It never ends

[artme]

Just when I was on the mend and things were looking up this happens:

LOML has severe Osteo Arthritis in the right foot and needs an operation

Our son has been diagnosed with a leaking bicuspid valve in his heart. It should be a tricuspid valve but was not properly formed. He also has a possible hole in the heart.

Me? Cancer man took a slab of skin from my back. Didn't like the history of it or the look. Sent it off to pathology. Now have a stitched back and can't do anything strenuous for a week.

Is this karma? I must have been a bad egg before.

[Ironwood]

When it rains it pours, thats for sure.

I hope it all turns out allright for you and yours, and things start looking up.

All the best.

[Batpig]

Dear Artme,

Hang in there Old Stick! If it's of any consolation at all, be assured that there's a surprising number of similarly heartbreaking cases going on out there. Thinking that it might console you to list a few that I knew of, I started typing but ended up stopping again after several lines because by the time you include all of the cancer-cases that you know about; all of the marital-splits, separations, and divorces; all of the children with serious conditions and diagnosed syndromes; all of the kids that are coming off the rails and breaking their parents' hearts; all of the onsetting cases of Dementia; and all of the Coronaries, etc, then the list was just going to go on and on and on and on. So I stopped short. But...

Don't believe the TV ads with all of the happy young beautiful people smiling and having fun in them - that world doesn't actually exist out there in reality for many people at all, Nosiree! They're all just by-and-large bouncing around from one disaster to another - some brought on by themselves, some unforseen. There's a forumite around here somewhere who has a little catchphrase after his Sig that reads something like "The trouble with life is that there's no background music..." How sad but true. Life is truly just one problem after another once you enter the adult world. But one particular silver lining that I've seen on a few grey clouds here and there is that the sufferings can bring you closer to those you love, and that you don't have to be out there "Slappin' Backs" in order to be quietly experiencing the things in life that truly matter...

So, Chin Up Old Chap! I'll try to remember you in at least one set of the apparently useless prayers that I say in bed each morning in-between gasps of pain as I try to roll around without hurting my at-the-moment fractured Rib!

Best Wishes,
Batpig.

[artme]

Thanks fellas. I'm not really complaining - Just extremely peeved that all of this gets in the way o what I want,and have, to do.Bloody frustrating beyond belief.

As I've said before, thank God for friends like Munruben and our ex neighbours. Ex neighbour came in yesterday and whippersnipped, mowed, blew, vacuumed and totally sorted the garden. Place looks a million bucks and all I could do was say ''thank you" with tears in my eyes.

[rsser]

That's a nice silver lining Artme.

Well, you've had your trifecta of bad luck. And the stock market has gone up recently ;-}

BTW, if you want to read about our health care system, check out two books by a former Melb. surgeon. The First Cut, and The Patient. Real eye-openers. But save them for when you're feeling 100%.

[artme]

Thanks rsser!

Things have started to pick up a bit. I use the liquid dynamite less frequently, the wife is still hobbling but Cortisone injections to the foot have helped there, and the boy is still full of fight.

Got into the sed for a couple of short spells and turned a few pens. Have to get Munruben to help with photography and posting _ again!

[artme]

Well, haven't had to use the liquid dynamite for 8 days!!

Strange Mole on my back has tested as benign.

Wife has decided to have torn meniscus in right knee operated on and keep up cortisone injections on right foot.

Son is still in denial.

[Calm]

Look at it this way arthur - bad things come in 3's so seeing as you mentioned 3 bad things youcan now expect the good stuff to turn up anyday soon

Cheers and hope all the others gets better real soon.

[artme]

Thanks Dave!!

[Ed Reiss]

Art...know that you and yours are in our thoughts and prayers mate.

...and that you shouldn't feel like the "lone Ranger"...Ann was just diagnosed with a tumor in her right eye. The biopsy was done today at Wills Eye Hospital in Philly. Should find out by Friday if it is benign or not...then the method of treatment will be determined.
Scary time, yes....but if we all stick together and talk about our problems things seem better because we have support from one another.

[rsser]

Hang in there Artme.

As for your son, well, seems he'll have to experience the downside of his condition before accepting it. After a certain age there's no telling them.

[artme]

Thanks Ed and Ern, very much appreciated words indeed.

Ed, I certainly hope that your Ann will be fine and my thoughts are with you both.

[ian]

Our son has been diagnosed with a leaking bicuspid valve in his heart. It should be a tricuspid valve but was not properly formed. He also has a possible hole in the heart.

this is not something to really worry about.

My father has one of those bicuspid valves plus the leaky heart (either a small hole or a leaky valve) and he's 87 !

from memory, around 1 in 20 people have a bicuspid heart valve and there is no data on the incidence of non-life threatening holes in the heart because there has been no large scale population wide study



ian

[artme]

Our son has been diagnosed with a leaking bicuspid valve in his heart. It should be a tricuspid valve but was not properly formed. He also has a possible hole in the heart.

this is not something to really worry about.

My father has one of those bicuspid valves plus the leaky heart (either a small hole or a leaky valve) and he's 87 !

from memory, around 1 in 20 people have a bicuspid heart valve and there is no data on the incidence of non-life threatening holes in the heart because there has been no large scale population wide study
ian

Thanks Ian. The reasons LOML and I are worried are:

#wife had hole in the heart (PFO) that was detected in her forties.It had started causing problems and was eventually closed. Her health is much better and the migraines she suffered from have disappeared. PFOs are related to Migraines

# Son gets debilitating migraines. This is not good for someone just starting their working life
.
#The silly bugger smokes, depite warnings from the cardiologist and all the info relating to the effects of this filthy habit on coronary artery disease.

#Dental health effects heart health, and while he has wonder teeth he will need, every time he has dental work, to take anti biotics.

Oh that life were simpler!!