I am a curious person and I definitely want to know details. So, I went to the pharmacy to pick up my Fosomax and I had a talk with Frank, my pharmacist. Pharmacists stay on top of medicines more than doctors do. He had all the scoop too. I told him I was Stage 3 osteoporosis and he told me I HAD to take the medicine. He said the bit about the medicine causing fractures is just a warning they put on the medicine because of lawsuits. He said some people get a fracture after not taking it very long or not taking it properly. He did print out a sheet of facts for me and highlighted the things I need to watch for. I told him the doc said if I fall I could break my hip. Frank said..."Sam, you don't have to fall. If it's brittle enough it can break when you're just standing there." See, it is worse than I thought! Whoa Nellie!!!
So, I start the medicine tomorrow morning....once a week and I pray I don't break anything. I also decided to order one of those "life alert" type monitors. It cost $50 and then it's $40 a month but well worth it since I live alone and I don't carry my phone with me around the house. This monitor even detects falls like if I would break my hip I wouldn't be able to get to the phone. They check up on you and if necessary call for help. I used to joke about the ads that would say "help, I've fallen and I can't get up".....now I know why....they probably broke their hip! I could lay there for hours or more before anyone would find me. It arrives Friday....I can't wait!
I did walk this morning, and I did some trimming outside before it got hot. I did some laundry, packed up stuff for the thrift store and got the garbage out to the street. I worked on the porch this afternoon.
Yesterday I worked on Patriotic Chickens and I am still organizing floss. I thought I'd be done with both by now but I am a very slow person and I take a lot of breaks when the back starts hurting.
This is Melissa's design (PinkerandPunkin) and it is free on her website....she is so generous and her designs are the cutest! A few more chickens and flags and she will be done.
8 comments:
Good afternoon, Sam . It is a good thing that you talked to the pharmacist and learned more about the medication .Getting a life alert button is a good idea as well even for peace of mind . Your stitch is looking fabulous. It just warms my heart to see it. I can not thank you enough for adding it to your stitching list. Hugs.
Hi Sam. Poor Bill. I think he may have a bit of a complex or something. :-)
I'm so glad you talked to Frank about the medicine. You sure don't want to mess with that. I've found too, that they know much more than the doctors do about the medicines. I was given steriods a couple of years ago, after I got my pacemaker and after being diagnosed with tachycardia. Well, I got them filled and boy oh boy, tachycardia kicked in and I thought my heart was going to burst from my chest. I called the pharmacist and they said STOP. Do not ever take them again! Yikes.
We had one of those monitors for Mom when she was in the house. Although she never needed it, it sure gave us peace of mind to know she had it just in case.
When are you planning your big move up here closer to Amy. I'd sure love knowing that you are closer to her. (Just a loving nudge, no pressure.) LoL
Blessings and love,
Betsy
Always good to have a second opinion and I hope you are able to tolerate the medicine. Getting the life alert is a smart idea. I love your little patriotic chickens. Melisa shares the cutest designs.
I hope the med works for you. Good that you got an alert thing...now wear it! My Mom had one and she kept taking it off. :)
I wish you were still posting in the YOP group, I keep forgetting to search for your blog as I don’t seem to get emails for your posts. Sorry to hear about your health issues and hope you feel better soon
Oh Sam. You certainly have had some rotten news lately about your health. But as long as you feel good and can still do for yourself, then, I call that a win. We had to remove all scatter rugs in our house because of fall risks and me taking blood thinners. This old age stuff should be called the brass years and not the golden years lol. The life alert device is an excellent idea. Living alone can pose issues like you mentioned. Do you have neighbors that cam give you a call every day or so just to check on you too? Maybe a group of older neighbors could form a wellness call group? Just some ideas.
I think a life alert monitor is a great idea for you, Sam. With a recent diagnosis of osteoporosis, I can so relate to some of what you've written. For a couple of weeks or so after my diagnosis, I walked around feeling fragile. Scared I was going to break my back. I'm not in that mindset anymore, but I do look at certain activities differently now. I have been thankful for information I have found online to deal with this - as I have found the medical community to be lacking in giving great advice for this condition.
Thanks for sharing your experience. A second opinion by someone who understands the medication was a great idea. I am sure he wouldn't have recommended it too unless you really will benefit from it.
I think the monitor is a better safe than sorry! Great idea. If you had people running in and out of your house all day and night it would be one thing. But being by yourself, you just know your phone would be an inch out of your reach. Hoping all goes well with the new med and you are feeling more relaxed and safe soon.
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