Once you know how they think about it...the rest is easy?
http://cgi.ebay.com/The-Silent-Miaow...QQcmdZViewItem
It is a classic that's getting harder to find. It's an interesting read, BUT! Just don't let your cats read it....I can testify that my beasts started to do things if I'd left this open that they NEVER could have thought of themselves...and that includes turning pages!

Back on topic? Kmeb, please try and get as much in the way of fluids down you! Dehydration can be a sneaky and nasty thing.
As for F/U on the allergy stuff? I've made a new appt w/my allergist to specifically check out the 'contrast' issue. IF I or anyone who gets a reaction and HAS to have a contrast in an emergency...without knowing IF could get even sicker! Honestly IF I can find out now, better than later. It's not a nice, rather a scary place to be.

Sue? I know what you mean about the chemicals. Used to garden and apply all the nasties that are now forbidden. Also did some jewellery work that used chemicals..some of the stuff was, well, beyond nasty. The pickling solutions mainly tho...that stuff would get on your hands and they'd be GREEN for a long time!

Hugs to all! - j

Oh, yes. Our first black cat lived to be 19.

Now we have a second one... she is not very active, but she is almost 19 now.
She was 16 years ago at the vets when she had some issues, but now she seems to have hit one of her 9 lives:

This is my husband from this summer with Tippy in his lap (15 yrs old) and Sheba the Eldest (19+) to the right. They are on our dock, and behind my hubby to the left is the path up to the house. Some of the rocks around them are visible, all that I have rearranged from what nature provided. It is all rock there and hard to navigate, esp with PN.

Oooh... You all have such beautiful cats! Sooo pretty and they all look so well taken care of.

I wish I knew how to post pictures of the Yorkies who own us. One of these days...

Cathie

I'm really glad to see you posting, but sorry about all you go through. But you've got spunk and keep going, and that's admirable.

I'd think the gastroparesis support groups would have people who have had experience with the gastric pacemaker--what's the consensus there? My guess is anyone here with that severe gastroparesis would also be on a gp site.

YOu're not allergic to your cat now, are you? That would be awful.

Good to see everyones critters - and thanks for the suggestions and good wishes (Mrs. D - your "kids" are beautiful)...

On my gastroparesis group - they are helpful regarding proceduress and just how bad this disease can get, side effects of treatments, etc. - but very few cross over to the PN category - which is one of my concerns right now as far as treatments that may or may not work.... (ins. only pays for pacemakers for certain diseases - most people there have gastroparesis from diabetes, post surgical, the famous "idiopathic" but extremely lacking in true autonomic pn and pn in general).... they are dealing with the gut issues but for most part not the mobility etc that the PN has created..... (which is also why its critical to deal with docs and people who understand PN)

LJ - Re the pacemaker- some people in the gastroparesis group it works for - others not at all... and ins companies dictate who can and cant get them in the first place.....

I find it interesting again that while many of us on this board have PN - it has so many different presenations -and again stresses why its important to find out a cause if we can... why the allergies for some??? Why are only a very few of us dealing with autonomic symtoms??????? Why can some of us function at such a high level, and others, with the same drive and determination - struggle so hard to even ambulate... since there are over 200 at least causes of PN and that this disease does has full body reaching affects and can be very serious, lifethreatening, and even inherited (and I've been told at some point or other during course of this disease I've had all of these) - I for one am going to do more research in this area..... All I know is - I'm not giving up! SS - I'm gonna be on that beach!

Not allergic to cats thank goodness - or dogs! I just can't snuggle up to a pig or a horse (literally) - we're talking hives!

PS - I give up - my fingers do not follow directions well - and every time I think I'm running a spell check on a post it dissapears - how does one spell check?

Kneb, it is very annoying when posts just disappear, in the past i don't know what i have done wrong to cause it, perhaps tiredness, probably hit the wrong button or something but anyway just to save having to do the whole thing over again i found that after i have finished it, i just make a backup copy in Microsoft Word or Wordpad, saves going through the whole thing again, if something goes wrong.

Brian

Kmeb

I have just given up on spell checking....foo. Most folks can deal with a few misspellings and typos....

I agree on the many manifestations of PN....to not deal with the entire picture, would limit the issues to...what, only burning feet (yes, I realize burning anywhere hurts like hell)? OR numbness and tingling here and there, or where? PN is hugely diverse and it is hard to go to a forum where only one issue is dealt with, altho they are worth cruising...one can gain some insights.

This disease can involve PICC lines, pacemakers,hoping to turn purple as Barney or getting orthotics and all kinds of issues...and one never know when one may be faced with any one of these issues. I never thought I wanted to look like Barney....there is no cool orange creature that I know of.

One PN can progress rapidly and relentlessly, the other slowly and affecting one body part....I, too, keep saying PN is a symptom.

Ultimately you will be making that decision on the gastric pacemaker based on your personal experience. I have gastroparesis too, and autonomic issues up the wazoo, and mobility issues too, so I am following your 'adventures with neuropathy' if you know what I mean.

Keep us posted.

Well I better log off and take something to de-spaz, I am starting to look like I could join Cirque de Soleil...one of those folks who can gracefully sit on their heads---except I am not graceful, nor smiling.