhere where they can alter your stomach to be weaker than it was and such and so i believe thats why i get motion sick now....
well i am babbling so i will go....
but thanks for checkin in jeannie
this forum is so nice...:D
take care and take it easy
*hug*hug*kitty

[tic chick]

hey stef! *bunch

hope you had a nice weekend. do you have friends to go out with? are your parents close by you? just hoping you have some fun by getting out of the house.

you could try soy milk and they have rice milk and they have almond breeze milk, which is made from almonds. they have a lot of those in chocolate flavors, too. you could try them and see if any of them taste good to you. they all are a bit thinner than regular milk and have no fat. maybe something will not anger your tummy :).

i forgot if you said whether or not yogurt bothered your stomach. they have so many brands of that and it has the live cultures in it, so it shouldn't cause any ill effects like straight dairy might.

just checkin' in on you and hope you're doing okay.

livin' la vida loca...lol,
jeannie

[stef80]

how are you doing today?
i am having a weird and bad stomach day and pelvic pain day today....
and yeah yogurt does cause me trouble....i used to eat it ALL the time...
but now even the thought of it makes me gag.....
i go through weird periods with my stomach---sometimes it wants something all the time and then i go years with not being able to even have any of it and then i go back to eating it but it can take so years to try things again....
my stomach is the worst 'functioning' stomach out there...:eek:
and yeah soy for me is worse than if i have milk....i get so nauseous and icky feeling just after a couple sips....
and rice milk i like....i never seem to get it enough and also almond breeze is yummy but i find it quite filling though....it refluxes faster than regular chocolate milk i find....
and yeah i do the whole digestive enzyme thing too....
they have helped a lot but sometimes things still don't work as well as i need them to....but i have tried all kinds out there...
my stomach is a weird beast....:eek:
thank you for the advice though....
yeah i have a friend here but most are on the internet....sad i know....but i don't get along with people that well and also i have big trust issues too...
my parents do live close by but they are on a cruise right now----going around iceland and greenland....
man my pelvic region is in pain....
going to go rest....
i hope your doin good...
take it easy....
*hug*hug*kitty

[tic chick]

hey stef!!*bunch

i've been down with some kind of virus the last couple days. i hate being sick and feverish when it is hot outside!

i'm sorry to hear about your trust issues. have you ever talked to somebody about them?

yeah, i once got food poisoning from bbq ribs. i didn't eat them for ages after that. now, i eat very little meat, mostly just chicken when i want it. i used to love lamb chops, then all of a sudden, one day, i took a bite of one and just gagged. i can't eat them anymore.

my kids all went thru certain phases where they would only eat stuff like hot dogs, peanut better and jelly, and for a long time i was making mac and cheese everyday for years...lol

yeah, the stomach is a funny organ. i was experiencing severe stress when i was 19. i started to be afraid to swallow food and i felt nauseous all the time. my doctor gave me a med called compazine, its an anxiety drug that happens to work well in calming down the stomach. i took it for awhile, then stopped, cause i started counseling right around then and once i talked out all my problems, i felt SO much better.

it's hot here. this weekend is supposed to be cooler. i can't wait.

hope you have a nice weekend! your parents picked a nice cool spot to vacation in the hottest part of summer :).

take care of yourself,
jeannie

[stef80]

Sorry to hear you had a bad virus....they are never good....
HUGS...
Yeah i have trust issues because of the docs i have had in the past....and those stupid ER docs for not doing an x-ray on me when i broke my back..so mad at that situation still....and have a very inept doc before i got the doc i got now...
i have had more issues with naturopaths than medical docs so i don't go to any of those really...
I just really didn't like the idea of coffee enemas to 'cure' my IBS...
i am no expert, of course, but i declined that one down for sure....
i am worn out today from cramps and headaches and such....this is the time i hate being a woman...
my acid reflux is so bad lately....i was more nauseous for the past couple weeks because of my impending period and now i can't eat a lot and just feel icky in my stomach....
i am just tuckered today....
tired of having to rely on docs to help 'fix' me....but tired of being in pain and not being able to eat....
i hope to get somewhat sorted out sometime....:confused:
it might be nice....
just been kinda moody too lately....:confused:
probably just hormones...:rolleyes:
i just feel kinda cranky right now for some reason....sorta have lots in my mind but can't get it all out ya know??
well i hope you are better and thanks for checkin in...:D
take it easy and take care
*hug*hug*kitty*kitty

[tic chick]

stef, *bunch

i hope you are feeling better today.

yeah, i know how bad it can be when you run into a doctor who is a real jerk. kinda gets you leery of the whole lot of them.

i am over my virus, thank heavens. i had a bit of work to catch up on and i needed to still relax and get some strength back.

my dogs also needed some attention :D.

do you have anyone you can talk to when you have a lot on your mind? someone who can help you sort it out? i hope so.

i'm sure you've seen the thread on gluten free foods for ibs? one of my friends got this problem when she was in her 40's and she changed her diet, too and she looks like she's doing well. she was always on the thin side, but she lost a bit of weight when she first got the ibs, but now she looks much better.

well, it's really nice and cool here today. a bit too cool, but it will warm up this week. i am cooking a whole chicken in the oven cause it's cool, so the heat will escape before bed.

i hope this week is better for you, stef. you have so much going on for someone so young :(.

take care of yourself,
jeannie *hugs

[stef80]

thanks for checkin in...
i am glad you are over the virus you had...
i felt like i was coming down with something last night but not sure what happened there since i don't feel like it now....
my bladder was flaring me so bad last night...i know to ignore the urgency or else the real pain start (razor blades coming out of the urethra is not fun-- its weird since i have UTI symptoms as flares and i have yeast symptoms when i have UTIs---funny hey?)
i took all my pain meds to get to sleep and today i am having horrid pelvic pain..
kinda worried its my appendix (the last laporoscopy showed it had a recent mild infection (sept/07) and they didn't take it out and now i am kinda worried since i have had pain there closer and closer together so yeah....i just don't like going to the ER unless its definitely necessary)
i am tuckered today....
but i have a kitty on my lap and can just relax tonight so hope to be ok tomorrow....need ot do laundry sometime but just cannot do it in this pain...
well i hope you are doin good today
take it easy and take care
hugs n kitty cuddles ;)
*hug*hug

[tic chick]

stef,

please go to the er if your pain starts in the middle of your stomach and then concentrates itself on the right side and you have ANY kind of fever.

i had my appendix out when i was 16, after laying in bed for 4 days in pain thinking i just had menstrual cramps, as my mother thought i also had. when i fainted in the hallway, she had the sense to take me to the er where i had an emergency appendectomy. my appendix was ready to burst. that's the worst thing to happen.

they should have taken it out with the mild infection, cause it is telling them that it is a problem. such an easy surgery now, with the laparoscopic instruments.

take care of yourself, stef, cause i care,
jeannie

[stef80]

Thank you so much for caring...:D
yeah i think the doc wasn't right when he just left the appendix in me...
I believe the pain i had was a big bubble but i am still very sore...
and i keep getting these lil 'attacks' more often and more intense so since i am needing my iron and b12 shot tomorrow, i can see if i need to see a surgeon or something to get this thing out of me before it is a real problem...
I would rather another lap surgery than a whole abdominal surgery on me...
since they still do that if its an emergency but if it isn't they can just do a lap surgery....
since i don't want to have to deal with staying in the hospital for a week or whatever....i would definitely hate that and also try to make sure i have all my meds with me and stuff....i am trying to avoid that situation....
it was bad enough that night i had to stay after my angiogram....i hated that since that was so very painful and i just hated it and did not sleep well at all....
so that is why i am either waiting for a definite emergency or see my doc and try and get another lap done for it....
i know its risky waiting but i really do hate hospitals....
thank you so much for caring....i will update ya on what goes on....
i am sorta hoping that i can just get it set up instead of having it an emergency situation....
but i will definitely go to the doc tomorrow for my shots so i am hoping i can just set up a lap with a surgeon....
i am very tuckered right now...
i will keep you updated for sure...
take it easy and take care
BIG HUGS :D
*hug*hug

[sophie ny]

The iron can make you constipated and cause alot of discomfort. You don't want your apendix to bust .Do you get the pains around the time you get your period ? I know when your ovalating you get alot of pain around the pelvic area . *cat1

[sophie ny]

Sorry you were ill Jeanne . Glad to hear you are alright :)

Take care Sophie NY. *butterfly2

[tic chick]

hey stef!*smallrose

how are you doing? were you able to see your doc to do anything about your pesky appendix?

i hope you haven't been in too much pain lately.

have a nice weekend and check in when you have a chance!
jeannie

[tic chick]

sophie,*bunch

thanks for your get well wishes.

yeah, a virus is the pits in the summertime, cause it's hot and you can't exactly curl up under the covers and stay in bed all day. you just have to tough it out...and if it's nice outside, you can't enjoy it, although i still played fetch with my dogs even though i wasn't feeling well. they don't understand, they just want to play...lol.

hope you are doing okay, too, sophie.

thank you for caring,
jeannie

[stef80]

I am doing all right....
I have one of my nasty stomach bugs again and that was properly why i was having pain last week (and a side effect of my bladder meds)
so nothing going on with the appendix as of yet....but one never knows...
i hope you are doing all right and got rid of the virus you were fighting...
yeah i have been getting iron shots and that might have aggravated my stomach to have the bug be full blown since usually it takes a day or two to get rid of it but this one is quite bad but i hope it will go soon....
i am kinda out of it because of the heat and not eating for a while...:rolleyes:
but of course some days are like this even if i do eat and it is cool outside so who knows....:p
i hope all are having a great day
take it easy and take care
*hug*hug

[tic chick]

hey stef,

you know, you could have a low-grade infected appendix for a long time. your body would be trying to fight the infection and it would succeed for awhile, but eventually, the infection would just take over.

just my opinion...but, i would tell the doc about your stomach bugs, it might be related to a chronically inflammed appendix. i am just thinking out loud here, since you say you haven't had much of an appetite and your tummy hurts.

i hope this is a good week for you. summer is coming to an end, well, maybe i am rushing it a bit :D.

i am getting fresh tomatoes from my backyard. i have zillions of green ones, i will be picking until december...lol!

hope you feel better and maybe think about calling the doc.

take care of yourself!
2065 jeannie

[stef80]

Yeah i think i do need to talk to the doc about this since i am havin a bad time today....usually would be ok.....
so yeah i need to address this for sure....
yeah this week has been a scorcher.....SO HOT....too much for me and very muggy....i hate that.....
so yeah it hasn't been great for me....i hope for cooler weather but not that cool :eek: don't want to suddenly have freezing weather....
i hope you are doin good....thank you for checkin up on me....its nice ;)
well going to go relax....:p
take care and take it easy
*hug*hug

[tic chick]

HEY STEF! *bunch

how are you doing?

i hope you're feeling better and i hope you're going to be able to get that appendix taken care of.

i'm planning a trip to new york to see my daughter, she was born in 1980, like i assume you were, because of your name. it's going to be my first time flying and i am really scared. so, just kind of planning things slowly. going on sept. 9 to 15. i am trying not to think of the airplane until i am on it, so i don't have a miserable 2 weeks.

so, tell me how you've been?
jeannie

[stef80]

Yup i was born in 1980---august 7th....sure i am 28 but i feel about 70 or so sometimes....
my memory is shot for sure...and my digestive system and my bladder and well so on and so forth...:rolleyes:
that is crazy how its your first time flying....my dad was a master engineer of Air Canada here so i was up in the plane when i was 3 months old....my mom worked out east a lot so we went back and forth in the summer....
so yeah i have been in A LOT of airplanes and probably more airports....:eek:
for that last few years though i haven't since i have developed motion sickness so yeah airplane trips now are a nightmare....
i remember being in a plane to england and it was going on from there to India and it was when you could still smoke on planes and man that whole airplane was just smoke, it was HORRIBLE.....glad that they don't these days...
yeah i thought i got better changing to ginger ale instead of coca cola and getting the more expensive digestive enzymes (not the most expensive but the ones that i know work but you can only get at the health food store and its not always on the way ya know?)
i think that all has helped but i still have that sicky feeling....and so i am getting an abdominal ultrasound next month to see if there is anything abnormal and go from there.....
i feel like i am on that show mystery diagnosis sometimes...except i got every test done but nothing conclusive (well some things are and some aren't)
they haven't looked in my head....that poor old guy up there fighting off the spiderwebs might become disturbed if there is a doc lookin at him funny:rolleyes::p
so i am sorta ok but still workin things out...
its hard since my dad has bad health problems that have him declining in energy and his mental capacity....the last two days i called him and in the middle of each conversation he obviously had no clue who he was talking to...
but today was good....he actually knew what day it was where as i, did not..
:p
so i guess when your parent gets to 83 you gotta expect things like this...
but its hard since he was the one i was close to...
so that is my update....me doin all right...trying to get my stomach to like eating again but its fussy and dealing with my dad aging real quick....
i hope you have a good flight....i used to be able to go on planes all the time but now with the motion sickness now i understand people who either have fears of flying or dealing with sickness.....it is strange since i was very used to flying and i have a fear of heights though (like going on a ladder---oh sure get me thousands of feet in the air that is fine but stick me on a ladder oh heck no :rolleyes:)
well i am rambling
i hope your doin good and have a good trip
take it easy and take care
*hug*hug

[tic chick]

hey stef *bunch!

hope you are doing well. i will be in new york until monday, the 15th.

have you and your doctor decided anything about your appendix?

hope you are doing well and enjoying the last weeks of sumer.

take care of yourself,
jeannie

[stef80]

Yeah i am getting an ultrasound done next week and see how things are going in my abdomen....
my dad had to get surgery on his eyelid and hes real tired and such a lot so i worry about him....
not much more than that is going on here...
i am just worried about dad...
well i hope you have a good time in new york...
take it easy and take care
*hug*hug

[tic chick]

hey stef *bunch!

i just read another post of yours in another thread. when i was on this one drug, i got eczema, too. and because i have ocd, of course, it was just too tempting to pick off the flakes :(.

there is a cream called "elidel". you need to see the dr. for a prescription for it. it worked great for me. once my forehead cleared up, i didn't have the urge to scratch it anymore. i hope this helps.

i've been getting my mom set up with doctors and taking care of her lately. she has dementia, prolly alzheimer's. i'm home during the day and when she calls, i answer the phone. i don't have caller i.d. and my brother and sister are at work. they can just turn off their cell phones. some days i am so emotionally tired dealing with this disease. plus my mom has some heart troubles.

anyways, i was just wondering how you were doing? i hope you get out whenever you feel well enough to.

hope to hear from you soon,
jeannie

[stef80]

yeah i have been sorting through my meds and trying to determine which ones actually work and which ones don't or make me worse.....
its been hard since the elavil that i take for bladder frequency at night and to help me sleep made me retain urine and therefore made me keep getting bladder infections so i have been weaning that down and i see my doc on monday so i am writing out what helps and what doesn't and what meds that may help me from here.....
so yeah its been sorta back and forth type thing with pains and such....
i did get out to a hike on monday but then my period from hell came and on tuesday i was so nauseous and so in pain that i couldn't get outta bed....
so its one step forward 5 steps back....ya know??:rolleyes:
i am checkin up on that elidel stuff.....thanks for that...
i am sorry to hear that your mom isn't doing well....
my dads eyes are doing better now hes off those drops but his mind is sorta there but still not there at times so his mind is going for sure....
at least he can see though....
well i am around just trying to figure meds out n stuff....
i am so tired today......just plum tuckered out.....
i hope your mom sees the docs and gets somewhere and hopefully get something to take the edge off of it or something...
my mind is all wonky...sorry this message is all over the place....:eek:
take care
*hug*hug