Comments on: And, In The End… http://www.dograt.com/2008/03/04/and-in-the-end/ Home of the Prattling Pratfall Mon, 06 Sep 2010 02:32:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: DOuG pRATt http://www.dograt.com/2008/03/04/and-in-the-end/comment-page-1/#comment-15092 DOuG pRATt Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:06:18 +0000 http://www.dograt.com/2008/03/04/and-in-the-end/#comment-15092 I had PVC (premature ventricular contraction) one year while getting ready for the Boston Marathon. I always lose so much salt during long, hot runs that it cakes on my face when dry. I let myself get depleted and dehydrated too much one day, and my heart started skipping beats like crazy. Got myself checked out, and was confirmed as being OK, but since then I've carried water or Gatorade with me, and I'm extra careful on particularly hot days. I had PVC (premature ventricular contraction) one year while getting ready for the Boston Marathon. I always lose so much salt during long, hot runs that it cakes on my face when dry. I let myself get depleted and dehydrated too much one day, and my heart started skipping beats like crazy. Got myself checked out, and was confirmed as being OK, but since then I’ve carried water or Gatorade with me, and I’m extra careful on particularly hot days.

]]> By: jeanie beanie http://www.dograt.com/2008/03/04/and-in-the-end/comment-page-1/#comment-15091 jeanie beanie Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:15:11 +0000 http://www.dograt.com/2008/03/04/and-in-the-end/#comment-15091 Monte, I've read that post-op depression is pretty common. Maybe your father had a touch of that after the bypass. It's a guy thing. It certainly applies to my husband. He's 57 and has non-chronic atrial fibrillation, meaning, he only gets it occasionally under certain stressful circumstances. When it happens, he gets bummed out and blames himself for something he can't control! It's a big reminder of his MORTALITY! My barium enema is rescheduled for next week. The prep is WORSE than for a colonoscopy, and takes TWO DAYS. URK. Monte, I’ve read that post-op depression is pretty common. Maybe your father had a touch of that after the bypass. It’s a guy thing. It certainly applies to my husband. He’s 57 and has non-chronic atrial fibrillation, meaning, he only gets it occasionally under certain stressful circumstances. When it happens, he gets bummed out and blames himself for something he can’t control! It’s a big reminder of his MORTALITY!

My barium enema is rescheduled for next week. The prep is WORSE than for a colonoscopy, and takes TWO DAYS. URK.

]]> By: DOuG pRATt http://www.dograt.com/2008/03/04/and-in-the-end/comment-page-1/#comment-14926 DOuG pRATt Sun, 09 Mar 2008 04:31:07 +0000 http://www.dograt.com/2008/03/04/and-in-the-end/#comment-14926 Every news report I found said he had a heart attack, so I dutifully repeated that. The book says, "complications of colon cancer." Thanks for the correction, Monte! Every news report I found said he had a heart attack, so I dutifully repeated that. The book says, “complications of colon cancer.” Thanks for the correction, Monte!

]]> By: Monte Schulz http://www.dograt.com/2008/03/04/and-in-the-end/comment-page-1/#comment-14912 Monte Schulz Sun, 09 Mar 2008 01:07:29 +0000 http://www.dograt.com/2008/03/04/and-in-the-end/#comment-14912 No, actually he did not have any heart attacks, nor did he die of one. He had quadruple bypass surgery in 1981 to prevent a heart attack, and he died, more than likely, from a pulmonary embolism. It had been a problem throughout his chemo treatment, which blood thinners to use without causing his tumor to bleed. None of it mattered in the end, though, because he had lost his will to live, given his bleak prognosis. Anyhow, I wrote a lot about all that in my essay. You'll see. JB, sorry about the colonoscopy and the prep. I worried about what might happen if I did the prep, and then the doctor was too sick for whatever reason to perform the procedure. I was told that someone would do it, no matter what, because, no, they would not force me to go through the prep again. No, actually he did not have any heart attacks, nor did he die of one. He had quadruple bypass surgery in 1981 to prevent a heart attack, and he died, more than likely, from a pulmonary embolism. It had been a problem throughout his chemo treatment, which blood thinners to use without causing his tumor to bleed. None of it mattered in the end, though, because he had lost his will to live, given his bleak prognosis. Anyhow, I wrote a lot about all that in my essay. You’ll see. JB, sorry about the colonoscopy and the prep. I worried about what might happen if I did the prep, and then the doctor was too sick for whatever reason to perform the procedure. I was told that someone would do it, no matter what, because, no, they would not force me to go through the prep again.

]]> By: jeanie beanie http://www.dograt.com/2008/03/04/and-in-the-end/comment-page-1/#comment-14826 jeanie beanie Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:07:47 +0000 http://www.dograt.com/2008/03/04/and-in-the-end/#comment-14826 I remember that interview! Al Roker, of course, studied cartooning in college; he's not half-bad at it. I flunked my colonoscopy! The doctor could not go in because adhesions from my partial hysterectomy were" too extensive" and had narrowed the "sigmoid" too far. He would have had to perforate the lining. Now I have to do the prep all over again and go for something even more fun ... a barium enema! I remember that interview! Al Roker, of course, studied cartooning in college; he’s not half-bad at it. I flunked my colonoscopy! The doctor could not go in because adhesions from my partial hysterectomy were” too extensive” and had narrowed the “sigmoid” too far. He would have had to perforate the lining. Now I have to do the prep all over again and go for something even more fun … a barium enema!

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