FEATURED Morning Pops!

[Xelda]

Morning, Pops and peeps. Our community golf course is closed on Mondays and my Gson wanted to hunt for lost golf balls. We found a dozen. It's like Easter egg hunting for this old man. Being out with him is like Christmas in June.

Keep looking, there's bound to be more and a few gently bent clubs.

 

[CouchCoach]

Morning Pops and up until Friday, I thought I might be joining you. I was convinced I had Cirrhosis with all the symptoms pointing toward that. This is a treatable but incurable illness with the same outcome as my wife's.

All started a couple of weeks ago when they changed my BP meds and my urine changed to dark orange and I began to itch all over. My primary was on vacation so I went through my Cardiologist and she changed the meds but to no avail. The itching grew worse and I knew something was wrong but I couldn't get anyone to pay attention until my Cardiologist finally called for a urinalysis. These docs do not like to cross boundaries, even when the primary is out of pocket. The urinalysis was a loud alarm and as I took each red flag and punched that in Google Search, the same answer kept coming back, Cirrhosis.

Last Thursday, my primary doc got back and sent me a message at 9:30 PM that he was ordering another blood panel and to fast and be ready to go the next morning. I was impressed with the dedication but that alarm was growing louder. That wasn't normal. I asked him point blank if this looked like Cirrhosis and got a "I don't think so" and a list of what it could be followed that but I was stuck on "I don't think so".

I get the lab work done and the results are usually posted on MyChart within a few hours but only one showed up and I just assumed he was stopping the others until he could talk to me. The alarm was now louder than the tinnitus and first thing that morning the other results showed up. It would be easier to list the things not High or flagged and at that point, I accepted the fact that I was soon checking out. I began to compose my address to my sons and daughter-in-law and to other family members and friends and to my Zone family and just when to tell y'all. The normal Bilirubin count is 0.0-0.4 and I was at 7.7 and my skin beginning to yellow. I thought I am going to watch myself die right before my own eyes as I age in the mirror.

I get a call from him saying he wants an Ultrasound and has scheduled it and I ask him the same question, "it's Cirrhosis, isn't it"? I am expecting a "yes, afraid so" but instead I get a "no, the counts are too high too fast, I think it's your bile duct and you've got some blockage from your gall bladder. If the Ultrasound doesn't show that, we'll do a CT scan.

I got the Ultrasound from a lovely young masked lady named Whitney who wanted to be a doc but couldn't afford it so she did the next best thing and seemed to know her stuff. She asked me when the Jaundice showed up, it was now apparent and I could have disappeared in a yellow Mustang convertible, and she said that's awfully fast for Cirrhosis. One of the reasons my doc wasn't leaning toward Cirrhosis was I just had lab work done in April and that was given his approval. In fact, he was impressed.

No sooner do I grab a bite and get home that he's responding with the results and it is what he thought, blockage in the bile duct and referred me to a surgeon to have my gall bladder removed. However that General Surgeon has now backed off and said I need a Gastro surgeon and the soonest one is available in the area is late August and that won't work. So, now I will talk to my primary doc tomorrow and the consensus of opinion is to go in through the ER and they have to operate. It's like gall bladder asylum.

So, I will keep you folks informed as well as I can but this has been the strangest ordeal in my life and I am fortunate I do not have the pain associated with a gall bladder handing in it's resignation. My poor liver is just moping down there thinking 'I thought I'd go first'.

BTW, just so you know if this does go south. People who know me know I do not fear death and at times would find the rest most welcoming and when actually faced with my own demise, that held true. No fear, no panic and I certainly do not want anyone who cares about me thinking any different. The last 20 years of emotional and physical pain have taken their toll on my zest for life and I have come to truly understand the philosophy of Roseann Rosanna Dana, "it's always something".

 

[Xelda]

Dear Coachadoodles,

I had a feeling something was up. You don't just get quiet here without a reason. I thought it might be that toothless, gum popping floosie from HEB chasing you down or the woman needing Wal Mart super sized tampons. A gall bladder is a wonderful thing to get out of your body. They should have done that when they took out your tonsils, but they are fond of double billing in the hospital system. You'll have to get the gall to do things for yourself after it's removal, but that's not so bad. I'm grateful for your teflon liver. Never under estimate the power of your friends on line. We have iron wills, Heavenly connections and Runstradomas. Don't you dare quit on us! We need you, oh... and get well fast.

 

[CouchCoach]

Dear Coachadoodles,

I had a feeling something was up. You don't just get quiet here without a reason. I thought it might be that toothless, gum popping floosie from HEB chasing you down or the woman needing Wal Mart super sized tampons. A gall bladder is a wonderful thing to get out of your body. They should have done that when they took out your tonsils, but they are fond of double billing in the hospital system. You'll have to get the gall to do things for yourself after it's removal, but that's not so bad. I'm grateful for your teflon liver. Never under estimate the power of your friends on line. We have iron wills, Heavenly connections and Runstradomas. Don't you dare quit on us! We need you, oh... and get well fast.

Thanks X Girl, I still have my tonsils. I don't give things up easily. They wouldn't have gotten the skin of my chinny chin chin if that orderly hadn't fooled me with that phony rattle and a cookie and cornered me.

 

[Xelda]

To quote Peter Sellers "THAT was not my chin.:"

 

[Runwildboys]

Morning Pops and up until Friday, I thought I might be joining you. I was convinced I had Cirrhosis with all the symptoms pointing toward that. This is a treatable but incurable illness with the same outcome as my wife's.

All started a couple of weeks ago when they changed my BP meds and my urine changed to dark orange and I began to itch all over. My primary was on vacation so I went through my Cardiologist and she changed the meds but to no avail. The itching grew worse and I knew something was wrong but I couldn't get anyone to pay attention until my Cardiologist finally called for a urinalysis. These docs do not like to cross boundaries, even when the primary is out of pocket. The urinalysis was a loud alarm and as I took each red flag and punched that in Google Search, the same answer kept coming back, Cirrhosis.

Last Thursday, my primary doc got back and sent me a message at 9:30 PM that he was ordering another blood panel and to fast and be ready to go the next morning. I was impressed with the dedication but that alarm was growing louder. That wasn't normal. I asked him point blank if this looked like Cirrhosis and got a "I don't think so" and a list of what it could be followed that but I was stuck on "I don't think so".

I get the lab work done and the results are usually posted on MyChart within a few hours but only one showed up and I just assumed he was stopping the others until he could talk to me. The alarm was now louder than the tinnitus and first thing that morning the other results showed up. It would be easier to list the things not High or flagged and at that point, I accepted the fact that I was soon checking out. I began to compose my address to my sons and daughter-in-law and to other family members and friends and to my Zone family and just when to tell y'all. The normal Bilirubin count is 0.0-0.4 and I was at 7.7 and my skin beginning to yellow. I thought I am going to watch myself die right before my own eyes as I age in the mirror.

I get a call from him saying he wants an Ultrasound and has scheduled it and I ask him the same question, "it's Cirrhosis, isn't it"? I am expecting a "yes, afraid so" but instead I get a "no, the counts are too high too fast, I think it's your bile duct and you've got some blockage from your gall bladder. If the Ultrasound doesn't show that, we'll do a CT scan.

I got the Ultrasound from a lovely young masked lady named Whitney who wanted to be a doc but couldn't afford it so she did the next best thing and seemed to know her stuff. She asked me when the Jaundice showed up, it was now apparent and I could have disappeared in a yellow Mustang convertible, and she said that's awfully fast for Cirrhosis. One of the reasons my doc wasn't leaning toward Cirrhosis was I just had lab work done in April and that was given his approval. In fact, he was impressed.

No sooner do I grab a bite and get home that he's responding with the results and it is what he thought, blockage in the bile duct and referred me to a surgeon to have my gall bladder removed. However that General Surgeon has now backed off and said I need a Gastro surgeon and the soonest one is available in the area is late August and that won't work. So, now I will talk to my primary doc tomorrow and the consensus of opinion is to go in through the ER and they have to operate. It's like gall bladder asylum.

So, I will keep you folks informed as well as I can but this has been the strangest ordeal in my life and I am fortunate I do not have the pain associated with a gall bladder handing in it's resignation. My poor liver is just moping down there thinking 'I thought I'd go first'.

BTW, just so you know if this does go south. People who know me know I do not fear death and at times would find the rest most welcoming and when actually faced with my own demise, that held true. No fear, no panic and I certainly do not want anyone who cares about me thinking any different. The last 20 years of emotional and physical pain have taken their toll on my zest for life and I have come to truly understand the philosophy of Roseann Rosanna Dana, "it's always something".

So glad your liver didn't turn against you, CC! Also, I'm glad you aren't experiencing the pain usually associated with gall bladder issues. I still remember that pain, and it's second only to the arthritis in my cervical spine, when it was at its worst.

But you need to get that thing out ASAP, before it gets gangrenous, like mine did. Welcome back to the world of the waiting.

 

[LeonDixson]

Morning, Pops. Good luck, CC. My wife went through the pain of a bad gallbladder. I hope you get it removed right away.

 

[CouchCoach]

Morning, Pops. Good luck, CC. My wife went through the pain of a bad gallbladder. I hope you get it removed right away.

Thanks Leon, I am trying. Meeting with my primary doc tomorrow to craft a plan since I can't even get into see s Gastro surgeon for 8 weeks. This itching will have sent me over the top before then.

 

[CouchCoach]

So glad your liver didn't turn against you, CC! Also, I'm glad you aren't experiencing the pain usually associated with gall bladder issues. I still remember that pain, and it's second only to the arthritis in my cervical spine, when it was at its worst.

But you need to get that thing out ASAP, before it gets gangrenous, like mine did. Welcome back to the world of the waiting.

I am trying because I am not comfortable that pain will not show up, this has been going on for two weeks.

 

[Runwildboys]

I am trying because I am not comfortable that pain will not show up, this has been going on for two weeks.

Mine went from feeling like a little gas on Christmas Eve, to all better on Christmas Day, to doubled over in pain for about 3 hours, now get me to the hospital...and avoid the bumps. It took about 2 or 3 hours to diagnose, then the surgeon comes in and starts telling me how he's going to do the surgery. I looked him in the face and said, "I don't care, just get it out of me!"...and that's while I was on a good dose of morphine.

After the surgery, the doc told me another 6 hours, I'd have been dead.

Go the the emergency room, my friend. Hell, go to Otis's vet if you have to, just get it done.

 

[Xelda]

Do what Leonicus and Runstradomas says, Coachadoodles! Hence ye forth and get thine buttocks to a hospital pronto. Think about us and our needs for a change! We need you!

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Morning Pops, morning Jobs. Morning Fellas and good morning to all who stop this way.

Wife comes back today, been gone for a week in Florida. Will be good to see the kids and the Grandbabies.

Gotta get out and get some fireworks bought. Should have already done that but I haven't.

Hope everybody is well, gotta get back to work, have a great day everybody!

ABQ

 

[Xelda]

Any word on Coachadoodles yet? Someone call him and make sure he's ok.

 

[Runwildboys]

Any word on Coachadoodles yet? Someone call him and make sure he's ok.

Hopefully, he's in a recovery bed at the hospital.

 

[CouchCoach]

Well, my friends, from the life loves a curve ball comes the latest. What a wild two weeks.

After the first 5 days of nothing when my symptoms first showed up, a week ago Monday, nothing but frustration because my primary was on vacation and my Cardiologist didn't connect the symptoms until that Friday when she ordered the first test. Several blood tests later, I finally hook up with a GI in Lakeway, 30 miles from here, yesterday.

He immediately initiates a video call and tells me he will do the Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography but first he wants a MRI MRCP done, which I am having done in Round Rock this afternoon, 1:30 away. Toward the end of the call, he poses this question "how honest do you want me to be with you"? Take a look at the sentence above because the clue is there, it is that Cholangio part, the rare cancer that took my wife. My reply was "deadly honest" and he told me this has to be more than just gallstones and asked me if I had lost any weight since this started. I had just been weighed that morning at the primary's and no one mentioned it but I have lost 17 lbs in 10 days. "Any cancer in your family"? "No, but my wife died from Cholangiocarcinoma". Dead silence. I could almost feel his wheels turning 'what are the odds that a husband and wife have one of the rarest forms of cancer'? He then replies "but she wasn't a blood relative". He had to come with something. Anything.

"How honest do you want me to be with you"? Ever had something like "I think your cute, funny AND sexy" follow that? I do appreciate his honesty and preparing me for news he doesn't want to deliver.

My Bilirubin count, normal being 0.0-0.4 has gone from 7.7 to 10.1 and the itching is unbearable. But no pain which really has him stumped.

What started off with a limp has gone full hair on fire with Dr. Cohen's staff trying to find a place for me to get the MRI and had to end up putting his procedure off until Friday after they located a 5PM one in Round Rock today. They were great and I look forward to meeting some of them tomorrow.

I had to do what I didn't want to do, pull my son into this because someone has to drive me to the ERCP and back home again. While we were talking, he evidently pulled up what an ERCP is and that one word hit him hard. He asked me where the doc thought the trouble was and I told him. We both know that particular cancer has the worst survival rate.

It has that incurable but treatable stigma with the goal being the extension of the quality of life. One question I could never bring myself to ask my wife was if she had it to do over again, would she have gone into treatment to extend that quality of life? Quality of life can only be defined by one person. The last 3 months were anything but quality for her. But as long as she was fighting it, we held onto that slim thread of life, hope.

I know, I am ahead of the game here, getting out in front, just as I did with the Cirrhosis self diagnosis but this is my coping mechanism, go worst case scenario and what needs to be done, plan and be pragmatic. You will not find me at the denial or angry stage with this. My job becomes a simple one, make others around me as comfortable as I am with the eventual outcome.

If this turns out to be nothing more than a gall bladder filled with sludge and stones, and I am really tired of docs talking about my gall bladder that way, than so be it. But I am certain it is not. The actions and speed now being employed tell me that. I really haven't asked for an extended check out time and that seems to upset some people but those people do not live inside my head.

I recall when my wife went to see our Internist right after Christmas when this growth showed up. He immediately sent her to the GI but he called me and his words still ring in my head today "Michael, this is bad.....really bad". He was right and while his words sent me to the ground in a crumpled mess, he prepared me. These guys that do that medical gig long enough, they know bad when they feel and see it. They are not surprised by much.

I know you feel the need to say something, especially in this thread, but that really isn't necessary. I've interacted with you enough to know how you feel and I felt the need to put this here now. To put it in front of me and it is cathartic.

My friends, I am not looking for prayers or hope but we have a special bond in this thread, it is like no other thread. I will keep you apprised of the developments in this because I feel the need to share it and cannot with family or friends that are too close to me because they can't understand.

In the irony department, when my wife was diagnosed and I was at that praying and bargaining stage, I asked God for this rare disease instead of my wife for her zest for life was far superior to mine. You think He didn't catch the "instead" part of that?

 

[Runwildboys]

Well, my friends, from the life loves a curve ball comes the latest. What a wild two weeks.

After the first 5 days of nothing when my symptoms first showed up, a week ago Monday, nothing but frustration because my primary was on vacation and my Cardiologist didn't connect the symptoms until that Friday when she ordered the first test. Several blood tests later, I finally hook up with a GI in Lakeway, 30 miles from here, yesterday.

He immediately initiates a video call and tells me he will do the Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography but first he wants a MRI MRCP done, which I am having done in Round Rock this afternoon, 1:30 away. Toward the end of the call, he poses this question "how honest do you want me to be with you"? Take a look at the sentence above because the clue is there, it is that Cholangio part, the rare cancer that took my wife. My reply was "deadly honest" and he told me this has to be more than just gallstones and asked me if I had lost any weight since this started. I had just been weighed that morning at the primary's and no one mentioned it but I have lost 17 lbs in 10 days. "Any cancer in your family"? "No, but my wife died from Cholangiocarcinoma". Dead silence. I could almost feel his wheels turning 'what are the odds that a husband and wife have one of the rarest forms of cancer'? He then replies "but she wasn't a blood relative". He had to come with something. Anything.

"How honest do you want me to be with you"? Ever had something like "I think your cute, funny AND sexy" follow that? I do appreciate his honesty and preparing me for news he doesn't want to deliver.

My Bilirubin count, normal being 0.0-0.4 has gone from 7.7 to 10.1 and the itching is unbearable. But no pain which really has him stumped.

What started off with a limp has gone full hair on fire with Dr. Cohen's staff trying to find a place for me to get the MRI and had to end up putting his procedure off until Friday after they located a 5PM one in Round Rock today. They were great and I look forward to meeting some of them tomorrow.

I had to do what I didn't want to do, pull my son into this because someone has to drive me to the ERCP and back home again. While we were talking, he evidently pulled up what an ERCP is and that one word hit him hard. He asked me where the doc thought the trouble was and I told him. We both know that particular cancer has the worst survival rate.

It has that incurable but treatable stigma with the goal being the extension of the quality of life. One question I could never bring myself to ask my wife was if she had it to do over again, would she have gone into treatment to extend that quality of life? Quality of life can only be defined by one person. The last 3 months were anything but quality for her. But as long as she was fighting it, we held onto that slim thread of life, hope.

I know, I am ahead of the game here, getting out in front, just as I did with the Cirrhosis self diagnosis but this is my coping mechanism, go worst case scenario and what needs to be done, plan and be pragmatic. You will not find me at the denial or angry stage with this. My job becomes a simple one, make others around me as comfortable as I am with the eventual outcome.

If this turns out to be nothing more than a gall bladder filled with sludge and stones, and I am really tired of docs talking about my gall bladder that way, than so be it. But I am certain it is not. The actions and speed now being employed tell me that. I really haven't asked for an extended check out time and that seems to upset some people but those people do not live inside my head.

I recall when my wife went to see our Internist right after Christmas when this growth showed up. He immediately sent her to the GI but he called me and his words still ring in my head today "Michael, this is bad.....really bad". He was right and while his words sent me to the ground in a crumpled mess, he prepared me. These guys that do that medical gig long enough, they know bad when they feel and see it. They are not surprised by much.

I know you feel the need to say something, especially in this thread, but that really isn't necessary. I've interacted with you enough to know how you feel and I felt the need to put this here now. To put it in front of me and it is cathartic.

My friends, I am not looking for prayers or hope but we have a special bond in this thread, it is like no other thread. I will keep you apprised of the developments in this because I feel the need to share it and cannot with family or friends that are too close to me because they can't understand.

In the irony department, when my wife was diagnosed and I was at that praying and bargaining stage, I asked God for this rare disease instead of my wife for her zest for life was far superior to mine. You think He didn't catch the "instead" part of that?

CC, I understand your relative lack of fight to stay in the game, but I hope you don't mind if I hope this is something that can be taken care of with a cholecystectomy.

 

[CouchCoach]

CC, I understand your relative lack of fight to stay in the game, but I hope you don't mind if I hope this is something that can be taken care of with a cholecystectomy.

Not at all, Runny. I am just being realistic in my outlook and reading between the words of the medical people. Doesn't mean I am right but I look at myself and my body has aged 10 years in less than two weeks. Surely doesn't help being this shade of yellow either. Prefer the china doll look to the Buddha one....as I know you do as well.

 

[Runwildboys]

Not at all, Runny. I am just being realistic in my outlook and reading between the words of the medical people. Doesn't mean I am right but I look at myself and my body has aged 10 years in less than two weeks. Surely doesn't help being this shade of yellow either. Prefer the china doll look to the Buddha one....as I know you do as well.

As you said, you know how we feel. Please keep us apprised. We do love you, my friend.

 

[Xelda]

Well, my friends, from the life loves a curve ball comes the latest. What a wild two weeks.

After the first 5 days of nothing when my symptoms first showed up, a week ago Monday, nothing but frustration because my primary was on vacation and my Cardiologist didn't connect the symptoms until that Friday when she ordered the first test. Several blood tests later, I finally hook up with a GI in Lakeway, 30 miles from here, yesterday.

He immediately initiates a video call and tells me he will do the Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography but first he wants a MRI MRCP done, which I am having done in Round Rock this afternoon, 1:30 away. Toward the end of the call, he poses this question "how honest do you want me to be with you"? Take a look at the sentence above because the clue is there, it is that Cholangio part, the rare cancer that took my wife. My reply was "deadly honest" and he told me this has to be more than just gallstones and asked me if I had lost any weight since this started. I had just been weighed that morning at the primary's and no one mentioned it but I have lost 17 lbs in 10 days. "Any cancer in your family"? "No, but my wife died from Cholangiocarcinoma". Dead silence. I could almost feel his wheels turning 'what are the odds that a husband and wife have one of the rarest forms of cancer'? He then replies "but she wasn't a blood relative". He had to come with something. Anything.

"How honest do you want me to be with you"? Ever had something like "I think your cute, funny AND sexy" follow that? I do appreciate his honesty and preparing me for news he doesn't want to deliver.

My Bilirubin count, normal being 0.0-0.4 has gone from 7.7 to 10.1 and the itching is unbearable. But no pain which really has him stumped.

What started off with a limp has gone full hair on fire with Dr. Cohen's staff trying to find a place for me to get the MRI and had to end up putting his procedure off until Friday after they located a 5PM one in Round Rock today. They were great and I look forward to meeting some of them tomorrow.

I had to do what I didn't want to do, pull my son into this because someone has to drive me to the ERCP and back home again. While we were talking, he evidently pulled up what an ERCP is and that one word hit him hard. He asked me where the doc thought the trouble was and I told him. We both know that particular cancer has the worst survival rate.

It has that incurable but treatable stigma with the goal being the extension of the quality of life. One question I could never bring myself to ask my wife was if she had it to do over again, would she have gone into treatment to extend that quality of life? Quality of life can only be defined by one person. The last 3 months were anything but quality for her. But as long as she was fighting it, we held onto that slim thread of life, hope.

I know, I am ahead of the game here, getting out in front, just as I did with the Cirrhosis self diagnosis but this is my coping mechanism, go worst case scenario and what needs to be done, plan and be pragmatic. You will not find me at the denial or angry stage with this. My job becomes a simple one, make others around me as comfortable as I am with the eventual outcome.

If this turns out to be nothing more than a gall bladder filled with sludge and stones, and I am really tired of docs talking about my gall bladder that way, than so be it. But I am certain it is not. The actions and speed now being employed tell me that. I really haven't asked for an extended check out time and that seems to upset some people but those people do not live inside my head.

I recall when my wife went to see our Internist right after Christmas when this growth showed up. He immediately sent her to the GI but he called me and his words still ring in my head today "Michael, this is bad.....really bad". He was right and while his words sent me to the ground in a crumpled mess, he prepared me. These guys that do that medical gig long enough, they know bad when they feel and see it. They are not surprised by much.

I know you feel the need to say something, especially in this thread, but that really isn't necessary. I've interacted with you enough to know how you feel and I felt the need to put this here now. To put it in front of me and it is cathartic.

My friends, I am not looking for prayers or hope but we have a special bond in this thread, it is like no other thread. I will keep you apprised of the developments in this because I feel the need to share it and cannot with family or friends that are too close to me because they can't understand.

In the irony department, when my wife was diagnosed and I was at that praying and bargaining stage, I asked God for this rare disease instead of my wife for her zest for life was far superior to mine. You think He didn't catch the "instead" part of that?

I don't like that doctor. Please find one that will take out your gall bladder without the grim diagnosis. We love you, Coachadoodles!

 

[CouchCoach]

I just got off the phone with the Doc, the one that Xelda doesn't like, and he got my MRI about 30 minutes ago and he started with what his concerns and suspicions were because of the alarming elevations and the weight loss and he quickly said my concerns were allayed with the MRI and I was planning on a much longer procedure tomorrow involving cancer, it doesn't show any cancer but stones in the gall bladder and bile duct, which was really throwing the counts out of whack at a pretty alarming rate and the fact you don't have any pain with this amount of stones has thrown most of the doctors here for a loop.

Sorry about my two false alarms but he was so sure it was cancer that he had scheduled the OR for about 5 hours. Maybe the next time a doc asks "how honest do you want me to be", I should just say lie and tell me I'm pregnant?

He said his nurses are going to be very happy. They went into overdrive yesterday and spent 3 hours trying to locate an emergency MRI, which also raised the alarm level too. The sense of urgency on this went from a gentle stream to a raging river in a matter of hours and that was affecting my thought processes a lot.

So, tomorrow is the ERCP which he feels will give me some relief and then a follow up visit to get this trouble making full of sludge gall bladder removed. I hate to speak ill of one of my own organs but this sob has caused enough of a problem.