William: 35 years of fighting diseases, medications, and therapies

Hi Gary Jones10,
For the last 15 years, my sleep schedule has been a total mystery. I’ll lie down, turn on my Sleep Apnea machine, and drift off, only to wake up after an hour or three because the pain kicks in. After that, sleep is impossible. Some days I go 24 or 48 hours without any rest at all, only to crash later for a solid 9 or 10 hours.
I don't take sleeping pills or anything like that. I've tried dozens of different medications prescribed by the pain management clinic, but nothing seems to touch it—I've gone through maybe 20 or 25 different types without much luck.
The pain is constant, 24/7, all year round. It makes getting up and moving around a struggle. To cope, I dive into my computer; it's become my main hobby and escape since I've always been a tech enthusiast. I was one of the first people at work and at home to get my hands on new gadgets. Getting lost in technology helps pull my mind away from the physical issues. Sometimes I'm researching theology, geography, or different countries. I enjoy having a broad range of knowledge. I even still visit professors at the local university when they reach out to me regarding topics I'm interested in; I truly respect them as specialists.

Honestly, the hardest part is seeing how this affects my wife. Thank God for such a wonderful, understanding person; she shares everything with me. I try to stay as independent as possible and handle most of the finances and bills, but it feels heavy knowing I can't help her around the house like I used to. When I was able, I did everything in my power to make things easier for her, including making sure we had the best modern appliances.

As you know, back before 1992, I used to juggle two or three jobs at once. I never had any time for myself. Everything I did was dedicated to my work, my kids, and my family.
When I was working, I imagined retirement would be active, maybe even a way to earn a few extra dollars here and there. But things took a turn. I left the workforce feeling psychologically drained, and unfortunately, that hasn't improved. Physically, it's been just as tough. I'm not nearly as mobile as I once was because of the pain. Still, I'm grateful I have the drive to stay busy on my computer. It isn't just mindless surfing; I write for a senior magazine, and photography is another passion of mine. I'm currently working on digitizing a massive collection of about 8,500 photos, writing for my grandkids, and translating our family history into English.
My wife and I love going to the movies once a week. We also take regular drives—just a short 15-minute trip to the coast or a quick drive to the botanical gardens, since she loves flowers and nature. As you mentioned, I spend a lot of time waiting for specialists, hoping to finally get a stable diagnosis. My primary care doctor tells me I'm a very patient patient, but he admits there isn't much more he can do for me.

One of the toughest things is how much I love my family, yet I can't stand high tension, crowds, or the noise that comes with the grandkids. Even though I know their visits are brief, I often find myself counting down the minutes until I can return to my own quiet world.

Fortunately, we don't see everyone constantly. Since my younger son lives in 249 miles, we stay connected with my four-year-old granddaughter via the internet, along with my other grandkids who are 18, 13, and 12. About eight years ago, we had several meetings involving the whole family, a psychiatrist, and my wife and me, just so everyone understood what was happening with my health.

I don't regret anything from the last few years, nor do I regret the years I spent working through the pain 35 years ago. I gave everything I had to everyone. My conscience is clear, and I have many beautiful memories to look back on. I know there are people facing much worse than me. At least I have my wife—my partner through both the good times and the bad over the years. If God wills it, we'll have many more.

Thanks for asking and for thinking of me. Like I said, I am content.
I knew this stage of life would come, which is why we spent 21 days in New Zealand last year while I was still mobile enough to travel.

Best regards,
Jamie Clark74😘

🙂 😉 😎

Jamie Clark74 said:Whenever I sit down to write something, I make sure to look into the facts first. I try to understand what a person is actually saying about themselves and their specific situation, but you don't seem to do that at all.
If people actually paid closer attention to what they were reading, we wouldn't have these kinds of threads.
Just take a look at the post above—not even mentioning the others.

😁 😁 Keep going, Jamie Clark74. This forum wasn't built just for moderators and their little circles... you write with real insight and intelligence.👍 👍 Maybe it might be a good idea to spend some time browsing pages about life, perhaps looking into the life of Saint Anthony.http://www.saintanthonyofpadua.net/portale/home.asp Reading through your posts, I get the impression you've spent most of your life working hard and focusing on material things. It might be helpful, during those quiet hours, to read something for your soul instead. Even the world's finest doctors and modern medicine aren't the ultimate answer for healing or easing suffering.

@coppernomad59/">@@coppernomad59

Ever since 1994, I’ve spent quite a bit of time reading up on things...
A lot of what I read was stuff I promised myself I'd get to when I was younger but just never had the time for.

As a baptized Catholic, I started by reading about the things that actually interested me.
After that, I branched out into other faiths—not that I want to list them all now—just to get a general idea of what people believe.

I eventually landed on the conclusion I live by today. I was born and baptized Roman Catholic, and when I was younger, I went to church regularly... until one little incident with a priest. Since then, I don't attend church, nor will I ever go back for Mass, prayer, or even my last rites.

Out of respect for my wife, we head over twice a year just to light candles for our loved ones who passed away back home in America.

I respect everyone's right to their own faith, provided it doesn't harm those around them or meddle in politics.

I know there are people for whom faith helped them navigate life's darkest moments...
But for me, it doesn't work that way. To find help in that, you really have to believe in it.

I'm not the type of person who loses my mind over a football game, a pop star, or some celebrity. If I see a crowd gathering to "worship" someone, I usually just head the other direction.

Maybe life experiences turned me into a skeptic. About 25 or 30 years ago, I paid my dues with "natural remedies"—both through various pills and alternative practitioners. So, nobody can tell me I haven't tried the "nature heals all" approach.

I trust the experiences I've had in my own life, some of which were beautiful and others quite difficult.

😎

I was scrolling through some recent posts and searching for info when I stumbled upon this.

And you ran into Jamie Clark74, who always has an opinion on everything—he’s never missed a beat. As for being an optimist, that’s definitely not his strong suit. If you want to know more about him, he has a dedicated thread you can check out.

My response has always been the same:

When I ask a specialist about how a disease is progressing, I don't ask for an "optimistic" outlook. I look at what's right there in my signature: "REALISTIC." That's the reality I have to live with. Just like the sun realistically rises every day and night follows, there are no "miracles" where things just suddenly change. I spent a long time living in "optimism," but realism is the better word. Optimism often feels like just waiting around and kidding yourself.

Sure, optimism has its place in life... just like reality does.

Whenever I went in for surgery, we never talked about being "optimistic." We focused on reality—which I once mistakenly tried to handle with optimism, and that was a mistake.
When I see my lung specialist regarding Asbestos, we deal with the facts... my breathing capacity
and the expansion of plaque and Asbestos...

Optimism is a lovely word and it offers hope, but realism is simply what is. Sometimes, people grounded in realism are much stronger than optimists because they aren't waiting for a "miracle."

I wish I were an optimist myself... but above all else, it's WILLPOWER. That is the most powerful thing we have. It’s what knocks down walls, helps you endure pain, and gives you that final push when you think you won't make it to the bench to sit down... not optimism.
As you get older and gain more experience, your priorities shift from optimism to realism, and finally to sheer willpower. Once you lose that will, you have nothing left.

Most of us likely have our own ways of looking at things. Especially for the younger crowd, as I mentioned before, it can feel almost like a religion.

Whether someone does yoga regularly, hits the gym, or practices yoga at home...
Back when I was able, for about 28 years, I kept up with yoga despite being injured at times. I dealt with plenty of setbacks, sometimes working 62 miles a week, but I managed several half-marathons. I even traveled with my son, who was a junior champion in the 1,500 meters...
That remains one of my fondest memories as I approach retirement.

We all have different ways of coping, healing, and maintaining our perspective. Mine certainly isn't optimism... I believe in reality, and I've found that's the best way to avoid disappointment.

:cool;

Monday, 3/19/2007
Jamie Clark74
Adelaide
Australia

Shared from Pfizer /writing in English for clarity/!

Atherosclerosis!

Atherosclerosis
Cardiovascular diseases

Definition
Atherosclerosis is the most common and serious condition within the group of diseases known as arteriosclerosis—conditions where arterial walls become thin and lose their elasticity. Specifically, atherosclerosis occurs when buildup (plaque) forms within the inner layers of the artery wall, which can restrict or block blood flow. The prevalence of atherosclerosis increases in postmenopausal women, bringing it closer to the rates seen in men of the same age. Vascular diseases affecting the brain, heart, kidneys, and other vital organs or limbs are leading causes of illness and death in the USA and most Western nations.Mortality from coronary artery disease among white men between the ages of 55 and 64 stands at 1 per 100.

It is believed that atherosclerosis results from high concentrations of LDL lipoproteins in the blood on one hand, and damage to the endothelium (the inner lining of the artery wall that first meets flowing blood) caused by various mechanisms on the other. The primary risk factors for developing atherosclerosis are age, male sex, and a family history of early-onset atherosclerosis.

Other risk factors include: elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), hypertension, smoking, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, increased homocysteine levels that can damage the endothelium, and infection with *Chlamydia pneumoniae*, which may also play a role in endothelial damage.

Clinical Presentation
Atherosclerosis usually isn't diagnosed until critical stenosis (narrowing), thrombosis (a vessel blockage caused by a dislodged plaque), aneurysm (a rupture in the artery wall), or embolism (a clot traveling to the lungs) occurs. Symptoms typically develop gradually as the plaque grows and narrows the vessel lumen. Initially, this manifests as an inability to supply enough blood to specific organs during periods of increased demand, such as chest tightness during physical exertion (angina pectoris) or painful pulsing in the limbs (intermittent claudication).

If a major artery becomes suddenly blocked, the symptoms are much more dramatic—for instance, an ischemic cerebrovascular accident (a stroke caused by a blood vessel in the brain being blocked by a dislodged plaque).

Diagnostics
Atherosclerosis is diagnosed based on the aforementioned signs and symptoms, though suspicion should arise if any risk factors are present. An obstruction caused by plaque can be confirmed via arteriography (an imaging test using contrast to check blood flow) or a Doppler ultrasound (a type of ultrasound where differences in blood flow through the vessel due to plaque are displayed in different colors on the screen).

Treatment
Treatment for atherosclerosis actually focuses on managing its complications: myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, arrhythmias, stroke, and so on. Because of this, prevention is incredibly important, involving measures to reduce the risk factors that contribute to the development of the disease. This includes a healthy diet low in excessive fats and sugars, regular physical activity, weight management, controlling blood pressure, and not smoking.

=============

Those who know me have an idea of how many ailments I deal with, but don't worry, I'm not dying from any of them just yet.
I'm 66, had two hernia surgeries... five different spinal levels involved. All my joints are worn down from osteoarthritis, along with the ligaments and muscles around the joints, for which I receive steroid injections.

Since I deal with depression, anxiety, and panic attacks myself, I’m on quite a few medications that feel pretty unavoidable at this point.

Not too long ago, I had shoulder surgery. It was successful in terms of range of motion, but moving it is still painful, so I'm done with surgeries for now. I actually needed work on my other shoulder and elbows too.

========
Back in February 2004, I underwent a three-level surgery that left me unable to walk very far; I also have three pinched nerves that just can't be fixed.

=======
Between 2004 and 2005, I started getting numbness in my hands and fingers on both sides. It wasn't a surprise, though—I knew it wasn't a stroke because I've been dealing with issues at C4, C5, and C6 in my neck for years. In 2005, before my shoulder surgery, I had an MRI of my entire spine which showed C6, C7, and C8 issues, along with ongoing problems in my lumbar section.
========

You might be wondering what this guy is rambling about and how any of this relates to a stroke.

I'll explain in my next post how it's all connected.

Just wanted to list my other conditions so you can see the full picture regarding STROKE risk.

Asbestos, sleep apnea (using a CPAP machine), IBS, high blood pressure (controlled), Type 2 diabetes (on the edge but controlled), and chronic pain management.
My cholesterol usually sits between 3.5 and 4.1. My sleep has been a mess for 16 years; I nap during the day or not at all, sometimes going 24 to 36 hours without sleep, followed by being heavily sedated for 11 or 12 hours.

I'm also on medication for depression, panic attacks, and occasionally claustrophobia and sensitivity to smells. Not much else to say.

🙂

😠 😠 😠 I just lost my entire post...😠 😠 😠

Part two/
I was an alcoholic for ten years. I haven't touched a drink since 1968—that's 39 years now. My specialist tells me my liver feels soft, almost like a young person's, which means it has recovered.
I was also a heavy smoker from age 13 until I was 46. That’s 33 years of smoking. Back then, we didn't realize quite how dangerous it was compared to what we know today.
In 1987, on my son's 13th birthday, I quit smoking just to set a good example for him. He never picked up the habit, even though I had been smoking for 20 years prior.

Around 1989, I had a cervical CT Scan that showed calcification in my carotid artery.
Follow-up exams put me in the category of having about 60-65% stenosis/plaque. Because of that, I had checkups every 18 months and took 100mg of Aspirin to thin my blood. Two years ago, I had surgery on my lumbar spine at three levels—L3, L4, and L5—due to stenosis. The surgery itself seemed fine, but things went downhill very quickly. Two nerves got pinched, and now I can't walk more than about 300 feet. We aren't looking for any miracles to fix me anymore, and on top of that, my hips are giving out too.

At the same time, I started having numbness in my hands and fingers—more than usual. I knew it wasn't a stroke because I've dealt with spinal issues for years.

In 2005, before shoulder surgery, I had an MRI of my entire spine and shoulders.
The bottom line is that my whole spine and all my joints are damaged. Both shoulders need surgery to relieve the osteoarthritis, and my elbows need work too. Other joints might need steroid injections. In 2006, I had surgery on my right shoulder; it gave me back some movement, but the pain actually got worse.

I eventually decided I wouldn't undergo any more surgeries.
I often heard from my son's colleagues at work that people were dying between ages 45 and 60 from strokes... many from heart attacks... just in the last decade.

I think it saved me that I stayed away from alcohol and cigarettes, even though I was technically sicker than they were. I made sure to watch those two.
My blood pressure was under control, my cholesterol was low, and I was taking Aspirin.

My latest carotid CT Scan report didn't look great. I know enough to realize that
I needed very urgent surgery... and that's exactly what happened. I saw the doctor on Friday, March 9, 2007, and had the surgery. They managed to squeeze me in for the evening of March 13, 2007. I knew how dangerous my situation was (I've known that for a long time), but I went in without being worried. My paperwork was, as always, all in order.
IT WOULD ALL BE FINE IF THE LEFT SIDE WASN'T WAITING FOR ME SOON.

som of The more Common reasons why Your doctor would order a carotid Doppler ultrasound include :
o Headaches
o Dizziness , poor balance
o Frequent fainting or Black outs
o Stroke symptoms including numbness or weakness
o Family history of strokes or artery problems
o medical diagnostic criteria

Sorry for the long post; everything seems to be connected for me.

Here are a few links;

http://www.mayoclinic.org/carotid-ar...s/image-lg.jpg

http://images.google.com.au/images?h...h+Images&gbv=2

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/s...ckgrounder.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.org/carotid-ar...-stenting.html

Best, Jamie Clark74
😉

Jamie Clark74, look, we really shouldn't be messing around with these kinds of screenshots.

Should I just dig up that old thread of yours again?...

Jamie Clark74, I’m still struggling to see how your medical history links back to stroke prevention... Regarding the stroke itself: when it occurs as a result of Atherosclerosis (which isn't strictly a disease), it can be prevented. Of course, nothing in medicine is absolute, and no one can guarantee 100% immunity from any condition, but through specific lifestyle choices, monitoring, and treatment, you can reduce the risk of a stroke far beyond just statistical odds. Furthermore, strokes can actually be treated, even though many people assume they are irreversible. One radiological intervention technique is MERCI, where anti-fibrinogen and anti-platelet therapies are quite successfully utilized...

Rachel Brooks63 said:Jamie Clark74, let’s not mess around with those kinds of copy-pastes.

Should I dig up that old thread of yours?

It's all just well-known names... don't worry, I won't bother posting it. It isn't worth sharing my
firsthand experience with you guys.🙂

Sam Hall15 said:Jamie Clark74, I'm still not quite following how your medical history connects to stroke prevention. Regarding strokes: they are preventable if caused by Atherosclerosis (which isn't technically classified as a disease itself). Of course, nothing in medicine is absolute—nobody can guarantee 100% immunity from any condition—but through lifestyle choices, monitoring, and treatment, you can reduce the risk of a stroke far beyond just statistical odds. Also, strokes can be treated, even though many people assume otherwise. One radiological intervention technique is MERCI, and anti-fibrinogen and anti-platelet therapies are used quite successfully too...

a/ We should probably remind people that alcohol ruins lives; that’s why we see folks passing away in their mid-50s or 60s from cirrhosis or liver cancer.

b/ And smoking... sure, tell people it's healthy and won't hurt anyone. How many millions of people die every year from smoking-related illnesses?

c/ Atherosclerosis isn't a disease? Fine, I guess you're the specialist cardiologist here..

d/ So, smoke, drink, eat greasy food, and everything will be just fine.

e/ My whole point was that if I hadn't been seeking help for something else, I never would have known about my carotid artery stenosis. I wouldn't have been able to track its development over the last 18 years via regular CT Scans. It reached a point where a plaque could have broken off and traveled to a cerebral artery in the brain... causing a stroke. Who knows how that would have ended.

f/ I wrote this because discussing existing conditions matters; many of the symptoms
I deal with are linked to lung issues, but they mimic the symptoms of a mild stroke.

g/ And I've been on blood thinners constantly.
==============

I could give you the statistics on how high my immediate stroke risk was before surgery—or how close I came to having one during the procedure—versus how low it is now
now that everything has been cleared out.

Based on your logic, you wouldn't even recommend operating on the other side... statistically speaking.🙂

P.S.
Definition:
Atherosclerosis is the most common and serious condition within the group of diseases known as arteriosclerosis, characterized by the thinning and loss of elasticity in the arterial walls.

That's all from me. Topic closed.

🙂 😘

Rachel Brooks63 said:Jamie Clark74, let's not mess around with those kinds of copy-pastes.

Should I dig up that old thread of yours?

Those links were just for people who aren't quite qualified enough to understand the context. We have plenty of non-doctors here—nurses, students, you name it. Honestly, after all these months, it was actually quite nice of you to say hello.

And thanks for all the well wishes while I was recovering from surgery.😍

All the best to you too.
🙂 😘

Honestly, you’re just like my mother. Don't take this personally—I talk to my own mom constantly too—but she acts like there isn't a single ailment in existence that she doesn't have. She pops pills like they're candy, spends her whole day complaining, and fancies herself an expert on every single one of her medical issues. Just like you, she can't stop talking about what hurts,
as if having some mysterious illness is actually a hobby for her. It feels like she hides behind being "sick" just to soak up attention and wallow in self-pity.
I have to say, your posts are something else; I’ve truly never seen anyone talk about themselves and their health this much!!
If my mom even knew how to navigate a computer, I don't know what we'd do!
I suspect there's a healthy dose of hypochondria at play here, though I have no clue what your psychiatrist told you. If I were allowed to add a diagnosis, I'd call it "homodolorosus"—you know, people who build their entire identity around their pain.
Living with my mother, I've learned that people like this are incredibly hard to change because it's become their whole lifestyle, but let's be real: people eventually get exhausted listening to nothing but your endless list of problems!!!!!!!!!
GOOD LUCK!!!

feralraven4 said:You remind me so much of my mom. Please don't take this personally, because I talk to her the exact same way. She seems to have every ailment under the sun, popping pills like they're candy. She’s constantly complaining and acting like she's an expert on her own health. Just like you, she talks endlessly about what hurts,
what specific condition she has, and honestly, she almost seems to relish it. She hides behind being sick to get attention and soak up some sympathy.
Your posts are truly something else; I've never seen anyone talk about themselves and their medical issues quite this much!!
If my mom didn't know how to use a computer, I don't know what we'd do!
I suspect there might be some hypochondria involved—who knows what your psychiatrist said. But I’d also throw in a diagnosis of "homodolorosus" (people who build their entire identity around pain).
Living with her, I've learned that people like this are hard to change because it's just their lifestyle, but frankly, people get tired of hearing nothing but your endless problems!!!!!!!!!
GOOD LUCK!!!

Is that really why you decided to impersonate her?

Some people just won't do things the right way.

In Australia, doctors and specialists make the diagnoses, not the patients themselves.
By the time someone hits 65, most folks are dealing with a few health issues, sometimes many more.

It all depends on what kind of work a person did and how hard they worked over the years.

🙂 😘

Rachel Brooks63 said:Jamie Clark74, let's not play games with old copy-pastes like this.

Should I just dig up that old thread of yours?

To the moderator;

I never asked for this thread to be reopened. It was originally started under
my name during what you called a heated argument between Kokice1-99 and myself.

Please just close the thread. I'm proud of what I wrote; I’ve received plenty of emails and PMs from people looking for help, and if I could offer advice based on my own experiences, I did.
====================================
Here are some of the health topics I've covered on the forums:

http://www.forum.us/showthread.php?t=29081
Men's Health Issues

http://www.forum.us/showthread.php?t=18544
Asbestosis

http://www.forum.us/showthread.php?t=48580
Lower back pain, protrusion, and herniated discs

http://www.forum.us/showthread.php?t=73639
Intrathecal Morphine Pumps for Pain Management!

http://www.forum.us/showthread.php?t=114795
The Pros and Cons of Antidepressants

http://www.forum.us/showthread.php?t=16736
Health... Doctors... and... Money?

http://www.forum.us/showthread.php?t=100443
A vaccine against Cervical cancer is in development...

http://www.forum.us/showthread.php?t=77630
What do men know about menopause, hysterectomies, HRT, osteoporosis, and other issues?

http://www.forum.us/showthread.php?t=21555
Everything About Sexuality... Him, Her, Them... and more!!!

http://www.forum.us/showthread.php?t=73487
Let's get rid of all the elderly and sick... thoughts?

http://www.forum.us/showthread.php?t=17495
"Psychiatry and Us": A thread for serious forum members dealing with these Diseases!

http://www.forum.us/showthread.php?t=17503
"Psychiatry and Us" // Discussions, replies, and Undergrowth!!!

http://www.forum.us/showthread.php?t=13236
Are you familiar with APNEA?

http://www.forum.us/showthread.php?t=61104
Jamie Clark74: That can't happen to me—I have Type 2 diabetes!

http://www.forum.us/showthread.php?t=60247
Jamie Clark74: 100 ways to live to be 100 years old!

http://www.forum.us/showthread.php?t=59925
The diet that works: THE AMISH DIET!

============================

Thanks for closing out this thread—even if I didn't get to pick the title myself.

🙂 😘