The "what's On Your Mind?" Thread -2018

[kashmir64]

Well I just had an adventure I don't want to repeat. I had serious pains in my abdomen for 4 days before I decided it wasn't just gas and went to the hospital. Spent the last 3 days on an IV antibiotic drip. They're calling it Diverticulitis even though it was in my intestine and not in my colon. I also have an abscess in the intestine. I haven't eaten anything in 8 days and I am very weak right now.

On the upside ( I do have to confirm this with my PCP) my Creatinine levels, which were at 1.92 and why I have Stage 2 CKD, have now dropped to .8 and am now at a normal level. So I somehow reversed the CKD. I am still going to be very careful though and keep it there.

I'll try to catch up on this thread later. Taking a shower had taken everything out of me. I'm on a liquid diet for awhile, so maybe I'll try to eat some soup. I'm just not hungry.
My arms look like I'm a heroin addict.

 

[LTS3]

Hopefully you won't need a root canal I had excruciating lower tooth pain some years ago and it turned out I needed a root canal done

I may need to get a new computer sooner than later My desktop was working just fine earlier but now the monitor won't work. It turns on but it gives an error message saying that there is no video input. All the cables are plugged in correctly. I think it might be the video card. Stores are closed now so there's no point in asking a brother to come over to figure out the issue and buy whatever part is needed. I'm going to have to bring my work laptop home every day now

 

[Katie M]

I actually had a root canal done years ago. That tooth felt nothing like this. The jaw wasn't being affected, either. I'm worried about the teeth nearby.

 

[Alicia88]

He has no interest in a pacifier. I've tried. He just likes constant cuddles and a finger to chew on.

 

[kashmir64]

Hopefully you won't need a root canal I had excruciating lower tooth pain some years ago and it turned out I needed a root canal done

I may need to get a new computer sooner than later My desktop was working just fine earlier but now the monitor won't work. It turns on but it gives an error message saying that there is no video input. All the cables are plugged in correctly. I think it might be the video card. Stores are closed now so there's no point in asking a brother to come over to figure out the issue and buy whatever part is needed. I'm going to have to bring my work laptop home every day now

Are you running your monitor through a VGA cable? If so, try to run an HDMI and see it that works. You may not need a new computer right away, the VGA cable may be the culprit.

 

[Margret]

kashmir64 , . It sounds like you've had a real time of it! I can understand why you're not hungry; you may need to work back into eating slowly after something like that. You definitely need to talk with your PCP about how to consolidate your gains while avoiding future diverticulitis.

LTS3 , you may have a problem with the cable or the monitor, either of which can be replaced much more cheaply than buying a new computer. For that matter, in a desktop the video card can probably be replaced if that's where the problem is. Please get it looked at before you decide to spring for a new computer.

I'm probably about to be offline until either late Monday night or early Tuesday; I have 2 doctor's appointments tomorrow, probably to be followed by a trip to the pharmacy.

Margret

 

[arouetta]

LTS3 - Margret is right, the sheer wonderfulness of a desktop is that you can upgrade it a piece at a time, instead of having to toss the whole thing and get a new computer like laptops make you do.

First, troubleshoot.

• Look at the back of your computer. If you have a separate video card, there will be two identical ports, one on the card slot and one where all the other connections are (USB, microphone/speaker, etc). Make sure you are using the one on the card slot. The one near all the other inputs is disabled by the video card.
• If you have a spare cable somewhere, swap that out. That is the easiest thing to replace, so start there.
  
• What is your video cable, HDMI or VGA? If both your monitor and your computer support both, then try using the other connection. If that works, it's definitely not the monitor, but it's a good work around until you figure out if it's the cable or the video card.
  
• When you bring your laptop home, look and see if it supports a separate monitor (most do). You'll see an HDMI and/or a VGA port if it does. Use your cable to plug your laptop into your monitor. You'll likely be prompted to set up video options, easiest is to tell it to mirror; it doesn't matter as the dual monitor settings go away when the second monitor does. If the external monitor doesn't work then it's definitely not the computer, it's either the cable or the monitor.
• If your laptop test shows the monitor and the cable are fine and you were using the right plugin on the back of the tower and you are not running anything that is graphics intense (like a computer game), take the graphics card out of the tower and plug the cable into the port where all the other inputs are. Your graphics rendering will be managed by your motherboard, so pretty basic graphics, but managing the graphics is not going to make your motherboard die faster. That will give you time to replace the video card while still enjoying hanging out here.

 

[Margret]

I found that consumption story I was remembering; the story is "The Marklake Witches," and it is, indeed, in Rewards and Fairies, by Rudyard Kipling. You can find it on Project Gutenberg here: Rewards and Fairies by Rudyard Kipling

I'm off to bed - busy day tomorrow, and we've been having a combination of wind, thunder and lightning, hail, rain, and snow all evening. We're supposed to have 3 inches by tomorrow. We desperately need the moisture, but it would be nice if it came when I can get my arm into a proper winter coat, not just a sweater and rain cape. Or even if it simply came on a day when I don't have doctors' appointments.

Today has been exhausting. I managed a shower and hair wash; unfortunately I did not manage to keep the cast totally dry. I got Roger to take me past Walgreens this evening to buy a cast cover. At least I should be able to safely wash my face in the morning. (I would have bought one earlier, except I didn't know they existed.)

Margret

 

[Alicia88]

I'm so mad right now! Someone peed I the car seat AGAIN! John's out getting a cleaner with an enzyme remover. I'm gonna have to keep the car seat in the bedroom with the door closed. I don't know what else to do. I don't even know which one is doing it. I get that a new baby is an adjustment, but come on! They seemed ok with it, but now I'm not sure.

 

[Mia6]

Well I just had an adventure I don't want to repeat. I had serious pains in my abdomen for 4 days before I decided it wasn't just gas and went to the hospital. Spent the last 3 days on an IV antibiotic drip. They're calling it Diverticulitis even though it was in my intestine and not in my colon. I also have an abscess in the intestine. I haven't eaten anything in 8 days and I am very weak right now.

On the upside ( I do have to confirm this with my PCP) my Creatinine levels, which were at 1.92 and why I have Stage 2 CKD, have now dropped to .8 and am now at a normal level. So I somehow reversed the CKD. I am still going to be very careful though and keep it there.

I'll try to catch up on this thread later. Taking a shower had taken everything out of me. I'm on a liquid diet for awhile, so maybe I'll try to eat some soup. I'm just not hungry.
My arms look like I'm a heroin addict.

How are you feeling? I am so sorry you are ill.

Mia
Sending healing thoughts your way.

 

[kashmir64]

How are you feeling? I am so sorry you are ill.

Mia
Sending healing thoughts your way.

Thank you for your thoughts. I'm still in a lot of pain. This is going to take at least 4-6 weeks on heavy antibiotics to heal. But it is a bit better today. I managed to mostly keep a bowl of soup and a thing of yogurt inside me yesterday. (it goes straight through me) So my energy level is up a tad.
I need to contact my PCP and get a follow up visit and blood test, only I don't have a vein that hasn't been abused.

What is it about hospitals and pain medication. Apparently, in the applied medications given, I was to receive 4mg of Morphine an hour. UM...NO. I verbally got into a fight with the nurse on this one. She insisted I was getting the med because it said I needed it. I threw a temper tantrum and threatened to yank the IV out of me and sue the hospital if she tried. Finally got the doctor involved. He said "you don't have to have it, but it's all we can give you for pain". Very well, I'll deal with the pain. If I can handle a migraine with no meds, then I can handle this. I have a very high pain tolerance. I don't want Morphine.

 

[arouetta]

I am sorry you are sick.

If it's just acute pain, what is the concern with morphine? Also, the doctor might be thinking that you want something stronger than morphine, so ask about alternatives like tramadol.

 

[kashmir64]

I am sorry you are sick.

If it's just acute pain, what is the concern with morphine? Also, the doctor might be thinking that you want something stronger than morphine, so ask about alternatives like tramadol.

Morphine is an opioid. I don't like them. He finally did approve 1mg if needed though. Actually, I don't think there would have been much pain if it weren't for the large abscess, which is healing.

Tomorrow is the lion cub's birthday. I can't call her kitten anymore. I'll update with a weight, if I'm strong enough to pick her up.

 

[Alicia88]

I was given morphine through iv once for an especially bad kidney stone. It made my head so cloudy. I barely remember it. I didn't like the feeling.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

It's too early for this! He's only 2 months old!

He just likes constant cuddles and a finger to chew on.

My elder son began teething at two months, although he passed the three month mark when the first tooth actually came in. At that point, he lost all his hair, cut a tooth month till he was a year old, then started growing hair again. Apparently, he had issues with multi-tasking at that point. AND he insisted on cutting every...stinking...tooth on my thumb. Thankfully, he preferred the right thumb, and I'm left-handed. They do these things when they do these things, charts and pediatricians notwithstanding.

So, our store gets fresh doughnut deliveries every night (well, almost every night). Last night our doughnut guy came in, got us our delivery, etc, but he did something new that he's never done before: he left the panel side of his van open while he went into the store. Suddenly he came back in, shaking like he'd seen something terrible. "Tally! Tally, there are cats in my van!" I looked up at him and asked how big they were and he said, "They're kittens! Kittens in my van Tally! Why are there kittens in my van?" So I smiled at him and told him that they were looking for their forever homes, and he got even more excited. "And they picked me? Me? Oh, I've got to get them home!" Side note--I don't actually know if the other stores on my route got their doughnuts last night.

What a sweet, sweet man he is! I wish him all joy of his new family for many years to come...and agree that you have just become the Source of All Feline Information for him. SAFI! That's you, now!

I'm going to try to get an appointment at the WVU dental school. I think my tooth may be infected. Occasionally, my lower left jaw hurts, with the pain going up to my ear

Oh, goodness! Yes, grab whatever they have available.

Hopefully, at some point this week my precious young neighbors will be over to put together my new dresser. I'm quite excited over it. I've been making do, rather poorly, with one of those Sterlite bins with the three drawers. It's far, far too small, and my tee shirts have to be folded on top of it with a cover cloth (cat hair, Hek sleeps on them). It will be a pleasure to be able to put things away properly.

 

[segelkatt]

I was given morphine through iv once for an especially bad kidney stone. It made my head so cloudy. I barely remember it. I didn't like the feeling.

I feel for you, IV Morphine gives me horrible nightmares so it is on my medical bracelet not to give me that. On the other hand, I can take Morphine pills just fine and they do the job for me. There are other tings they can give you that don't have the same side effects.
kashmir64 if you are worried about Morphine because it is an opioid and thus can be habit forming you don't have to worry: as long as you are taking it for pain you will not get a rush, it's these stupid pills that are on the market with hidden opioids that are the problem, people take them when it's not necessary and then they get hooked on the "wonderful feeling" it gives them.
Mamanyt1953 try rolling your t-shirts instead of folding, they take up less space and you can see which one you want and be able to pull it out without messing up the others.

 

[kashmir64]

kashmir64 if you are worried about Morphine because it is an opioid and thus can be habit forming you don't have to worry: as long as you are taking it for pain you will not get a rush, it's these stupid pills that are on the market with hidden opioids that are the problem, people take them when it's not necessary and then they get hooked on the "wonderful feeling" it gives them.

It's not an addiction thing. I just don't like opioids, or painkillers for that matter. Just don't want that in my system. And I don't like the 'loopy' feeling I get whenever I have to take one. Plus, they make me nauseous, and I like that even less.

Well, even though Samai doesn't turn 1 until tomorrow, I decided to weigh her today. She's currently 17 lbs and still growing. I wish it was just fat, that I could control. But there is no fat on her. She only gained 2 lbs this last month, so it looks like she might be slowing down a bit......until her next growth spurt.

 

[LTS3]

• Look at the back of your computer. If you have a separate video card, there will be two identical ports, one on the card slot and one where all the other connections are (USB, microphone/speaker, etc). Make sure you are using the one on the card slot. The one near all the other inputs is disabled by the video card.

The computer worked just fine yesterday morning so there's no reason why any of the cables would be plugged incorrectly.

• What is your video cable, HDMI or VGA? If both your monitor and your computer support both, then try using the other connection. If that works, it's definitely not the monitor, but it's a good work around until you figure out if it's the cable or the video card.

It's an old standard VGA cable. I don't think the monitor has a HDMI cable option.

• When you bring your laptop home, look and see if it supports a separate monitor (most do). You'll see an HDMI and/or a VGA port if it does. Use your cable to plug your laptop into your monitor. You'll likely be prompted to set up video options, easiest is to tell it to mirror; it doesn't matter as the dual monitor settings go away when the second monitor does. If the external monitor doesn't work then it's definitely not the computer, it's either the cable or the monitor.

My desktop monitor cable doesn't fit into any of the slots of my laptop and I don't have an adapter piece. So no way to check if the cable is the issue or the video / graphics card / something in the CPU. The monitor does power on. It's just gives a video input error message and then goes dark and useless while the CPU is still booting up.

One of my brothers will come this weekend and figure out the issue. I still need to upgrade my computer, though. It's still running on Windows Vista.

 

[Katie M]

Ah, the perils of sharing your bed with a cat. All I did was shift my head slightly, and out of the dark came the world's softest punch in the nose

 

[arouetta]

You still could pull the card if you need the computer before your brother comes by.