Sharing even the embarrassing stuff to recover: Meet @linda82

Good morning Linda. I loved reading your story, and I can totally relate to you. I'm retired, live in New York, and my organic garden has become the center of my days. I'm 75, and struggle with poly neuropathy, and dimming vision. I've healed liver steatosis in 2024 with an anti inflammatory food plan I created. Basically I'm all alone and managing a large house and 800 sq foot garden, I do the best that I can. Food is the answer. We are what we eat, and I'm still tweaking menus. The garden's hard work, the 4 months of sowing seeds indoors throughout my main living spaces under many hanging grow lights has paid-off. The garden is now giving back with fresh, just picked, nourishing organic food. I began to have digestive problems this winter & chronic constipation so I saw a gastroenterologist who did my first colonoscopy in 2001 when I was 51. My Mom died of CRC at age 74. I was also 74. I told the gastro doc I needed my next colonoscopy and that I discovered I had hemorrhoids that looked severe (either stage 3 or 4) He looked old and burned out. Never examined me on April 1. Said he'd look at them on July 7 when he'd do the procedure. My hemorrhoids are severe. I should have seen a protologist. How can my gastro doc do a colonoscopy and address possible hemorrhoid surgery at the same time?? I'm worried. I feel large bumps around the area of the hemorrhoids. I mistrust many specialist doctors. They compartmentalize your body and only adrress their specialty. I do believe they limit their time and services based on what insurance you have, and need to label your symptoms with a diagnosis that pays them the most. My digestive system is back on track after eating only pure, whole simple foods. What a relief. I refuse to take any drugs or pain meds. But I'm so worried about this gastro doctor. Now he's going on vacation and called to cancel July 7. I told my Primary Care geriatric doctor, and she said nothing. It makes me think there is "agism" in the medical field. We are the disposable patients. Sounds dreadful and pesimisstic, but there is some truth to this. We have to heal ourselves. I'd love to hear about your garden. My name is Linda, too. (picture of one of my many gardens. June 13 2025. Swiss chard, peas, kale, carrots, broccoli, broccolini, onions, cabbage, string beans, asparagus) Roman chamomile to help deter aphids.

Good afternoon, Linda!
I am so glad you get to enjoy your garden and all the benefits it provides! Beautiful picture!

From your remarks"
"How can my gastro doc do a colonoscopy and address possible hemorrhoid surgery at the same time??"
I know that I had this too and my GI Dr. did not recommend surgery. Have you seen a colon Dr?

I think I have been fortunate with my Dr.'s.
My family Dr. recommended both my GI and Colon Rectal Surgeon.
I also, did all my "investigating"
My family Dr. also has no problem in sharing alternative vitamins, minerals, diet. LIKE YOU, I too do not want to be on any med's. I would rather have my Dr. tell me... Well, you need to change your diet, you need to exercise more, etc. Not only tell me but give suggestions and listen to my needs.
Example - I sent her a message through our MYChart. Do I have to go every 6 mth's for a mammogram? I have not had breast cancer, and it is not in my family. I have very dense breast, and they are always looking at an area on the side. I am always in pain after these. I asked her why I have to keep getting them (which are ordered through my GYNO) She said to start taking Vit E and evening of primrose oil every day and it should help with the pain. It has help and I do not have to take Advil. JUST FYI I started taking both of them together when I was 35. At 47 I was told I went through Meno pause and only had maybe a couple of night sweets and hot flashes. I quit taken the Evening of Primrose when I turned 52. I thought I did not need anymore.

I would love to find out more about your Roman chamomile. I would not have survived all these years without my Chamomile Tea!
I have tried to grow and process without a good outcome:)

Lindy you said in your previous post: " My hemorrhoids are severe. I should have seen a protologist. How can my gastro doc do a colonoscopy and address possible hemorrhoid surgery at the same time?? I'm worried. I feel large bumps around the area of the hemorrhoids. I mistrust many specialist doctors."

I'd like to address hemorrhoids. Being the unlucky owner of pretty severe hemorrhoids myself. Hemorrhoids are almost always associated with either a) difficult bowel movements; 2) repeated vaginally delivery childbirth - OR even one difficult vaginal delivery, let alone multiple deliveries over a woman's lifespan; 3) lifting too much weight too many times, without having Kegel's engaged during the lifting; 4) being overweight for long periods of a lifetime; 5) anal sex trauma; or 6) other trauma.

It appears from your post that your doctor said he would "take a look" when he did the scheduled colonoscopy. This means he would take photos with the scope, as all scopes have a camera, and since he had planned to be down there he was going to take photos and assess them; not perform surgery at that time.

Let me address specialists. Personally, I PREFER specialists. I also deplore SOME insurance companies who make us all jump through hoops just to GET to the point we CAN see a specialist for a very specific problem we, ourselves have discovered.

Example: I kept going to my "primary care gate keeper" at the VA for TWO years, referencing my neck sounding like a garbage disposal when I turn it and fits of excruciating pain associated with such grinding when I would try to turn my head, especially to the left. After the younger (50yo) primary care gate keeper physician kept telling me it was just "old age" and to expect such...I finally demanded an MRI of my cervical spine. He ordered an X-ray of my lumbar spine. That took six months to straighten out: he entered the wrong body part wrong. Then the X-ray finally got done THIS April. Then an MRI was ordered by this bozo: he ordered the wrong body part AGAIN: my lumbar spine INSTEAD of my cervical (neck) spine. I finally got MRI of my cervical spine and now am seeing a neurologist because my cervical spine is pretty much hosed....and I am going to have cervical spine surgery as my discs are bulging in THREE spaces pressing on my spine. And I even asked ONE second opinion "Nurse Practitioner" IF the MRI showed any spinal cord compression...and HE told me "No...". SO, I knew better, as I too can READ X-rays, so I went and got a THIRD opinion.

I ALWAYS get second or even third opinion on everything if I get even an inkling someone is not doing their job correctly or my intuition tells me something isn't logical.

I feel sorry for those not in the medical field as I have been since 1980: patients beware.

Note: By law Medicare must let you have one or two if you seek to do so. Your life and health depend on it.

Roman Chamomile and German Chamomile are different. I prefer drinking German Chamomile. The Roman chamomile is a garden warrior. Once you sow the seeds, you'll always have them. In mid June the small plants have grown into massive plants loaded with 100's of flowers. They attract the hover fly - your garden's best friend to keep aphids at bay. If you have brassica plants like broccoli and brussel sprouts and kale, you will get aphids - little leaf sucking bugs. The hover fly will help eradicate the aphids by laying eggs that hatch into larvae that eat the aphids. This picture is Roman chamomile. Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile (L.) All.) and the other is German chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) - two different species of plant commonly called chamomile. Roman chamomile, formerly classified as Anthemis nobilis L., is a creeping, herbaceous perennial native to western Europe and North Africa.

Thank you so much for sharing. I had every other disc herniated and or bulged and I never had surgery. I had a great chiropractor. I was an EMT lifting patients onto gurneys and also a Master Gardener digging and hoeing for decades in the gardens. Lifting very heavy things. And I had 3 children. Now ages 54, 53, and 33. Two over 9 lbs and my last child, at age 41, was over 10 lbs. As for the gastro doctor, he should have explained to me what you just did. So lazy and indifferent. He must be suffering from Isolation of Affect after 40 plus years of dealing with "assholes" 🙂 Thank you for clearing my mind and helping me to understand. My mom died at age 74 of CRC and I'm 75 with bleeding huge lumps externally showing. It freaked me out when the blood started this week. You are way too kind calling your PCP a "bozo". How exhausting having to deal with these mistakes. Sorry that you had to go through all this red tape nonsense due to an incompetent doctor. Be very careful with spinal surgery. My cardiologist just told me to "never allow any doctor to cut you open unless it's life and death." He must have some inside witnessing of this in his medical practice. Scary!!! Linda from NY

We all need to stay moving physically as we age.
When we stop moving for whatever reason, we die faster.
It isn't so much age, but physical LACK of physical movement that predisposes us to earlier deaths.

Physical, mental and spiritual exercise and movement = longevity.

Agreed, Right now its real hot here in Arizona so its the Gym 3 times a week, 30 min on the elliptical and 30 on weight machines, But as fall comes again I love to walk usually 3-5 miles at least 4 times a week. One reason I love Arizona most of the year is just Gorgeous . The reference to the C-diff was a pain but its been 6 years so I dint let me become a couch potato. Its just I prepared for it and tried to have a few public restrooms on my walks.