Unrelated Health Issue

[EeFall]

I ordered Senna-Gen Tablets today in 1,000 pill size and also MiraLAX powder 30 day supply. Then I also did a little out-of-the-box thinking and purchased a vintage Oster Stim-U-Lax massager. It is in used condition and should be here in a few days, didn't want to spend the money for a new one. These things have been around for over 50 years . They are the kind that have 3 metal springs that you place your hand in and the motor rests on top of your hand. I remember when I was a kid that the barbers had them to remove tension in ones neck.

They are body massagers though and I was thinking they vibrate like crazy so why not get one and place it on my stomach and vibrate the heck out of my small intestine at least once a day. Maybe it would help things get moving since part of my small intestine is paralyzed. The incision scar above my bellybutton in particular gets hard, soft, and squishy several times a day. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to think that maybe that is the exact location that is having trouble. So I will vibrate it once or more a day and see if it helps. Also if I get another attack (the really bad stomach pain), then I will use it and see if it goes away.

It will be nice to have anyways since it will probably do my wife and I both some goods with the aches and pains we get , getting old, ya gotta love it. In the meantime I have been eating mostly the prepared plastic cups of diced mangoes and peaches, jello, low calorie jello puddings, Skinny Cow chocolate ice cream bars, P&J sandwiches, and my wife cooks me something easy to digest for dinner. One good thing is I'm losing weight like crazy. Can't even wear my rings, they just fall off . I cut myself shaving really bad last week and then I stopped shaving to let it heal, now I have decided to stop shaving (wife not happy) but I don't really care at this point what anyone thinks about anything anymore.

Yes, I have a bad attitude. Even with a lot of sleep, maybe the meds are messing with me but i don't think so, I'm just fed up. I have been seriously thinking of taking a job out of state that should last a year or two and just go by myself. I could make a lot of money and pay off all of our bills and get in a position where I could retire. I'm even fed up with this place we bought in a 55+ community manufactured home park. They just put in new asphalt on all the streets here including speed bumps. We live at very end of park and depending on way we drive we either hit 5 or 6 speed bumps. The park is already posted 15 mph. A bunch of old people who have nothing better to do than worry about speeders. Speed bumps are a pet peeve of mine, also my wife's. We would never have put our new manufactured home here last year if we knew they were going to put in speed bumps. So I am in a grumpy mood...

I guess I will write more as I contemplate going to bed. I just feel like I am through with trying to please others. I can't. I watched a funny zombie movie that my son brought over the other day on DVD. It is from 2004 called Shaun of the Dead, an England flick. The whole time in the movie the star is trying to please everyone around him (and he was doing a lousy job of it) and it is so ridiculous. Maybe the film was trying to say that. It is difficult under the best circumstances to get along with others but after all these years of WED and other things happening I just don't care anymore. It seems like everyone has an agenda. I just want to stay alive which probably isn't on most peoples mind all the time. Between WED, cancer, and now this intestinal tract blockage I just am very happy to sit here in my own house not doing much of anything. I go to work and look forward to coming home and getting away from the rest of the world. I'm terrible I know but there it is, I enjoy my own company. Good night.

[ViewsAskew]

My husband took a contract job recently - it's in Canada. He rented an apartment there and he is there full time, with a trip home once every 2-4 weeks. It's been GREAT for both of us. I went to see him a couple weeks ago and I felt like we were dating instead of and old married couple. We had sex more in that weekend than we've had in the last few months! For me, it's been so liberating not to have to resolve anything except my work schedule. As long as I do that, it doesn't matter when I eat, get up, go to sleep, how long I sleep, where I sleep - and with the time many of us spend focused on tiptoeing around, trying not to bother our spouse (even if they are understanding - and mine is), makes this like a dream come true.

It's only for 4 months, but I'm already suggesting he look at the RFPs coming out of the company...surely they must need him for another 4?????

[aveerik]

I know I sleep much better when I don't have to worry about my husband and disturbing his sleep. I get to kick and stretch as much as I want. I think some of it is psychological, just knowing I am by myself takes some stress away.
Ee fall I had something very similar happen to me. I had my gall bladder out, then got an umbilical hernia because of that and had to have it fixed. I really thought my gall bladder attacks were the most painful thing ever. Then a couple months later I would have these even more painful attacks and the pain is always at my belly button area. Went to doctor several times, had cat scans and eventually an mri but never during the attacks. I told them I am sure there is scar tissue there causing a blockage. They wouldn't listen to me. I gave up and luckily the attacks stopped. Maybe your intestine will get better with time like mine did. I think if I had gone to the er during an attack they would have seen a blockage. With that level of pain there had to be one. What ever happens I wish you luck. No one should have that kind of pain.

[EeFall]

I know I sleep much better when I don't have to worry about my husband and disturbing his sleep. I get to kick and stretch as much as I want. I think some of it is psychological, just knowing I am by myself takes some stress away.
Ee fall I had something very similar happen to me. I had my gall bladder out, then got an umbilical hernia because of that and had to have it fixed. I really thought my gall bladder attacks were the most painful thing ever. Then a couple months later I would have these even more painful attacks and the pain is always at my belly button area. Went to doctor several times, had cat scans and eventually an mri but never during the attacks. I told them I am sure there is scar tissue there causing a blockage. They wouldn't listen to me. I gave up and luckily the attacks stopped. Maybe your intestine will get better with time like mine did. I think if I had gone to the er during an attack they would have seen a blockage. With that level of pain there had to be one. What ever happens I wish you luck. No one should have that kind of pain.

Thank you. I'm glad yours went away on its own. I hope that will happen with mine also but so far the attacks seem to be actually getting more frequent despite a bland diet and doing everything the doctor said to do.

[EeFall]

My husband took a contract job recently - it's in Canada. He rented an apartment there and he is there full time, with a trip home once every 2-4 weeks. It's been GREAT for both of us. I went to see him a couple weeks ago and I felt like we were dating instead of and old married couple. We had sex more in that weekend than we've had in the last few months! For me, it's been so liberating not to have to resolve anything except my work schedule. As long as I do that, it doesn't matter when I eat, get up, go to sleep, how long I sleep, where I sleep - and with the time many of us spend focused on tiptoeing around, trying not to bother our spouse (even if they are understanding - and mine is), makes this like a dream come true.

It's only for 4 months, but I'm already suggesting he look at the RFPs coming out of the company...surely they must need him for another 4?????

I miss engineering contracting actually. I just went direct again a couple of years ago. Over half of my career I have been contracting. It was fun going to different places to work, I have worked from Maryland to Southern California to Washington State and usually I would work on new projects with lots of overtime and interesting work. I'm sort of bored at my present job which doesn't help anything and also I could be making at least 50% more contracting, with the tax benefits and per diem it would actually be more like 75% more income. I would go right now if it wasn't for my health problems and my wife's health problems too. If it wasn't for the blockage and the possible surgery my wife may have on her foot/leg I would do it. The job is down by San Diego also which is just about the best weather there is (although I am a little prejudice since I was raised in Orange County, CA)

[EeFall]

Not earth shaking news but I went today and the day before last. First time since the pains started over a month ago that I have gone two days apart (it has been up to a week apart). I am thinking that being careful with diet and using laxatives twice a day is working. All I can do is continue along this course and see if it continues for awhile. I even cheated the other day and had a Snickers Bar at work I have been using the Omron 10s machine on my stomach too, I think it helps also.

The WED medications are working just about perfectly, although I seldom go to bed early, but I think that is just me, if I am feeling well I am like a little kid and don't want to go to bed I am getting less worried about the situation too, as the days go on and I have stomach pain it isn't getting so bad that I lose my supper. For awhile I was terrified that I would be going to emergency at any moment but now I am getting a bit more confident.



























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[Polar Bear]

Cheers !!! good news is always welcome.

[EeFall]

2 days in a row! My wife said she knows we are old now cause we are talking about bowel movements roflmao. Not only that but I bought one of those 31 days pill container with talking alarms that are rather loud that tells us to take our meds seems to be working though.

[EeFall]

Thanks ViewsAskew for mentioning the pill alarm as you can see above I went overboard and purchased the cadillac of pill cases with alarm, but it works.

[Polar Bear]

I have the 7xday pill case. Two of them so that I only make up the meds every two weeks.
No alarm on the pill case so I sent my phone alarm which works well.

And yes, when I bring it out I do feel that it is one of these things that comes with age.

[ViewsAskew]

Glad the pill alarm is working. I'm happy with mine.

[EeFall]

Glad the pill alarm is working. I'm happy with mine.

The pill alarm is very funny. It actually has 2 settings for the talking alarm Loud and Extra Loud, it actually says that on the back for the settings I get up by my alarm by my bed then rush into the bathroom, where the pill alarm is, because it goes off within 2 minutes and I can't stand to hear it so turn it off the first pass or it will go for like 20 minutes.

It works out nice because my wife and I both use it. It has 4 pill compartments in each of the 31 pill containers. My wife uses 2 and I use 2. A family that takes their pills together stays together or something like that Anyway I a glad you mentioned it, it really has helped and I also have an alarm that is set for vibrate on my iPhone that also tells me to take my pills 3 times a day, especially helps at work.

[EeFall]

Since it is just past midnight it has been 5 days since I have "gone" to the restroom and I don't seem to need to go at all. Probably why I am still up tonight, I am frightened to say the least. On top of that my left 2 fingers on left hand have gone numb again, but this time they are much worse. It seems to be always something, now that the WED seems to be under control this other crap (pun intended) happens

[Polar Bear]

Not 'going' is not good. Have you sought medical advice on this (sorry I haven't read back over the entire thread)... but I recall a nurse saying to me that this is something that you do not let go on for fear of infection etc. etc. I had a friend who could 'not go' for up to 11 days and would regularly require an enema.

We would have texts that just said..... "you been yet? "

Hope you've 'been' by now.

[debbluebird]

How much of the senna are you taking ? Are you taking it every day? Don't stop taking it on the day you do go. You may have to increase it. Drink more water too.