Ask Dr. Gott

[J-Crawford]

In the last 7 years I have had three lower back surgeries and one to my neck. Four weeks ago the doctor scoped both of my knees. I have osteo-arthritis in almost all my joints. The surgeries where to remove stonosis from my spinal cord. I have plates and screws in my lower back and neck. Am I always going to have problems with my bones? It seems like I get one thing fixed and another one starts to hurt. I am 60 years old and consider myself active. It gets harder and harder to keep going. I know that my left hip is going to be a problem. I just hate the idea that this is what I have to look forward too.

[herb]

I had to go on Synthroid for my thyroid.After takeing it about a month my blood pressure started going up,so I had to go on blood pressure meds,then I those I got extremely exhausted,so I took myself off of everything.I have not been back to the doctor.It will be a year in January.I should go back.

[Kimberly K Cole]

Dear Dr. Gott - I hope that this finds you as I have been VERY sick for quite some time now and have been to a number of GI doctors, physicians and a whole host of other specialty doctors. I have extreme abdominal pain, I throw up EVERY day, and my abdoman swells like I ate a basketball. I have had MRI, x-ray, ultra sound, upper and lower GI, EGD, colonoscopy as well. There is "sludge" in gall bladder and pre cancerous cells that were removed. I just recently went to a surgeon and, in my estimation, was made to feel "crazy" and "stupid" and was told that I do not throw up EVERY day or swell but I do and it is really wearing me down. Do you have any ideas and or suggestions as to what might be causing these symptoms and or condition and if so, what one might do about it. I thank you very much in advance for your time. Respectfully, Kimberly K. Cole

[Kay Wilhite]

I read an article today in the Hot Springs, AR newspaper where a lady wrote you about her 71 old friend having been diagnosed with polycythemia vera. I am a 46 year old female that was diagnosed with polycythemia vera at the age of 30.
For 2 years my doctors thought I has some kind of cancer but could not pin point it. After being scared to death, I went to University of Medical Science in Little Rock, AR at the Oncology department lab they diagnosed me with the polycythemia vera within 6 hours. I have been taking a medicine HYDREAU (generic Hydroxeria) 500mg 4 pills a day since 1993 now. I have had 6 bone marrow tests, and so far everything still is doing as well as expected. There are no studies that I know that might be helpful to me on taking this medicine for this long, but it is the only thing that has kept my platelets somewhat normal. When diagnosed my platelets were 2.3 million now they stay around 600-700 thousandths. My dad which was 71 just passed away but died with Lukemia after being diagnosed 18 days of having it, but he also 5 years ago had colon cancer. I was told this diease is mostly found in older patients, not someone my age. Do you have any information on this disorder at being diagnosed at this early age? Also, I became a diabetic in 1995 after finding out about the Polycythemia Vera.
My address and name is:
Kay Wilhite
740 Weston Road
Hot Springs, AR 71913
kwilhite@mountainvalleyspring. com
Thank you so much...

[lynn l]

I have a 84 year old Mother. She is very dizzy, severe headaches, fatique, bloated, she has no balance. She has been in and out of hospitals. Every now and then she goes into a confusion state that she is rushed to the hospital. Her vision is blury and on and on. I have read your article and live in Hazleton Pa. We work in Tamaqua, Pa where the people are getting tested for this situation. How do you get tested for this problem. I would like to bring it up to my Doctor cause this is not my Mother at all.