Caregiver Info

As our parents get older, many of us must increase our knowledge of being a caregiver to them. Someone suggested a book, "Share the Care", but if anyone has any good resources for me, I would appreciate it. In the next several months, this will be an area that I will be researching.

The local city run Senior Center provided me with an email with some resources already. This is a good start.

Medication Side Effects?

Before a trip to the west coast last week, I misplaced my gold wedding ring. Since the plane was leaving and my W was reminding me we needed to leave for the airport, I did not have time to look for it. It was bothering me during my entire trip.

Last night I looked everywhere for it. My supportive W even helped me look under the bed in case it fell off the night stand. Finally, I gave up after my W convinced me to stop looking for it. I then went to the bathroom, picked up the tube of toothpaste and brushed my teeth. After that, I looked down on the counter and saw my gold wedding ring. It was under the tube of toothpaste. I must have checked the bathroom counter 100+ times.

I don't think this incident qualifies as a side effect from the meds I am taking but it is a reminder that I need to be more careful with things that really matter to me, especially when taking meds.

Crestor and Zetia

Here are some links on the use of Crestor and Zetia.

WorstPills.org

http://www.spacedoc.net/board/index.php

http://www.spacedoc.net/why_ENHANCE_failed.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheroma

Zetia and Crestor - My doctor say to Continue to Take it

With the Vytorin study (Zetia and Zocor) in the news this week, I called my doctor today to ask him if I should continue to take Zetia and Crestor which has been successful in lowering my cholesterol level.

From reading some of these articles, I think the critical question are:

1. Will taking Crestor and Zetia cause me to have faster plaque buildup in my arteries.
2. Is my doctor monitoring my plaque in my arteries?

Keep taking Zetia, Fort Meyers Cardiologist Says

Drug Doesn't Slow Artery Clogs, Study Says

A Low Cholesterol Breakfast

I've always enjoyed eating an traditional American sausage, eggs, bacon and hash browns breakfast. My W has banned me from going to the infamous diner up the street (Maurice Gibb's of the BeeJees, favorite place for breakfast, he had his own booth). After a recent trip to Costco and the grocery store, here is my new low cholesterol American breakfast.

If for whatever reason the doctor says I need to stop taking Zetia and I need to wait for a new cholesterol medication to be developed, I guess I'll be eating these types of breakfasts for the rest of my life.

Zetia and Crestor -- Should I stop taking Zetia?

For the past several yeas, I've been taking Zetia and Crestor for my high cholesterol. I tried Lipitor for a brief period and there were some issues with my liver as well as perceived muscle pain. So far, the combination of Crestor and Zetia has significantly lowered my cholesterol, a test results I do not believe I could have achieved through exercise and diet with my family history. That said, with the recent news about Zetia, I need to call my doctor today to find out if I should continue taking it.

SinuCleanse - Nose Bidet - Neti Pot

Here is the nose bidet or Neti Pot that I purchased at the local drugstore Walgreens. It was on sale for less than $10.00 and it came with a 30-day supply of saline salt.