Hi, Daryl! Awhile ago you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

I understand colonoscopies are a drag... a female friend
had one recently & told me she was hors de combat for three
days. The alternative could be worse, however, if further
developments took place unchecked.... :-Q

A lady in Sherwood, Arkansas (northeast of Little Rock) was
diagnosed with colon cancer at 24...she died 6 weeks later.

Uh-huh. So it's not a disease affecting only overweight middle-aged guys who love their meat & potatoes, contrary to popular belief... [wry grin].

Another female was too embarrassed to tell the doctor she
had blood in her fecal stool. Nine months later, violent
abdominal pains sent her to the ER...only to find it was
stage 4 colon cancer. :(

Reminds me of a neighbour of ours who died from a particularly fast- growing variety of prostate cancer which then spread elsewhere. He was afraid he might have cancer, so he put off consulting his doctor about it until there wasn't much anybody could do to help. His wife blamed the ER for not noticing he had bone cancer when he broke a couple of ribs as a result of falling off a high shelf at work. I felt saddened that neither of them got the picture even though they lived in close proximity to the home of the SURVIVOR echo.... :-(

While colon cancer is the second greatest killer behind
heart disease and breast cancer, if caught early, it's
easily treatable, with a 90% chance of survival.
Unfortunately, colon cancer, and many other forms of
cancer, in their early stages, have no symptoms at all.

Because of your IBS, however, you are monitored at regular intervals for such things. It seems to me that every cloud has a silver lining.... ;-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

Hi again, Daryl! This is a continuation of my previous message to you:

I saw a T-shirt once that noted "I'm here to save your
butt, not kiss it"!!

Good one... [chuckle].

To medical people, nudity means nothing to them. So, when
they tell me to get naked, I used to reply "how fast??".

Uh-huh. I'll ask if it's really necessary to remove xxx and/or warn them that it could take me awhile, but I don't object.... :-)

Unfortunately, the arthritis has gotten so bad in my arms
and legs now, I have to literally have them undress and
dress me again. I can take care of that at home, but the
height of the exam tables in the hospitals and doctors
offices is difficult to work with...and I'm afraid I'll
fall if I'm not careful.

We have similar problems WRT our daughter... no, she can't "just hop up" onto the examining table. When the patient arrives with a cane, a walker, or a wheelchair you might think they'd have a clue. Perhaps you find yourself explaining the same things over & over again. I get tired of explaining why I won't even attempt to carry a 300 lb. wheelchair (not to mention the weight of the passenger!) up & down a flight of stairs, for example. OTOH, I'm grateful that folks with special needs don't have to hide in the back bedroom nowadays. Evidently my assignment is to make clear to others what our needs are.... :-)

I'm using a cane more and more often, and may end up with
doing likewise with a walker (if not a wheelchair) as well.

I know many people who use one or another, depending on how far they are going. If you have difficulty getting up onto an examining table & you're concerned about falling I think you'd be a lot happier with a power chair than with a scooter. I'll gladly share with you the various reasons we decided the former was preferable in our daughter's case at such time as the bean counters would like you to use a "shoprider" because the $$$ is considerably less. ;-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

Hi, Ardith...

I saw a T-shirt once that noted "I'm here to save your
butt, not kiss it"!!

Good one... [chuckle].

I thought you'd like that one. :)

To medical people, nudity means nothing to them. So, when
they tell me to get naked, I used to reply "how fast??".

Uh-huh. I'll ask if it's really necessary to remove xxx
and/or warn them that it could take me awhile, but I don't object....
:-)

I'd rather go ahead and get totally nude before the procedure, then
for them to stop so I could remove a piece of clothing.

We have similar problems WRT our daughter... no, she can't "just hop up" onto the examining table. When the patient arrives with
a cane, a walker, or a wheelchair you might think they'd have a clue.

Reminds me of the time where the nurse was asking for a stool sample, yet they hadn't fed me in 3 days, because they thought they'd have to do an appendectomy...if only she had read the chart (sigh!).

Evidently my assignment is to make clear to others what our needs
are.... :-)

And, yet...even with an explanation, as clear as you can make it, they
still have the "deer in the headlights" look on their faces. Go figure.

I know many people who use one or another, depending on how
far they are going. If you have difficulty getting up onto an
examining table & you're concerned about falling I think you'd be a lot happier with a power chair than with a scooter. I'll gladly share with you the various reasons we decided the former was preferable in our daughter's case at such time as the bean counters would like you to use
a "shoprider" because the $$$ is considerably less. ;-)

My late wife, Janice, had a scooter, that our dachshund loved to ride on.
She let me try working with it once, and I nearly wrecked it!! That was the
end of that!! I've used the manual chairs at times over the years, and they really are a workout!!

Daryl

... The number you have dialed...Nine-one-one...has been changed.
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--- Virtual Advanced Ver 2 for DOS
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS (1:19/33)

Hi, Daryl! Awhile ago you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

Hi, Ardith...

Uh-huh. So it's not a disease affecting only overweight middle-aged
guys who love their meat & potatoes, contrary to popular belief... [wry grin

Sad, but true. Years ago, people would talk about their bowels and
bladder, and not say a word about sex. Now, it's the other way around.

Reminds me of a neighbour of ours who died from a particularly fast- AH>growing variety of prostate cancer which then spread elsewhere. He was afra AH>he might have cancer, so he put off consulting his doctor about it until the AH>wasn't much anybody could do to help. His wife blamed the ER for not notici AH>he had bone cancer when he broke a couple of ribs as a result of falling off AH>high shelf at work. I felt saddened that neither of them got the picture ev AH>though they lived in close proximity to the home of the SURVIVOR echo.... :

That's the thing. I know going to the doctor isn't ones idea of a good
time. But, the earlier that they can catch something, the better chance
of survival one has, and the better chance they can remove it. When my
late father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, it was already stage
IV -- they couldn't do a thing for him, and he was dead 6 weeks later.

Because of your IBS, however, you are monitored at regular intervals
for such things. It seems to me that every cloud has a silver lining.... ;

The last time I had the colonoscopy, the gastrointerologist said I
could wait 3 years. Well, it has been over 3 years on both the upper and
lower GI, so I'm due.

My hope is they can do both the upper and lower GI the same day, so I
only have one anesthesiology bill. I'll spend the night at my Mom's
place afterwards, then come home the next day.

Daryl

===
■ OLX 1.53 ■ Why doesn't BUICK rhyme with QUICK??
--- SBBSecho 3.03-Win32
* Origin: FIDONet: The Thunderbolt BBS - wx1der.dyndns.org (1:19/33)

Hi again, Daryl! This is a continuation of my previous message to you:

Hi, Ardith...

I saw a T-shirt once that noted "I'm here to save your
butt, not kiss it"!!

Good one... [chuckle].

I worked in silkscreen printing for 18 years, before rapidly declining
health (including severe migraines and arthritis pain) led me to resign
14 years ago. I always looked for these "funny shirts".

Before my wife died nearly 11 years ago, she got me a shirt that had
on the front "WARNING!! KLUTZ ON THE LOOSE!!" -- on the back "DANGER!!
ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN!!". Her response?? "That's him". Nice to have
the spouse so supportive. <G>

A better one had a picture of an ocelot, and it looked like he had
been sucking on bitter persimmons or lemons. The text said "I have PMS,
and a handgun. Any questions??". <BG>

Uh-huh. I'll ask if it's really necessary to remove xxx and/or warn
them that it could take me awhile, but I don't object.... :-)

A friend of mine didn't want to go to the doctor, as "he didn't want
them to see him naked". I couldn't convince him with "Like it's
something they haven't seen before?? Hello??!!". :P

We have similar problems WRT our daughter... no, she can't "just hop
up" onto the examining table. When the patient arrives with a cane, a walke AH>or a wheelchair you might think they'd have a clue. Perhaps you find yourse AH>explaining the same things over & over again. I get tired of explaining why AH>won't even attempt to carry a 300 lb. wheelchair (not to mention the weight AH>the passenger!) up & down a flight of stairs, for example. OTOH, I'm gratef AH>that folks with special needs don't have to hide in the back bedroom nowaday AH>Evidently my assignment is to make clear to others what our needs are.... :

I use a cane everywhere I go, but I have a walker on standby.
Sometimes, the left leg "freezes up in pain", and I have to "stand up",
and "straighten it out"...the pain subsides after a minute or two, but
it's agony in the interim.

And, like with your daughter, I need help getting on and off the exam
table. What's worse, getting up from one makes me dizzy.

I know many people who use one or another, depending on how far they
are going. If you have difficulty getting up onto an examining table & you' AH>concerned about falling I think you'd be a lot happier with a power chair th AH>with a scooter. I'll gladly share with you the various reasons we decided t AH>former was preferable in our daughter's case at such time as the bean counte AH>would like you to use a "shoprider" because the $$$ is considerably less. ;

I have considered one, as I may eventually end up in a wheelchair.
Right now, I'm doing all the driving, shopping, banking, phone calls,
etc. for my Mom, who will be 92 this fall. So, that keeps me busy. She
has a hard time moving around and getting up. Thankfully, she doesn't
need actual physical care, but she doesn't go out unless I'm driving.

Daryl

===
■ OLX 1.53 ■ Why don't potholes knock your tires back into alignment??
--- SBBSecho 3.03-Win32
* Origin: FIDONet: The Thunderbolt BBS - wx1der.dyndns.org (1:19/33)