SCARY FAINTING EPISODE

OLIVENE GODFREY

I wrote last week of my colon distress after eating rye bread. And then last Wednesday morning,I had a scary fainting episode while preparing my breakfast. Son Barry was about to leave for work when I felt faint. Suddenly, I knew I was about to faint and I called out to Barry and then fainted. He was able to catch me as I fainted and kept me from falling onto the floor. After I was revived, Barry fixed me a bowl of oatmeal. Then, after taking it easy for awhile,I was all right but shaken.

That night I had a panic attack as I thought of what could have happened to me if I had been alone when I fainted. My heart started racing and I tried deep breathing , or belly breathing, for about five minutes until I was calmed down enough to sleep.

The next day, I started having abdominal pain, gas, bloat and diarrhea. Barry did some research on the Internet and printed out several pages on wheat allergies and gluten. My family doctor and GI doctor have told me in the past that one of these might be causing my distress. The info said if you think you might have wheat or gluten you can get proof by doing the Detection Diet. The treatment is simple, a gluten free diet and some people who have suffered from years improve dramatically within two weeks.

Barry pointed out that I have always been able to tolerate oatmeal. And the printed info says that some people with wheat allergies are not gluten intolerant and can eat oats and barley.
So, I am watching my diet to see if my condition improves. If not, I will consult my doctor again. Some of you may remember that I had a similar episode about a year ago and had a battery of tests and nothing was found that could have caused my problems. So, it is frustrating and painful for me.

I didn't leave the house this past weekend. And, Barry had a three day weekend and stayed busy running errands and doing some plumbing jobs in the bathrooms and some cleaning jobs that don't have to be done every week. Yes, I know I am lucky to have a Mr. Fix-It in the house. I always have been as my late husband could fix most anything.

Se you next time.

REFLECTIONS ON A BAD WEEK

By OLIVENE GODFREY

Following about a month of feeling chipper, I was under the weather last week and I am grateful that I am feeling better now. I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and all medical advice I have received over the years has been, "EAT MORE FIBER!".
When I try to explain that too much fiber not only works like a laxative to me but causes colon distress,the words fall on deaf ears. So, I try to watch my diet and avoid foods that cause my IBS to act up.

Sometimes I don't do enough research before eating a food. I have known for years that even one slice of whole wheat bread will trigger an IBS attack. So, I don't eat the bread even though I like it. I do enjoy eating sandwiches sometimes and I know that Rye bread is popular for sandwiches in the U.S. Like whole wheat bread, I had eaten the bread often when I was younger with no problems. So, I told son Barry to buy a loaf of Rye bread for me. I ate several sandwiches with the delicious bread in a few days. And, out of the blue, I had a humdinger of an IBS attack. The only new food I had eaten was the Rye bread.
Barry did some research on the Internet and we discovered that Rye bread is higher in fiber that many common types of bread. So, I won't be enjoying Rye bread again. Then, to top off the miserable week, I had a problem with my high blood pressure. My doctor says my blood pressure fluctuates,
rising and falling, according to my emotional state. And when my blood pressure drops quickly, I feel faint. About a year ago I fainted and fell and was rushed to the hospital via ambulance. I had a battery of tests which showed no broken bones. The lab work did reveal that I had anemia and low sodium. I hope those ailments are under control now. Last Sunday night, I was taking a shower and felt faint and I am grateful that I was able to avoid falling. As I write this, I am feeling much better and hope and pray, I will feel chipper again soon.

I was able to keep a dental appointment for cleaning and x-rays last week and am pleased that I received a good report from the dentist. I don't need to return for six months unless I have a toothache, heaven forbid!

Our crape myrtle bush which was planted in memory of my late mother, is in full bloom and is gorgeous. My mother had a green thumb and I hope she can look down from heaven and see the bush.
Thanks again to my sister-in- law, Joyce, for giving me the bush when Mother died eight years ago.

See you next time.

LOVE NEW MATTRESS & ON WILD FLOWERS & EXERCISE

By OLIVENE GODFREY

In my last column (Sunday, 7/6/08)), I told you about buying a new mattress for my bed. It has been delivered and so far I love it. I have slept soundly and comfortable on it and hope the mattress will "cure" my insomnia.

In the same column, I told you about the celebrations we had in the past for my late mother's birthdays. And, I realize now that I neglected to tell you that Mother's birthday was July 4th which may have been confusing to readers. (I need an editor.)

Son Barry planted wild flower seeds in a large patio container in the spring. The predominant flowers are a deep pink tubular
shape and bloom only at dusk and at night and early morning.
During the bloom time a tiny humming bird sips nectar from the blossoms. We are unfamiliar with the flower and enjoy watching the humming bird feast on the blooms as well as on the big impatient and geranium plants.

Since Barry was a teenager, he lifted weights for exercise and he also rode his bicycle before our road became unsafe for bikers. Awhile back, Barry decided to give up weight lifting as he was having problems with his arthritis and working long hours. Soon, he began to feel "out of shape", he said, and he started using my stationery bike in my office. I can't use it now because of my balance problems. Now he says that he is feeling much better. He also gives credit to the supplements "glucosamine, chondroitin and “MSM” and Omega 3-6-9(flax, fish and borage oils). Barry and I can both testify that these supplements really help our joints and the fish oils also help our hearts and skin care.

I still do my balance exercises that a physical therapist taught me three years ago when I fell and broke my right arm and shoulder. Almost every women's magazine has articles about exercises with slender models illustrating exercises I could never do. Awhile back, I read an article with illustrations of exercises that I can do and they have been helping me with being "regular" as well as other things. Incidentally, I can still bend over and touch my toes at 80 which seems to impress Barry.

See you next time

BEING EXCITED ABOUT NEW MATTRESS FOR MY BED

By OLIVENE GODFREY

I never thought I could get excited about a new mattress for my bed but it has happened. I spoke to son Barry about my excitement and he said, "There comes a time in life when a good night's sleep is cause for excitement." And, I guess that explains it for me.

This came about after I received my U.S. "stimulus" check in the mail. Our government wants us to spend the money. I thought of several things I needed to spend the money on but my insomnia and an old mattress zoomed to the top of the list. Barry had Thursday and Friday off of work for the July 4th holiday and he drove through horrendous traffic to take me to a mattress outlet store in nearby Dalton on Thursday. The showroom was filled with good-looking mattresses for all bed sizes. I needed a full size mattress and matching box springs. After testing some of the mattresses, I chose a Serta which is not too soft or firm. I could have had it delivered on the 4th but I wanted a low foundation and it will be delivered in a few days.

The salesman and printed info explained that mattresses today are six to eighteen inches thicker and have generous amounts of luxurious padding. They say that after sleeping on your new mattress, you'll notice an indentation where your body slept. This is called a "body impression" and aren't defects but it means that your mattress is doing what it was designed to do. If you haven't bought a mattress in a number of years, you may be surprised at the cost of them now. But, the mattresses at the outlet store were all on sale at half-price. And, with my stimulus check, the total price for my mattresses was reasonable. I am eagerly looking forward to sleeping on the new mattress and will report later how I like it.

While Barry and I were in Dalton, we went to the mall and ate an early lunch at the Chick-Fil-A and went to MasterCuts and got quick haircuts. It was a very hot July day and while I was in air-conditioning most of the time, I felt too warm the rest of the day. (Maybe it was the excitement.)

Our July 4th holiday was a quiet day at home and for supper Barry grilled hamburgers and the trimmings. We thought of the celebrations we had in the past when we hosted a family cookout and birthday party for my late mother on her birthday.
I've told you before that my late husband's brother, Ray, and his wife,Joyce, gave us a check to buy a plant for our yard in memory of Mother. We chose a crape myrtle plant and it blooms either on the 4th of July or around then which makes the crape myrtle even more special.

See you next time.