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@Gary, That's awful. I really hope they find something at Mayo so the cause of your wife's suffering can be found and mitigated.
 
Was the inner ear thing Meniere's disease? Or something else? Sometimes the tests don't show when something is wrong. Keep in mind there are parameters for things so she might be within normal parameters but still high or low within those parameters. Sometimes the doctors just miss stuff. I had Mono and the ENT in Guam didn't recognize it (but then, he didn't do blood tests). I didn't get diagnosed until years later when a doctor looked at blood results and saw the virus in my system. I wasn't nearly as bad off as your wife, but I was really sick for several months & wasn't getting diagnosed or treated. It really sucks & I know that on top of feeling physically ill, it can make her mentally/emotionally frustrating. And I know it's stressful for you as well.
 
Just got a call from my friend that the other friend who was supposed to come cut the weeds at my house just had a massive house fire. Said he got the kids all out, turned around to go get the pets but the roof collapsed. Still waiting to hear more & find out if everyone got out safely. The guy was just getting back on his feet after a bunch of setbacks.

In non-depressing news, I got the washers on the pet door and secured things. Trimmed 2 of the bolts but battery ran low so it's charging before I hit the other two. I hadn't realized just how much I'd ground down the metal cutting dremel blade until I compared it with a fresh one-- it's significantly smaller. No wonder it started having trouble cutting. LOL. I'll have to remember to take a picture later.
petdr-bolts1.jpg petdr-bolts2.jpg petdr-bolts3.jpg petdr-clamp1.jpg petdr-outerside.jpg petdr-outerside2.jpg petdr-scratches1.jpg

Once my Dremel battery is charged I'll knock off the other 2 bolts & put tape over them. Then I'll caulk around the pet door on both sides.
 
"Was the inner ear thing Meniere's disease? Or something else?"

It turned out to be nothing. The diagnosis was an 11th hour "guess" by the gastroenterologist. When we went to the specialist they did a bunch of tests and said it's definitely not anything with the inner ear. He said even the symptoms don't align with his diagnosis. Reading between the lines, I took that to mean the gastroenterologist maybe should stay within his field of expertise. We have one other local doctor, a general surgeon, who's done surgery on me in the past, and is very sharp. Since we're waiting on an appointment at Mayo, we're going to give him a shot. Anything is worth a try at this point.
BTW, Mayo came back with an appointment date of March. They said to call every day in case there's a cancellation. We'll do that, but we're also sending out her history and referrals to other hospitals. Whoever gets her in first, that's where we'll go.
 
Oops, I meant to ask if Meniere's disease is what they suspected it was. I know it's incredibly frustrating for you & time is of the essence. March? That is way too far away. I really hope someone will figure something out soon.
I got some Pedialyte for my elderly dog but I don't know how much longer she's going to survive. When I was helping her stand earlier I felt a large soft lump. Inside the lump was a small hard lump. Either it's something encapsulated or it's cancer. Given her weight-loss I'm betting it's cancer. She just finished a round of antibiotics & she's still very weak. My mother wants me to have her put down but she still eats, drinks, and gets up. I brushed her & spent some time petting her and made sure she got more fluids today. She drank the Pedialyte without a problem.
I got the bolts trimmed, tape put on, caps put over the holes, etc. It dropped to 32 degrees so I decided to wait on the caulking until tomorrow during daytime when it will be warmer. I still need to pick up paint and primer.
I need to sand some marks on the pet door frame from when I slipped with the Dremel but it looks decent to me (I posted pics in my thread about the rotted door).
 
"How about Cleveland Clinic?"

Any hospital that can get her in is on the list. We'll just keep calling. But, they have to be on our insurance plan.
 
The having to be on the insurance is a major pain. In the past my mother had to fight with her insurance over them saying they wouldn't cover something because the hospital she went to was "preferred" but the doctor in that hospital that saw her was not on their list. She's successfully argued that if the hospital itself is preferred & that is the doctor they have available & provide for her, she doesn't get to pick & doesn't know ahead of time if he's on their list & she shouldn't be penalized over it-- especially when any doctor in that hospital *should* be covered. They will find any way they can to not pay for stuff & just expect people to not argue with them.

I've been taking care of my dog today. The pedialyte seems to have improved her appetite but she's still very weak. I've found if I mix the pedialyte with warm water she likes it better- she seems to want something warm to drink. I gave her a hot dog (sans bun), some dog biscuits, a large can of wet dog food, and some rotisserie chicken today. She hasn't bee going in to the kitchen at all the past few days. Normally she gets up and wanders around the kitchen, eating cat food, and drinking water from the large waterer near the hallway. I think I've got it worked out that when she doesn't want food or water she wants to stand up so I set her on her feet and stay with her to steady her. I've been brushing her and spending more time with her every day. I'm fairly certain if I take her to the vet they'll just want to put her down & she doesn't seem ready to give up yet. It was easier with our other dog who just gave up. She was so exhausted from the cancer that she wouldn't even try to lift her head or move anymore so we knew it was time. I'm gong to talk to the vet and see if he can send me something to give her for pain to make her more comfortable.

I caulked around the pet door today & took pictures. I'm charging my phone's battery before I turn it on and upload them. The battery has been draining rapidly for no apparent reason. I suspect it's something in the phone's programming to try to force me to upgrade to a newer phone.
 
The having to be on the insurance is a major pain. In the past my mother had to fight with her insurance over them saying they wouldn't cover something because the hospital she went to was "preferred" but the doctor in that hospital that saw her was not on their list. She's successfully argued that if the hospital itself is preferred & that is the doctor they have available & provide for her, she doesn't get to pick & doesn't know ahead of time if he's on their list & she shouldn't be penalized over it-- especially when any doctor in that hospital *should* be covered. They will find any way they can to not pay for stuff & just expect people to not argue with them.

I've been taking care of my dog today. The pedialyte seems to have improved her appetite but she's still very weak. I've found if I mix the pedialyte with warm water she likes it better- she seems to want something warm to drink. I gave her a hot dog (sans bun), some dog biscuits, a large can of wet dog food, and some rotisserie chicken today. She hasn't bee going in to the kitchen at all the past few days. Normally she gets up and wanders around the kitchen, eating cat food, and drinking water from the large waterer near the hallway. I think I've got it worked out that when she doesn't want food or water she wants to stand up so I set her on her feet and stay with her to steady her. I've been brushing her and spending more time with her every day. I'm fairly certain if I take her to the vet they'll just want to put her down & she doesn't seem ready to give up yet. It was easier with our other dog who just gave up. She was so exhausted from the cancer that she wouldn't even try to lift her head or move anymore so we knew it was time. I'm gong to talk to the vet and see if he can send me something to give her for pain to make her more comfortable.

I caulked around the pet door today & took pictures. I'm charging my phone's battery before I turn it on and upload them. The battery has been draining rapidly for no apparent reason. I suspect it's something in the phone's programming to try to force me to upgrade to a newer phone.

Cat food can be deadly for a dog, try to put it up where she cant get to it. I have this struggle with my mom from time to time, she puts it where my dogs can get to it and it makes me angry. One of my babes has seizures, he doesnt need any added problems.
 
That's a nice canoe rack Flyover. Anxiously waiting to see it loaded with the canoe.

My wife is still nauseous, this coming Monday will be 7 weeks now. She's lost somewhere between 35-40 Lbs. to date and getting weaker by the day. Just getting up for the restroom (20 ft. trip each way). wipes her out. She has to take a break to get the energy to return to her recliner. Then her nausea is stirred up until she can settle back down. Her day consists of eating what she can early in the day, when she feels better. A meal is usually 2-3 bites then she feels full. Then she lays very still so she can digest the food, before getting sick later in the day and at night. So, she sleeps when she can. A little good news, she's had a couple full nights of sleep here and there lately. She's on anti-nausea medication, without it she would be in worse shape.
Thursday we sent her files to Mayo Clinic and are waiting for them to process her request for an appointment. The waiting list is long, but they get people in quicker if there's a need. The doctors here sent referral letters explaining the dire situation she's in, we're hoping that will help expedite her case. It's been suggested to just go and they would take her in. If we were closer we might try that, but since it's a 7 hour trip we don't want to go, then get stranded there because we cant't get an appointment right away. Cheryl isn't in a position physically to go through something like that. So, we're waiting by the phone, answering phone questions by all involved as they process her request. We're praying the doctors on our end can convey to the doctors in MN just how critical her situation is and get her in sooner rather than later. Not much we can do but wait at this point. I've changed the oil and gassed up the car. Cheryl is on temporary disability and I've told my regular customers why I may not be available if they call. We can be gone in a matter of a few minutes if we get the call.


Gary, Is she diabetic? Have they done EGDM Colonoscopy? Small bowel follow through? Gastric Emptying study? Have they looked at her mesenteric artery with contrast and a cat scan?
It's terrible that she is feeling so bad and has no answers. I hope and pray that you either get into Mayo or the Cleveland Clinic, What about UK? This has to be frustrating to you both, I am so very sorry.
 
Not diabetic, not pregnant, not a weed smoker, yup, they asked. We've gone through tests multiple times a week for 8 1/2 weeks now, including the ones you mentioned and several more. We do have a new doctor in the area, with a new test that duplicates a test already done, but using a different method. He also gave her a new prescription that not only helps with nausea, but is supposed to help her stomach work better. We're hoping the new perspective will bring better results. It looks promising now, but we've had our hopes up going into each of the tests so far, only to be let down. So, this time we're just doing our best to take it in stride and keep looking for other hospitals. This new test is scheduled for the Friday after Christmas. Very early in the morning, as they are "working her into" the schedule. For that we are grateful. We have 2 appointments scheduled out of the area, one in late January and another in early March, that we'll continue to pursue, hoping they get a cancelation and can move her appointment up. Hopefully it's over long before those dates.
 
Shan2themax, the problem with cat food is the high fat content. Cats need more fat than dogs do & the fat is bad for the dogs. Dogs can get away with eating it from time to time but it shouldn't be their main diet. The dog didn't eat a lot of it, but at this point the vet said it's ok if she eats a little cat food so long as she's eating something & it might help her put on a little weight. She has gained back a little bit of weight, but she's still super skinny. She hasn't had any cat food this week since she hasn't gone into the kitchen. I've started heating her food up to make it more appealing. I've also been warming up the water for her because she prefers everything a little warm. She hasn't finished her canned food from this morning yet so I've been adding warm water to get her to eat more and making sure she's staying hydrated. I might pick up some cans of the "critical care" pet food at the vet's office to mix with her usual stuff.
Gary, I truly hope the new medicine works & that maybe the tests will reveal something so the doctors can act on it.
It got below freezing last night & I left my door open so the cats could pile on. I had at least 7 cats and 1 dog with me. It's been fairly cold all day so some of the cats decided to stay in my room on my bed. I've got 6 of them in here with me right now. I'm hoping to go to Alexandria tomorrow to stock up on stuff.
 
I'm sure you've already looked into it @Gary, but just in case you haven't it's worth mentioning: in a lot of cases if you go out of network and then send the bill to your insurance company with an accompanying letter explaining why you had to go out of network, they'll adjust it as if it's in network. Especially if you do this through your employer's dedicated insurance broker (if you have one).
 
Speaking of weed, if you can get hold of some, especially medical grade edible type, it will likely reduce her nausea AND increase her appetite.
And help with mood.
Start with a small portion.

Or just a half a puff of anything smokeable nowadays should really help.

It’s worth a try, if you have a discreet source, depending on your local laws.

It won’t fix whatever is wrong, but it will let her stay nourished and better rested while the real problem is diagnosed.
 
Weed is the first thing every doctor has asked her about, saying weed and pregnancy are the 2 leading causes of chronic cyclic nausea.
 
Doctors might be under legal/political pressure to downplay or deny the medicinal uses of cannabis, especially for treating nausea, but I believe these uses are by now quite well-known.
 
Finally installed the joist-mounted pullup bar I bought at an auction. It was missing a part so I had to get that from the manufacturer (a one-man company, I guess) who gave me the impression over our many confused email exchanges that part of his brain was missing or something. But I finally got that part, followed the instructions, and there it is in my garage ready to use. It was a pain, but it's done. Now my neighbors don't have to think an insane man lives nearby by doing pullups on the branches of trees in my backyard anymore.

Once the average daily temperature gets back above 45˚ I swear I'm going to start working out consistently again!
 
Gary, I'm still sending good vibes your way & hoping the tests will reveal something useful.

Jeff, I think there are places that sell something called CBD oil & various products legally & I think they are related to marijuana but don't really know much about them. Would that be the kind of stuff for them to look at?

My dog actually managed to get up and walk in to the kitchen-- I know because she left me a trail of brown "gifts". She wouldn't eat as much today & I was out of town for several hours. I just gave her some rotisserie chicken mixed with pedialyte. I had to get more pedialyte bc I ran out.

Mom forgot her cane somehow when we went to Alexandria so I had to let her hold on to me when she walked. Couldn't find a working riding cart at Sam's so she actually walked & leaned on an empty shopping cart. I pushed the cart that was full of 6 cases of water, 3 bags of cat food, and 2 bags of prunes. We ate at an Italian place for a change-- service was great but food was just OK & overpriced. We went to HomeDepot to get paint and fortunately the employee who mixes paint was actually there & was very nice. She was patient while I was trying to pull up the info on my phone & said her phone has been nagging her to upgrade too. She wrote down the numbers & mixed the paint for me while I went to get another riding cart for Mom (the one she had died on her in the middle of aisle 35). The new one was dying when we were going through checkout so I had to push it to get her back to the truck. I decided to be nice and return it but I had to put my foot on the ground and propel it to get it to move. It beeped incessantly when I turned it off to announce that it was low battery. I told it to shut up while I plugged it in.

It was about 45° when we got home. I left most of the stuff in the truck bc it was too cold and dark to mess with it 'til morning.
 
I think CBD is more for pain, or inflammation.
Not sure exactly.

The real deal is better for stimulating appetite and for fighting nausea.

I live in Illinois.
Medical marijuana is already legal, recreational will be legal Jan 1st.
 

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