Small Talk: The Prayer Closet

[Wellfleet]

I have often wonder how these damn (excuse my language) doctors and physician assistants would feel if they became sick and miserable and their medical cohorts treated them like crap by telling them it was all in your head, take the med and shut up or there is nothing to be done to help you.

 

Women the world over have been hearing this dreck from physicians and medical folks of all types for centuries - and probably longer. Which is why we need a LOT more females in health care, especially as physicians and in top positions. Females making decisions and creating policies...

Edited January 14, 2016 by Wellfleet

[lookeyloo]

Two of the doctors who blew me off are women. As am I. Not sure If as a rule they are any better. It is mostly hit or miss

[Wok Chop]

Amen to everything you ladies have said!

Wellfleet, while I agree that we need more women in health care, in my own experience, plenty of females are as bad as their male counterparts. I guess attitudes towards women are so woven into the fabric of society that most of us are guilty of perpetuating them to some degree. I am often guilty, myself.

Also, when it comes to doctors, there is often ego involved. Many seem to have a god complex and are especially pissy if you don't happily lap up what they're serving. OR, if they can't easily and readily see what is wrong with you, then they put the onus on you. "You're fat. Lose weight...you're just depressed." Or if you make the mistake of googling in order to understand what is wrong with you then "you're a hypochondriac."

When you are lucky enough to find the good physicians, like Sam's (burlsa) neurologist, you want to sing their praises from the rooftop. (And with docs like him, you aren't left to your own defenses/Google in an attempt to find out what's wrong with you because they do complete work-ups and take the time to explain things)

[GeeGolly]

Do you all think some MDs have gotten worse since the internet? Both in, "Oh here they go, being the expert while quoting some internet info." And, "They must have WebMDed their symptoms when all they have is a cold." So they end up disregarding real symptoms?

Edited January 15, 2016 by GeeGolly

[lookeyloo]

Maybe some do. My first endo that helped me gave me a bunch of websites and said he likes informed patients.

[Wellfleet]

Amen to everything you ladies have said!

Wellfleet, while I agree that we need more women in health care, in my own experience, plenty of females are as bad as their male counterparts. I guess attitudes towards women are so woven into the fabric of society that most of us are guilty of perpetuating them to some degree. I am often guilty, myself.

Also, when it comes to doctors, there is often ego involved. Many seem to have a god complex and are especially pissy if you don't happily lap up what they're serving. OR, if they can't easily and readily see what is wrong with you, then they put the onus on you. "You're fat. Lose weight...you're just depressed." Or if you make the mistake of googling in order to understand what is wrong with you then "you're a hypochondriac."

When you are lucky enough to find the good physicians, like Sam's (burlsa) neurologist, you want to sing their praises from the rooftop. (And with docs like him, you aren't left to your own defenses/Google in an attempt to find out what's wrong with you because they do complete work-ups and take the time to explain things)

 

Yes, I absolutely agree that some women MDs are just as bad as the men. But in my experience most females in health care do not pin the "this woman is imagining things again..." label as often as male doctors do. Some PAs are much worse than MDs also. I had some harmless but rather large moles removed once when I was in my early 20s by an absolutely-obnoxiously condescending PA. This was just when PAs were beginning to show up in medical offices and hospitals - late 70s. This one had been a medic in Vietnam. He had all the bedside manner of a potted plant.

[Missy Vixen]

Burlsa, if you have a little time, I hope you'll go to Mary Shomon's website and see what she has to say. She's a patient who did years of research on autoimmune diseases, namely thyroid disease, chronic fatigue, and lupus. She may have some ideas that may help.

 

Doctors hate stuff like thyroid disease, fibromyalgia, etcetera. It doesn't fit into one of their little boxes -- in other words, give some drugs and it will all clear up. Getting any help at all is a daunting task. I have to wonder if the above illnesses were as prevalent in men if the attitudes would change. IMHO of course.

 

If anyone here has prayers, good thoughts, or whatever you prefer, one of the online peeps' wife had a baby at 27 weeks just before Thanksgiving. The baby was doing surprisingly well until the day before yesterday. She has a serious infection in her lower intestine and some of it has already been removed. They're doing surgery tomorrow morning in the Seattle area to see if the rest can be saved. If they can't get the infection under control, they may lose their little girl. I know the good-hearted people here will send all the best, and thank you for doing so.

[Wok Chop]

Do you all think some MDs have gotten worse since the internet? Both in, "Oh here they go, being the expert while quoting some internet info." And, "They must have WebMDed their symptoms when all they have is a cold." So they end up disregarding real symptoms?

  

Yeah, there are doctors who are like that, but I've also known doctors who are okay with it.

. This one had been a medic in Vietnam. He had all the bedside manner of a potted plant.

  

I can only imagine his attitude was: "I've witnessed the horrors of war, so just get out of my face with your silly little moles."

Burlsa, if you have a little time, I hope you'll go to Mary Shomon's website and see what she has to say. She's a patient who did years of research on autoimmune diseases, namely thyroid disease, chronic fatigue, and lupus. She may have some ideas that may help.

 

Doctors hate stuff like thyroid disease, fibromyalgia, etcetera. It doesn't fit into one of their little boxes -- in other words, give some drugs and it will all clear up. Getting any help at all is a daunting task. I have to wonder if the above illnesses were as prevalent in men if the attitudes would change. IMHO of course.

 

If anyone here has prayers, good thoughts, or whatever you prefer, one of the online peeps' wife had a baby at 27 weeks just before Thanksgiving. The baby was doing surprisingly well until the day before yesterday. She has a serious infection in her lower intestine and some of it has already been removed. They're doing surgery tomorrow morning in the Seattle area to see if the rest can be saved. If they can't get the infection under control, they may lose their little girl. I know the good-hearted people here will send all the best, and thank you for doing so.

Missy, thanks for the recommendation! I am sure she'll check out her site soon.

I, too, wonder if the medical community would have a different attitude if more men suffered from these things. I also hate how medical info is geared towards men, too. For example, when medical literature lists symptoms for various ailments, they always seem to be the symptoms males experience. Two examples that come to mind are heart attacks and ADHD.

I'm sorry about your friend's baby. It just isn't fair that a sweet little baby has to come into this world only to suffer. I will definitely send positive thoughts for baby and her family.

[Love2dance]

MISSY VIXEN, sending wishes and healing thoughts for the little baby. Please let us know how she is doing.

[Happyfatchick]

If anyone here has prayers, good thoughts, or whatever you prefer, one of the online peeps' wife had a baby at 27 weeks just before Thanksgiving. The baby was doing surprisingly well until the day before yesterday. She has a serious infection in her lower intestine and some of it has already been removed. They're doing surgery tomorrow morning in the Seattle area to see if the rest can be saved. If they can't get the infection under control, they may lose their little girl. I know the good-hearted people here will send all the best, and thank you for doing so.

Prayers, warm thoughts, crossed fingers, wishing on a star... Whatever it takes. There's nothing much harder in life than having a sick baby. Please convey our warmest hugs to these friends.

Mama had a "good" day. The drugs are helping to stabilize her. Helping her to be coherent. "I'm cold". Who would think that's such an amazing bit of news? Yesterday when I left and told her I love her, she very clearly responded "love you too". I even sat her up with her legs hanging over the side of the bed today for a minute. (Yay!) The best thing - when I left tonight, I told her I love her, and she responded "I love you most". We've played that game for years, declaring who loves who the most, but she hasn't said it for a long time. Heart moment.

[NikSac]

Nope. She prescribed Synthroid based on one blood test.

My daughter has been dealing with autoimmune-like symptoms since 2009--shortly after a nasty case of mono. The first time lupus appeared on our radar was in 2011, after my daughter got a nasty "sunburn," which turned actually turned out to be a rash/hives. She mentioned this to the PA, who informed her that it was not photosensitivity, and that she just needed to wear more sunscreen. Later, when my daughter finally asked to see a rheumatologist, that's when the PA started in with the vitamin D nonsense.

Fast forward 4-5 years, and the PA still denies there are autoimmune issues...even now that my daughter finally got her D levels into the normal range (and is now sicker than ever). Thank god for the neurologist, who knows she needs a rheumatologist, so HE has referred her to one.

 

Wok Chop I'm sure you guys have researched all kinds of things but I wanted to throw this out there. As a kid I suffered from a rare autoimmune disease called Dermatomyositis. Think Lupus except it specifically goes after your muscles and also causes major skin rashes. The way you described that "sunburn"/rash really jumped out at me because sun is a huge trigger for both rashes and flares with that disease. It's worth asking about and something they can test for, they just often don't until a lot of other things have been ruled out because it's pretty rare. I'm so glad for the rheumatologist referral and hope it helps. I had an amazing rheumy or I never would've lived past about age 12. Hopefully you both have good luck finding a great doc too (finally!).

Maybe some do. My first endo that helped me gave me a bunch of websites and said he likes informed patients.

 

Now that is an awesome doc! I'd be really excited to get that response.

[Readalot]

MISSY VIXEN, I'm praying and sending healing thoughts to the baby and the doctors. I hope your next update is good news. - my teen has been through the wringer with drs, even after her EDS diagnosis. - she is a very calm kid. Hates attention. Once she had a freak sports injury and the ER dr said she was being dramatic. What? Wanted her discharged until she blacked out and then started vomiting during the blackout. Oh yeah, maybe she does have a concussion?! Order the CT, she had symptoms for two months. When she was younger, different ER, she told me her Chest and heart really hurt, she was 7/8 and has a high pain tolerance. ER said her heart and lungs sounded good. Two days later I take her to her Ped he orders X-rays, she has pneumonia. Another time, she blacked out....a dr witnessed this and said Please take her to ER and get an MRI, there is something neurological going on. Go to ER, ER dr, - it was an anxiety attack.l, typical teen stuff. Two days later I got her Ped to order a MRI. Oh yeah, she has a Chiari brain malformation. - another time, it's anxiety, I get a neuro to order a tilt table test, oh yeah she has POTS. Thank goodness for the Internet and friends and aquantences where I got info to be an advocate for her. But she has also had some amazing drs too. - She is at Sr this year. So far she has Early Admittance into a BSN program and at another school she was admitted into the program that leads into the P.A. program. She wants to go into Ped/Adolescent Medicine and be an advocate for the patient. Based on her experience she has had a lifetime of both good and bad care and wants to make a positive difference in kids life. I know she will never be dismissive of a patient so I am happy she is choosing this for her career. One less bad medical professional out there.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Readalot

[Happyfatchick]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/153hmf5nq0zxjlf/2016-01-14%2012.15.09.jpg?dl=0

I've argued with myself (crazy runs in the family) all day about posting this pic. But the mom put it on fb, so all bets are off. I even tried cropping it down some, cuz who can resist a baby's first smile? In the end, I couldn't resist. Disclaimer: if you're in a bad mood and determined to stay that way, don't click the link. You will smile back, you can't even help it.

[latetotheparty]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/153hmf5nq0zxjlf/2016-01-14%2012.15.09.jpg?dl=0

I've argued with myself (crazy runs in the family) all day about posting this pic. But the mom put it on fb, so all bets are off. I even tried cropping it down some, cuz who can resist a baby's first smile? In the end, I couldn't resist. Disclaimer: if you're in a bad mood and determined to stay that way, don't click the link. You will smile back, you can't even help it.

 

TRUE!  Sweet sweet baby!

[lookeyloo]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/153hmf5nq0zxjlf/2016-01-14%2012.15.09.jpg?dl=0

I've argued with myself (crazy runs in the family) all day about posting this pic. But the mom put it on fb, so all bets are off. I even tried cropping it down some, cuz who can resist a baby's first smile? In the end, I couldn't resist. Disclaimer: if you're in a bad mood and determined to stay that way, don't click the link. You will smile back, you can't even help it.

Now that is a mood brightener!!  So adorable!!!

[burlsa]

Missy, my thoughts are with the baby and family! No child deserves to suffer.

HFC, I love baby smiles! That brightened my day!

To everyone, thank you for your support and information! I have started looking at everything you have linked to!

I ended up chickening out and cancelled the appointment. I have this overwhelming bad feeling about this guy. I talked to my mom and sure enough she did as well. We've learned to always trust our gut, we're both very intuitive.

I've been struggling with an unrelated issue with my liver/pancreas/gallbladder area the past week as well as a UTI. It's like my whole body is spazzing out right now. But when I'm feeling a bit better, I am going to call and see if I can see a different doctor in that clinic. My grandma sees one there that she likes.

[XinaMarie]

Missy Vixen, does the baby have NEC? This is a common micropremie problem. My daughter was a 25 weeker and fortunately, it was one of the few things she never got. Probably because she was on TPN instead of breast milk for the first week or so of her life. The intestines are not fully working yet and have trouble pushing food through, infection sets in and parts of the intestine necrotize. I highly recommend a book called "Preemie Parents Survival Guide to the NICU." It is a reference book not meant to be read through from cover to cover. Doing that will scare your socks off. Read sections that pertain to the baby to understand what is going on as the need arises. My husband and I had our own copy and my best friend went out and bought herself a copy so that she could understand all the medical jargon I was throwing at her.

 

I am praying the baby makes it. I know several preemies that had NEC and are able to eat, drink, and eliminate waste normally once they get past it. Nothing is more terrifying than having a sick infant in a hospital. You are afraid to fall asleep and you dread phone calls. The anxiety and fear are crippling. The best advice I could give to friends is not ask what you could do for them. Just take it upon yourself to help and do something nice. If they are spending a lot of time at the hospital, their home life may be crumbling. Walk their dogs, mow their lawn, bring them meals, bring in their mail...make it easy for them to concentrate only on loving their baby.

 

The minimum stay for a preemie this size will be around 3 months. They want them to stay to when their due date was supposed to be, able to feed, maintain their body temperature and breathe safely while riding in a car seat (no positional apnea -- my daughter failed her first "car seat challenge" and we had to try again a few days later). Weight doesn't seem to be an issue as long as they are gaining. I have seen 4 pound babies go home.

Edited January 15, 2016 by XinaMarie

[Happyfatchick]

I thought NEC as well. It's very common in premies and can be devastating. And the surgeries they are performing now are life altering - although since she will grow up with the process, she really won't know the difference. Hang in there baby girl!!!

[Lemur]

Women the world over have been hearing this dreck from physicians and medical folks of all types for centuries - and probably longer. Which is why we need a LOT more females in health care, especially as physicians and in top positions. Females making decisions and creating policies...

 

And you know what the treatment was for that during the Victorian Era, right?

[emma675]

I sound like a broken record, but damn doctors should know you CANNOT DOSE THYROID MEDS BASED OFF OF TSH ALONE!!! Ahem, sorry. You have to use Free T3, Free T4 and ideally reverse T3. TSH is a diagnostic test but is practically irrelevant for anything else. 

 

And Synthroid works great for some and is toxic for others. But guess what is the number one prescribed drug in the US? Those Synthroid drug reps are killing it and as a result, patients who don't do well on it are suffering because their doctors are too stubborn to look at other options. It infuriates me.

[lookeyloo]

http://thyroid.about.com/od/Levothyroxine/fl/Controversial-New-2014-Hypothyroidism-Guidelines-Published.htm?utm_content=20160114&utm_medium=email&utm_source=exp_nl&utm_campaign=list_thyroid&utm_term=list_thyroid

 

Read and weep my fellow thyroid sufferers.  Synthroid has a huge lobby.

[Missy Vixen]

Thank you so much to everyone who has been praying, sending good thoughts and thinking of the little girl. I don't know if her parents would want me to share her first name or other identifying info, so for now, she's Baby Fierce. ;-) Baby Fierce does have NEC. She's still in surgery but her dad just Tweeted she's hanging in there.

 

Again, thank you. <3

[zoomama]

interestingly enough, NEC is much more commonly seen in preemies. however, my mother died of it as well.  nasty stuff.

 

on a similarly 'happy' note (being sassy here) we got a call from our landlord last night that they want to sell the house we currently rent. we wont be able to buy another house for a little while. this is the 3rd year in a row that the landlord has wanted the house back, before our first year of leasing was even up in each case!!! (we are excellent tenants, btw). i am so sad today -- just really overwhelmed. i can't imagine packing and moving AGAIN.

[lookeyloo]

interestingly enough, NEC is much more commonly seen in preemies. however, my mother died of it as well.  nasty stuff.

 

on a similarly 'happy' note (being sassy here) we got a call from our landlord last night that they want to sell the house we currently rent. we wont be able to buy another house for a little while. this is the 3rd year in a row that the landlord has wanted the house back, before our first year of leasing was even up in each case!!! (we are excellent tenants, btw). i am so sad today -- just really overwhelmed. i can't imagine packing and moving AGAIN.

Having just moved (by choice) I am so sorry you have to go through all that again, not by your own choice. I hope it goes as well as it can.

[magpye29]

http://goop.com/the-medical-medium-and-whats-potentially-at-the-root-of-medical-mysteries/

I read this today and found it very interesting, because a lot of it applies to me, too. (I can't tell you how much I loathe that it came from Gwyneth's site!)

[Love2dance]

interestingly enough, NEC is much more commonly seen in preemies. however, my mother died of it as well.  nasty stuff.

 

on a similarly 'happy' note (being sassy here) we got a call from our landlord last night that they want to sell the house we currently rent. we wont be able to buy another house for a little while. this is the 3rd year in a row that the landlord has wanted the house back, before our first year of leasing was even up in each case!!! (we are excellent tenants, btw). i am so sad today -- just really overwhelmed. i can't imagine packing and moving AGAIN.

So sorry about your Mom, ZOOMAMA. May your memories be giving you comfort.

And what a pain to have to move again. The only good news is you are probably still quite organized from your recent moves and won't have 20 years of accumulated STUFF like we had our last move. Hope you find a new, better place to move to soon, and it goes smoothly.

[Readalot]

http://goop.com/the-medical-medium-and-whats-potentially-at-the-root-of-medical-mysteries/

I read this today and found it very interesting, because a lot of it applies to me, too. (I can't tell you how much I loathe that it came from Gwyneth's site!)

thank you very much for the link And I feel the same about goop!

[Missy Vixen]

Baby Fierce is out of surgery and resting in her room. Everyone is hoping for continuing improvement.

<3

[pinkie]

That's wonderful news about Baby Fierce!!!

Hoping that she recovers & THRIVES, & has a long happy life ahead!

[Wok Chop]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/153hmf5nq0zxjlf/2016-01-14%2012.15.09.jpg?dl=0

I've argued with myself (crazy runs in the family) all day about posting this pic. But the mom put it on fb, so all bets are off. I even tried cropping it down some, cuz who can resist a baby's first smile? In the end, I couldn't resist. Disclaimer: if you're in a bad mood and determined to stay that way, don't click the link. You will smile back, you can't even help it.

  

I can only speak for myself, but you can never go wrong sharing baby and animal pictures with me. That little lady's gummy little smile! What a beautiful little doll!

Happy, your mom saying, "I love you most" is one of the most touching anecdotes I've heard in a while. I can't even imagine how nice that must have sounded.

interestingly enough, NEC is much more commonly seen in preemies. however, my mother died of it as well.  nasty stuff.

 

on a similarly 'happy' note (being sassy here) we got a call from our landlord last night that they want to sell the house we currently rent. we wont be able to buy another house for a little while. this is the 3rd year in a row that the landlord has wanted the house back, before our first year of leasing was even up in each case!!! (we are excellent tenants, btw). i am so sad today -- just really overwhelmed. i can't imagine packing and moving AGAIN.

Moving is so stressful, and I'm sorry that you've been hit with this.

[Micks Picks]

I don't even know what NEC is.

Animals can detect cancer in humans.

[Barbie]

 

I really like this show ... hadn't seen it before and isn't the girl at 3:15 the same girl that plays "Anna Duggar" in Kid Farm?  

[emma675]

I have to brag a little. I just totally installed a new toilet by myself! I managed to take out the old one (which was the longest and hardest part) and put in a completely new toilet. There was some minor flooding and I may not be able to move tomorrow, but I did it. A dozen flushes and no leaks so far!

[lookeyloo]

I have to brag a little. I just totally installed a new toilet by myself! I managed to take out the old one (which was the longest and hardest part) and put in a completely new toilet. There was some minor flooding and I may not be able to move tomorrow, but I did it. A dozen flushes and no leaks so far!

That is very commendable!  Very impressed!  We are the kind of people who have to call someone to change a light bulb!  Well almost. So giant thumbs up and pat on back!!!!

[NewDigs]

That is very commendable! Very impressed! We are the kind of people who have to call someone to change a light bulb! Well almost. So giant thumbs up and pat on back!!!!

Be happy you both realize your limits.

Half of "we" resists calling in the pros.

Head. Hurts.

ETA Congrats, emma675 on your successful project!

Belated, I was dwelling on our last plumbing issues.

Edited January 17, 2016 by NewDigs

[Happyfatchick]

MicksPicks, NEC is exactly what someone described up-thread. Necrotizing Enterocolitis, if I'm spelling it right. Bluntly, it's gangrene in the intestines. It's usually a premie disease caused by the intestines not being fully developed. When food is introduced, the intestine can get infected at the weak spot and sometimes will perforate, Spilling undigested food and infection into the sac that surrounds the intestines and causing all manner of havoc. It's generally in premature babies less than 2 lbs at birth. At the risk of sounding like some of our disaster laden friends from the past, I will mention that we lost a grandchild to this horrific and painful disease 11 years ago the 22nd of this month. She was NOT premature, and weighed nearly 8 lbs. Someone (?) made a note in the margin of her chart that said "NEC?" So SOMEONE had an idea. But she didn't meet any of the stand criteria, and the thought must have been dismissed. The result: it wasn't caught early enough to save her life. I'd never heard of an adult dying from it - the cause wouldn't actually be incomplete formation, but If the intestine was weakened and perforated in some way (in an adult), the result would certainly be the same.

Someone else up thread mentioned how they love MicksPicks' no-nonsense take on things. Me too!!! It just came to me today that MicksPicks is actually our MAXINE!!!!!

MV, still praying for that little one. Life is so fragile.

And Emma: YOU GO, GIRL!!! Someday when a gut laug is more appropriate, I'll tell you guys the story of me "fixing" a leaky faucet in the bathtub. Not. A. Good. Day.

[Micks Picks]

HFC thank you for the explanation.  I've always had GI problems, very serious ones, never seen the term before.

 

EM, Changing out a toilet.  Yeah.  Good for you.  Flushing is very important to me.  Spent about 3 grand on the problem before the house burned and everything had to be changed anyway.  With my GI problems, I want the stuff out of here, no problems.  I have stories but not on-line.  We should talk sometime.

 

HFC hope your mom is still doing a little better.  Amazing how just a little progress can lift our spirits so very much.  When you consider the alternative, I'm willing to accept a lot.

[Happyfatchick]

I have a story about sitting here watching after Mama all night. She has never been good with fluid intake, even when she was young. I would come in from the garden, sweating like a pig, and drink a quart of water. When I work in the garden in the heat right now, I take 3 bottles of water out with me in a cooler and kill them all. Mama...not so much. She would come in and "maybe" drink a glass of water, and I don't guess I've ever seen her guzzle down water like I do. (And she's diabetic, she's SUPPOSED to be thirsty!). Recently, hospice dropped off a big container of this stuff called "Thick It". You put it in water, and it makes it thick, to lessen the likelihood of choking. It makes water the consistency of conditioner (like the stuff you put on your hair after shampooing). Very viscous and...well...nasty looking. She does tolerate it better than normal water, so that's good.

But this has given my not-so-charitable family a whole new thing to make jokes about. We're wondering aloud how much of that to put in the gravy. The sitter made chicken noodle soup and we decided to put some Thick It in there instead of crackers. (Had to eat it with a fork). And we've begun to make our bedside notes In terms of how much water Mama ate in a sitting. The sitter is particularly good at shoveling that goop in Mama's parted lips. When I came in tonight, she proudly held up the cup and said, "look! She ate half a glass of water!"

[Barb23]

HFC - that stuff sounds nasty, is it flavored? I got a good chuckle out of "she ate half a glass of water."

[XinaMarie]

Not HFC, but I have a lot of experience with this product. My daughter had a feeding tube until last fall. She still coughs after she drinks water because she has a delayed swallow. There is Thick It and another product called "Simply Thick" which is a gel product. They talk about using it to get to a "nectar consistency" or "honey consistency" as examples of the thick and thinness the patient will tolerate. From my experience Thick-It is not supposed to have a flavor, but it sort of does. I only have experience with the powder version. It is supposed to dissolve into the liquid and disappear. She preferred the Simply Thick. It seemed pretty tasteless and did a better job of not adding flavor.

[SongbirdHollow]

I have a story about sitting here watching after Mama all night. She has never been good with fluid intake, even when she was young. I would come in from the garden, sweating like a pig, and drink a quart of water. When I work in the garden in the heat right now, I take 3 bottles of water out with me in a cooler and kill them all. Mama...not so much. She would come in and "maybe" drink a glass of water, and I don't guess I've ever seen her guzzle down water like I do. (And she's diabetic, she's SUPPOSED to be thirsty!). Recently, hospice dropped off a big container of this stuff called "Thick It". You put it in water, and it makes it thick, to lessen the likelihood of choking. It makes water the consistency of conditioner (like the stuff you put on your hair after shampooing). Very viscous and...well...nasty looking. She does tolerate it better than normal water, so that's good.

But this has given my not-so-charitable family a whole new thing to make jokes about. We're wondering aloud how much of that to put in the gravy. The sitter made chicken noodle soup and we decided to put some Thick It in there instead of crackers. (Had to eat it with a fork). And we've begun to make our bedside notes In terms of how much water Mama ate in a sitting. The sitter is particularly good at shoveling that goop in Mama's parted lips. When I came in tonight, she proudly held up the cup and said, "look! She ate half a glass of water!"

My FIL has to use that stuff, I don't know how he can stand it. I have always had a thing about texture so it really grosses me out.

[Readalot]

Sad to hear that Glenn Frey died today. So so talented, I'm grateful he shared his gifts with the world. We saw the Eagles during the Hell Freezes Over tour and the next tour, glad to have Rhodes memories, those were fun concerts.

[NewDigs]

Sad to hear that Glenn Frey died today. So so talented, I'm grateful he shared his gifts with the world. We saw the Eagles during the Hell Freezes Over tour and the next tour, glad to have Rhodes memories, those were fun concerts.

Take it Easy, Glenn.

Wow. So many songs and so many memories.

RIP

[Ownedbydogs]

The death of Glenn Fry makes me so sad.  The Eagles were one of my favorite bands. Brings back all sorts of high school and college memories.  2016 has certainly started off rough.  NewDigs you beat me to it.  Take it Easy Glenn Fry.  

 

(Yea I can spell Glenn)

Edited January 19, 2016 by Ownedbydogs

[Barb23]

The Eagles were one of my older brother's favorite bands when he was in college in the early 70's. He got me, my sister & even our mom hooked on them. He used my kiddie record player (10 yr age difference) to play their albums & blew out the speaker. I was so upset that Mom made him buy me a new one right away.

Move over David Bowie, Rock & Roll Heaven just got another great band member.

RIP & Take it Easy Glenn.

[SomePity1066]

Hey guys - hugs and hope to all, but I'm out of here. I've lost my taste for the snark. It's been really, really fun. Y'all are good, good people.

 

I wish you all the very best, I really do. I'll be observing now and again, but I think it's time to get my butt off the couch and start living my life instead of just commenting about it. You've been good friends - real friends, and I will miss you. Truly. 

 

Please take care. 

 

[Love2dance]

Hey guys - hugs and hope to all, but I'm out of here. I've lost my taste for the snark. It's been really, really fun. Y'all are good, good people.

 

I wish you all the very best, I really do. I'll be observing now and again, but I think it's time to get my butt off the couch and start living my life instead of just commenting about it. You've been good friends - real friends, and I will miss you. Truly. 

 

Please take care. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7hmF_IX9Ic

I will miss you, SOMEPITY, and have enjoyed so many of your posts. But good for you for taking care of yourself and doing what is best for you. Take care, and maybe catch us up on your life off the couch some day. Hugs.

[NewDigs]

Hey guys - hugs and hope to all, but I'm out of here. I've lost my taste for the snark. It's been really, really fun. Y'all are good, good people.

 

I wish you all the very best, I really do. I'll be observing now and again, but I think it's time to get my butt off the couch and start living my life instead of just commenting about it. You've been good friends - real friends, and I will miss you. Truly. 

 

Please take care. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7hmF_IX9Ic

You will be missed!

Be well.

[crazycatlady58]

Hey guys - hugs and hope to all, but I'm out of here. I've lost my taste for the snark. It's been really, really fun. Y'all are good, good people.

I wish you all the very best, I really do. I'll be observing now and again, but I think it's time to get my butt off the couch and start living my life instead of just commenting about it. You've been good friends - real friends, and I will miss you. Truly.

Please take care.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7hmF_IX9Ic

I will miss your posts, take care and enjoy life.

[amitville]

Hey guys - hugs and hope to all, but I'm out of here. I've lost my taste for the snark. It's been really, really fun. Y'all are good, good people.

 

I wish you all the very best, I really do. I'll be observing now and again, but I think it's time to get my butt off the couch and start living my life instead of just commenting about it. You've been good friends - real friends, and I will miss you. Truly. 

 

Please take care. 

 

I will miss you very much, Hoping life gives you everything you have wished for.  (ffhugs) to you my friend