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My grandmother had another toe amputated. She has congestive heart failure and they're putting in another stent or whatever they fuck they do. I wish I was smart and articulate enough to talk to a doctor about it, not to mention she tells us as least as possible. Not sure if she's just worried about our emotions or just doesn't want to talk about it. How, if I shouldn't just respect her privacy, should I ask one of her doctors about it?

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I had a lung function/capacity test last week. They found I have abnormally high-functioning lungs, and almost record-breaking capacity: 7.5 liters.

Now I'm a pretty short dude who should have pretty short lungs, and I'm a daily smoker (non-tobacco) as well; they repeated every test, just to be double-sure, and the results did not vary.

How can this be explained? Is it a shitty superpower? Am I Iron Lung Boy?

 

Super late but I've read that marijuana smokers tend to inhale deeply after each inhale they take of smoke, and they hold it for longer. Also, marijuana smoke seems to differ from tobacco smoke. It's likely you taking deep breaths and holding them and over time this has helped your lung capacity. 

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My grandmother had another toe amputated. She has congestive heart failure and they're putting in another stent or whatever they fuck they do. I wish I was smart and articulate enough to talk to a doctor about it, not to mention she tells us as least as possible. Not sure if she's just worried about our emotions or just doesn't want to talk about it. How, if I shouldn't just respect her privacy, should I ask one of her doctors about it?

 

There's a balance between respecting the wishes of one going through medical treatment, and your own need to know more details about a beloved family member when they're going through a hard time. I'd try approaching her when she's in the right headspace, and just sit with her and talk, see if you can gently ask some questions about what is concerning you. Try asking your dad about it privately, too, since he might be aware of more details. Perhaps if they see you are worried, or get a sense of exactly what it is that is troubling you, they'll be more forthcoming with information.

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My grandmother had another toe amputated. She has congestive heart failure and they're putting in another stent or whatever they fuck they do. I wish I was smart and articulate enough to talk to a doctor about it, not to mention she tells us as least as possible. Not sure if she's just worried about our emotions or just doesn't want to talk about it. How, if I shouldn't just respect her privacy, should I ask one of her doctors about it?

 

 

Due to confidentiality, her doctor won't be able to reveal any details of her health or medical care to you without her prior permission. The best person to talk to would be your Grandmother. Tell her that you are worried and explore your concerns with her. If you want to know more about the medical side of her treatment, you can explain to the doctor that you are aware she is undergoing a stent or that she has heart failure, and whether he/she would be able to explain either of these in greater detail to you. I'm sure there are many doctors who are willing to sit down and explain that with you. 

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My grandmother had another toe amputated. She has congestive heart failure and they're putting in another stent or whatever they fuck they do. I wish I was smart and articulate enough to talk to a doctor about it, not to mention she tells us as least as possible. Not sure if she's just worried about our emotions or just doesn't want to talk about it. How, if I shouldn't just respect her privacy, should I ask one of her doctors about it?

 

Can't offer any advice that the others haven't, but I do want to offer empathy and condolences, for what it's worth. My grandma was the same way; we had to pry out of her anything (everything) she wouldn't tell us about her condition, it's frustrating.

 

Most likely, she doesn't want to think of her morbid situation, let alone discuss it at length (not even with family). It wouldn't hurt to ask the docs; since you're family, I can't imagine them being too secretive about her condition. As for smarts, you don't have to have the same degree a doctor holds in order to talk to them. If you're smart enough to worry about her, you're smart enough to be able to state your concerns.

 

Best of luck to you all.

Also, how long has she had CHF?

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My grandmother got diagnosed a few years ago and already had a stent put in. I talked to her briefly today over the phone and she still doesn't want to see anybody but said she is doing well. She is expected to leave the hospital soon but she will need a short period of physical therapy to get used to another amputated toe. She said she was still on oxygen, but my dad says he seems to remember her breathing going almost back to normal right after the surgery.

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I was going to say that you need to speak to her doctors, without her knowledge. She'll have her reasons for not telling you, but you also need to know what's happening. Indy fucked all that up by reminding me of doctor/patient confidentiality. So, for your own mental health you need to gently pressure her to tell you what's happening. If she still doesn't....I'm sorry, man. People need to deal with awful situations in their own way, and that often isn't a logical or conventional way. Hope she recovers soon. 

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My grandmother got diagnosed a few years ago and already had a stent put in. I talked to her briefly today over the phone and she still doesn't want to see anybody but said she is doing well. She is expected to leave the hospital soon but she will need a short period of physical therapy to get used to another amputated toe. She said she was still on oxygen, but my dad says he seems to remember her breathing going almost back to normal right after the surgery.

Glad she opened up a little. Really hope she lets you see her soon. When she gets out, spend as much time as you possibly can with her. Take her for short walks, ask her about her life and learn from her. In 15 years, you'll be glad you did.

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So my mom was officially diagnosed with invasive breast cancer today, it has reached her lymph nodes. She'll be going for MRI, Pet Scan, and a few other things soon. Pet scan will tell us the stage. 

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Rough week for my mom. Monday night was at my girlfriend's for about 10 minutes after dropping my mom off at home from the cancer center where she got two bags of IV. Her face had been turning very red and she was getting very dry red rough patches (drug rash basically) on her skin after starting a new type of chemo since the first kind was giving her neuropathy. The prior week she kept going home from work early because she'd get so dizzy and double vision. RN for the oncologist calls her and tells her get an ambulance or someone to drive her to the emergency room ASAP. Jumped in my car and rushed home, luckily have emergency lights in my car window. Got her and got through rush hour traffic to the hospital because of the lights in roughly 10 minutes.

 

She was put in the critical part of the emergency room where they ran various tests. She was critical on 5 electrolytes on her blood work and was at the beginning stages of kidney failure. 24 hours in the emergency room she finally got a room on the oncology floor of the hospital. She was released Thursday. She went through 12 potassium horse pills, over 10 IV bags of potassium, IV magnesium, IV saline, etc. I spent 22 hours awake Monday night, barely got any sleep all week trying to be by her side as much as possible. Slept in plastic chairs and my car in the hospital parking garage. She's going back tomorrow to see if her electrolyte levels held up, and has an MRI Tuesday to see if the chemo hopefully helped.

 

We've all dealt with a lot of shit, I've had my fair share growing up, but nothing has ever come close to this. You hear of people watching their loved ones go through cancer all the time, it's affected my family before, but my mom is my only parent. It's just her and I. Watching her go through this after a life of struggling, it's so hard. 

 

Never thought I'd be a caretaker, but this is one thing that will make you grow up. Just needed to do a little venting, things get lonely sometimes. I'll post how she does this week. 

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4 hours ago, Brian said:

Rough week for my mom. Monday night was at my girlfriend's for about 10 minutes after dropping my mom off at home from the cancer center where she got two bags of IV. Her face had been turning very red and she was getting very dry red rough patches (drug rash basically) on her skin after starting a new type of chemo since the first kind was giving her neuropathy. The prior week she kept going home from work early because she'd get so dizzy and double vision. RN for the oncologist calls her and tells her get an ambulance or someone to drive her to the emergency room ASAP. Jumped in my car and rushed home, luckily have emergency lights in my car window. Got her and got through rush hour traffic to the hospital because of the lights in roughly 10 minutes.

 

She was put in the critical part of the emergency room where they ran various tests. She was critical on 5 electrolytes on her blood work and was at the beginning stages of kidney failure. 24 hours in the emergency room she finally got a room on the oncology floor of the hospital. She was released Thursday. She went through 12 potassium horse pills, over 10 IV bags of potassium, IV magnesium, IV saline, etc. I spent 22 hours awake Monday night, barely got any sleep all week trying to be by her side as much as possible. Slept in plastic chairs and my car in the hospital parking garage. She's going back tomorrow to see if her electrolyte levels held up, and has an MRI Tuesday to see if the chemo hopefully helped.

 

We've all dealt with a lot of shit, I've had my fair share growing up, but nothing has ever come close to this. You hear of people watching their loved ones go through cancer all the time, it's affected my family before, but my mom is my only parent. It's just her and I. Watching her go through this after a life of struggling, it's so hard. 

 

Never thought I'd be a caretaker, but this is one thing that will make you grow up. Just needed to do a little venting, things get lonely sometimes. I'll post how she does this week. 

Please do keep updating. Stay strong man, shit's fucked but your Mum needs you more than ever. Try to keep her thinking positively. You guys can beat this.  

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My mom's been off chemo for a few months now, tried hormone therapy but all it did was make her puke and stuff. Surgery is set for May 8th, she'll get a double mastectomy and some lymph nodes taken out, and will receive implants and whatever over the course of roughly 10 months between initial surgery, expanders, and final implants. She should be done with everything come March 2018. 

 

I know these surgeries are common, but I've never had to sit and wait while someone went through surgery like that. It'll take 5-8 hours I believe, and obviously with any surgery there are risks.

 

Things have gotten a little easier since she stopped chemo and she isn't so sick anymore, but it's hard watching her cry still. She's scared a lot. Surgery will close in fast, so wish her luck. Will keep posted. 

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If I could give you one piece of advice, Never sit and wait while the surgery is being done. Go off and do what you have to do. I sat and waited 12 hours. It was hell on earth. The other stuff I went about my life and made sure I was there for when my mum got out. It's much better for you.

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This sounds like a joke but my grandmother's boyfriend was moderately mentally healthy, until last Friday when his neighbor went to check on him after she saw him wandering outside in the middle of the night, and he was sitting on his living room floor naked eating paper towels. Could this be from a Xanax overdose? Its the only drug he uses, and he isn't a daily user. He's been in the hospital since Friday with no real improvement, just absolute confusion and fear. I've never seen anything like this in my life.

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I'm really sorry to hear about your moms situation, Brian.

 

Cancer is the evilest. Seeing someone so close to you suffer from it and feeling powerless is just disheartening, infuriating, and overwhelmingly sad.

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