My health condition

[Monty]

A lot of people have contacted me asking about my health problems. I am not knocking on death's door I don't think. I fell and broke my back several years ago and still have lingering effects. Some days it really bothers me and I can hardly walk. Most of the time I get around pretty well and you wouldn't know I had a problem. I have had some heart problems and I have that pretty much stabilized and my last two chekcups were OK. I have a breathing problem from so many years of smoking. It's called Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH). It is high pressure in the arteries from my heart to my lungs that cause me to be extremely short of breath. Believe it or not my treatment is taking the same pill that is used for sexual dysfunction! I take the blue pill and I am almost 100% able to breath normal! But the catch 22 is that the pills cost over $500.00 for a months supply. So I have to buy them just a few at a time and ration them out for when I want to do something physical like treasure hunting. So that's what's eatin' me and I hope you guys don't think I'm about to kick the bucket. Thought I owed you an explanation. Monty

 

[sniffer]

thanks for the info Monty, just take care of yourself

Sniffer

 

[truckinbutch]

If respiratory relief is that dramatic from the blue pill I need to look into it . Any adverse side effects , blood pressure , stomach problems , ect ?

 

[truckinbutch]

If respiratory relief is that dramatic from the blue pill I need to look into it . Any adverse side effects , blood pressure , stomach problems , ect ?

I have heard it can cause towelrackdisease....very bad in some cases.

?

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Monty, I was actually wondering about your er, eh, mental stability. sides I will never visit you while you are taking those pills. snicker.

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[Rich in Texas]

Glad you hanging in there!

 

[Cappy Z.]

Monty, I was actually wondering about your er, eh, mental stability. sides I will never visit you while you are taking those pills. snicker.

Don Jose de La Mancha

I had a crazy uncle who was in and out of institutions...he was always asking us about OUR mental status...
Sound familiar?

 

[K*E*L*L*Y]

If respiratory relief is that dramatic from the blue pill I need to look into it . Any adverse side effects , blood pressure , stomach problems , ect ?

I have heard it can cause towelrackdisease....very bad in some cases.

wow modern meds!! gotta love that huh T.
*you dont need to go with them to the hospital...lol*

 

[truckinbutch]

If respiratory relief is that dramatic from the blue pill I need to look into it . Any adverse side effects , blood pressure , stomach problems , ect ?

I have heard it can cause towelrackdisease....very bad in some cases.

wow modern meds!! gotta love that huh T.
*you dont need to go with them to the hospital...lol*

I asked an innocent bonafide question and still feel like I'm missing something here .

 

[Minstrel]

If respiratory relief is that dramatic from the blue pill I need to look into it . Any adverse side effects , blood pressure , stomach problems , ect ?

I have heard it can cause towelrackdisease....very bad in some cases.

wow modern meds!! gotta love that huh T.
*you dont need to go with them to the hospital...lol*

I asked an innocent bonafide question and still feel like I'm missing something here .

I am lost on that one too.
Monty, you hang in there just as it seems you are.
Always the best thoughts coming to you.
Minstrel

 

[K*E*L*L*Y]

Hope you haven't hit the ignore button yet like you said you was goin to do. Oh well, mabe you didn't, anyway, I am sorry to hear about your health problems, it sounds like you do have things under control, so that is always good. When you said heart problems, I am glad that you are keeping it monitered. My son was born with a deformed heart, and has to have regular checkups.

Anyhow take care of yourself, and I hope God will bless you and yours, meeting all of your needs, wants, and desires.

mike youre so nice! its cool to see even when people have differences they can still be nice to each other.

 

[BIG61AL]

towelrackdisease ... haha
let's see how can i put it politely....hmmmmm

it can last four or more hours

you may have to carry a notebook in front of you even if you don't need to actually use the notebook

Wearing loose shorts would not be a wise option

you may poke out an eye to persons of a short staure - about the three feet area

your wife or girlfriend may show a lot of attention to you in areas of a intimate nature

you don't have to use your hands to say "They when thata way"!

anybody else want to try to explain it ??

 

[truckinbutch]

towelrackdisease ... haha
let's see how can i put it politely....hmmmmm

it can last four or more hours

you may have to carry a notebook in front of you even if you don't need to actually use the notebook

Wearing loose shorts would not be a wise option

you may poke out an eye to persons of a short staure - about the three feet area

your wife or girlfriend may show a lot of attention to you in areas of a intimate nature

you don't have to use your hands to say "They when thata way"!

anybody else want to try to explain it ??

Well enuff put that I unnerstand .

 

[Monty]

The Viagra works for my illness because it dilates the arteries in the body. It is not selective as to which arteries it dilates. So, if the arteries from your heart to your lungs is experiencing high pressure, the pill dilates it so the blood can flow thru easier without the excess pressure. In other words you are getting more blood to the lungs that in turn pump more oxygen to the other parts of the body. The high pressure in the arteries also causes the rt. chamber of the heart to work overtime and without treatment will enlarge and eventually wear itself out. I already have some enlargement of a heart chamber but it is not critical as long as I have my meds. PAH if untreated will eventually lead to a massive heart attack and death or require a heart/lung transplant if you live long enough. It progresses in phases and I am at phase 3 on a scale of 1 to 5. So, that's why I have to have the meds regardless of how expensive it may be. This is something I have had for years apparently. I remember as a teenager I was very athletic but ran out of breath easy so I couldn't run long races. I think, the coaches thought I wasn't training but I was, just couldn't breath right. And I went to dozens of doctors all my life with the shortness of breath complaint and it is just now being diagnosed! I had got to the point where I couldn't do much at all physically without panting for breath so I couldn't and can't exercise and started putting on weight. I try to eat healthy but starving and not exercising is as dangerous as not doing anything ergo I gain weight! I've never had a weight problem until the last year. Now I am having a hard time convincing my medicare supplemental insurance that I want Viagra for something other than sexual gratification (not that there is anything wrong with that ). Oh well, old farts talk about their ailments and I guess I are one! Monty

P.S. That disease is Priapism! Pronounced pry a pism.

 

[RON (PA)]

Monty,

You hang in there an take your meds. I think there are some other meds on the market that might be cheaper. I will look and PM you. That is a lot for a one med. Maybe your doctor can switch one. Will be praying for you.

 

[Monty]

Sildanifil or something like that spelling is a generic for Viagra, and most of the other drugs in that category. My pharmicist says there isn't a generic but I found out he was lieing! I can buy it from Canada without insurance and it is only about a fourth of the cost in the U.S., even without using medicare or insurance! So, what's wrong with this picture? We are getting screwed without a kiss on drug prices here in the U.S. I can't figure out why. Maybe it's because of their socialized medicine? But I tend to think it's because of the greedy drug manufacturrers here in the states. They can rob us through our insurance companies by passing the cost of development and research to us through our Insurance companies. So, the rip off always works its way back down to us the consumer with higher drug costs and higher insurance premiums. Everyone in the middle profits but us. I'm just now having to deal with reality since I reached retirement age. It aint right folks. Monty

 

[Noodle]

You're right, Monty. Folks in the U.S. have been trying to get the less expensive drugs from Canada and other countries for several years. Our own gov't, in cahoots with the insurance companies, put a halt to that a long time ago. It's criminal, as far as I'm concerned. Now, instead of addressing that, the Oh Holy One (sorry if you like Him) has decided to ignore those options of decreasing healthcare concerns (pharmaceuticals) and wants to revamp the whole system instead of correcting individual problem areas like yours. I'll keep you in my prayers. At least you know a solution. But why does your Viagra cost $500 a month when a regular prescription for 10 pills is $100, or $10 a pill? (shhhhh, I didn't say that.) Sounds like yours should be no more than $300-310 a month. But even that is cruel. Sounds like they're charging you for a pleasure pill instead of a health pill.

I've about decided when I get the "news" that I'm terminal for whatever reason, I'm just going to accept it and do without. I've seen too many go through the heartache and hope and in the end, it's still bad news. I've told Dan to just take me out and put me under the big ole oak tree and leave me be. 'Course he won't, but I'll come back and haunt him.

Noodle

 

[Oroblanco]

Monty - sorry to hear of your health problems, and hope that it doesn't prevent you from finding plenty of lost treasures. It sounds like you do have things under control, and hopefully you are able to get out to metal detect as much as you want. Keep swinging!
Oroblanco

 

[Monty]

I take it so I can breathe! I take a 20 mg dose 3 times a day. That's 90 doses a month the way the insurance company computes it. And you're right, it most definately is not for pleasure. I couldn't have pleasure 90 times a month when I was 18 let alone now! Maybe 50 or 60, but not 90! In Canada it's less than $3.00 a pill. Here, 90 pills cost almost $1600.00! Because it is a "specialty" drug they will only pay a third of the cost. That's the Insurance plus Medicare combined. It isn't a specialty drug for me, it's a matter of being able to have a normal life. I have appealed the classification as a specialty drug in my case, but it has been denied all the way up to Medicare. Medicare says it is not a valid appeal because the drugs are tiered by the insurance company, not them. The insurance company says it's up to Medicare. I guess I'll write my congressmen and see if they can figure it out. And by the way, my wife needs Rebif because she has MS. It costs over $600.00 a month. Consequently we both have to do without medication. Our retirement income is about half of what we were making when we both were working. But it is too much to be able to get assistance from any of the programs. It's a catch 22. Oh welll, I'll stop bitching about it for now. I guess most of this post or at least the last half of it should be under rants? Because rants is about all a person can do. I agree 100% about healthcare reform. They need to fix the individual parts and not revamp the whole system where everyone will suffer. Monty

 

[Monty]

Oh, I forgot to say, according to this pharmacist in Canada it is not illegal. He tells me they have been trying to outlaw it but it hasn't been passed yet. What is illegal is getting drugs without a prescription. I personally don't know the details but I am desperate for some relief. You can't imagine what feeling like you are soffocating 3 or 4 times a day does to a person both mentally and physically. If it happens out in public people think I'm having a heart attack and everyone stops and wants to call 911! It's scary as well as being embarassing. Monty