Text 10403, 203 rader
Skriven 2008-07-11 14:36:24 av Ruth Haffly (1:396/45.28)
  Kommentar till text 10326 av Janis Kracht (1:261/38)
Ärende: summer gardens in ny                                     [1]
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Hi Janis,

 JK> > my parents kept (and still have) cats and dogs--just what I don't
 JK> need > but have enjoyed having around.

 JK> Same at our home before my parents sold the house in Warwick.. Several
 JK> cats (usually at least two), and sometimes two dogs but normally one
 JK> .. My dad really liked irish setters so we seemed to always have one

We usually had mutts (Heinz 57) but my parents did buy a collie when I
was in high school.

 JK> around (g).  My mom was not the type to remove all the allergens from
 JK> the house in that respect. As long as her housecleaning service came
 JK> (or her teenage daughters like me (g)) did the cleaning, there didn't
 JK> seem to be a horrid problem for her.  I don't know much about the

Sometimes the "let it be" principle is better than disturbing it. (G) I
had to do my fair share of dusting as a kid, and again now that the
girls are gone.

 JK> 'types' of asthma, but like some other diseases, there are
 JK> 'types' or levels of it seems... When my kids were growing up, we

There's 4 categories, ranging from mild, well controlled to severe, out
of control.  After he got me under control, my pulminologist in HI put
me in Category I (well controlled). A bit over a year later, a new
doctor (in training, internist) saw how well I was breathing and doubted
I had asthma.  He wanted to do a test for it, in which I would have to
give up my Advair until after the test. I happened to see my
pulmonologist in the hall at the hospital the next day and mentioned it;
he was hesitant and told me that if I started crashing, to contact him
ASAP.  I did crash, went in to see my pulmonologist & he cancelled the
test--put me back on the Advair.  He also bumped me up to a Category III
(moderately severe, somewhat controlled).  The next time I saw the new
doctor, I got an apology--he said that he learned to listen to the
patient (I'd tried telling him that the test wasn't a good idea.). He
also monitored me extra close after that.


 JK> always had pets as well, even through my daughter's asthma.. so I
 JK> think her problems were not as much 'pet-dander/hair related' as food
 JK> related -  since she grew out of it as I said, at about 12yrs. old..
 JK> It's funny though, I think I mentioned to you before.. when Toby rubs
 JK> against her, or gives her a doggie kiss, she gets a rash though :( So
 JK> there is some reaction going on.  Our other lab, Priscilla, doesn't
 JK> bother her at all .. that I find interesting.

It is interesting; you would think the dogs would have similar body
chemistry.


 JK> > Yes, so your dogs my get some attention. (G)

 JK> Pricilla is a good dog and she loves attention :)  Toby can be a PIA
 JK> (laugh) He's so shy though, he'll probably run upstairs with my son
 JK> and hide (grin).

Seems like even the real shy ones make friends with me fast. (G) He may
hide from others but would be all over me for attention.

>> That's not great either.. no wonder you don't like coffee.. that would

 JK> > I just don't like the taste.  But, if I were having an asthma attack
 JK> & > couldn't get my regular meds, a cup of strong coffee would back it

 JK> Tea always worked better for my daughter.. Our pediatrician said it
 JK> had more theophylline in it than coffee, but I don't know if that's

Interesting; I'll have to do some research on it. I do try to have a cup
of tea every morning. I'd sort of backed off from it in HI but got back
into it seriously this year with the radiation treatments--and intend to
keep it up.

 JK> really true.  He was an old german doctor who moved to this country
 JK> late in his life.. great pediatrian.. he was the first pediatrician I
 JK> had that took babies' blood pressure.. this is going back about 30
 JK> some years :)  He'd worked with my mom at a local clinic and that's
 JK> how I had met him.. I can hear him now advising me about my daughter's
 JK> asthma.. "Mrs. K, please give your daughter a cup of weak tea with 1
 JK> teaspoon honey and 2 teaspoons lemon juice - and if that doesn't help,
 JK> open the window in her room and put her head out in the cold night
 JK> air!!" (g).

I can see the first part of advice but the 2nd................cold can
easily trigger an attack. Last time I was up in NY during the winter, I
made sure I grabbed a scarf to put over my nose & mouth every time I
went out.  Still came back to AZ with bronchitis.


 JK> years > ago, I was craving chocolate all the time. A visit to the
 JK> doctor
 JK> > confirmed a flare up and that the craving for chocolate was my body
 JK> > needing something like theophyline--chocolate has theobromines,
 JK> which > are related.

 JK> Yes, a small amount.. I think tea has the most of the lot though.  I'd
 JK> have to check, but that's what I'm remembering now.

Please let me know what you find out; it sounds interesting.

 JK> > Hopefully the worst will be out of your system by the end of the

 JK> I do seem to be over the worst now.. the strength is back in my right
 JK> leg which is outrageous only in that a drug that was supposed to stop
 JK> spasticity in my legs made everything else about 100X worse.. Oh

No fun! Did you feel like you were made of rubber? (G)

 JK> well.. it's the third or fourth one they've tried on me, and they all
 JK> do the same type thing - it's just this one was the worst!  But it's

I had a reaction to Singular a couple of years ago--it's supposed to
help asthma & allergies.  Not me; after 2 doses, I thought I was coming
down with the flu. Dr. said to discontinue it, which I did, and the
symptoms cleared up as fast as they'd come on. I saw him (same
pulmonologist as above) a couple of weeks later. He said he didn't see
it coming but should have figured, in hind sight, that it would react
with me.

 JK> how they work.. they make your muscles weak to stop the spasticity..
 JK> too bad you can't walk like that (bg).  I'll stick with coffee and
 JK> beer - (grin).. Seriously, beer relaxes the muscles more than anything
 JK> else.  As long as I don't overdo it (grin).

I don't drink beer or coffee.  But, I've read about beer and new nursing
moms--it's supposed to help them relax to allow their milk to "let down"
easier. Don't get so relaxed that you're a danger to yourself in the
kitchen tho.


>> It's a good sweet bread - I've never made it with whole wheat though.
>> If you do make it, let me know how it comes out.. :)

 JK> > I will-don't know if I'll try it this fall or not; depends on how
 JK> > ambitious I am and how my health is.

 JK> I can understand that one.  We're used to living like that for the
 JK> most part.. Sometimes it just has to be that way.

And it is nice to have an understanding husband. (G)


 JK> > on another message that she's not having chemo but will she have
 JK> > radiation?

 JK> Probably not.. after the recent surgeries, I have a feeling they don't
 JK> want to do any additional therapy.. when the doctor opened her up, he
 JK> did notice that all her organs looked healthy and good. Ultimately I'm
 JK> sure it will be up to her, but I have a feeling she'll go with no
 JK> other therapy.

Sounds good to me. I know she will do what she feels is best for her.
Sometimes choices are hard to make but that one sounds clear cup.


 JK> >That doesn't have as many nasty side effects; the biggest
 JK> > one I've been fighting is fatigue.

 JK> Same with my son who also had to have radiation therapy (and surgery
 JK> to remove the cancer).  He's still exhausted by the simplest of
 JK> things. It's been a few years since his therapy but his 'exhaustion'
 JK> isn't as bad as it was early on right after the treatment.. he still
 JK> mentions it though, so I know he's still feeling it - when he goes for
 JK> longish walks, that kind of thing. So take it easy and keep eating
 JK> good food and maybe your exhaustion won't be as long lasting as his


Overall, I am eating fairly well; Steve sees to that. We're using some
of the meals I put in the freezer before my treatment started; I'm
cooking healthy ones and (most) of the time staying a way from junk
foods. Steve got word at work the other day of something that will
change our trip plans a bit but it will give me a few extra days to get
ready. The down side is, a bit less time for the trip so I will really
have to keep myself paced the first week of it so I don't crash.


 JK> seems to be. That's one thing I'd like to get through to him (g) (good
 JK> food, not junk (g)). Though he and his girlfriend did ask me about the
 JK> grass-fed meats that I've been buying so I think they are trying to
 JK> eat better.

That would be good--and as your garden produces, encourage him to take
advantage of the fresh produce.


 JK> >  The last 3 weeks or so of the
 JK> > radiation I had this spring I had some skin irritation but that
 JK> cleared


>> CONTINUED IN NEXT MESSAGE <<

---
Catch you later,
Ruth
rchaffly@earthlink.net  FIDO 1:396/45.28


... Proverbs 3:13 | Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

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