My insatiable curiousity: Vortex, how much did all that weigh? Are they dense or, I dunno, spongy? You must feel immensely better now!

I don't know! I wish I knew. Another fun medical fact -- I lost SIX POUNDS with my bowel prep.

Vortex, you must feel so much better with all of that out of you.

well, yes and no. Right now, I'm still so damned bloated that I can't even feel any discomfort from the surgery. BTW, thanks to everyone for the suggestions, but unfortunately, having the incisions on my stomach makes the yoga stretches impossible. And "waiting to fart" is simply an impossibility, no matter what's going on.

Good lord, Vortex! And that's not the first time you've had it done, so ...double eek!

there were fewer last time, I think.

Damn, Vortex-- I'm somehow glad they didn't show me mine when they took the girl parts out. Here's to feeling less bloated soonish.

Well, I'm chugging the ginger ale and belching up a storm. Unfortunately, relief is only fleeting. If I don't feel better tomorrow, I will walk down to the corner bodega and pay usurious prices for some baking soda.

Should I go on and take a different antihistamine?

Antihistamines work differently for everyone. Several of the newer, more expensive, antihistamines have the same effect on me as Tylenol, i.e., none at all. This is not medically sound, but my theory is that as long as you're producing histamines, you can take antihistamines. You could try another type or increase the dose of what you're taking.

I'm not sure if you want to ask someone to do this, but can you find a way to pat your back? Almost like you'd burp a baby? Or maybe tap your back against a wall?

Vortex, have you taken an actual anti-gas medication like Gas-X?

No, but I might have to break down and do it. I try to avoid meds when I can, but this is really uncomfortable.

I try to avoid meds when I can

Simethicone isn't absorbed by the body, so it's probably safer than baking soda. It just changes the characteristics of the gas bubbles.

Gas-X is god.

I have an honest-to-god 2-day, stabbed-in-the-eye-with-an-ice-pick migraine. It's the first one in 2 months (since the acupuncture) that hasn't responded to drugs within a few hours. It started within 12 hours of starting the antibiotic for the sinus infection, so I'm going to chalk it up to that, especially since the Z-pak has a notably high rate of headache as a side effect. But Jesus God, I really did forget what they were like.

Finally (to bury the lede), my aunt (my Dad's sister) had a stroke Monday and my dad just told me today. She's in the hospital, but seems to have not had any neurological deficits in the way of motor skills, one-sided weakness/facial drooping, or speech problems. Which is good. HOWEVER, her carotid artery has an 85% blockage, and the doctor said that they consider a 70% blockage to be Oh Holy Shit time. So they need to open that up ASAP. HOWEVER again, she has a lot of blood clots in her head/neck veins (and probably elsewhere, but the CT scan was just of her head/neck), and they need to dissolve the clots before they can open up the blockage, so that they don't dislodge a clot when they operate. And the problem there is that dissolving the clots takes time, and they really don't want to wait on opening the blockage.

So, shit. As of this evening, the doctors started her on heparin, which is an anticoagulant and will dissolve clots. I don't know how long they'll wait before opening up the carotid blockage.

My dad sounded *really* stressed and shaken, which is VERY unlike him. The man is mellow under the worst of conditions; he didn't even sound like this when my Uncle Steve died last September or my Uncle Dutch died in the spring. I think the cumulative stress has gotten to him, quite understandably.

*I* am trying to not list all the shit upon shit that has happened in my life since late July of 2010, but let me tell you, that year period is not quite up, and I am GODDAMN TIRED of the universe fucking with my loved ones.

Also, my head hurts.

Damn, Tep. That's too much.

Damn, Vortex, that's a lot of popcorn shrimp.

Hey, Scrappy, could you email me? I have a quick question, but can't ask it on the board. It's mohmlet at gmail.

Gronk.

Think we have to give up on the second oldest cat. Poor thing. But he's lost a lot of his bowel control, among other things, and we've been dealing with it for a year and have hit wit's end. When I am seriously suggesting that we CRATE the cat...