Staying the Course -- 08/13/2018

[Superbob]

Greetings all, best wishes for good start to a good week! Just stayin' the course.

Nothing exciting this week so far. School starts next week, so community pool will be clear of school-age munchkins on weekday mornings, so I am thinking about adding some aqua workouts to my routine. Seems weird to do that in a jam-packed pool, but perfectly reasonable in a pool with lane markers and few others in it. Also thinking about asking doc if she'll give me another prescription for aqua therapy for my spinal stenosis. Had one round a few years ago --- one-on-one instruction in a pool heated to 90 degrees. Close to heaven on Earth.

Also will be continuing the core fitness training. complete with series of planks. My instructor: "Okay we're doing a series of 8 planks today ... okay that's 2 down and 10 to go. Get those butts down, people!" Love it!

Cheers all,

Superbob

 

[jwinter]

LOL @ SB, once again. No butts down here I am telling ya! Your enthusiasm really makes this thread so interesting and inspirational (I know I said it before but it is true)

Spent all of last week in Billings, hospital, surgical, and clinic. What a drag and found much disconnect with the medical people once again. I always tell people to speak up and do your own research and that still holds true. Without it I would not have gotten my bridging started for surgery(not one call until I made several), then I took a shot morning of surgery and wasn't suppose to (how am I to know all the protocols?), then a change of surgery to 3 days later (an extra hotel night they don't worry about because it is not on their visa bill) and then......get this......no kidney stone to be found! What the heck? That did not even shock me anymore as it seems more normal for this medical industry all the time. Next I had 2 specialists that say GO FORTH you are healing.....oh and see ya in 2 months. Got news for them as I plan to see primary and get plenty of script refills at end of year and then I am not going back .........for awhile anyway.

I have started my course, a bit anyway. I found some excellent exercises for this awful edema and they seem to be working. When I stop to do things I do another round of exercise and then back to regular routine. We now have 4 pit bulls half way down our street so will be walking pretty close to home until I get to know them. Videos are hard to do in summer as it just doesn't seem right to waste all that sunshine to stand by a screen......at home....alone. ha ha

Yes, by some divine intervention I am feeling better by the day!

Hope everyone else is well and enjoying our summer days, staying the course, and looking forward to a long (I hope) beautiful fall.

 

[Superbob]

Wow, well despite the medical merry-go-round, "no kidney stone" to be found sounds like good news to me, jwinter. But why couldn't they discover that to begin with, you'd think.

My wife struggles with edema in her legs -- nothing has worked very well. If you've come across some exercises that help, please send along any links you might have, and I'll pass them along to her.

 

[jwinter]

SB I have struggled with the edema since first heart surgery. I have worn those socks and find the fluid just moves up into my thighs when using them. Some of my nurse friends (only friends you have when you live at hospital) say they wear the Cherokee brand ones sold on Amazon and I may just give them a try also as they say they stop the tired feeling and swelling both. Who am I to argue with 20 year olds that already have some swelling? Key is probably how much compression one needs, and I see they have some kind of rating system for that. Regardless, I have less faith in those than the exercises I have been doing.

Hopefully my link works and if not all I do is open YouTube and type edema exercises in the search line. Take a look around and don't let those couple of videos showing the gals sitting doing them fool you. The moves work and I use some of them all the time when sitting in my recliner perusing this forum. The heel toe rocking one I use as my coffee is dripping through in the morning and also put my arms out and do circles just to wake up and get moving. Wish I had taken before and after pictures as my ankles are so much improved. I still take a 20 lasix on occasion and under protest.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=edema+exercises

 

[Superman]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but caffeine and sodium both contribute to water retention, which is a major factor in edema. So having coffee while doing edema exercises may be working against each other. I say this as I sit here with a nice hot full 18 oz coffee at my desk, so I appreciate that it’s not easy to give up.

I struggled with edema more before I lost the weight last year (hard to believe it’s been almost a full year since I started taking it off). I cheated and used Lasix. I have a prescription that I use as needed. 90 days worth lasted almost a year so far. I did refill it, but haven’t taken any in a long time. I typically do a morning or evening test on my shin (thumb press) to see if I’ll add it to that days meds.

I think I have a reasonable level of sodium in my diet. I leave it out of recipes that call for salt and I don’t use table salt. Caffeine remains a crutch. I do a fair amount of cardio with the bike and walking and running, but nothing specific with edema in mind.

Besides that, good to read everyone is feeling good and able to be more active. I agree that getting outside is the way to go. Almost September already. Won’t be long and we’ll be whining about the cold and snow up here. I shouldn’t say that, but not saying it won’t hold it off any.

 

[epstns]

Yes, everyone, sodium is NOT your friend. It may be a "flavor enhancer" but to us heart patients, it is a real NO-NO! We do not even have a slat shaker on our table. When we have guests, we bring it out.

My wife has been a real wonder at recipe modification. She is a super cook, and has managed to modify many recipes to contain lower sugar, sodium and fat, while still preparing wonderful meals. We've both been watching our diets for decades, as we both have heart issues.

I have become so accustomed to low-sodium meals that I cannot eat anything that is salty. Even pretzels can be a problem for me. . .

 

[Superbob]

Good points, Superman and Steve, about caffeine and sodium. I drink very little soda, which is high in caffeine (unless made caffeine-free). Coffee, though, is a necessity for me. I average 3 cups a day (not in the league of my mother, who lived 9 decades and had a pot of coffee brewing at all times. No telling how many cups my dear mom drank daily. : ) Sodium -- my DW, who is from the Tar Heel school of cooking, cooks with salt and then heavily salts her own portions. She had a blood pressure problem, but will never cut back her salt. Fortunately, we have found bp med that is controlling her bp nicely nevertheless. She turned 84 this summer (yes she robbed the cradle. : )

I used salt sparingly -- but I do like to eat occasional salty snacks (pretzels, salted peanuts et al).... My bp is in good range, along with the lipids and blood sugar, so I am fortunate.

Cheers all (and where are the rest of our charming ladies of Staying the Course? We miss you!)....

SUPERBOB

 

[Paleowoman]

Well I don't know if I'm charming......but I read the salt thing with interest as I never added salt to my food and thought that was fine as there seemed to be enough natural sodium in foods (not processed which I don't eat). My BP was fine too. But I found that I really needed to add some ! I read that if a person has a low carb diet they should add salt to their food, so I did and found that the cramps I'd been getting these past few years suddenly completely disappeared ! My BP is still fine too.

My shoulders STILL causing problems, getting tingling down my left arm now too. I had an ultrasound last week which showed that the bursitis which I have in both shoulders is just as bad as when the problem was first diagnosed last January, so no wonder I still have pain, and that's despite all the physio I've had. Also a tear in one of the tendons. I'm having ultrasound guided injections next week.

Shocked about the viaduct which collasped in Genoa yesterday. I've been across that viaduct several times over the years when we've driven in Italy.

 

[jwinter]

Anne, my good friend has bursa(I think she called it) in her elbow and just finished a round of antibiotics which seemed to bring some swelling down and relieve some pain. She said she goes to doc this week and decide if they will give her a shot of cortisone to relieve the rest of pain. If not she said she has had it in her shoulder and they drained it. She did say the draining was quite painful but was quite a few years ago so may be less now. I wish you relief from this as it has gone on quite awhile.

Now for Superman and Steve, I have pbc which is an autoimmune disease of my liver and congestive heart failure..... know all about sodium and coffee. Actually the newest studies have found coffee is good for the liver. What kills one thing helps another. Regardless, I drink only decaf and am aware is still has some caffeine in it. It is not the same for that "up and at em" feel but is a price I have decided to pay. Salt? What is that? Anyone with any liver problems know it is a definite NO. I use Mrs. Dash and buy the XL bottle at Wally World and refill one small bottle at table and one at stove. I try not to eat canned anything but in a pinch we have them. All are low or no sodium. Mayo nutritionist filled me in on this, noting they are there but you have to look specifically for them. I take lasix like you do, Superman. If I notice I am not as active or have a day in truck traveling, I take a 20 mg. If I get feeling under the weather I will take a 40 or 2-20's spread throughout the day just to keep it in check.

To each their own but exercising those legs and ankles really works for me and I still stand by that. Superbob, whatever works for your wife. Life is about choices and we only are going around once. I would be the last to tell anyone what they HAVE to do, If she doesn't mind the meds and it gives her the quality of life she wants, go for it!

Thanks for the feedback all. It is helpful to me to read and keep reading about what everyone does......to stay the course!

 

[honeybunny]

epstns , I'm moving in with you so get those good meals...LOL! Too crowded at my house anyway with daughter and two grands, one of whom chats nonstop (though she remains the love of my life). I'm like you with salty food. Bought some nachos awhile back from a new local dive and almost couldn't eat them because of the highly salted ground beef.

Thanks for the exercises jwinter. I have a standing desk at work, which helps with water retention. Seems I'm taking more water pills of late.

Not doing much these days other than working and dance class. Baylor-St. Luke's scheduled my research follow up for October so that will give me good feedback on how the ticker is doing.

Stay the course y'all!