Psoriatic Arthritis Journal - 2.5 year Update Page 63

[lmggallagher]

Hey Nicole:

Parallel story here, my Aunt's "partner" - they have been together 20+ years - there ought to be a better word for this. Anyway, they just went on their first vacation in forever! No sooner had they unpacked unpacked in the cabin by the beach - when he had a heart attack. He had no warning - well maybe what he thought was a muscle pull the week before.

He is as skinny as a rail, no smoking - nothing that regular folks ( we aren't regular folks ) consider risk factors. I have already given him Dr. Barnard's book on diabetes control - he doesn't have it but is weird about being concerned abt his GI. He keeps asking questions, but maintains he is only asking for his tenant who really does have diabetes.

Anyway, my Aunt called to tell me abt the heart attack and all that went on. I started after listening for an hour, talking to her about the diet - for about two minutes. She changed the subject.

I want to get him Esselstyn's book and FOK, but I hestiate because....

Mostly because my dear sweet Aunt just says - well we eat lean meat and healthy food, so I can't imagine how he got clogged arteries????? She won't hear that animal products are not healthy foods. though he eats a SAD type "healthy diet" she is perpetually on Atkins.

These are smart folks, well read and generally up on most stuff and it's not that she doesn't see and whole heartedly support the changes in me but.... for Christ's sake the guy just got a stent!!! What does it take to move people off the fact that the food they are eating OBVIOUSLY is NOT HEALTHY!!!

BTW - I meant to be sympathetic here - before I STARTED RANTING!!!!

So sorry.....
.............but I just had too

[lmggallagher]

Nicole and moonwatcher -

Just laughing - I think a venting thread - -like the wailing wall -- needs to be opened for all of us

but I am kind of crying too

[nicoles]

Oh, Moonwatcher and Michelle! I feel your pain

Here sometimes feels like the only place I can vent about this - feels like the whole rest of the world thinks I am too pushy, or crazy, or not moderate enough, at least when it comes to diet and lifestyle stuff.

I always come back to this - our entire nation is addicted to our foods and SAD, and trying to do an intervention with one person when they are virtually surrounded by enablers in person and the media is like a cherry taking on the Universe.

Grumpus, grumpus, grumpus!!!

Kidding aside, it is so very sad, and I agree - some people *know* they need to change and don't want to know, so don't seek (or watch FOK), whereas others seek and find the wrong information.

DH was saying this morning that he needs to get his siblings together as a united front because the in-laws go over and they give them ice cream and steak etc, etc (MIL has had congestive heart failure, aneurysm, strokes, is obese, has lupus) but I am thinking that THE SIBS aren't gonna wanna know, so that won't work.

BIL is always saying to me - "When can you have a nice, juicy CHEESEBURGER" for example, and they all like to tease me because of my diet. (I know, lovely, but really usually they are nice...just when you threaten to take people's addictions away, they get nasty) So I am not sure that they will get on board.

ARRRGGGHHHH!!!

[moonwatcher]

I like Michelle's wailing wall idea. Gosh, it's good to wail once in a while.

Good luck with your FIL's situation, nicoles, Keep us posted if you'd like to, or need to. We're here.

xo

moonwatcher

[nicoles]

Thanks, Moonwatcher. You are so very sweet!

Michelle-I must have missed that - I like the wailing wall idea, too.

[nicoles]

More proof that this WOE is incredibly healing! Off MS meds. No numbness after McDougalling. Just so happy for her!

I am good - but busy. Lots of energy, sleeping well, feeling quite well. Nothing to complain about except the usual - lack of money, family frustrations, not enough time for fun My dream life, in other words!

Seriously, I spent years just wishing fervently that all I had to deal with was a normal level of dissatisfaction with life. I am loving it. Can't even really be unhappy about what I am unhappy about, ya know?

[moonwatcher]

Amen and, wait a minute, where are those little thumbs. . . !!

moonwatcher

[nicoles]

:lol:

Amen and, wait a minute, where are those little thumbs. . . !!

moonwatcher

Where do you get those thumbs-up thingies?

[nicoles]

Ack! FIL went for his stress test, needed an angiogram, and suddenly has a drug-eluting stent in his heart.

OK, going to Barnes & Nobles to buy FOK dvd for the in-laws right now.

Plus get into some AC - it is HOT in LA today.

[moonwatcher]

Hi nicoles,

Sensei Michelle graciously pointed out there is an option to "view more smiles" when choosing emoticons in your reply. The "thumbs" are under that.

Good luck with your in-laws and FOK! And hope you got to cool off in Barnes and Noble!

moonwatcher

[nicoles]

Thanks Moonwatcher!


RANT

OK, father-in-law is in the hospital after failing his stress test and getting an emergerncy stent put in one artery; they are deciding whether to stent tht other one, which is almost blocked, just because of the stress the procedure would put on him.

OF COURSE, they both went in to the stress test without thinking that anything bad might occur.So they did not bring the virtual truckload of various pills my MIL needs to take at odd intervals to keep her from having a stroke or a heart attck. Since she has had a multiple strokes, she cannot keep track of her own meds - but they do not have the schedule written down anywhere, so it is all in FIL's head.

Long story short, DH had to leave work early and drive up to give her the meds and take her home. When he gets there, he calls her doctor because he has a medication question that FIL was not clear on and finds out that FIL has been giving her the incorrect dosage of three meds, and forgetting to give her the blood thinner! And he finds Klondike Bars, Cheetos, Triple Stuff Oreos, butter, half-and-half, etc. Even they know better, because even the American Heart Association does not condone that kind of eating for cardiac patients, so clearly they are either in total denial or committing slow suicide.

We must accept that they need more help than they are admitting to themselves.

So we will rally together with the siblings and figure this out. Last time something like this happened we got nowhere, and me and DH, being the closest, were the ones always dropping everything to get them out of trouble (it's like having teenagers, I swear!)

For our health and for the fact that we literally cannot afford to take care of them financially (we can barely take care of ourselves at the moment) we have to find another solution that is not like last time. I just don't know what it will be.

OK, better go meditate!

[fulenn]

Sorry to hear about the in-laws health issues. Hope inspiration drops on you during your meditation--I guess the parallel to taking care of teenagers is applicable here. sigh.

Hang in there!!

Fulenn

[lmggallagher]

Nicole:

I am so sorry for you guys and your in-laws. What a ton of stress and confusion.

I missed out on this cycle of care giving; my Mother got sick and died very quickly of respiratory disease - which she'd hidden from the family for years.

But when I noticed her beginning to decline I was looking into services and found this link that may be of some help.

I know my Step Dad signed up in our County to have a house evaluation done for himself through one of these programs and another acquaintance has gotten assistance on medication monitoring. I myself haven't looked into this closely but maybe there are services in your area you could talk to the sibs about?

http://eldercare.gov/Eldercare.NET/Public/Index.aspx

I wish you all the best outcome, meanwhile OM all you can! Michelle

[moonwatcher]

nicoles,

I add my sympathy and commiseration as well. It's hard. My parents are both gone now, and I lived at a distance, but talked to them often. It's very hard to get people to change, even in their own best interests. I wish you and your husband all the best wit this. I feel for all of you in this situation.

It's so good you have the meditation and this way of eating to help YOU through, no matter what else happens.

xo

moonwatcher

[nicoles]

Thanks Fulenn, Michelle and Moonwatcher. And thanks for the great link, Michelle, it has been quite helpful so far!

Long weekend, too much to go into for how tired I am right now. FIL is home, had 1 stent and 2 balloon angioplasties, and multiple heart attacks. Apparently he had been attributing the pains he got repeatedly over the last year in is chest and left shoulder and arm to "nerve pain," and after coming home from the hospital he was no less in denial in many ways. But I think reality is slowly sinking in.

He is reading Esselstyn's book and asking my husband and I questions about diet, behaving seriously about it in front of us, yet mocking us to other family members behind out backs, and making fun of how we are "making him eat," (we are not making anyone do anything) and saying he will never stop eating meat and dairy to DH's sister, so who knows? I haven't given up, but I am still not convinced, if you know what I mean. He can be manipulative, and try to be all things for all people so I dunno.

Fortunately, MIL is fully on board! She really wants to change, has been eating on plan for the last 3 days and has already lost 3 pounds! We shall see...

Fun moment - DH and I did all their chores this weekend - laundry, groceries and picking up drugs at CVS. While we were getting the 6 new drugs for FIL, we noticed the free blood pressure reader by the pharmacy sdection so we decided to try ours out.

My husband's BP was only 120/68, with a 95 resting pulse rate, even though he was very stressed! I was very happy about that, given the circumstances

Mine was 98/62 with a resting pulse rate of 65! The pharmacist saw my reading as said - Oh, no the machine must be broken!

These two readings cheered me up immensely. This WOE is remarkable! I am SO GLAD we here have all found it. I can only wait and see about FIL.