That's LIFE, that's what pple say...
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Central South Carolina
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Re: Thats LIFE, thats what pple say....
I'm still standing, yeah yeah yeah! Well, slightly diminished but until the pearly gates open up I'll hold on by kicking, screaming and tied to a train locomotive (the heaver the better).
PizzaGuy, on Sunday the 29th Nov at dinner, I thought I was choking on something (more later on the 'I thought' part. We live rural @ 12.5 miles from the ER locally. Since I couldn't clear 'it' and I was clearly able to breathe (couldn't find anyone to take me), I drove the @ 21 minutes (possibly the longest 21 minutes of my life). Arriving, I see quite a line so I went to the second lady not handling 'entrants' and when she looked up, I said I'm choking on something. Long story short, @ 4 hrs later I was released with instructions to see my primary care DR in 1-2 days (the CT scan/X-ray were clear and visual inspection down throat with flashlight saying Ahhhhh resulting in nothing visible).
On Monday 30 Nov, I and Mrs tried to get app to see PC DR., no go. Tues the 1st, we were getting ready to travel downtown to shop/visit DR office to get that app, and take Mrs to her MRI for that afternoon. I never made it off the couch waiting for Mrs to finish up getting ready. Time was @8:30am. My left forearm was aching deep in the arm, and the arm was numbing up. I called out to Mrs and reclined on the couch. At that time my whole body started tingling and aching in waves with the arm being steady hurting and numb. I did a quick 911 and the rest of the day was in the ER. Ambulance could not figure out what was going on so they were code 4. Upon arrive at the ER, they took history, blood, urine, sent me for a CT and X-Ray, and I waited (never lost consciousness). A little after noon, the nurse came in and gave me a cup that was like twice the size of a Keurig coffee serving. I was diagnosed as having a potassium crash (electrolytes?). Monitored for another 4 or so hours and was released ambulatory (walking).
And now, the rest of the story..... Or is it?
After leaving the ER the second time and constantly, I am still having bouts of tingling and numb feelings throughout my body here and there. I also still have the original 'lump' in throat (diminished some) like choking on something, am having blurry vision, achy muscles throughout body, disorientation, confusion, slight vertigo, heavy feeling limbs/body, light sensitive eyes, increased hearing sensitivity, and (if that's not enough) a speech impediment of slurring and stuttering (ALL of which randomly comes and goes at will.
Since both ER incidents I saw my PC DR (7 Dec at doors opening). He had the Sunday night ER paperwork already (I had on the day after the Tuesday ER visit, gone to the ER business office and signed a request for release of BOTH sets of records to be faxed to PC DR office). After hearing all I was experiencing and hunting down the second (Tuesday) ER visit, he ordered a EKG (asked and was told he 'saw something' on the EKG). He then ordered a handful of tests (an MRI, an MRA -stat-, ear-nose-throat consult, stress test (going tomorrow 0745), gastro endoscope (yeah, both directions), a whole litany of blood and urine.
This Wednesday I see PC DR again first thing with results of the MRI and MRA of the 'circle of willis' and associated brain areas (MRI and MRA).
Till then, I'm still standing, Yeah Yeah Yeah!....
Although I am not a doctor, I used to play one on weekends. None of that sounds good. Especially the inadequate care and lengths you had to go thru to get even that. Sorry to go political but health care is not the same now that it is "affordable."
It's time we all admitted that.
Good luck with your issues. I hope it is nothing more than "electrolytes," but frankly it sounds more like a glandular problem. thyroid or pituitary. Or Globus GH. http://patient.info/doctor/globus-sensation-pro
Last edited by Franc Rauscher; 12-13-2015 at 05:46 PM.
Join Date: Jul 2009
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Re: Thats LIFE, thats what pple say....
George, you mentioned "slurring of the speech". Sounds like Bell's Palsy to me, I should know, been there, done that.
Back in '04, I had that and lost total control of the right side of my face, including half my lips. I couldn't eat anything, so was subsisting on milkshakes with a straw.
Went to several doctors, mainly neurology types, ( CAT scans, MRI's etc ) no diagnosis other than the palsy.
Bottom line, I went into a coma and was rushed to the hospital, I had a blood glucose reading of over 800.
I stayed in the hospital 4 days on an insulin drip, and have been taking 2 daily insulin injections since.
Seems none of my doctors could diagnose type 1 diabetes.
Go get you one of those cheap, or free blood glucose meters from a drug store.
Take readings at least 3 times a day morning, noon and night for 3 or 4 days.
If any reading is under 60 or over 250, you have major cause for concern.
85 - 95 is the 'ideal'.
Back in '04, I had that and lost total control of the right side of my face, including half my lips. I couldn't eat anything, so was subsisting on milkshakes with a straw.
Went to several doctors, mainly neurology types, ( CAT scans, MRI's etc ) no diagnosis other than the palsy.
Bottom line, I went into a coma and was rushed to the hospital, I had a blood glucose reading of over 800.
I stayed in the hospital 4 days on an insulin drip, and have been taking 2 daily insulin injections since.
Seems none of my doctors could diagnose type 1 diabetes.
Go get you one of those cheap, or free blood glucose meters from a drug store.
Take readings at least 3 times a day morning, noon and night for 3 or 4 days.
If any reading is under 60 or over 250, you have major cause for concern.
85 - 95 is the 'ideal'.
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Re: That's LIFE, that's what pple say...
Best wishes to you and I hope that you get things sorted out. My wife just went through that low potassium thing this past March and I was sure glad I was home when she passed out because it was getting ugly. She had been dehydrated because of an intestinal illness, $20,000 and 1 day in the hospital and she was getting better.
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Re: That's LIFE, that's what pple say...
I also had that "nerve conductivity" test from the quack neurologist at the time I had the Bell's Palsy.
That doctor took 3 different blood samples on three separate occasions and failed to notice that my blood sugar was north of 500.
Within a week of my last visit to him I was in the ER with an insulin drip.
If you have ever seen "The Right Stuff", you will recall Scott Glenn undergoing a nerve conductivity test.
It was funny in the movie, try it yourself sometimes and see how funny it is !
GET BETTER GEORGE !!!!!!!
That doctor took 3 different blood samples on three separate occasions and failed to notice that my blood sugar was north of 500.
Within a week of my last visit to him I was in the ER with an insulin drip.
If you have ever seen "The Right Stuff", you will recall Scott Glenn undergoing a nerve conductivity test.
It was funny in the movie, try it yourself sometimes and see how funny it is !
GET BETTER GEORGE !!!!!!!
Re: That's LIFE, that's what pple say...
"...I am still having bouts of tingling and numb feelings throughout my body here and there. I also still have the original 'lump' in throat (diminished some) like choking on something, am having blurry vision, achy muscles throughout body, disorientation, confusion, slight vertigo, heavy feeling limbs/body, light sensitive eyes, increased hearing sensitivity, and (if that's not enough) a speech impediment of slurring and stuttering (ALL of which randomly comes and goes at will."
If you added "Flatulence", I would say you're just getting old, my friend!
If you added "Flatulence", I would say you're just getting old, my friend!
Re: That's LIFE, that's what pple say...
Max...none of us want to here or even understand that statement. I had a little medical scare awhile back. Turned out to be nothing. But, yeah, the getting old thing sucks for sure. My latest is my legs aching to no end. I work till I can't walk, rest awhile and go again till the same thing happens. As long as I can still get up and go, I will tolerate it. I'm hitting the gym again, as my young health coach from work told me I was getting out of shape. I told that cute little thing I am lucky to be alive at this age. She just laughed. So, with a good heart check, I guess we will hit the tread mill and weights and see if I can lose about 20 lbs. GraphiteGhost, you hang in there, and if you have a good health report, hit the gym buddy. We old warriors aren't ready to go yet....
Last edited by oledoc2u; 04-17-2016 at 07:53 AM.
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Central South Carolina
Age: 69
Posts: 5,840
Received 372 Likes
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323 Posts
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Central South Carolina
Age: 69
Posts: 5,840
Received 372 Likes
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323 Posts
Re: That's LIFE, that's what pple say...
Beginning to think Max is right on with this one. No changes worth noting, and docs are still racking up on the tests and samples of my fluids. What once was panic, now is resignation that the new me is a surprise each day. So, am soon to say enough with the doctors, about the only good of all this, I am medication free (except for that annoying uncoated multivitamin, yuck). That's right, chucked all the meds the docs have been trying (and they know it). Although the aches and pains are there, they are more tolerable after the 'withdrawals' and/or side effects of all those damn drugs. .
I didn't mean, in ANY way, to demean your conditions. I have a laundry list of ailments, too:
Spinal Stenosis, (C2-C7, L3-L5) 3 surgeries. Broke C2/C3 in 1994-car accident. 6 months in a Halo.
Degenerative Disk Disease.
Neuralgia.
Pacemaker.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (Right/severe, left advanced).
Flatulence.
I went through the nerve conduction tests, too. I thought I did really good. Up until the doc said "you got problems".
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Re: That's LIFE, that's what pple say...
We're good Max, just my way of keeping folks up to date. No demeaning of any type was received or perceived. The physical things I am OK with (cysts, broken bones, disk problems, arthritic joints throughout), it was all the neurological stuff (recurring still to date but fewer bouts in between) that scared me. .
Good to go, buddy!
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Re: That's LIFE, that's what pple say...
Well, the final visits with the PC doctor & neurologist, nothing... The last 6+ months of testing, prodding, more blood than if added up would fill a couple gallon jugs (?), and other fluids/probes, not to mention (I think) I now glow in the dark and might for a few more months. So, like that mule that can only be led one foot away, on the left, and even with the head (or) the car that has to have the iggy in the on position for exactly 3 seconds before attempting to start, I have (or had) unique quirks that defy reason. The GREAT news is I am absolutely medication free (only a generic multivitamin by choice). Being off them various meds since December last year helped (no side effects contributing) to define my clean bill of health (considering the physical abuse to date) from that weird temporary bump in the road. Hell, maybe it was a cumulation of side effects from those (and mid Nov added) meds that caused the two ER visits over that 36 hours last November 29/December 1st 2015? As a fact, I always paid close attention to labels 'side effects' and 'maybe' this one time the combination of all these were too much? BTW, after the 10 years with our daughter's care until she passed (1999-2009) and the many meds she required daily (and sometime as things happened), we always cleared a schedule with the (a) pharmacist, relating to all meds taken, so its not like we didn't do due diligence. I guess I'm good for another 61 years now, since this 'overhaul'... Just my dumb luck to have this 'mid-life' crisis... and here I thought I was invincible, NOT! .
Get rid of all the gaps in your posts, I kept putting the reply in the gaps and could not figure out why I could not send it. The iPad mini has a small screen, so the gaps give me trouble.
Last edited by onehundred80; 06-21-2016 at 12:25 PM.