HI Mel!
That would be cool. I wish the Benedryl put me out for 4 hrs! lol It keeps me awake!
How did you learn to speak French so well? I took Spanish when I was in Jr. High but now I'm doing good to say Olah! LOL

Ola!!! right back at ya!!!! lol

I have an "ear" for languages. Never was good in math, but throw any language at me and I can learn it. I learned french initially in high school. Then I began working in various corporations and the kicker was when I worked for an International Company where my boss was german and he spoke german, french, spanish and english.

Now I did not speak german, but I could read it. Before faxes came into being, they had telex machines. We got a telex in german and my boss asked me to read it to him. I said "but I don't read or speak german". He said "yeah, but your pronunciation is great, so I'll understand you". So there I was on the phone going "Herr Schlubach, vats itz schloffen, blah blah. etc. I have no idea what the heck I was saying, but at the end, he burst out laughing and said "I understood absolutely everything you said". I got hysterical.

So when the visiting nurses come, or I go on the Access-a-ride buses, where all the drivers are from Haiti, well, they go hysterical when I greet them in french and we speak french all during the ride.

And when I go downstairs to help my neighbors who don't understand the diabetic meter, well, I have to translate everything into italian.

I should have worked for the UN when I was young. Oh well!!!

Oh, you'll find this interesting. Do you remember an African singer named Miriam Makeba?? She made the song PATA PATA famous MANY years ago?? Well, I once worked with her daughter. Her name was Bongi. Short for Symbongileh. I'll never forget her. She worked in my office as Bongi Nelson. She was married to a guy whose last name was Nelson. She was very very young at the time.

I was about 24 years old. And this beautiful african woman came to our office and she got an office job sitting in front of my desk.

I'll never forget. Everytime she came to work, her boss would say "Hi, Bongi" and she would curtsy. He got such a kick out of her, I can't tell you.

She worked for my company for about 6 months and we never knew who she was. or.......who her famous mother was.

Well, one day, we are sitting in the office and there's a magazine about some concert and there, right in the middle of the page is Miriam Makeba and her daughter BONGI!!! Well, you never saw an office staff go crazy like we did. We were hootting and hollering. She never told us who she was, nor who her mother was.

When we would go out to lunch, she would regale us with how her life was in South Africa. How you had to get a pass to be allowed to even go from one side of the street to the other side of the street. Apartheid was in full force way back in those days. She also taught me some words in her native language which was Xhosa. Now that is a language to drive you crazy. It's all clicking with the tongue in different places in your mouth. I learned exactly three words in that language.

Unfortunately, she is no longer living, she died in childbirth. But I fondly think back when we all worked together. Jeez, my long term memory is spot on!!!

lol
Melody

Mel, I'm SO envious of your life and being able to speak, and read in other languages! Like I said I was in Jr. High when I took Spanish and it was very difficult for me. Now that I live in Texas I wish I knew Spanish because down here lots of people speak it.
I'm from Nebraska....lived there till I was 36 and then moved to Texas and I've been here ever since. I've never met any famous people (tho I was standing very close to Little Richard at the airport once! LOL)
I just woke up......the fentanyl patch really knocked me out! It has helped with my pain tho! I haven't taken Lyrica since last night at bedtime. I hope I get used to the patch so I won't be SO sleepy. I still feel pretty drugged. I was amazed at how small it is!

Roxie - sorry I missed your post and question. Since I was already opioid tolerant my doc started me on the 50 strength patch changing it every 72 hours on Jan 2, 02. That strength just didn't 'do it' so on Apr 10, 02 we raised it to 75 and on Nov 18, 02 we started the 100 strength patch. On Apr 24, 07 I began using 2 patches - one 100 strength and one 25 strength and now changing them every 48 hours.

My treated pain levels remain at the 2 to 4 level and I am totally pleased because I am able to do most stuff that the average 75 year old does. I know that my untreated pain levels remain at the 7 to 9½ range because when I miss changing the patches on time the pain shoots right back up there reminding me just how severe that pain is. I still walk 1 - 2 miles just about every morning around 6 and I remain mentally alert and still drive without incident. If the circumstances require it, we are prepared to go to 150, 175, or whatever strengths are required...as long as I'm able to continue to function normally. Both my doc and I totally agree that pain relief and the ability to function normally is of the utmost importance. If history is a measure there is reason to believe that I will not need to raise the strengths for another 3 to 5 years or maybe even never.

Roxie, I truly hope you are able to attain the same results. These patches don't always work for everyone so be sure and give them a fair chance. Your body will almost always adjust to any side effects. The only s/e I've had is constipation...which I control with a OTC med.

Wow, Texas and Nebraska.

Beautiful country. I did get to visit the Amish in Pennsylvania a few times. Now that is beautiful country!!!

I've been to California, Las Vegas, Florida, PA, and, when I was 18 years old, Puerto Rico. That about does it for my traveling.

I must get out more......lol

And I must learn some more languages. Get that brain matter flowing.

Mel

HI Dan!
My patches are only 25mg strength but I sure am sleepy today! I've slept most of the day. I'm hoping this will just happen for the first few days. I'm glad I don't have to drive anywhere! lol
I'm SO glad these patches are working so well for you.....and that you have a great dr.! I'm hoping they work as well for me. They have releived my pain, which I'm very thankful for! Now I just have to stay awake! LOL Thanks for writing back!

Roxie, I hope the side effect of sleepiness goes away for you since you are getting pain relief. I, too, have problems with sleepiness with the patch, but can tolerate 25 mcg. I just can't go higher, even though I have been using them for 8 years. But I get fair relief, and adding Lyrica has improved my pain relief, too. I wonder why we are all so different in the way we respond to pain meds? It's so frustrating having to try everything out. I definitely think that one thing should work for everyone and work well with no side effects. I'll be talking to God about that. My biggest curse is that the pain causes chronic depression with me which we have not been able to alleviate completely. But, hey, it would be a lot worse without any drugs!

HI Dakota,
My day has gone from bad to worse today. My dr was called out of town.....and his nurse is on vacation. I still have the headache and low grade temp. and achy feeling. I have an appt with the dr. in the morning.....so hopefully he can shed some light on the subject then.

Hang in there Roxie - unless your actually allergic to the fentanyl your body should adapt in time.....2 - 4 weeks or so. Give it plenty of time before you give up on it. Make sure it's the patch that's making you sleepy and not some other med you might be taking.

And Dakota - be sure and let us know what God says about "I definitely think that one thing should work for everyone and work well with no side effects. I'll be talking to God about that" ...

So now your choice is wether to wait and see the doc tomorrow or go to the ER. Neither is particularly good! I HATE IT when this happens!
I would see if you can take some benedryl [if IF you can] and wait it out. I think you are just getting a 'reaction' to the infusions. At least I hope that's it.
It does get confusing tho when multiple things are happening at once -this time adding the patch in addition to the IVIG - Your doc doesn't have a service when another one is ON CALL? Tho the ones on call are usually cautious, it wouldn't be a bad idea to at least get it on the record so to speak.
Only other thing I can suggest is either warm or cool compresses.
Also a - j