Re: Amazing fluid story
- From: Curt <curtjames@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 07 Jul 2007 07:50:19 -0700
Hard Bop Drums wrote:
I just learned a great deal more about water weight, how it feels and how it
looks. About 6 weeks ago I was put on a new blood pressure medication. It
was a beta blocker. I have asthma and beta blockers can cause breathing
problems with people with asthma, but this one was supposed to be more
specific and would not effect the lungs. I started out fine, but they needed
to increase the dosage to get my BP where they wanted it. I started to
slowly gain some weight. I just thought I was eating a bit more and did not
think too much about it. My weight kept creeping up very slowly and my
breathing was getting worse, especially when training legs etc. I just wrote
it off as my asthma acting up and I set up an appointment with my pulmonary
MD. I was up to about 190 and was holding visible water in my ankles,
Robert is an example of the adage "Don't judge a book by its cover,"
being spot on. Pretty on the outside, but faced with a faulty kidney,
asthma, high blood pressure, and now water retention. My condolences.
but was told it was from another med I was taking and that I basically had to
live with it.
THAT's always comforting to hear. The orthopedic surgeon noted that
the MRI showed no tear in my rotator and that was that. Oh, he did say
he could dig around in there, but he'd prefer not to. I agreed, of
course. Not particularly a fan of people digging around in there.
Especially when 'there' is me! Still, it can be somewhat discouraging
- and perhaps Rob would agree - to hear a health professional say
"live with it" or simply shrug his shoulders.
"Excuse me, did you just shrug your shoulders? Is 'i dunno' a medical
term? Wtf?!"
Lots of mysteries, of course. Swollen ankles and a little shoulder
pain can wait while they discover cures for some more serious
problems, imo.
Ari, you out there?
What I didn't realize was that I had fluid everywhere and that
it actually looked like fat around my entire body. I know my body pretty
well and I thought it was fat. I finally got a hold of my main kidney MD who
had been on a medical leave.
Medical leave? Is that a vacation or is he ill, too. Wait! I did not
say ill. I meant under the weather.
I also looked up the medication I was on and
saw that I could have fluid in the lungs and my entire body.
A patient can be his or her own best advocate. It would be nice,
however, to rely on the expertise of your doctor, nurse, etc.
Unfortunately, people - even trained people - don't have all the
answers. And even when they think they do have the answer, well, that
answer can be wrong. I've mentioned previously the doc who saw a case
of plantar warts and called it athlete's foot. And on the other end of
the spectrum, the doctor who removes the wrong eyeball, leaving the
cancerous one or tumor-ridden one in the patient's skull: "Oh, um,
about your eye."
Note to self: KEEP WATERPROOF FAT BLACK MARKER ON PERSON AT ALL TIMES
They took me
off of the medication and gave me a script for some Lasix. I started on the
Lasix and my weight went from 193 to 170 in 24 hours! I went from looking
like I was gaining a bit of weight to having cross striations across my
triceps, glutes etc.. I never thought fluid could look so much like fat
before.
Really?
I wish I had taken some photos as the difference in my face was like
night and day too.
Right. Like you'd share the photos openly. Ha! Anyway, I'm not
surprised that water retention would make your face change. I'm almost
sure I've shared the sunburn story, where I was out in the sun from 10
to 2 (not smart, yeah) and woke up the next day with one eye swelled
shut and my forehead puffed up like a balloon. A little fluid up in
there!
But your comment earlier in your post - "I just learned a great deal
more about water weight, how it feels and how it looks," has me
puzzled, however. How did you NOT already learn about water weight?
You never encountered water retention or noticed any physical changes
in your appearance related to water retention? Were you on dialysis
and, if so, does being on dialysis impact patients differently?
I worked at a book store during college. We sold comics, bestseller
paperbacks, newspapers, childrens books, etc. Anyway, one frequent
shopper was on dialysis. He'd volunteered that information at some
point. He and his girlfriend and a buddy would shop regularly. He
disappeared for a period of time and when he returned it was like he
was a different person. Where he had a round face previously, his face
had altered incredibly, slimmed down significantly. Or more
accurately, I guess, drained. He'd gotten a kidney transplant.
I'm probably making a wrong assumption here. That the kidney
transplant changed the customer's face.
I guess the moral of the story is to ALWAYS question any
meds you are on and even when you think you know your body, ask questions. I
did legs today and the difference in my breathing was like night and day.
Good. Glad to read that.
--
Curt
.
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- Amazing fluid story
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