Tipperary wobbles into 2024

[ladyfelsham]

I'm horrified when I think back to the amount of sweet stuff i ate as a kid! We were a family of home bakers so there were always cakes around, and we had pud every night, and chocolate later. Strangely i don't have a massive sweet tooth now - there were loads of caramel chocolate tarts and chocolate croissants on the table today and I said no to all without too much difficulty.

I'm also trying to keep my carbs on the lowish side so that's why I use the veg rice and konjac noodles instead of pasta. Doesn't mean I can't have them but I know I put weight on if I eat pasta, so it's a once a fortnight thing.

Sounds like the vol is making good progress - how long is he with you for?

 

[tipperary]

This one is here for 4 weeks and wevwill have more coming and going until end of May anyway. We always take them for 4 weeks, long enough to get jobs done but short enough so that if we don't get on that they will be leaving soon enough

 

[tipperary]

Having a mini freak out and need to rant a bit.
I've to take darling husband to the cardiology unit for suspected angina in an hour. He hasn't been well for about 6 weeks now and eventually went to GP who said he had a chest infection and gave him anti biotics. Hes still coughing non stop and his breathing not great so he went back to.the GP yesterday. He has been complaining of chest pain since Xmas but I didn't take it too seriously because
1. He hasn't realised it but for the past 6 years he has been sick at Christmas, he gets exhausted and stressed and always has the same symptoms.
2. I thought it was muscle related due to his constant coughing, he is pointing to pain that seems higher than his heart
3. He hasn't stopped eating and drinking non stop
4. I thought it could be " holiday heart" and would ease after Xmas and holiday.

You need a bit of history. My husband can be highly strung at times and is prone to.screaming hissy fits. He screams and shouts and everyone around thinks he will blow a gasket...we have all warned him about this but he doesn't listen.
He eats a very meat rich diet and a huge amount of animal fats, lots of cheese and slices of butter. He would have sweet waffles or cake for breakfast, drinks too much coffee and wine. Again we all give out to him but he says its fine as he is "the French paradox".
I know it might seem ironic with me being so overweight lecturing him...but I recognise what I am and am trying to make changes, he thinks he is fine
About 10 years ago I told him if he had a heart attack he could do it on his own, that I had warned him enough and wasn't going to nurse him through it or run to be at his side.. Cruel, I know.
Anyway so now I've to drop him off for tests, they think they will admit him overnight. I did one " I f#cking told you so" and that was it. So last night I asked him if they gave him bad news or good news would he be changing his lifestyle ( me thinking either way this is a wake up call and time to take action). His response was only if recommended by a doctor...WTF.

I think I said before but sometimes I get stressed out and very anxious and it results in heart palpations and massive amounts of adreniline running around my body. I get dizzy and weak. So he slept like a baby last night knowing he will be in safe hands today and I have been awake with my heart jumping around and freaking out. My response is very selfish "how dare he do this to me".
Anyway he picked a private hospital and hour and half away (thank goodness for health insurance) and GP told him not to drive and bring someone with him...so that's me.

Getting ready to go and packing up knitting and books to keep me occupied ad it could be 7pm before I find out if I am coming home with or without him.

Rant over...thanks (I'm a mean b#tch, I know)

 

[ladyfelsham]

You are so NOT a b#tch lovie! That's a humungous amount of stress and worry that you're going through!

I hate to say this but most of the blokes I've been involved with have been the same, quite selfish when it came to their health - but ignoring basic warnings!

I really hope it's good news for you, and that you don't get too bored today! xxxxx

 

[Clareel]

Ah Tipp, you are not a b#tch at all that sounds super stressful! I hope the appointment goes well today and it is not too long a day for you.

 

[tipperary]

Thanks, at hospital now. Dropped him off and then had to go to shipping centre to get him t shirts for bed as he forgot to pack some. Even in Paris he was having chest pains while eating Fois Gras and drinking 3 Brandy's after dinner.
Anyway...he's in the ED getting tests before they decide what to do
Fingers crossed he is fine and finally behaves himself.
I'm eating fish goujons and chips.

 

[tipperary]

So good news, his heart is fine but they do agree he seems to have a problem with his breathing. They've given him a choice, go home knowing he doesn't have a heart issue or stay in overnight for tests. They say most people are happy once they know its not their heart and choose to go home. But thankfully he has decided to stay. As he says he has to pay one bill anyway (not all is covered by insurance) and may as well pay one and get everything checked. I still have to wait while they release a bed and then I can go.
Exhausted just waiting.

 

[ladyfelsham]

Oh well that's good news about his heart - and I'm sure they will sort out what's causing the breathing issue.

Hope you get home to the warm soon!

 

[Tibbs]

Oh my goodness Tippy, I've only just seen this! Thank heavens you've found out it's not his heart. Honestly, some men have cloth ears when I comes to their health and lifestyle, Dave included. The more I went on at him to change his eating the more junk he'd eat. It's very worrying when you can see someone doing this to themself. Hopefully your husband will have had a fright and will change now. I sneakily changed the way I was cooking things for Dave to start him on his healthier route but it took the heart attack for him to change fully. I don't think they realise how frightening it is to be the one watching them so out of control. Big hugs Tippy ((X)) and hope he's ok and the breathing is a chest infection. X

 

[tipperary]

Thanks all. About to call him to see if they did a sleep test and they also want to check his sinuses. I'm not angry with him anymore and now feel sorry for him being stuck in hospital being poked and prodded. Especially as he is in a four bed ward and his three companions are all elderly men also with chest complaints (just imagine the noise all night).
Anyway the weekend will be taken up with going to and fro and eating on the run so not going to count or log what I do and hopefully he is back by Monday.
Thanks all

 

[ladyfelsham]

My dad was the same you know, had quadruple heart bypass surgery years ago but kept eating fried food!

Let's hope you get some answers today - if they are checking his sinuses, it sounds like they think it's respiratory - and hopefully easily treatable. I have sinus issues and if i don't stay off cow's milk (I drink soya) I get sinus infections all the time.

 

[Clareel]

Ah tipp sorry to hear this, you must be up the wall. I hope they find out what is wrong and can sort it out, but as others have said at least his heart is okay.

 

[tipperary]

Morning all and thanks for the messages
I have had an exhausting week going to and from the hospital.

He was admitted on Friday for respiratory investigations and released just last night. So definitely not his heart but while doing stress test to try to replicate the heart issue found a problem with his lungs. He has a condition called Sarcoidosis which is major inflammation of the lungs. It hasn't been a chest infection at all he has had for 6 weeks but this and has had it for about 2 years. It is an autoimmune disease with no known cause and no cure, it usually goes on its own. They did a biopsy and were real vampires with all the bloods they took. He is to go back in two weeks for results. The main issue is if he has the acute or chronic condition. They also suspected TB but thankfully rushed the results back and they were negative so they finally released him. We were mostly worried about having infected Oscar with TB. He also has sleep apnea and now has a cpap machine, I thought it was a temporary thing but seems its for life. I now sleep with a husband and machine. His blood saturation has been extremely low, I've been saying he is very grey and doesn't breath properly, so he needs oxygen at night with his cpap. He thought the sleep test was only a precaution but as the consultant pointed out "your wife volunteered very important information which described classic sleep apnea". Turns out he stops breathing every 3 minutes.
So he is now on steroids for about 6 months which seems counter intuitive to an autoimmune disease but they need to clear his lungs. He was waiting on two other appointments, one for problems with his hands and one for cysts on his face...well these are part of the same condition. He is blindly following the consultant but will ask about lifestyle changes when he goes back. Anything ive read reccomends no calcium or vit d or sunshine. The cysts and other inflammation are caused by calcium and apparently excess vit d converts to calcium (something like that). He also has thrush so should eliminate sugar. He is not happy with any of those suggestions (men) and his happier at the moment just to see if the steroids do anything.
Anyway to be honest he is still a bit shell shocked and trying to process it all.

And he is home with me (as cranky as sh#te but home).

 

[tipperary]

So, I've not paid any attention to my diet at all. Been having cake and tea at hospital each time he had a nurse with him. Eating takeaway at night and drinking wine. Filling up with food when I can as not knowing when in would eat again. Driving three hours each day and getting no exercise.
I need to check the fridge and press and see what we have. I've just put porridge on but then had brown bread with coleslaw and ham and a banana muffin. I will ease back into it over the next few days and get back on a proper plan by Monday. The most important thing for today is to get out for a walk as my legs are cramping from the driving and sitting.
Talk again and thanks

 

[tipperary]

Eggs, I have lots of eggs to use up.and am looking for suggestions to cook and freeze.
I've been having eggs for breakfast but think I'm eating too many. I'm happy to have about three a week but have 20 to use up now. Last week i made tortilla and froze it and will make some quiches today but am looking for other suggestions that I can pack in the freezer and use to feed the volunteers

 

[ladyfelsham]

The cysts and other inflammation are caused by calcium and apparently excess vit d converts to calcium (something like that). He also has thrush so should eliminate sugar. He is not happy with any of those suggestions (men) and his happier at the moment just to see if the steroids do anything.

OMG you have both been through the wringer! But I guess, looking for the silver lining, that at least it's not his heart and there are things they can do to alleviate the respiratory stuff.

Re the cysts and thrush, I get those big time if i have a diet that is too high in carbs. Honestly, if I have 2-3 days with bread and pastry, boom up comes a cyst or boil - ditto thrush (which is a yeast infection so makes perfect sense that they are linked) - so i would recommend he cut down on carbs bigtime - just for a trial period - and i would lay money on it clearing up.

Eggs, I have lots of eggs to use up...and am looking for other suggestions that I can pack in the freezer and use to feed the volunteers

I love eggs, eat about 12 a week and my cholesterol is fine. I use them in quiches (make with quark or blended cottage cheese for a low fat version), savoury breakfast muffins, omelettes, for binding meat loaves/burgers and so on - all freezable.

 

[tipperary]

Thanks, I have 8 mini quiches and 4 large quiches made. Some for tomorrow s lunch and the rest for the freezer to feed future volunteers. 20 used up but still have at least another dozen and rne hens are laying 4 a day now.

 

[ladyfelsham]

Send them to me!

Lots of fab ideas here - http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2016/03/ways-use-extra-eggs.html

 

[Cavegirl21]

Sorry to read about OH. I had Sarcoidosis back in the early 1990's which they thought at first could be TB. I was admitted for a night as I had a racing heart so had to have something to slow it down. Then when I came home had to have something injected just under the skin for 5 days to see what reactiion I would get from it. I had to have a check up every 6 months for 2 years before they gave me the all clear. They put me on a machine where they put a clip on your nose so they could monitor your breathing. I had to go on an exercise bike as well. I had erythema nodosum at the same time.

 

[Tibbs]

Oh my goodness, you're head must be spinning Tippy. Thank goodness he hasn't TB but still, what a worry with the other things going on. Good job you could give all the info to the doctor, stopping breathing every 3mins sounds scary. Hopefully the steroids will start working soon and start getting to work on the inflammation.. I was on long term steroids at one point and couldn't stop eating! I felt ravenous non stop, so maybe be prepared for that and have a ton of healthy snacks around for him. I made the mistake of just eating what I saw, hence the 2st weight gain. I'll have a look around for blogs that may be of use incase you don't have time. Big hugs ((X))