Since most of my friends are on this forum...

[Emerson40]

Hey BEEAACH LAADDYY!

Status report.

Stat.

Please.


http://25.media.tumblr.com/4959005f64d6235a138ad56cdae2532f/tumblr_miawv4wm8A1qbyxr0o1_500.gif

 

[BeachMomma]

Well, there are good days and bad days. The last few days have been good; I've felt fine.

Sunday I had excruciating chest pain. I took a nitro and it did the trick. Gave myself one helluva nitro headache, but the chest pain went away.

I have an appointment with the cardiologist Tuesday. I guess we get to juggle meds again. Yippee.

 

[BeachMomma]

Thanks Rainy. I'm so frustrated I can't stand it.

 

[NightL]

This is our home within our home. You opened the door Beachie... and we ain't leaving. We love our hostess

 

[BeachMomma]

Aww that's sweet. I lubs you guys too! It's pretty casual here. Ya don't have to knock. Just come on in. The back door is always open. Get your mind out of the gutter. Lol. I mean the house's back door. Lol. Help yourself to whatever is in the fridge, the tv, or the Wii, and put your feet up on the coffee table. Oh, could ya let the dogs out while you're up please? . Don't worry about them. They're big and loud, but if ya throw a tennis ball or scritch their ears, they'll love you forever. A warning tho. Their wagging tails are lethal, and they think they're lap dogs. .

Mi casa es su casa. Donde esta el dolor? Oops. Sorry. Got carried away.

 

[NightL]

Donde esta el dolor?

Las enfermeras necesitan abrazos también

 

[BeachMomma]

Donde esta el dolor?

Las enfermeras necesitan abrazos también

As long as you don't answer the question by pointing at your chest, it's all good.

I call also tell somebody to breathe deeply (respiro profundo!) and I know when they ask to go to the bathroom. Hehe. I know the important phrases in Spanish.

 

[NightL]

hehe I use google translate

 

[BeachMomma]

I have a medical translator and a regular translator on my phone. It's much easier and faster to use than the language line - especially if the patient is relatively young and techno-savvy.

 

[Lord Pmann]

Nitro sounds like one bad ass drug. It's like the wrestler of drugs. I don't know what it actually does, as I don't know anything about medicine. Except that they have me some really helpful shit earlier this year when I was on my deathbed.

But man, Nitro got a cool name.

 

[BeachMomma]

What was it they gave you?

Nitroglycerin (NTG) is a potent vasodilator - it makes blood vessels bigger. All blood vessels - not just the ones in the heart. That means a couple of things. It also dilates the blood vessels in the brain - which causes one motherfucking headache, and since all the vessels in the body get larger, it drops blood pressure and pulse dramatically.

I take it under the tongue, so it goes to work very rapidly. I *can* take one every 5 minutes, up to 3 pills, but I have to watch my pulse and blood pressure in between. If either gets low, I have to stop taking it and go to the hospital. So far, I've never had to take more than one.

Ya know all the Viagra and Cialis commercials - how they say not to take this drug with nitrates as it can cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure? Yeah, they're talking about NTG - and a few other heart meds.

Every time I give a Nitro at work, I catch myself singing.....I'm TNT. Dynamite. I'm TNT. And I'll win the fight. :-D

 

[Emerson40]

Nitroglycerin (NTG)

Every time I give a Nitro at work, I catch myself singing.....I'm TNT. Dynamite. I'm TNT. And I'll win the fight. :-D

Don't forget to eat your bananas... keep that potassium up.



http://senyorbernat.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/20130415-155257.jpg

 

[BeachMomma]

Don't forget to eat your bananas... keep that potassium up.



http://senyorbernat.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/20130415-155257.jpg

*snort!* lmaooooo! Em, I just love the hell outta you!

 

[Sweetdaisymae]

Sorry to see you are going through this crap Beachy, I hope the cardio pulls something out the bag!
Tng bloody hurts!

 

[BeachMomma]

Sorry to see you are going through this crap Beachy, I hope the cardio pulls something out the bag!
Tng bloody hurts!

God, yes, it does. I'm not sure which is worse - the chest pain or the nitro headache.

 

[Sweetdaisymae]

God, yes, it does. I'm not sure which is worse - the chest pain or the nitro headache.

I swear to God, they should use that stuff instead of mace, far more effective!

 

[BeachMomma]

I swear to God, they should use that stuff instead of mace, far more effective!

Hmmm....that's not a bad idea.

I often get patients who cry "chest pain" when they want narcotics. They've learned that they'll get morphine. When I suspect a drug seeker is using that ploy, I give the nitro first - along with aspirin, oxygen, and the EKG that are in our chest pain protocol. I won't give the morphine right away. I let them get a taste of a nitro headache, then we have a little conversation about crying wolf. I tell 'em, "Look, I'll GIVE you your medicine, but don't lie to me. If you're having chest pain, tell me. If you're having some other kind of pain, tell me. If you aren't having any pain at all, TELL ME."

It doesn't take them long to figure it out. That nitro shit hurts like a bitch.

 

[Sweetdaisymae]

Hmmm....that's not a bad idea.

I often get patients who cry "chest pain" when they want narcotics. They've learned that they'll get morphine. When I suspect a drug seeker is using that ploy, I give the nitro first - along with aspirin, oxygen, and the EKG that are in our chest pain protocol. I won't give the morphine right away. I let them get a taste of a nitro headache, then we have a little conversation about crying wolf. I tell 'em, "Look, I'll GIVE you your medicine, but don't lie to me. If you're having chest pain, tell me. If you're having some other kind of pain, tell me. If you aren't having any pain at all, TELL ME."

It doesn't take them long to figure it out. That nitro shit hurts like a bitch.

Oh I like the way you work!

 

[BeachMomma]

Oh I like the way you work!

They don't scream chest pain again after that.

People think we're idiots. We see drug seekers and true chest pain all day every day. We can tell the difference.

 

[BeachMomma]

Back to the drawing board. He thinks I'm having vasospasms - the coronary arteries are in spasm. He put me on a long acting nitro (Imdur) to try to sweet talk my vessels into staying nice and open.

Since my potassium is still low, he made some adjustments to a couple of my other meds that should stop wasting potassium. I have to stay on the potassium for a week then have it checked. We're hoping that after the week, I can stop the potassium supplements for good.

Please dear lord, let this do the trick. I'm sick of this. I've had chest pain 5 out of the last 6 days - including while driving home from the doctor today.

 

[Emerson40]

Hey Beachy One,

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyj8hz7hQM1rnhuhmo1_500.gif



Diagnosis / prognosis?

Still popping nitro?

Inquiring minds want to know....how'd it go today?

 

[Emerson40]

Well, apparently we were in some sort of shared headspace - concurrent posting.

More bananas and a new course of action.

Hope it does the trick.

 

[BeachMomma]

Thanks, hon, so do I. Starting tomorrow, I'm gonna be popping nitro on a daily basis. I'll have to stop taking my Viagra and Cialis. Dammit.

 

[BeachMomma]

Rainy, I asked the same thing. He *hopes* it doesn't cause a nitro headache, but he doesn't know. It's still a vasodilator, so it may. I'm considering taking it at night so that'll happen while I'm asleep, but then, I don't want to be up all night with a headache either. We'll see what happens.

 

[Emerson40]

Thanks, hon, so do I. Starting tomorrow, I'm gonna be popping nitro on a daily basis. I'll have to stop taking my Viagra and Cialis. Dammit.

Well just get Mr. Beach to double up his dosing of the wee blue and mustard colored pills to make up the difference.

That's how medicine works right?