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ChronniesChatter Newsletter 15 April 2002
I want to remind everyone that the ANNIVERSARY issue of ChronniesChat is coming up and that we are short some tips from everyone. Please submit them to this address in the subject line. Also I am a little confused, are you sending me jokes for me, or for inclusion in CCNL, if that is the case please let me know that also. I received a great article on grieving and it process from a professional source. I bring it up simply because when I was diagnosed I was told that I would be going thru a grieving process. I know there are several stages of grief and some of our chatters, that are no longer on the list, don't want to be in the group or contacted as they feel well and want to stay well and not be reminded of crohns. If you are interested in seeing it, let me know and I will run it in the next issue AFTER the Anniversary issue. We have quite a little family, I would love to know if last month up to and including this week has been the all time high for hospitalizations for Chronnies. It seems every time you turn around someone else is having surgery or a test. Maybe it is because the group has grown so much or the change of seasons. We were very lucky that Razzle has gathered some information that has granted us permission to reprint about endometrioses and it follows and will in future issues. Although I can't make every chat, please remember we are not Doctors, we have GREAT suggestions, however before you change any medical treatment, please check with your doctor. – Debbie From Razzle: What is Endometriosis? Endometriosis, also called “External Endometriosis,” is a poorly understood condition in which pain and other symptoms are often experienced during menstruation. It is believed cells that are found inside the uterus (specifically, the endometrium, or lining of the uterus) are found elsewhere in the body, such as on the outside of the uterus or ovaries. These cells of endometrium that are outside the uterus also go through the menstrual cycle, but when they break down and bleed, the blood has nowhere to go. A related condition, called Adenomyosis, occurs when cells from the lining of the uterus are found growing into the muscle of the uterus. Often called “Internal Endometriosis,” uterine enlargement, pain and/or heavy bleeding are the primary symptoms of Adenomyosis. Causes, treatments, and other factors are basically the same as for “External Endometriosis.” What are the Symptoms of Endometriosis? Abdominal pain during the menstrual cycle, including pain during or after urinating, and/or having bowel movements is the most prominent symptom. Symptoms may also include pain in the low back or during/after sexual intercourse, bowel irregularity (constipation/diarrhea), abdominal bloating, irregular menstrual cycle, constant fatigue, menstrual headaches, and/or other various symptoms. Some women have no symptoms or only mild pain associated with their monthly cycle. Others have severe symptoms all the time. Infertility seems to be more common among women with Endometriosis, but no evidence has been found to explain this in less severe cases. A diagnosis of Endometriosis can only be established upon direct observation of the uterine cells present outside the uterus via a surgical procedure (laparoscopy), and tissue samples (biopsies) may need to be taken to confirm the diagnosis as well. What Causes Endometriosis? Research has not conclusively determined what the cause or causes of Endometriosis are. Several theories exist, however, as to how it occurs: Some believe it is caused by cells that have migrated from the uterus to other parts of the body through the fallopian tubes. Others think the disorder is inherited, as there are some families in which the incidence seems greater. Still others think it is due to some kind of leftover cells from embryonic stage of development that left tidbits in the wrong place(s) in the body. Others believe that exposure to certain chemicals (dioxin) may lead to the development of the disorder. Finally, there is the theory that the condition is autoimmune, possibly related to anti-phospholipid antibodies. None of these theories have been proven in scientific studies, mostly due to a widespread lack of understanding of the condition and an inconsistency of testing parameters among different researchers. NEXT MONTH - OPTIONS and TREATMENTS Catching up with Dez!!!
As most of you know, Deb sent out requests for "Catching up" some time back. She caught in me a responsive mood back on Feb 7, so what follows between the lines are notes from that date. I'll add a bit at the end to bring this up to date for mid April. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OK Deb, you got me at co-operative moment ;) The short report is "Not very damn much" My crazy old bod thinks it should revert to the ancestral instincts of a bear, and wants to hibernate. So I've been sleeping lots and sluggish most of the rest of the time. Not sure if it's all CD related or just middle age ganging up with the CD to make me draggy. After all the hurry up and wait to go through the mess of inspections and detections and consults last fall, me and the Docs decided that maybe the 7 inch stricture at the end of my small bowel is the cause of most of my CD problems. It has developed slowly over the past few years despite all the drugs I swallow. Since that kind of stricturing is mostly scar tissue, the only way to get rid of it is with a knife . Remicade is contra-indicated in this circumstance, since it's speedy healing effects can make scar tissue shrink up on itself quite drastically, and possibly cause a blockage. NO THANK_YOU , don't want one. The net result of all this is that I've been put on the wait list for a resection, and since the situation isn't medically defined as urgent, I'll probably have to wait for a few weeks yet, before even hearing a booking date.. The guesstimates are late March or April. Hopefully I can get it done before spring advances too much, so that I can be over the worst of the recuperation by summer. In
the mean time it's a routine of pills , sleep and trying not to eat
anything that might plug up that narrow spot, i.e.; same ole, same old. As to the non-medical goings on, I'm mostly 'putering. Trying to learn more about how these things work and maybe even learn to do something useful with the programs they can run. Today I'm fighting with a program Robin turned me on to, for web page editing. It will do MUCH more than I'm gonna learn in the short term, but maybe I can get it to put together some pages of tech info for Rob to add to her new web site. So there ye go, a rough idea of the not very much that's happening here ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 12, 2002 About 3 weeks ago I finally got through to the lady who actually does the bookings from the surgeon’s office. The gist of things, at that time, was that I "might” make it up the waiting list by mid May. The Surgeon wants a minimum of a 2 &1/2 hr block of OR time, which seems too hard to come by. As some of you know, medical services in this country are complicated by politics and meddling bureaucrats. Our current Provincial Gov't is trying to redefine medical management, so EVERYTHING is screwed up, They have also hi- handedly thrown out previous working agreements, reneged on contracts, etc, etc, to the point that many Specialists, are threatening to withdraw, or at least limit services. One such group is the Anesthesiologists.. With that confusion, surgical bookings are currently a nightmare. So I'm really in limbo, a hostage to meddling idiousy, .Mid May seems the earliest for a booking, but I might be put off even longer. Yups, I'm PO’d, but there's nothing short of an emergency op. for a blockage, that will change things. I'd rather NOT go that route, thank you. Guess I'll just have to mess with collecting and organizing more " on hold" music. Haven't got the "oomph" for much else. If your tastes run to classical, for on hold or otherwise, checkout: http://www.classicalarchives.com/ I'm learning lots of good
geekie stuff by hangin out and helping out at:: c y'all in da ChronniesChat Next round's on me. ;) Dez T CC Tarbender \__/ o(__) [__]0 __\_/>_
Tom's Recommended Links: Link for all kinds of jokes about professions, Jokes about the professions of the twenty-first century. http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/4661/projoke.htm There is a list website for all the states here and those websites have all kinds of strange and wacky laws!! http://www.members.tripod.com/~Kellovision/wacky.htm
From Sandra: Thanks to all of you who took the time to participate in our survey – and BIG THANKS to TerryM aka tr1107 for posing those questions to us all! If you’d like to see what everyone had to say, the results of the survey are posted at: http://www.geocities.com/chronnieschatter/survey_results.htm I will leave the survey page on the website so that if you didn’t get a chance to do it yet, you can do so now! http://www.geocities.com/chronnieschatter/survey.htm I update the results page each time I receive someone’s reply in the email account. Actual Notations On Hospital Charts - From Sheinfla The
patient is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be
depressed. Patient
has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year. On
the second day the knee was better, and on the third day it disappeared. She
has no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot
in bed last night. The
patient has been depressed since she began seeing me in 1993. Discharge
status: Alive but without my permission. Healthy
appearing decrepit 69 year old male, mentally alert but forgetful. The
patient has no previous history of suicides. Patient
has left white blood cells at another hospital. Patient's
medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 40-pound
weight gain in the past three days. Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.
She is numb from her toes down. The
patient refused autopsy. While
in ER, she was examined, x-rated and sent home. The
skin was moist and dry. Occasional,
constant infrequent headaches. Patient was alert and unresponsive. Rectal
examination revealed a normal size thyroid. She stated that she had been
constipated for most of her life, until she got a divorce. I
saw your patient today, who is still under our car for physical therapy. Both
breasts are equal and reactive to light and accommodation. The
patient was to have a bowel resection. However, he took a job as a
stockbroker instead. Examination
of genitalia reveals that he is circus sized. The
lab test indicated abnormal lover function. Skin:
somewhat pale but present. The
pelvic exam will be done later on the floor. Patient
was seen in consultation by Dr. Blank, who felt we should sit on the
abdomen and I agree.
Turkey Hunter - Thanks Tom! An 80-year-old man went to the doctor for a check-up,
and the doctor The old timer said, "I'm a turkey hunter, and
that's why I'm in The doctor said, "Well, I'm sure that helps, but
there's got to be
The doctor said, "You mean you're 80 years old
and your dad's The old timer said, "He's 100 yrs old and, in
fact, he hunted The doctor said, "Well, that's great, but I'm
sure there's more to it. The old timer said, "Who said my grandpa's dead?" The doctor said, "You mean you're 80 years old
and your grandfather's The old timer said, "He's 118 yrs old." The doctor was getting frustrated at this point and
said, "I guess The old timer said, "No... Grandpa couldn't go
this morning because The Doctor said in amazement, "Got married!!
Why would a The old timer said, "Who said he wanted to?" Everything I need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark. (Thanks Tom!) One: Don't miss the boat. Two: Remember that we are all in the same boat. Three: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark. Four: Stay
fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do Five: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done. Six: Build your future on high ground. Seven: For safety's sake, travel in pairs. Eight: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs. Nine: When you're stressed, float a while. Ten: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals. QUOTE OF THE DAY : The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work. -Robert Frost, 1875-1963, American Poet
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