[My] Life in Wisconsin

Adding Salt. To Salt???



Isn't it ugly?
So tired of winter.


Hi all;
Or hi someone?
Anyone?
Oh, holy carp, but I swear I don't know how to blog anymore. (Heck with that, I barely even can type anymore either). hehehe
Life goes on.

It's has been a miserably l~o~n~g winter- My wonderful plow guy has just left once more, clearing the yard and the concrete of this godforsaken snow.  I am happy to have him. A better description might be 'very fortunate'. 
He is such a good man- a hard worker. Married to Big Sam's sister, he is Lady Valerie's uncle too. 

I am freezing just from
standing in the doorway chatting. It will feel so nice to slink into my waterbed tonight. But that's a ways off yet too as I had to take a migraine pill about 45 minutes ago. The cafergot has ergotamine, plus a goodly amount of caffeine in it, so that will keep me awake for a while.
Punk is already zonked! She can be such a lazybones some days. (She gets that from me).

I get very very tired with all of these headaches, but perhaps I am on the road to discovering their origins as well.
Having called my own doctor a few weeks ago, with what tasted like a spoonful of salt in my mouth all the time, and all these headaches, swelling, dizzy spells, and vomiting (with or without the headache), she ran a few blood tests. We waited to get those results....
Seems I have extremely low sodium in my blood. It is a number that has gotten progressively worse since last summer. I never really gave it a 2nd thought when my doctor had informed that I was very low on sodium (aka  hyponatraemia).
It turns out that there really is something wrong, having to do with my kidneys. My doctor not only wanted me "IN" the hospital, but in the ICU as well. 
I do not 'do' hospitals, save for my babies births, and for all those times I visited, or brought Casey to, the hospital. I'm OK visiting others. But try to admit me, and I'd best be passed out cold/immobile/paralyzed/ PLUS be ripped apart and bleeding half to death before I could ever be admitted. Might as well send me to jail... 
I told them I would think about it. And with due respect for the way I felt, I almost had myself talked into it... Face it, I really didn't have anyone for my animals, specifically Miss Punk- Sister Kris is very busy with her own new company, (which is a very good thing). And not really anyone else to do it. I called Miss Casey. No answer. So I left a message. I even thought of Miss Kelli; but when I called to talk to her about it she very literally YELLED! at me for not going to the hospital; so that conversation never did amount to anything. 
Know that I am not blaming anyone else. It is just the way it is. Besides, I wasn't entirely honest about it all either... I did not actually come out and tell Kris that I needed to be there. I'd only asked "what if?".  I didn't want her to worry. There was no way for her to tell by my voice either, our exchanges were made via email.  
After those 2 'conversations' I resolved just to reintroduce salt to my diet. I have now done that- but a tough time at first to even locate my salt shaker! I have used the Mrs. Dash formulas for many years, then only those after Randy had his stroke.

Seems odd though to add more salt when I already have this very unpleasant salty taste in my mouth, my lips, and on my skin too. 

Nothing quite like adding salt to salt?!

The doctor did tell me that simply adding salt to my diet would not work- at least not well enough to bring my numbers up to more acceptable levels. But by the time I saw the nephrologist, my counts were already back up to a more acceptable number, (that, being 70% of normal).
To be losing salt throughout my system... 
She was probably correct too- While it did bring my numbers up some, I almost too quickly developed another raunchy symptom. That of 'whole~body' itching. (Sheesh, it was so bad that I thought I had bugs or something)! 
That itching began in earnest on Friday. Not wanting to call in and be a pest on a Friday, I told myself that if benedryl didn't work then I would call on Monday.
But I didn't (I couldn't) last that long. It was so bad I swear that even my fingernails and my hair itched!!
I drove myself to the hospital on Sunday morning. Alas, my sodium counts are decreasing again!?!
I had the ER doc look almost everywhere on me. And I had no reason to be itchy. No welts. No lesions. No rash.
(And NO bugs either)!  hehehe
All kidding aside, these have been some godawful frustrating days/weeks.  
I have another appointment on Thursday- 3/22- I hope to learn more then.
The nephrologist has me on a restricted fluid intake- That of 60 oz maximum.
60 little ounces??? 
I always thought that a higher water intake is GOOD for your body. 
WTH is going on?

Like most of you what I know about salt/sodium isn't even enough to fill a shaker. hehehe
I do know I have heard -time and time again- that any added salt in your diet can be a very bad thing. We are supposedly to get enough in our diets.
Furthermore, we have all heard that salt plays havoc on your blood vessels, raises your b/p, and makes your body retain water. Not necessarily in that order. hehehe
Who knew that salt truly is a good thing? That your body actually NEEDS salt?
 Not me! 
Without it we can too easily get headaches, get itchy, be dizzy, be nauseous, vomit, slip into a coma, or even die.

As I said above, life goes on.

I will write more, soon. 
Pics and all- I have my camera fixed (knock wood); so I'll finally be able to include those as well!

My love to all!

XOXO
Me


*** PS***
I am unsure of how this gets sent to those on my email list; and should you wish to follow my posts, then you might want to hit the "follow by email" button... I believe then you will automatically receive any new posts.
Thanks!!!

4 comments:

  1. SweetSissyAnne,

    I did the follow by email thing. YAY!!!!

    As far as water and salt, if you take in too many fluids, it will flush the salt you need from your system. Yes, too little salt can be as bad as too much. I DO hope you get it regulated soon, you don't need anything more on your plate.

    As far as Rick and the chemo goes, he's having bouts of nausea but has only upchucked once. *so far* He won't have another treatment for two more weeks. He's done with the durn prednisone they made him take and has two different nausea meds so he usually does pretty well. His nurses are the best and his Drs stay right on top of everything. His mother tried to tell him he would have received faster care in a civilian hospital and he vehemently told her he didn't think so! Diagnosed in Nov, surgery in Jan and chemo in March. Not to shabby.

    I love and miss you and hope you are able to get this salt issue resolved SOON. Since Ms Punk is your service dog, can't she go to the hospital with you? Just a thought.

    oxox,
    foreveryoursnotballsister

    ps, SO Thrilled I'm your first poster!!

    HUGS HUGS HUGS

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    1. Heya Sweet Snotball;
      YAY!
      You ARE number one! hehehe
      Such an honor.

      I am late with my reply to you. My apologies- I just didn't have the ability to reply til now.

      Now about my little Miss Punk- She is not a "licensed" service dog- so would not qualify to be with me the whole time. And that, in itself, would add much more anxiety to it for me. Odd that I gave birth 4 times and can honestly say that I don't have anyone that would come visit every day and bring her along. Dys~FUN~ction, it is called.
      I do wonder how she would do? Methinks I'd best be bringing her to Kris' one of these days to let her visit and to see how she does. it would have to be on a day that Kris could bring her back the next... hehehe And pragmatically, just because there sure will come a time that she would need to keep her for quite some time.
      Such decisions...

      Happy to hear that the chemo didn't seem to tear Rick up too badly. Be warned though, it does seem to multiply exponentially as the chemo treatments go on.
      I wish him, and you, the best in dealing with it- And of course the very best outcome also!
      Why do you say "prednisone" like it's a bad thing? Are those bad meds? I know they give them to me for the swelling when I get bee-stung. I take them for about a week afterwards. But now you have me wondering... (I won't part with my Epi-pen though).
      Civilian vs Veterans hospitals...
      Hmmmm. I would say civvie too- But we have Bellin hospital here- and they have ads on TV strictly to point out that they eliminate the waiting games some play with cancer. You find out the very same day how your tests come out, etc etc etc. Quite a good selling point for them! They also ahve the best heart care north of Madison or Milwaukee.

      I miss writing every day- But seem to be replacing it with reading and solitaire. hehehe Hey, who knew you could get over 100K on Solitaire? (Sure wish they were real dollars too). Whoo-hoo! Now that'd be cool. Happily for my checkbook, I am not dumb enough to think that I could possibly win at the casino, so I don't go.
      I went with Zoe a few times, and won too- But I think she was my good luck charm. I woouldn't go alone. (Besides, Randy would have to kill me to find out I gambled).

      Well now, THAT would speed things up- hehehe
      **** Now I know what I have to do when my time comes!

      Best to close for now-
      I have pics to add to this machine- and one more reply here too! YAY!

      XOXO
      Me


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  2. So happy to see your post. Don't know why i didn't get it until April fools day but guessing it's appropriate. Sorry to hear of your issues with the salt. We're darned if we do, and darned if we don't. It's so odd how or weather is so very different. Thank you Global Warming!!! We didn't get winter here on the West Coast. Right from fall spring. The plants don't know what to do. Well my dear friend I hope to hear from you soon. Keep yourself warm. Sending positive thoughts of warmth and healing your way.

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    1. Yay Mary!
      So nice to hear from you as well!

      I had my sodium checked again after telling my doctor I would eat a bunch of salt the night before. I did, and my numbers were more normal. No way am I going "in". No way in hell...

      Was over to Randy's yesterday for a bit, and when we went outside in the backyard, (the north side of his house), he has lilies coming up already! Comparably, the north side of my house still has snowbanks- and we live only a few miles apart! Figure that one out will ya please?!?
      SOOOOOO jealous I am of your weather! I shall have to move to your place from October to April. hehehe

      I hope all is well with you? Haven't heard a peep since Multiply, about anyone, and like I said to the Snotball, I miss blogging. Do you?

      Best to go wrestle with my camera now!

      XOXO
      Me

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