{OT] Medical stuff

On 29 Sep 2006 19:35:52 GMT, wrote:

wrote:

The MRI showed that I have apparently (like Randy) had at least 20
TIAs (mini-strokes). This is a bit scary, and makes it more likely I
will have The Big One in the future.

That is scary! Is there anything you/they can do to prevent that, or at
least, to prepare for the possibility? Purrs!!

Not that I know of. I could take the low-dose aspirin, but that
flares up my acid reflux *badly*.

I've been wondering if anything neurological was going on with you, with
all those accidents. "I'm just clumsy" didn't seem to explain it very
well! :-/

Yep, I'm thinking that. Plus I have something not right with my right
foot -- they did an EMG (?) and found that. Plus the catarcts. All
of them together probably make sense.

The ovarian cyst is still there. It is a dermoid cyst (gross!). The
gynecologist and I agreed to just watch it with ultrasounds every few
months to make sure it doesn't change. Cancer rates with these are
only 1-3%, and I'd rather avoid surgery if at all possible.

Is it possible to have your ovaries removed laproscopically? That might
not be too difficult. Although if you're having strokes, I guess it's
not a good idea to introduce blood clots.

I think both the gyn and I would rather avoid surgery unless it's
really necessary.

Somebody mentioned Katie walking on me and the power of purr from cats
which started a whole conversation I couldn't follow. But Wolfie is
actually the nurse cat who "gets it". Kate is too young yet. Wolfie
(he's the one who came to me declawed) got on my side the other day,
and kneaded my ribs, purring all the while. Then he actuallly lay on
top of my side, purring. And you know what? I felt better the next
day, and thanked him for his wonderful massage. :-)

I'm sure the purring did help you heal. What a good nurse kitty!

Yes, he is! :-)

Joyce

Ginger-lyn

Home Pages:
http://www.moonsummer.com
http://www.angelfire.com/folk/glsummer (homepage & cats)
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb....mmer/index.htm (genealogy)
http://www.movieanimals.bravehost.com/ (The Violence Against
Animals in Movies Website)

On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 00:51:07 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:


wrote in message
news
The ovarian cyst is still there. It is a dermoid cyst (gross!).

When I was in hospital, the woman in the opposite bed to me had a dermoid
cyst removed. The surgeon told her that they are always benign. I know why
you say it's gross, but why is it? It's a medical condition like any
other.
I hope yours stays small enough to avoid surgery and your health improves
very soon.

Tweed


Thanks, Tweed.

I'm just one of those people that's grossed out by almost anything
medical. Just the way I am :-) Didn't help that my separated DH
stopped by and when I told him, started making mutant baby jokes.
Sigh.

Ginger-lyn

Home Pages:
http://www.moonsummer.com
http://www.angelfire.com/folk/glsummer (homepage & cats)
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb....mmer/index.htm (genealogy)
http://www.movieanimals.bravehost.com/ (The Violence Against
Animals in Movies Website)

On 01 Oct 2006 14:30:13 GMT, Randy wrote:

wrote:
Well, I've been through how many tests and I don't know what all
lately, but here's the updates.

Guy Warning: Some icky female stuff is mentioned.

The MRI showed that I have apparently (like Randy) had at least 20
TIAs (mini-strokes). This is a bit scary, and makes it more likely I
will have The Big One in the future.

That is scary! I think, if you haven't already, I would see a neurologist.
While I was in the hospital prior to the surgery they put me on blood thinners
to help prevent stroke. I am now on a low dose aspirin regiment (81mg once per
day).

Purrs for a sucessfull recovery.

Randy
http://www.crmartin.zoomshare.com

Thanks, Randy. I've seen a neurologist, and need to go back again
shortly. We'll see what she says then, but the aspirin deal may not
work because of my GERD. If it's not one thing, it's another. . . .

Ginger-lyn

Home Pages:
http://www.moonsummer.com
http://www.angelfire.com/folk/glsummer (homepage & cats)
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb....mmer/index.htm (genealogy)
http://www.movieanimals.bravehost.com/ (The Violence Against
Animals in Movies Website)

wrote in message
...
On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 00:51:07 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:


wrote in message
news
The ovarian cyst is still there. It is a dermoid cyst (gross!).

When I was in hospital, the woman in the opposite bed to me had a dermoid
cyst removed. The surgeon told her that they are always benign. I know
why
you say it's gross, but why is it? It's a medical condition like any
other.
I hope yours stays small enough to avoid surgery and your health improves
very soon.

Tweed


Thanks, Tweed.

I'm just one of those people that's grossed out by almost anything
medical. Just the way I am :-) Didn't help that my separated DH
stopped by and when I told him, started making mutant baby jokes.
Sigh.


Sensitive and supportive type of chap, then, obviously :-(
There was a theory that dermoid cysts were because you would have been a
twin, and the twin was reabsorbed somehow and became incorporated into the
surviving twin's body. They can have all sorts of things inside like hair
and teeth.
The latest intelligence on this seems to be that they are merely a tumour
that is capable of reproducing DNA.
I did a bit of reading about ovarian tumours last year - as you can
imagine - but I am not any sort of medical expert. Maybe tension could tell
us more?

I have kept in touch with Jayne, who had the dermoid cyst, in fact I visited
her last night. We were both admitted as emergencies with severe abdominal
pain, went through all the awful tests together and compared notes, were
admitted again at the same time for our operations two weeks later and had
them on the same day. It was kind of the hospital to deliberately put us
near each other again as we'd got on so well before.
There is something kind of special about sharing such an experience which
has forged quite a close bond between us. She drinks like a fish, gets into
fights, has the foulest mouth I have ever heard on a woman (uses the f and c
word in every sentence) but I tell you what, she has a heart as big as the
universe and I love her to bits.
We are spending the day together here at my house next weekend.
Last time I took her on a walk for an hour or more to see the birds at the
local gravel pits. I thought she would love it, and she did, but she NEVER
walks for longer than a few minutes apparently and her feet were blistered
when we got back, so then I felt bad.
Her only criteria for coming next week is "you aren't going to walk me far,
are you?" LOL! I said well, maybe just 20 minutes or so..

Tweed

P.S. I must just say this about Jayne. She lives in an inner city area,
full of crime and she does not drive. I took her for a drive into the
countryside last time she visited and she suddenly said "Wait a minute, I
can smell something!" I said "what, manure?" She said "No. Fresh air!"
That made me feel sad.

wrote:

On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 00:51:07 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:


wrote in message
news

The ovarian cyst is still there. It is a dermoid cyst (gross!).

When I was in hospital, the woman in the opposite bed to me had a dermoid
cyst removed. The surgeon told her that they are always benign. I know why
you say it's gross, but why is it? It's a medical condition like any
other.
I hope yours stays small enough to avoid surgery and your health improves
very soon.

Tweed



Thanks, Tweed.

I'm just one of those people that's grossed out by almost anything
medical. Just the way I am :-) Didn't help that my separated DH
stopped by and when I told him, started making mutant baby jokes.
Sigh.

Ginger-lyn

I'm so sorry to hear how insensitive he was.
Lots and lots of hugs and purrs,
Polonca and Soncek

wrote:

I'm just one of those people that's grossed out by almost anything
medical. Just the way I am :-) Didn't help that my separated DH
stopped by and when I told him, started making mutant baby jokes.
Sigh.

Sounds like you're well rid of him! I hope you feel that way now, more
than you did when you first split up, anyway!

Joyce

Christina Websell wrote:
wrote in message
news
The ovarian cyst is still there. It is a dermoid cyst (gross!).
I did a bit of reading about ovarian tumours last year - as you can
imagine - but I am not any sort of medical expert. Maybe tension could tell
us more?

There's not actually much more to tell...dermoid cysts can happen
anywhere in the body, so they are not unique to the ovarian area...
technically, it isn't really an ovarian tumour at all. The only effect
it could theoretically have is by mass effect if it grows, impinging on
the ovary or the tubes...it could potentially affect fertility that
way, though likely not if the other ovary is intact. The other
possible complication of dermoid cysts is if one becomes
infected, in which case it can be the same risk as a hidden
abscess somewhere. It is quite rare for that to happen though,
and usually only if there is some other serious infection that
lets loose bacteria in the bloodstream to seed in the dermoid cyst.

But they certainly are not malignant tumours...that is a different
kettle of fish altogether wrt the types of cells involved, and their
behaviour.

GingerLyn, did I spell that right?, the main concern is those
repetitious TIAs (transient ischemic attacks). There are people who
have them and never have a stroke, but still it is intuitively obvious
that there is a risk there that needs to be addressed.

Aspirin once a day, in the 81mg dose should not affect GERD
which is generally aggravated by the more therapeutic dose
which is usually 650 mg. However, that being said, if you are
supersensitive, ask your MD about enteric-coated aspirin,
which does not open or dissolve in the stomach at all, but
passes through into the intestine where it does its thing...
this might be just the ticket if you are worried about
aggravating GERD.

There are other, much stronger anti-coagulants, but they
are not typically used in TIA's, since stroke-like events can
be clotting-type, or hemmorhagic-type, in which case
you would not want un-coagulable blood in a situation
like that.

If your neurologist is recommending aspirin, consider
asking for the enteric-coated type and you will
likely have no complications from that at all, and could
reduce the frequency and risk of TIA's.

Also, it might make saving your life a bit easier if you do,
God forbid, have a stroke, if there is already aspirin on board.

Double check it all with your neurologist and see what she
has to say....there are always new treatments coming out in
this area; it is an area of intense research these days.

--tension

wrote in message
...
On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 00:51:07 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:


wrote in message
news
The ovarian cyst is still there. It is a dermoid cyst (gross!).

When I was in hospital, the woman in the opposite bed to me had a dermoid
cyst removed. The surgeon told her that they are always benign. I know
why
you say it's gross, but why is it? It's a medical condition like any
other.
I hope yours stays small enough to avoid surgery and your health improves
very soon.

Tweed


Thanks, Tweed.

I'm just one of those people that's grossed out by almost anything
medical. Just the way I am :-) Didn't help that my separated DH
stopped by and when I told him, started making mutant baby jokes.
Sigh.

Ginger-lyn

Home Pages:
http://www.moonsummer.com
http://www.angelfire.com/folk/glsummer (homepage & cats)
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb....mmer/index.htm (genealogy)
http://www.movieanimals.bravehost.com/ (The Violence Against
Animals in Movies Website)

Heh, they are gross. My son has one above his eyebrow. Completely innocent
but it still needs to come out because if it bursts then the inner-cyst-goo
can cause inflammation. We're waiting until he's a year old but I'll agree,
when he was explaining it to me it sounded like a huge internal pimp.

Our doctor didn't say anything about the twin theory but did explain Ian's
in particular as a piece of skin that developed normally on the inside
rather than outside, rightfully.

Purrs everything smooths out. Separated DH sounds like a charmer. :/

Grace

On 4 Oct 2006 15:36:37 -0700, "tension_on_the_wire"
wrote:


There's not actually much more to tell...dermoid cysts can happen
anywhere in the body, so they are not unique to the ovarian area...
technically, it isn't really an ovarian tumour at all. The only effect
it could theoretically have is by mass effect if it grows, impinging on
the ovary or the tubes...it could potentially affect fertility that
way, though likely not if the other ovary is intact. The other
possible complication of dermoid cysts is if one becomes
infected, in which case it can be the same risk as a hidden
abscess somewhere. It is quite rare for that to happen though,
and usually only if there is some other serious infection that
lets loose bacteria in the bloodstream to seed in the dermoid cyst.

But they certainly are not malignant tumours...that is a different
kettle of fish altogether wrt the types of cells involved, and their
behaviour.

GingerLyn, did I spell that right?, the main concern is those
repetitious TIAs (transient ischemic attacks). There are people who
have them and never have a stroke, but still it is intuitively obvious
that there is a risk there that needs to be addressed.

It's actually Ginger-lyn, but close :-) And yes, my neurologist is
concerned about those. Just saw her today, and she isn't willing to
say for sure that's what it is, although she thinks so. She is going
to do an MRI of my neck, because apparently arthritis there can
impinge on the spinal column and cause problems. She's also concerned
it could be MS.

Aspirin once a day, in the 81mg dose should not affect GERD
which is generally aggravated by the more therapeutic dose
which is usually 650 mg. However, that being said, if you are
supersensitive, ask your MD about enteric-coated aspirin,
which does not open or dissolve in the stomach at all, but
passes through into the intestine where it does its thing...
this might be just the ticket if you are worried about
aggravating GERD.

Can't take anything enteric coated, because I have difficulty
swallowing and swallowing anxiety, so everything I take has to be
liquid, crushable, or dissolvable.

There are other, much stronger anti-coagulants, but they
are not typically used in TIA's, since stroke-like events can
be clotting-type, or hemmorhagic-type, in which case
you would not want un-coagulable blood in a situation
like that.

If your neurologist is recommending aspirin, consider
asking for the enteric-coated type and you will
likely have no complications from that at all, and could
reduce the frequency and risk of TIA's.

Also, it might make saving your life a bit easier if you do,
God forbid, have a stroke, if there is already aspirin on board.

Double check it all with your neurologist and see what she
has to say....there are always new treatments coming out in
this area; it is an area of intense research these days.

--tension

thanks, tension.

Ginger-lyn

Home Pages:
http://www.moonsummer.com
http://www.angelfire.com/folk/glsummer (homepage & cats)
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb....mmer/index.htm (genealogy)
http://www.movieanimals.bravehost.com/ (The Violence Against
Animals in Movies Website)

wrote:
On 4 Oct 2006 15:36:37 -0700, "tension_on_the_wire"
It's actually Ginger-lyn, but close :-) And yes, my neurologist is
concerned about those. Just saw her today, and she isn't willing to
say for sure that's what it is, although she thinks so. She is going
to do an MRI of my neck, because apparently arthritis there can
impinge on the spinal column and cause problems. She's also concerned
it could be MS.

Can't take anything enteric coated, because I have difficulty
swallowing and swallowing anxiety, so everything I take has to be
liquid, crushable, or dissolvable.

thanks, tension.

It's my pleasure, Ginger-lyn. Best of luck sorting it all
out. One consideration that might seem outrageous,
but practical....if you are going to be living with the
risk of sudden loss either of consciousness, or
muscle tone, whichever it turns out to be....you
might want to re-examine where you live in terms
of safety, and the preferability of having a single
floor home with no stairs that could ruin all in one
fell swoop. No open fireplaces, things of that sort.
I know it sounds absurd, but sometimes it is that
kind of adjustment that can make the difference
between coping with a chronic problem, and
having it interrupted by tragedy, if you take
my meaning.

--tension

--tension