Snowbear & family need our prayers

[monster]

Hi all,

I just received a PM from Snowbear. She won't be on to often for awhile, a close member of her family has taken ill. She and her family have been going through some tough times lately and they really need our prayers. If she PM's me I will update you guys. I am worried about her, she is always doing for everyone else and she is such a good person. If you have room can you please add her to the 9:00 list? She didn't ask for herself, I am asking for her...

thanks to you all,
monster

[Spring]

Monster....Snowbear will be in my prayers...also I will ask that he may lighten her load...so she may get through each day with less stress. Will also ask that he take care of the ill family member. Having our loved ones ill is so hard.

Monster you are a great friend...thank you for looking out for our Snowbear.

[red1030]

monster..thank you for the update. I am so sorry to hear that snowbear is having a tough time right now. My prayers are going up as we speak since is it past 9 PM here...and there is always room for another...tell her we miss her very much, and that she is in our thoughts...love Red

[ksgirl]

Snowbear and her family will be in my prayers. Thank you for letting us know.

[Tuffy]

Monster, Thanks for letting us know, Prayers are being sent and hoping all will be ok with snowbear and her family.

[CRABBY]

http://www.angelrays.com/mb/mir/acle.html

[Babebahn]

Thanks for letting us know...I will keep them in my prayers.

[snowbear]

Thank you all for your prayers..believe me...I know God answers our prayers!!! Thank you monster for starting this post. I don't know how often I will be online as my sister had a massive stroke. The doctors are amazed at how she is progressing. I feel the need to share this with you because of WHY she had a stroke...so ALL of you will get checked out...please!!! My sister has been fighting being tired for years. I know it was in 2001 when we were in walmart and we did our blood pressure with one of those machines. Her blood pressure was great...it must run in the family cuz all of us seem to have low (but not too low) blood pressure. But her heart rate was really high..so we rested and took it again...still in the 120's. Used other machines and her resting rate was in the 120's. My mom and I got her to go to the doctor for female checkup, bloodwork, etc... The doc didn't say much about her heart rate and we just put it in the back of our minds as it must not be anything to worry about. The hospital they life-flighted my sister to has my utmost respect!!! Sat. and Sun. looked really bad. They ran all kinds of tests, CT scans, MRI's, ultrasound on heart, etc. They found out that her heart was fibulating like crazy. But they didn't stop there. They had her drink barium and did another CT scan. That's when they found out WHY she had a stroke and why her heart was running a marathon and why huge blood clots hit her brain causing the stroke.....the problem is her THYROID...she had 3 months worth of enzymes that the thyroid produces in her body. I never knew the thyroid could cause sooo many problems. When the thyroid doctor saw her he knew it was her thyroid just by looking at her!!! She's skinny (103 lbs), dark circles under the eyes, the area by her temples are sunken in, thinning hair, excessive fatique, and racing heart. Also, it is just as dangerous if your thyroid is slow...then some of the symptoms are unexplained weight gain, and I don't remember the other symptoms.

My sister has come along way in such a short time....God is sooooo good!!!! Only by the grace of God is she still here and making sooo much progress!!!! She has alot of hard work ahead of her with speech and physical therapy, having them check her blood every other day to check the levels of the coumidin (blood thinner) and thyroid meds. She's having trouble saying what her brain wants to say but when something comes out wrong she says "that didn't come out right". The speech therapist says that's a good sign that she'll progress...it's when a person doesn't realize that what they said came out all jumbled up that the damage is pretty permanent. She knew very few letters or numbers but it's getting better..even if it's baby steps...she's making progress!!! All the glory be to God!!!!!!!! And one more time he let us know he's watching over us. My son was in another state visiting his kids (16 hour drive from the hospital). He decided to stay another day at the motel and swim with his kids. Actually, he was in shock and hurt becuz the mother of his kids moved way over there and moved in with a man...which she didn't tell him...she said becuz she didn't think it was relevant... not relevant that his little girls are living with a strange man?? (another story). My sister's son also lives in that town. When we got the call about my sister...my son was there to tell my nephew. My nephew doesn't have a vehicle and the amtrak train only runs about halfway to where the hospital is so my son drove my nephew to the hospital...so even through the b.s. that caused my son to stay over an extra night...God is watching over us!!!!! I hope this makes sense and I'm sorry this is sooo long....but I want to make 2 points...first that God hears our prayers!!!!!!!!!! And second....get your thyroid checked out!!!!!!! The reason the bloodwork done in 2001 didn't show anything wrong with my sister's thyroid is becuz she didn't fast b4 the blood was taken. My sister didn't have the warning signs for a stroke...she doesn't have high blood pressure, she isn't overweight...but she had one and it was massive!!!!!!!

When they let my sister (she lives on a farm out in the middle of nowhere and the closest hospital or clinic is about 80 miles away) so she'll be staying with my mom. My mom has prior committments so I'll be going to help with my sister in about a week, again the first part of Oct. and then again the end of Oct. My mom has the internet but I just don't know how often I'll be on.

Thank you for reading this long story. I just needed to share with all of you in hopes that you get checked out...it could save your life!!!

God Bless you all. snowbear

[Pooh]

snowbear - there is always room for more in our prayer circle so your sister will be added to it.

As far as the thyroid problems that your sister has - from what my doctor told me - it can take months for the fatigue to go away - as far as weight gain - I gained 30 lbs quickly once they got me on meds. I am now just starting to lose weight again to get back down to where I was before - not that I was skinny before just that I spent years at a certain weight and liked it ......... lol

As far as my heart - I still have to get that checked out yearly. Found out at ssdi hearing that I have a mild mitral valve regergitation - basically the blood flows back into the chamber - hoping over time that will heal itself as well - as my pulse rate is also starting to come down. So hopefully your sister will make a complete recovery with the therapy that she has to do.

As far as being able to miss a thyroid problem - with some people it can be easily missed. In my case - my normal thyroid tests where totally normal. It wasn't until they ran the Free T-4 test that they found that I had a thyroid problem.

As you mentioned - some of the signs are - losing hair, fatigue, unexplained weight gain or loss, (I never had either of those), skin temperature hot but no fever, trouble swallowing, intolerance to heat or cold (some of us have this because of other reasons but still a good idea to get the complete thyroid panel checked). dry skin.

Hopefully, tuffy will jump in with symptoms with over active thyroid problems and jayne can post more about underactive thyroid problems as well. But I do wish to thank you for bringing this to the attention of all of us.

(((((((((((((((((gentle hugs to you and your family)))))))))))))) and prayers for a speedy recovery for your sister.

[sweet tooth]

we love you and take care may god bless