west_gardener, get well soon. I am sorry that you are sick and I light my candle for you. Listen too your doctor'orders and rest. Looking forward to your fast recovery. All my best wishes.

Anneliese

I'm sorry to hear this! I hope you'll heal quickly and painfree. Let us know if you need an ear or anything else you want.

Was wondering, good wishes and may health be with you.

Wishing you a speedy recovery

I was wondering and was going to send out a virtual posse to look for you.

Sending healing thoughts and sunflowers and wishing you a uneventful recovery.

wg_2, good wishes and healing thoughts are coming your way. I'm a 'companion in arms', because I had open heart surgery, aortic valve replacement, on Feb. 22, and am now in a rehab center for awhile.

Let's think positive thoughts and have a speedy recovery process.

west_gardener, I was wondering if everything was ok with you as I had not seen any thing posted here from you since about mid-February. Hope you get well quickly! Being sick is no fun - speaking from experience....pneumonia here over the last 5-6 weeks. Hope to be cleared by doctor tomorrow.

mawheel, hope you are doing well in rehab. Open heart surgery is so much harder for people to get over because of the sternum having to heal back together. I think for those of us who need to have invasive thoracic/abdominal surgeries done, we perhaps should be born with a zipper from throat to pelvis so they could just unzip us and work on whatever needs to be fixed! Doubt this would win any awards...haha.

gmatx, the zipper idea would have been great when I had 3 stomach operations within 1 year, all at the same place. My surgeon nixt it, thought I would be too nosy and check too often. To all of you being sick or in recovery, a big armful of sunflowers.

Any updates from anyone? I'm wondering...

Hi, Rob and GP friends; as of yesterday, March 11, I've been in the rehab center for two weeks. I'm hoping to go home on Thesday, March 15. I'm very anxious to go, but it's scary, too, because there are so many "sternal precautions" I am supposed to observe, such as not lifting anything over five pounds, no raising my arms higher than my shoulders, no bending over or twisting, so many things that one does instinctively. Since my husband isn't able to take over household chores, we will definitely need help for a few months. This has definitely been a 'life-changing' experience.

West Gardener, Anneliese, gmatx, and anyone else who may have had health problems, I hope and pray all of you are feeling better and on the road to recovery.

Good to hear from you, Ann. Recovery takes time and attention, but getting to go home is a big step forward. Hope you are able to get help and if you must, let some things slide. keep us posted, sending healing thoughts and sunflowers

Listen do your doctor. I know it is hard to watch for anything you are doing. I know from experience and ended up with a third operation because I did not take it serious. Take it easy and slow. Healing can't be rushed. All the best.

Hi all.

I'm home, had emergency surgery and spent 11 days in the hospital.

On tuesday I should know what the next steps will be. They found some cancer, so I know there will be more surgery.

To all who have some health issues or are-caregivers, my hat goes off to you. It is a difficult situation. Waving to all of you.

West_gardener, prayers and hugs being sent. May your treatment regimen be successful. Please keep in touch.

Ann, it really is hard to come to a screeching stop on some of our normal habits isn't it!! Some of the things I suggested to my patients upon their return home after surgery were: 1) try to wear blouses that button up the front or even wear light-weight zippered hoodies such as those made by Danskins; 2) have your plates, glasses, cups and anything else you would use for your evening meal placed on the table or kitchen counter by the person helping you before they leave for the day so you do not have to reach up into the cabinet; 3) if you use milk, buy it in either quarts or half-gallons containers; 4) don't be timid in asking your doctor to refer you to the Home Health Agency he WOULD RECOMMEND FOR HIS MOTHER! The rules have changed for home health admissions and length of time they can provide you services since I worked in that field, but you should qualify without any problem. Having a home health aide come out daily for a set amount of time to help with activities of daily living is absolutely essential, and provides a tremendous amount of help; 5) DON'T OVERDO!!!!

I go back to the doctor tomorrow to have more x-rays to see if we have finally kicked the pneumonia. Hopefully three rounds of antibiotics will have won the battle. This has been going on since Jan. 22 and I'm tired of it!!!!

Best to everyone.....

West-gardener, great to hear from you and that you are home. All the previous advise goes to you too. As to the cancer, it can be licked. After 2 different ones in 9 years, I feel great. Positive thinking is half the battle.

To all of you, best wishes, healing thoughts and lots of sunflowers.

West Gardener, happy to hear you are back home. Cancer is a scary word, but new medicine and new treatments make all the difference, I am sending healing vibes your way.
Ann, you are getting better every day, just hang on to that thought. I hope you are getting good help with the every day chores.

So happy to hear from both of you.

Lots going on here on the party. Time for all the tough ones to hang together. We have been having some issues also and busy with appointments and surgeries though not major. Missy had a spot taken off her eye last week so we wait for the biopsy report. Very uncomfortable with stitches in her eye. My optometrist wants me back next month to recheck some stuff. Group support is a good thing.

Don, you and Missy have my complete support/hugs/prayers for all things to be okay.

West_gardener, I'm sorry, I guess I missed the very first part of your opening sentence. Yes, I am absolutely glad you are home. As the old saying goes, there is no place like home - especially when you are sick. Then to top it off, hospital beds are absolute torture tools, especially on the med-surg floors. I felt so sorry for those patients. I worked in ICU at the hospital and those beds (Hill-Romm) were always so good. My prayers and hugs will continue to be there for you.

As for me, the chest x-rays showed the pneumonia is GONE!!! Seems as though there is more pneumonia going on around our area than the flu this year. I had enough for 3 of us.....haha

Don, so sorry that you and Missy have health issues too. Eyes, I think, are harder to take care off than any other body part, so small and so many nerves. More good wishes and sunflowers for both of you, take care.

I'm sorry to hear there are even more health issues, but thank you for the updates for which i asked. I hope you all heal and quickly.

Add me to the prayer/healing thoughts list. Mine may be nothing. Or it may be something. More testing to come next week. I had sinus surgery a month ago and pathology found something out of whack-higher than normal immune system cells not related to my allergies or asthma. phooey.

My morning starts with a small ceremony, lighting a candle and sending healing thoughts to all who need them - I call it a moment of reflection. Can't have a candle without supervision because of cats, so must concentrate all this, hope it helps all who need it.

Rob and all KTers, hugs, prayers, and healing thoughts going out to all who need them. Rob, we will all be sitting with you holding hands and repeating "good thoughts, good results". Don, has Missy heard anything back on her eye issue? Ann and west_gardener - how are the two of you doing?

I've accidentally erased this message twice, so I'm going to submit it as is. If I have omitted anyone, I apologize!

Hi, GP Friends, I've not been on the computer much since I got home from the Rehab Center. I'm very sorry to hear of the health problems many of us have been experiencing. I've been home for almost two weeks, and I feel good, but tire quickly and am still trying to remember all the things I'm not supposed to do!

As each day goes by, I think "O.K., one day closer till I'm better", but as I've said before, I'm not a patient person, and that slows me down, even more.

Lilo, many thanks for your morning ceremony, and to all of you for your good wishes, kind thoughts, and prayers. Robb, I truly hope the outcome of your testing was good news.

You're out of rehab and getting closer to better?! That is awesome news.

Robb, many thanks for your message. My heart surgery was six week' ago -- time flies when you're having fun!

I hope you're feeling better, too.

I did four hours of testing yesterday! Not allergic to mold, so they're less worried about the abnormal eosinophil count now. I find that a relief! I think, if you have an allergy to mold, your prognosis is not as good for being cured with sinus surgery was the worry. Now that I am better, I am hoping this will start a new trend! All of us getting well!