Ole joyful's walking on air today

14 years ago

It was just over a year ago that I was awakened early one Sunday morning with some pain after I'd taken in a smidgeon of air, then more pain if I took in a bit more, and more pain, escalating until, having taken a measure of breath, I couldn't stand it.

En route to licing room (dratted keyboard - that was supposed to be "living room" ... but when I saw what had erupted, I thought it too good to change) to start getting things going ... but. First things, first - visited the bathroom: no pain while sitting on the john. Talked to nurse on 800-number, she suggested 911 when I'd had some pain for over 5 min. But mine was just, at that point, when I was lying down ... so when I chose against 911 and ambulance, she told me to head for ER: I agreed.

Tomatoes rotting on vine (same game, this year), whatever didn't get to church that morning were shot, so picked some, took veggies to 2 churches, choir and minister at second one ready to process up the aisle as I was leaving to go to ER.

Should have signed in, then returned to church, as it was about 2 when they got me into a cubicle, took blood sample, X-ray, etc. Nurse said they'd found something in my blood, gave me shot, said if I cut myself I'd bleed more than usual.

Back next day for CT-scan ... tech said I might feel metallic taste in mouth, heat in mouth, groin area. No metallic taste, felt heat in mouth and back-side ... but nothing front-side, so guess equipment there not registering any more.

Son went with me to haematolgy on Tues., went about 6" in air when Isaid that, after I'd given blood for years, they'd found something like HIV in it, wouldn't take any more, but doc said that there were lots of such issues, usually nothing wrong ... and I haven't heard any more about having an HIV test.

They'd found a major clot in my lung (and at least one minor one, it seemed).

Chose to enter a research project, trying a new, simpler treatment to begin blood thinning, and I was put on the control, using Warfarin (commonly called "rat poison"). When I said here that I'd heard that if one is on it for under 5 years that one doesn't start looking like a rat, one of the KT participants reassured me, saying that her Dad had been on it for many years ... and no sign yet of sprouting a tail!

They've had me on the same level of Warfarin for over half of a year so it seems that I'm stable.

Have been on a couple of other research projects since, nurse asked about a one-shot follow-up this morning, I said "Fine" and, after signing everything, the (rather young) nurse tried to draw some blood. First prick - no blood ... same with second ... got some on the third try, but not enough, so she tried a fourth ... blood came out to fill the last of half a dozen vials, and she collected some more for a couple of the others that had been a bit sparse. She was hugely apologetic about having to poke me so many times, and I told her to not worry, it was just one of life's minor problems.

Blood pressure was a bit up (from running from parking lot, mainly, as I'd lost track of time at the Old Farts' coffee hour at church - one old guy was telling the story of his life) but it was right on where it should be a couple of weeks ago at my doc's.

Doc says CT scan in Aug shows clots all gone, that I'm in apple pie order ...

... that I'm poster "boy" for the clot program.

And, after getting back into former level of activities rather slowly, though I felt able to do whatever I wanted after the first night in ER, I figure that I can do pretty well all that I could do before this recent episode.

So - ole joyfuelled's walking on air, today.

The same ole joyfuelled

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Comments (21)

phyllis__mn
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Sounds good.....keep it up!
marie_ndcal
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Doing great. Glad those clots are gone. Marie
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kathi_mdgd
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Sounds good to me!! Keep up the good work.
kathi
luckygardnr
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Glad to hear it, Ed! That means you'll be with us at the KT for a long time yet!
dotmom
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Glad to hear all turned out well !! Just goes to show...ya can't keep a good man down. We still need to hear your sage advice and underwear adventures for a long time.
roco0101
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Ain't God and His guiding hands wonderful?
susanjf_gw
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
glad you went in, asap...dh had a pain years ago, gall bladder attack, and it was hours before he let me take him to er! woke up from surgery minus a gall badder, and packed in ice to lower the 105 temp he had...

so are you on the b-thinner, forever, or do they wean you off?

and were you a good guy and wore tidie whities with elastic??
sheesh
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Thank goodness for good doctors and good medicine, eh, Ed?
drewsmaga
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Ed, I am so glad that things have worked out so well and you are healthy! And posting! I love your posts. You always have something astute (financial advice) or funny (underwear post) or just an engaging way of telling us about you (this post). I think you should collect all the posts you've done here and put them into a book -- it would probably sell as well (or better!) than "Sh## My Father Told Me." You are my role model. I hope to be half as engaging, clever, funny and informative as you when I am your age! :-) Pat
maire_cate
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
That's wonderful news and it couldn't happen to a nicer fellow. So keep on floating on air.
neesie
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Glad to hear you are better!
soxxxx
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
So glad to hear the good news.

We here at KT probably worry more about your health more than you do.
joyfulguy
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Seems to me that I quote my Dad quite a lot, here ... but without the designation that appeared above, relative to a book that somebody wrote.

Let's see ... there was 28 years between us ... and he died 25 years ago. Drove upwards of 2,000 miles at 85, in 3 days, driving alone, to visit friends and relatives from 40 years before, he did: I'd driven down with him from Regina, Saskatchewan, north of Lake Superior and crossing the ferry from Manitoulin Island to Tobermory, the year before and found only one minor complaint regarding his driving.

ole joyful
kacram
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
GREAT news!
ivamae
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Ed is not joking when he says he runs. He dashes here and there all the time. I see him running to the car for more veggies that he regularily brings to our church and running back in. If the rest of us tried to do all that, while having blood clots, we likely would have had a massive stroke or heart attack.

Did you tell them about the package you brought into church and showed me during coffee hour last week?

Have a great Thanksgiving Ed. All the best
czech_chick
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Soooooooooooo happy to hear the good news!

God bless.

Carol from NY
joyfulguy
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Hi Iva Mae,

I`ve been planning to dwell on that package, and some other matters, with a bit of embellishment, probably, but not stretching things too much, over on the jokey thread about the jockeys with the tired elastics (that got some folks a bit huffy) a week or so ago.

Or ... should we suggest that those folks got their shirt-tails (undershorts) sort of tied into knots?

(I`m in a newly opened library that has French (slash) English keyboards, some of the keys have double use, and I managed to get the (E with an accute accent) rather than the question mark, and the (e with an accute accent) rather than the forward slash ... and the computer tech here couldn`t find the key to shift the usage back, so she set one up for me for the question mark ... but not the slash! (The exclamation mark works ... but the apostrophe is on a dual key, as well).

Life ... do ... have its problems, right� ?

ole joyful
ivamae
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I wasn't joking Ed, when I told you to bring your p.j.'s in and I will try to fix the waist for you. I don't mind in the least. Just have to tell me your waist measurement, though. I might guess and be a few inches off.

Have fun with that keyboard. Where is the new library?
glenda_al
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Ed, you better listen to Ivamae. She might quit offering :o)

Didn't realize you two were living so close. That's great!
cynic
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Glad to hear it Joyful. Any big plans for Thanksgiving?
joyfulguy
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Iva Mae's a sweetie - she gave me a big, wide elastic the other Sunday ...

... that stetches from here to yonder ...

... well - more than once around my waist.

Enough to add some to the shortie piece that I got at the Dollar store, to make it long enough that I won't have to put my hand down there to stretch it some whenever I want to breathe (or have a face that's red, blue or possibly some other colour).

Beautiful, warm day today.

ole joyfuelled

Ole joyful's walking on air today

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