To all...Open forum

Hi ALL!  Just wanted to start a open thread, say hello and ask how everyone is doing!  I suppose I could have read through all threads to check you all out but chose to do it the simply way.  Hope ya'll don't mind I started this thread.
Life is slowly trying to get back to normal again  (whatever normal is!)  Tx ended Aug. 11, geno type 1A, 48 weeks Peg & riba....uuuuugggg.  Still having pain in rt arm, leg and feel as if I am walking on swollen feet (not swollen), other than that, back to work and plugging along.  All labs are great so far, primary Doc ordered complete BW yesterday, checking EVERYTHING along w/PCR, enzymes, thyroid, and vitamin levels.  Will be good to know since I do not go back to clinic untill Nov. and biopsy in Jan.  Funny how the tx docs cut you loose and your after care is done by primary Doc.  But that OK, he's really smart and i like him!'
Really want to hear from you all, miss ya and hope all are doing well.  Hope there is no sad news and lots of good news but please share it all!
Girls, here is a lil piece of information for ya, don't think it would hurt the guys to try this too.
Well wishes to all!
OXOXOXOXOX
Fisheress
INTERESTING ARTICLE!!!! ANOTHER NEW THING TO PUT INTO PRACTICE!!


This is a very good article. Not only about the warm water after your meal, but about ladies and their heart attacks.

This makes sense.... the Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals...not cold water... maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating!!! Nothing to lose, everything to gain...

For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a  cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion.
Once this "sludge" reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine.

Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

A serious note about heart attacks:
Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting. Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.

You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack.

Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms.

60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up.

Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive...

[jmjm530]

Congratulations on finishing treatment and glad life is getting back to normal !

Regarding the article, you didn't provide a link, however it appears to be an Urban Legend that's been circulating the internet for awhile. At least, according to Snoopes.com, which I have always found to be well researched out and accurate.
http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/coldwater.asp

Not sure about your reference to women and heart attacks, but if it's from the same source, I'd be suspect and check it out with Snoopes.

All the best,

-- Jim

[jmjm530]

Don't have to mention lots of stuff circulating on the internet that just gets accepted as fact but just isn't so.

If you're unsure, http://www.snopes.com/ is an excellent website to double-check things against.

BTW the heart article mentioned above is not on Snoopes and what it says appears reasonable although I really don't know. The article about "cold drinks" cited was given a "False" status by Snoopes.

[Myown]

Congrats! glad to hear all is checking out with your labs!

Interesting point about the warm liguids with meals/after etc. I have been doing this for years and for exactly the reason you mentioned, fat solidifying problem with cold drinks with meals. Alternative medicine newletters have been saying this for years, but conventional doctors didn't heed advice it seems. Maybe one reason for a lot of heart patients.

it takes years for things to become "accepted" not as quackery and this is one that proves. My mothers doctor years back didn't think much of having to drink warm drinks ith or after meals, because I guess he thought it sounded too much like alternative thinking, but now he has come around and accepts this and reccommends it. Glad I've been doing it for a long time.

It takes years and years for mainstreamm medicine to acknowledge the simple, easy,preventative remedies. They figure,hey if your artieries clog from fat solidifying, get an angioplasty or take statins.
Thanks for sharing this, its been a few days of alternative med and conventional med discussion, so you're advice is timely, fits right in.

[Fisheress]

Although is may be False, I think in a common sence manner, it sounds as it it could work although something that could not hurt you..........right?  And yes, it's true that women DO or CAN have different symthoms from men when experiencing heart attacks.  Thanks for the link to snoops, I'll make sure I check it before copying misguided information to anyone.

Oh and thanks for the congrats, you are doing well?  Everything OK?

Sorry about starting a new thread, I suppose I was posting at the same time as Fishdoc.  Had I known, I would have jumped on her thread.

Great day to all.......
Fisheress

P.S.
Finally took my boat out, was running along about 25 knots, lil rough in the bay and all of a sudden all my electronics mounted overhead in a custom faceplate decided to fall out and hit me in the head.  Needless to say, ice packs now for 2 days.  Was having a wonderful time for it to go that way, now gotta have it worked on before I take it back out on Monday after work.  Oh is this full Harvest moon BEAUTIFUL or what?

[jmjm530]

Did you check out my link to SNOOPES in my last post? It appears that the warm-drink thing, as compelling as it may sound, is urban/internet myth. It pops up a lot on alternative sites and chain letters but anyway, read what Snoopes has to say. I've found they're pretty well researched out and even handed with no evident bias.

[jmjm530]

Fish: Although is may be False, I think in a common sence manner, it sounds as it it could work although something that could not hurt you..........right?
-------------------------------------
The best urban myths are the ones that seem to make the most sense :)

Yes, I'm doing fine. I'm SVR and seven months post treatment. Just starting to feel sort of "normal"...it really can take some time. Thanks for asking.

Sorry about your little accident.

Be well.

-- Jim

[Myown]

I haven't checked out the link,,but these links don't impress me. Some things are common sense and this is. These links that research, as far as I am concerned,,, you can research and find info "pro," and info "con",

Example "bible answer man," alot of people, anything he says, some people take it as solid truth, when in reality, he is a man and you can't base your conclusion on everything one person claims.But because he supposedly does research, people believe everything.

Just look at the Republicans and Democrats. If you were to ask them to supply you with info as to how we are doing in this war, you would have statistics and data completley different from both sides, yet both claiming they researched their answers. Maybe, maybe the only thing they may agree on is how many soldiers have died thus far and THAT answer may not be the same either. Not a political discussion, just a point to be made.So, thats the story. I usually swim upstream,alone, most of the time.

[SoCal Lady]

Actually, the info about cold drinks solidifying fats makes no sense at all.  The cold drink would enter the warm environment of the stomach and be brought to its temperature before it could "solidify" the fats.  This would be especially true at meal time when one usually takes small sips of ones beverage between bites.

[mkeela]

HI HI HI!!!!! Haven't seen you post for awhile! So your feelin pretty good? Thats awesome news! I miss seeing you post at the tired place... it seems as if only a few folks post there lately, and occassionaly, and I find that strange because they can post whenever they want there.
I actually do not have any complaints myself so far this morning...LOL...but who knows as the day goes on... HAHAHA...sx come it seems as soon as I get "cocky" and say I feel really good, so I just try not to say anything anymore.
So happy to hear your BW is looking good. Thanks for posting, you have been missed. Mkeela

[MissMiss]

Congrats on finishing!  We did so about the same time.  As far as your legs and "swollen ankles", I had a real bad case of that.  I didn't walk, I plodded along very short distances.  PCP ordered a blood test on the muscles and those enzymes came back normal.  A month or so passed and finally got an EMG on my legs.  It did show myopathy, not neuralgia.  That would mean the muscles and not the nerves.  This could be from using my thigh for injecting the Procrit and Neupogen, the drugs themselves or from the Interferon wasting the muscles.  

Whatever the cause, it is getting better and, I'm told, should continue to do so.  How about you, getting better?  I seem to have reached a plateau tho.  I hope it is something that will eventually just disappear.  I should say, I had the same symptons pre-tx quite often so it will be interesting how it plays out.  Pulling myself up from squatting was nearly impossible and I would always need help.  Nothing like right at the end of tx tho.

I hope your leg sx's fly out of the boat on a wild run and you're jumping for joy crossing the finish line!  Take care!

miss

[can-do-man]

hey girl, good to hear from ya. Glad things are slowly getting better........Been fishing?

[Fisheress]

The doc told me yesterday that my feet hurting was to do w/the nerves?  neuralgia????  He wants to do a nerve test on me and I suggest that I just take the meds be gave me and wait till after the 1st of the year to see if there are any changes.  Was just hoping that it was the pain and meds moving down my body and would shoot out my toes and dissapear! LOL!  I also guess i am being a lil impatient wanting to feel 100% better.

CANDO!  MY MAN!  How the heck are ya my friend?  Yes, have been doing some fishing.  Been out a couple of times.  Last time was the accident I mentioned above!  Bumps on head still sore!  maybe knocked some sence in me??????  I leave work about 4, get me Rod & box, go to the boat and head out till dark, usally a few hours.  Last time hooked a small trout (let him go) then hooked what I think was a Red fish, fought it for about 3mins before he broke me off!  It was exciting to get a tug on the line though.  Working on getting my fishing photoshow up, will let you know how to get to it when I am done.

Ya'll take care and GOOD to hear from everyone!  missmiss congrats to you too!  Hope we are running marathons before long! Don't forget it's National Breast Awareness Month.....Ladies, get your mamograms!

Fisheress

[Fisheress]

Oh and can-do, I know you are aware we ladies all have breast and I am sure you want to do our exams for us.........but it's not the same a mamogram (mammogram)!  Not behave......I can hear the wheels turnig in you head!

LOL!
Fisheress

[Fisheress]

What I meant to type..............NOW BEHAVE!  hehehehe

Mkeela, DON'T JINX YOURSELF!  don't think at all about sx's, just wash them out of your mind and enjoy this BEAUTIFUL DAY!  Here ya go, I am gonna do a chant for ya.....hehehehe.....no sx's today, no sx's today!   SWOOCH!  All gone!

Have a great day!
Fisheress

[friole]

gosh you fishies are having a heck of a time -- Parts on your NEW boat falling out on your head??? geesh!!!! You know, I developed a knot on the top of my head during tx -- don't have a clue what or when -- but my hair dresser has asked me about it for the last 2 months.  Yep, she says, still there...

No sh!t about the mammograms, ladies..... I had mine right after tx (finished the same time as Fisheress) and they found a "suspicious abnormality"...... Have an excision biopsy (lumpectomy) scheduled right after the first of November (if the surgeon were worried, it would have been yesterday, but he is pretty sure it is benign).  Anyway my business partner had a mastectomy last month so we are not doing too well.  We decided we would offer $200 bonuses to our employees (all women) if they have had there mammograms within a year.  

Remember too folks, a week from Monday is the final final tax deadline (we call it the procrastinator's deadline).  No more extensions available, so if you haven't filed your tax return, and many haven't due to tx, please get your butts to your accountants now!!!!

frijole the bean counter

[Fisheress]

Hey woman!  Glad you followed up on the mamogram (mammogram) after tx.  Guess you did not have to think twice about it with what your partner has been thru.  By the way, has she recovered?  Doing OK yet?  I am due for my yearly Well woman exam which includes mamogram (mammogram) in Dec.  So going to wait until then. I decided to go to the dermatologist and have a mole check done and for her to look at all my weird skin stuff that appeared after tx.  Everything OK there.

Here's hoping everything turns out OK after the biopsy.  Let us know.

Fisheress

P.S.   yeah!  Took my taxes to tax man last week!  What a relief.....could not even think to dig into that paperwork until after tx!  Too mind boggling so Rog took care of it for me, I just had to drop it off....  WHEW what a ton of weight lifted from my shoulders!

[GoofyDad]

my european dentist told me this too, (and he was very good)

Something tells me if I had a sexy european accent and one of those remote control chairs that went into just about any position, I might have a reputaton for being not half bad myself........well that and maybe a remedy for repulsive halitosis....

[pigeonca]

Regarding urban legends and internet spam, I just want to add my two cents worth concerning artificial sweeteners.  Although they are artificial, chemical and probably better to avoid if possible, they are NOT the evil substances some purport them to be.  If you are diabetic, better to use aspartame than sugar, fructose, honey or any of the other natural sweeteners.  Aspartame is only harmful to people who get migraines, sometimes, and to people with a genetic disorder called PKU.  Otherwise, it seems to be perfectly safe, although as an organic eater I generally prefer to stay away from any artificial substances.  But apartame has been proven to be harmless to most of us.

There is a crazy lady named Betty Martini, known to diabetics as "Mad Betty," who started spamming anti-aspartame tirades all over the net about ten or fifteen years ago, and her spamming is so effective that many people believe her.  But snopes.com or urbanlegends.com will set anyone straight if they care to check out those sites.  Also, Mad Betty's accolytes tend to promote a "natural sweetener" called stevia, which tastes horrible, and which is not approved of as a food additive by either the FDA or by the European health authorities.  It is definitely best to avoid stevia.

[cuteus]

fisheress, good to see you! hope you and siblings are doing fine! speedy recovery and a big NEGATIVE on that PCR!


solid fats in the tummy? geesh! the things gullible people believe!  The other one is not to drink with meals AT ALL!  it dilutes the saliva and digestive juices and interferes with digestion.  The only liquid that should be with meals is saliva. that one makes sense to  me too.
extreme cold drinks are a trigger for some asthmatics, that is the only verifiable information on them out there.
I don't think anyone recovered clumps of solid fats from anyone's stomach yet.  I guess we could ask a bulimic about the veracity of that rumor.  
Just like is hard to freeze salt water, it is hard to solidify anything in hydrochloric acid, especially fats.  
Let's get some of the acid, dump some fat in it, add some ice water and watch what happens, before jumping in the "I believe!" wagon.

[strator]

Hey Fisheress- makes me smile to read your

[can-do-man]

POPS, there you are. How you been doing? Hows POPS SR. and the rest of the family? Hope all his well, still plugging along here. Oh BTW cracked heads do seem to run in the family.

Hows little pop his hair still purple?

[honey11]

There you are!  I have been wondering how you were doing and glad to see you are through with the meds and will be anxious to hear about your SVR!
Your recovery friends are very lucky to have you in their lives! Don,,,You are a very good person and I wish you the best!

[Algernon]

Hey, it looks like old home week.  Good to see y'all.

Strator--I feel like you do.  I can't quit organizing and and starting one project after another (I cleaned out the garage today--my idea of a good time these days).  Most of the TX piles are finally gone!

I was clear at 12 weeks post.  Thyroid waited until 17 weeks post to give up the ghost.  Whatever.

Hoping for the best for all y'all.

Algie

[Forseegood]

Fisheress: congrats on finally finishing! thanks so much for the article...I lived in Europe and they don't really drink cold drinks there, hardly any ice to be found anywhere, just refrigerated stuff in the summer, and not too much of that either...so I kind of got off the habit of cold drinks, and many of them told me this stuff too...I think it's really good that people adopt this stuff...also, my european dentist told me this too, (and he was very good) if youre eating hot food, followed by a iced drink, it's bad on the tooth enamel and can lead to fissures and cracking...not to mention bad on the digestion...

Friole: so sorry to hear of this, but like you said, it's benign thank God!...so many women out there need to take mammograms, including me! I'm due, thanks for the reminder...it's not so bad is it?

[returntosender]

Nice to see a thread with all the old names on it again. Glad to hear you are doing well.  Just want to throw in an observation about post tx.  I am 19 weeks out and my recovery has not been a straight line of progress.  Initially, I was all pumped up on the euphoria of finishing.  Lots of energy, projects etc.  Then came the nervous and insomnia phase, then  the headache and dizziness stage and then the pain in the stomach phase then the weak and tired stage and throughout this my skin got worse and better then worse again.  If I turn my head and squint my eyes however, I can see the line of progress through it all.  

I am still undetectable, thank god, but recovery is not linear at all.  Last week I felt worse than any week on treatment.  This week, better - in fact much better.  I am sleeping better, thinking better, had a brief dirty thought about my wife (dont worry it passed!).  There are still some problems but seeing this progress gives me hope.  And all in all, if this is where I end up, feeling like this with no virus around - then this is fine with me. I was far from normal when I started and couldn't eat anything without horrible digestive problems - last night I ate spaghetti.......with hot peppers......... and pepper sauce...and meatballs....and that sprinkly cheese on top....with some bread and butter..and a choc chipper cookie for desert and ice cold 7up washed it down and it was after 8pm when we finished....and no heartburn, no stomach pain, no middle of night bathroom runs, no food hangover.  Wow, I almost feel like I have a human body again or some advanced form of human body anyway. LOL.  And no I dont eat like that every day Rocker but I worked from dawn to dusk yesterday and forgot to each lunch so my 275 pounds were calling for more energy.  One of the kids had ate my pine nuts and alfalfa sprouts so I had no choice. LOL I actually think that a feeling of gratitude is working its way in as the problems and anxiety leave - at least until the next bout of aches and pains anyway.  Good luck to all of you nice folks.

[GoofyDad]

Yup. I cringe to say this, but seeing all youins in this thread almost makes me nostalgic for the old days. Be wll everyone. Nice to see you all. Strator, didn't we start like the same night? I was a Saturday nighter in the beginning.

[friole]

return to sender - pine nuts and alfalfa sprouts - give me a break!  Glad your stomach is feeling better.  Hope the skin does soon too.

strator - You really did put yourself into all kinds of toxic situations on tx, didn't you - that pool your dad dug, the attic and old house that no one else would touch.  No wonder tx was so tough.  Sounds like you have a real mission with all your acquaintances in recovery.. Thank goodness they have you.  Hope your dad and son are well too.

forsee -- you are asking about the mammograms like you never had one before.  Get one done now!  How are they? They are torture chambers obviously designed by sadistic men -- but they are all we have and better than a spit in the eye.  Funny thing - lesson on getting copies of all your records -- all my previous reports were in the envelope with the xray film.  I have never been good about them - only had about 5 since I turned 40. But the were first one in 1988 said that my right breast (home of the abnormality) was denser than the other, and I should get mammos more often then is standard (then every other year) and no one ever told me that.

fish - my partner is fine. She gets a Herceptin injection once every 3 weeks for a year.  It is an antibody and does not have chemo side effects.  I thought our drugs were high - The hospital bills $9000 for each shot, the insurance company knocks it down to $4500 and they pay that, and my partner has to pay $30. Glad the dermo didn't find anything nasty with you.

fish on - (I would like to go to the quilt show in Houston at the end of the month but probably won't make it.)

bean

[strator]

Hey All,
Wow it is nice to be connected here ya know. It

[Forseegood]

thanks for your concern (youre a good egg) but yeah, I've had those before, every 1 or 2 years since my 40s I guess, whenever that start age is...yeah, I often wonder if guys would get them, if they had to stick their protuberances in a vice grip machine so they could take pics of them...odds are they wouldn't, whatdaythink? he he he...

[friole]

ha ha - yes - in fact they make a gift card exactly like that -- has a man in the xray room looking at the machine and the glass plates are set low - ready for the smash.  I gave that card to my partner right after her mastectomy.

[beamishboy]

hey don & all...good to hear from you...Very glad to know sx's are gone & life is full & good..Be Well

[fishdoc]

I so rarely read but one or two threads..what a treat to find this one!!  Glad all are alive, and at least kicking at the dog, if not connecting...

friole, this is just a scare that it seems like we go through.....glad your Dr. isn't too worried, although sooner can be better....

strator, really good to see your "face" here, YOUR poetry is sincerely missed by many......hope your strength is returning, and life is at a pleasant ebb tide....

return to sender, glad your still dropping by, and good to see you too!!

can man...glad your hanging, but it could be cause the wife switched the little blue estrogen pill for the other blue ones....can't trust them women, ya know..

FYI, as we are aging baby boomers, my recent chemical stress test, piece of cake.  More uncomfortable to go to the groinkologist, a little pain in my neck and shoulders right at the end, but thats it.  Angiogram, not even a ounce of discomfort, the incision, well lets just say hubby and I were looking for it, and he got to poking around, and I finally OUCCHHH, thats it... looks like where they shaved a hair, tiny tiny, no bruise, nada.. (wwhoo hooo, somethings shaved!!)

thanks for being here, thanks for caring, be well, and be considerate,
your sister in peace,
consuelo dos gatos

[Fisheress]

WOW!  So glad I started this thread so everyone good check in, let us know how you are doing and most of all to just say hello.  This has been great everyone being here and supporting each other through this challenge in our lives.  So glad we are all here for each other.

Welcome to the newbee's.  you will find alot of information here, support, friends and love.  Mostly anything, someone usally has a recomodation or what to ask you doctors.  ANYTHING, even somthing as simple even like itchies or if you even need to vent!  You can do it all here, lots of great people!

Good will to all.  Those post tx, just starting, considing tx and currently tx'ing, I WISH YOU ALL WELL!  Thank you everyone for being here for me.  I will check in again, start a new post so EVERYONE can check in again.

Gone fishing!
OXOXOXOX
Fisheress