Anyone else having issues logging into Imgur? I keep being asked to "Please fill out a captcha." but I don't see any place to enter the captcha. I've read that others are having similar issues.

@Donica , I stay logged in forever so I can go straight to my page. I haven't had any issues.

Hugs,

Allie

Hey Donica.  Just checking in to make it easier to follow your thread. 

So, just finished a video conference with a vascular surgeon about my ongoing peripheral artery issues in my leg. Basically, the doctor told me, unless the pain is such that you can't get to the bathroom, or your toes are turning black, they don't want to do anything. Risk vs gain, as I am told.

I get it. No sense taking the risk if my leg isn't about to fall off. At least the pain is not near as bad as it was 10 years ago when they did an angioplasty.

Thanks for the Imgur advice @Allie Jayne. That will help once I figure out how to log back in. @REM.1126, thanks for following my thread. Hugs! 

It's been a month or two sense I've visited the She Shed. Things sure get dusty fast. It looks like somebody had a New Years Eve party here. (Sounds of Donica throwing bottles and cans in the trash, running the vacuum cleaner).

That's it for now. More to come once I get the She Shed cleaned up and more presentable for guest

Hug!
Donica

Hey! I'm comfortable in your She Shed! Don't worry about some cushions out of place, and that laundry you need to put away, so long as the old pizza boxes are gone, it's all good!

It sucks about your leg artery, and I wonder if it is really a medical decision to do nothing yet, or a financial decision by your insurance company! We shouldn't have to live in pain so shareholders can profit. I guess that was partly why you had so much trouble with fluid after your GRS?

Anyway, don't worry about your SheShed, just change the background like we do on Zoom!

Hugs,

Allie

Throw up some new drapes and a Mexican blanket on the sofa,it will be fine. Nice to see the shed open

Quote from: Allie Jayne on January 08, 2024, 04:21:09 PMHey! I'm comfortable in your She Shed! Don't worry about some cushions out of place, and that laundry you need to put away, so long as the old pizza boxes are gone, it's all good!

It sucks about your leg artery, and I wonder if it is really a medical decision to do nothing yet, or a financial decision by your insurance company! We shouldn't have to live in pain so shareholders can profit. I guess that was partly why you had so much trouble with fluid after your GRS?

Anyway, don't worry about your SheShed, just change the background like we do on Zoom!

Hugs,

Allie

Ah yes! Cleaning all done, and background changed. Nothing like a little elbow grease to get the blood moving again lol.

To be honest, I think most of the problem with my leg is due to edema, which I believe may have been the result of long-term use of Spironolactone as a T-Blocker. 4 days ago, I doubled my Lasix dose because my leg began to swell again. The swelling is finally beginning to subside. Out with one diuretic, only to start a different one. ugh! At least, I'm told, Lasix is less harmful than spiro.

A quick note to those following in our footsteps, it's up to you and your doctors, but if you are taking spironolactone as a T-blocker, you may want to consider switching to something less harmful. I was warned by a number of medical professionals about its bad side effects from long-term use. Do your research. Talk your doctors. Ask what your options are.

Hugs!
Donica

@Donica
Dear Donica:
I am so very glad that you made it back to Susan's Place after our 1st of the year big CRASH.
... I am also happy to see that your "She Shed" Blog thread has survived.

All of us here on the Forum are scrambling to pick up the pieces and find what we can to get
our Blogs, threads and other postings recovered and put together once again.

The staff has been working overtime plus more overtime to put our site back to a familiar and
good operating condition. 
There are a lot of loose ends that will take a lot more time to fix up, but we are getting there...
... when we are finally done I am thinking that with the addition of some improvements that we
are incorporating that the site will be better than ever.

I will be following your Blog once again now that you were able to get it back up on the Forum.
Please continue to keep your updates coming... the rest of your followers and I will be eagerly
looking for you future postings.

Many HUGS,
Danielle

Just a little update about my post-op life adventures. For the most part, all has been going well. I've been pretty lucky so far, rarely a miss gender, with the exception of a fail every so often on the phone. To be honest, I'm pretty sure most people know I'm trans, but don't care, and are just interested in interacting as they would with anybody else. I've found most folks to be sensible and polite, and many that may not realize I'm trans. I've had my share of gentlemen holding doors open for me, and my share of those oblivious to others around. Being treated as just another human being is a wonderful thing.

I try not to get so hung up on the occasional encounters with the misguided souls, but sometimes these encounters seem to cut deeper than others. I never acknowledge their sarcasms with any more than a smile and go on my way. Not sure why this one has stuck with me so long. About 3 months ago, I was on my way back from the mailbox. There was a young couple admiring what appeared to be a new vehicle they had just purchased, when the male replied loudly in my direction, "Wow! Look at that!", and the female replying loudly, also in my direction, "Ugley!".

I ignored their comments and continued on to my apartment. I'm not sure why this one has stuck with me this long, after all, the couple could have been referring to something else entirely, but at the risk of jumping to my own conclusions, I have to ask, what kind of people would loudly direct such an ugly comment across the street at an elderly person in a retirement community. Anyway, I'm sure I'm overreacting.

People come in all sizes and shapes, and it certainly has been an interesting journey meeting them as the person I am proud to be.

Hugs!
Donica

Quote from: Donica on January 10, 2024, 05:27:17 PMJust a little update about my post-op life adventures. For the most part, all has been going well. I've been pretty lucky so far, rarely a miss gender, with the exception of a fail every so often on the phone. To be honest, I'm pretty sure most people know I'm trans, but don't care, and are just interested in interacting as they would with anybody else. I've found most folks to be sensible and polite, and many that may not realize I'm trans. I've had my share of gentlemen holding doors open for me, and my share of those oblivious to others around. Being treated as just another human being is a wonderful thing.

I try not to get so hung up on the occasional encounters with the misguided souls, but sometimes these encounters seem to cut deeper than others. I never acknowledge their sarcasms with any more than a smile and go on my way. Not sure why this one has stuck with me so long. About 3 months ago, I was on my way back from the mailbox. There was a young couple admiring what appeared to be a new vehicle they had just purchased, when the male replied loudly in my direction, "Wow! Look at that!", and the female replying loudly, also in my direction, "Ugley!".

I ignored their comments and continued on to my apartment. I'm not sure why this one has stuck with me this long, after all, the couple could have been referring to something else entirely, but at the risk of jumping to my own conclusions, I have to ask, what kind of people would loudly direct such an ugly comment across the street at an elderly person in a retirement community. Anyway, I'm sure I'm overreacting.

People come in all sizes and shapes, and it certainly has been an interesting journey meeting them as the person I am proud to be.

Hugs!
Donica

Donica, they clearly demonstrated they had issues, not you! They probably put themselves deep in debt to be seen with a new car as a compensation for their own self doubts. I have a policy never to worry about anything said to me by anyone I don't know and respect. Feel pity for them.

Hugs,

Allie

Quote from: Donica on January 10, 2024, 05:27:17 PMI try not to get so hung up on the occasional encounters with the misguided souls, but sometimes these encounters seem to cut deeper than others. I never acknowledge their sarcasms with any more than a smile and go on my way. Not sure why this one has stuck with me so long. About 3 months ago, I was on my way back from the mailbox. There was a young couple admiring what appeared to be a new vehicle they had just purchased, when the male replied loudly in my direction, "Wow! Look at that!", and the female replying loudly, also in my direction, "Ugley!".

I ignored their comments and continued on to my apartment. I'm not sure why this one has stuck with me this long, after all, the couple could have been referring to something else entirely, but at the risk of jumping to my own conclusions, I have to ask, what kind of people would loudly direct such an ugly comment across the street at an elderly person in a retirement community. Anyway, I'm sure I'm overreacting.

Hugs!
Donica

Donica, just assume they were commenting on the reflection they saw of themselves on the window of their car.

I used to jump to the conclusion that any laugh, giggle, or inaudible comment was something negative directed at me. That's easy to do, especially when I was just starting my journey and was very insecure. Eventually I realized that most people go about their day never really paying attention to those around them, and the odds of any unkind comment actually being aimed at me were exceptionally low. Don't let others live in your mind rent free, especially people you don't know -- they may soil the carpet and steal your drapes!

Just be yourself. If others can't handle it, it's their problem.

Love always -- Jessica Rose

It's just sad.  Folks that try to pull any joy and comfort from others.  To what end?  Platitudes aside, you can choose how to let their prioritized behaviors bother you. 

I finally figured out what was wrong with my Imgur account. The culprit was MS Edge browser. MS Edge has a problem displaying most captcha request. Everything works just fine in Google Chrome.

Not much going on in my life at the moment, except for the usual nasty health issues. Not much of an update other than to let Y'all know I'm still here.

I have posted here before about the trials and tribulations of the apartment building I live in with having so many issues with the hot water boiler failing, and the power going out all the time. So much so I recently invested in a portable power station, and a portable solar panel for backup power. Lucky for me they restored our hot water before I invested in a tankless water heater, small enough to fit under the sink.

So far, the windy season the past few months has been mild enough not to disrupt the city power supply. Still, it's nice to have the peace of mind that I will be able to keep in touch with the outside world in the event of another power outage.

Aside from all the trials and tribulations mentioned above, I am happy with how my post-operative life has been going thus far. I'm finally beginning to feel better all the time and am looking forward to putting the bad health issues behind me so I can enjoy the rest of my life.

P.S. Anybody getting married and in need of a bridesmaid, or perhaps a maid of honor? I have experience! Always a bridesmaid but never a bride lol.

Hugs!
Donica

Quote from: Donica on January 08, 2024, 01:49:24 PMSo, just finished a video conference with a vascular surgeon about my ongoing peripheral artery issues in my leg. Basically, the doctor told me, unless the pain is such that you can't get to the bathroom, or your toes are turning black, they don't want to do anything. Risk vs gain, as I am told.

I get it. No sense taking the risk if my leg isn't about to fall off. At least the pain is not near as bad as it was 10 years ago when they did an angioplasty.

Hug!
Donica

My cardiologist preformed a venous ablation on my right leg some years ago.  Strangely enough, the associated varicosities didn't stay gone.  For me its a pretty constant deep hurt rather than an agonizing pain.  So is it Arterial or Venous?  I wonder if that matters?

Do they have any idea what causes this?

I know that blood sugar affects inflammation in the circulatory system.  Have you tried restricting carbs?

Well,  lets drop it on the table.

I'm in stage 3 renal failure.  A combination of 45 years of hypertension and...wait for it.  You guessed it.  INFLAMATION.  Inflammation caused by elevated glucose.  Priamrily insulin intolerance.  Genetic factors play.   

According to my high dollar nutrtitionist, brought in by my nephrologist, carbs are the culprit.  Keeping it simple ?'cause I'm a simpleton?, glucose causes inflammation.  Carbs, Protiens, and Fats are converted to glucose to be used variously by the body.  The only discriminator is how fast they are converted (Glycemic Index).  Carbs quickly, protiens follow, with fats being the slowest to convert.  In an insulin intolerent sort like me, glucose tumbles around and has no where to go, can't be used.  Kidneys try to filter it out, exacerbating inflammation which closes off the tubules and causes scar tissue formation in response, never to recover.  In the kidneys, where these are blocked by scar tissue, the resultant degradation in filtration capacity hieghtens other blood chemistry contents and components.  Results?  Reduced GFR. 

GFR is the filtration efficiency measurement.  Dr. says, once lost to scarring, tubules do not repair.  They'll be idle for ever.

So how do you treat it?  Lower carb and caloric density of intake.  Increase water to at least an ounce per kilo of body weight spread over the day.  Result?  In four years I've stalled the GFR degredation.

Thank you for your replies @D'Amalie and @REM.1126.

The issue with my leg is from an ongoing peripheral artery disease, due to high LDL cholesterol. It seems I was the only offspring of 3, to inherit my father's (and his whole family) cardiovascular/peripheral artery disease.

@D'Amalie, I'm sorry to hear of your struggle with stage 3 renal failure. My daughter has struggled with total renal failure for most of her life. She is a kidney transplant recipient. Sadly, her transplant failed as well, so, she has been living with dialysis for most of her life.

These things sure make a mess of life, but we do the best we can. Did you know Halle Barry has suffered from total renal failure from an early age? One day, (pharma greed permitting) they will come up with a simple pill that will end all these diseases.

Hugs!
Donica

Wow! Going back and reading this blog from the beginning, I realize just how bad my spelling and grammar was. Not that it's much better today, but it shows how little proofreading I did back then. Hard to believe I was a professional coder. The syntax must be correct, or it doesn't work. My OCD is killing me lol. Oh Well, it shows growth.

Donica

Good afternoon SP family! The rain has left the area for about a week now. We're finally beginning to dry out. They've always said, California may one day slide off into the Pacific Ocean, but honestly, I think the cause will be from mudslides, rather than the infamous San Andreas fault. Yet another series of storms heading this way next weekend. UGH!

A month ago, my doctor prescribed Spiriva to help control my COPD. I'm feeling soooo much better. All I need now is for my vascular surgeon to fix my leg, and I'll be back shopping with my girlfriends again. Mommy wants a new pair of shoes... and a cute dress to go with them . That's all for now. Hope you all are having a wonderful Super Bowl weekend. It's all about the dip .

Hugs!
Donica