We’re Not Getting Older We’re Getting Better?

Big, Middle and Little Sis are all getting up there in age and have recently had some interesting experiences in the health department, as is wont to happen when you are firmly ensconced in the senior citizen category (Well, maybe Little Sis isn’t firmly ensconced yet, but she definitely has one foot in). Realizing that they are not unique in this, they decided to share their experiences in the hope of providing guidance and encouragement to those who might find themselves similarly afflicted.

As The Stomach Turns

I have recently had a breakup. No, not with my husband but with my second love, spicy foods. Yes, this relationship is over as per doctor’s orders. You see spicy food and I go way back. Not so spicy that it overpowers the taste of the food and makes you sweat even though you have not done any exercise, but just enough spice to give the food a little kick.

I had a feeling this relationship might be coming to end when I started to feel not very good after eating an entire basket of chicken wings all by myself. Naturally, I thought I would have one more beer, and this would solve my problems. Boy, was I ever wrong. Not sure where I got my medical degree from, but as you would expect, this made things worse. Then, after months of this, and eating as many Tums or Rolaids as I could, I had my lightbulb moment! I had heartburn!

By the time I was correctly diagnosed, with the amount of money spent on Tums, and Rolaids, I could have owned stocks in both companies. It turns out I have really bad Acid Reflux. It is very uncomfortable, and at times can be quite painful. So, now I take a powerful prescription medication, and it is truly a gift. If I take it as needed, I no longer get heartburn, and I feel so much better.

Along with the medication, it was strongly suggested that I get more exercise. (I guess I started my fitness challenge at the right time😊) And unfortunately, I have to change my eating habits. So, I am saying goodbye to spicy chicken wings, spicy tuna cones, spicy noodles, basically anything spicy. You get the picture.

Now that I am on the path to getting my Acid Reflux under control, I can honestly say that I am feeling 100% better. But even though I am doing better, I feel sad whenever I see an ad for anything spicy, and I become a little emotional remembering all the good times we had together.

Who Me Snore???

I still don’t really know exactly what triggered it, but after a routine visit to the dentist, I was referred to a Sleep Clinic to be assessed for sleep apnea. To say I was resistant is a gross understatement, after all I don’t snore, at least I don’t think I do, and isn’t that the hallmark of sleep apnea?

Fast forward a few weeks and, after an initial conversation with the sleep clinic, I found myself with an appointment to attend for a sleep study. Prior to this, there was a very detailed questionnaire that I had to complete that asked about such things as screaming in my sleep, or hallucinating that something is in the room when I am sleeping. Answering no to these questions and many more had me feeling quite confident that I didn’t have sleep apnea, until it came to the part where my husband had to answer some questions and he indicated that I “occassionally snore softly.” What ???? After all these years I find this out? Now I am starting to get a bit worried.

A few weeks later the day (or rather night) of the sleep study arrives and I attend the clinic with my comfy nightgown, fluffy slippers and a good book. I am prepared and I am going to ace this. However, when I am all hooked up with too many electrodes to count and offered medication that will help me sleep, I am getting seriously worried. I decline the medication and am shown to my “bedroom” where I get into bed and am connected to the cameras and various other instruments that will record my every breath, sound and movement. Suffice to say this does not make sleeping very easy or natural.

After what I described to my husband as one of the worst nights of my life, I was seriously doubting that I actually did really fall asleep and wondered if there would be any useful information coming out of the study. However at my followup appointment I was shown all the data they had collected and told that I do in fact have sleep apnea. After assuring me that my condition was “very treatable” the doctor brought out a CPAP apparatus and pointed out that there had been big improvements made in the wearability of it. Easy for him to say – he wasn’t the one who would have to wear it.

Picking up on my resistance to the CPAP, he also told me that there is a dental appliance that has been used somewhat successfully to treat sleep apnea. I glommed on to that idea right away and will soon have an appointment with my dentist to see about it. After all, he is the one that got me into this in the first place so it feels right that he is the one who is going to get me out of it.

And when I asked how he will know if the dental appliance is working, the doctor said another sleep study would be necessary. Really?? All I have to say about that is next time ( if there is one) I will definitely take the medication…

Keeping An Eye On Things

If you have regular eye exams, you are likely familiar with the dreaded Visual Field exam. Yes, it’s the one where you focus with one eye on the orange dot and click whenever you see a flashing dot within your field of vision. Sounds simple enough, right? Uh, not so fast….

Apparently in the past, I have done very well on it. Last year’s test saw me get 100% and I let anyone who would listen, know that I had such a superior result. Fast forward to this year, however, and I have to admit to a seriously flawed experience.

My ophthalmologist gave me the bad news immediately after the test. Apparently, my left eye score was miserable (I had failed) and my right eye had an excellent score, but my eye had wandered all over the place, so my score was invalid. Not to worry. They would simply reappoint me for a retake. I just had to keep my eye still and all would be well.

Of course, I approached the retake with my usual “over the top” anxiety. And again, my results were less than satisfactory! Once more my left eye let me down (I barely failed this time, but I failed nonetheless) and my right eye produced a false positive, which meant that I was just clicking away like mad whether I saw something or not. This was ridiculous! It was beyond time to pull myself together and act like an adult.

So, after a brief time out and some deep breathing, I tried for the third time. The mood was still tense, but fortunately both of my eyes decided to cooperate, and I passed. Who knew that a simple test could cause such angst! The good news is that now I have 365 days before I have to do it all over again. In the meantime, I am seriously considering meditation and journalling in preparation for once again coping with the overwhelming trauma.😉

In Conclusion

And so, in their advancing years, it is obvious that the Sisterhood is taking a very responsible approach to the inevitable increase in medical issues. We hope to continue this trend and share any future problems as a means to educate and inspire. Now that’s something to look forward to, isn’t it? I mean who doesn’t enjoy reading about other people’s medical issues?

We will be doing a new post every Monday, so look for our next one entitled “Biscuit Lends A Helping Paw.”