This Lasix is No Joke

Raise your hand if you go potty first thing after you wake up every morning! Lok, it is something we all do and honestly not a big deal. For me I go potty then do my morning skincare routine. After that I come out and take my morning medication which includes Lasix. Now, if you aren’t familiar with that particular medicine it is diuretic medication used to treat fluid build-up due to heart failure.

Basically, I take it to keep from drowning in my own fluid. Sounds gross I know but there it is. The good news, I am at the point where I can adjust it as needed. In fact, I take it later in the day when I have early morning appointments. Why? Because I wouldn’t make it into town before having to stop and pee three times.

I know this because my dumb self has forgotten and had to do the potty dance in the car until I could find somewhere to stop. Have I told y’all I live in the middle of nowhere? It takes thirty minutes to drive (in any direction) to the nearest big town. That means all appointments are in the bigger towns. 

Within thirty minutes of taking my Lasix I have to pee and then for the next hour I pee several times every day. I am on a fluid restriction and no salt. However, I know when the fluid begins to build up more and I have to double my medication. These days I don’t bother leaving the house unless I am in the hospital.

Don’t get me started when they give it to you in an iv. That stuff works within ten minutes and it’s like your bladder went from empty to oh my god I am going to explode if you don’t find the nearest toilet. I feel like my entire life is all about the potty nowadays.

I know that it isn’t as bad as I have made it out to be. Honestly, most days I function well. That being said, it took a lot to get to this point. I remember after my dad had open heart surgery they put him on Lasix. Before it when we took trips he would drive straight through without stopping. After they put him on it we never could make it without stopping at least once. WE used to laugh because he would say he needed to take his Lasix break. 

I’m not laughing now but I bet he is laughing his butt off in heaven. I went from being able to ride in the car for hours to watching every single exit sign for bathrooms just in case the urge hits me suddenly. I don’t do the fast lane all the way on the left. I’m now a one over from the exit lane to make getting to the exits easier. 

As my younger brother would say, “This getting older is no joke!” It is certainly not for the faint of heart. One day everything is fine you’re enjoying your vacation and the next you are told half your heart no longer functions properly. There should be something that eases you into this sort of stuff. Not just a BAM here it is!

Either way me and my new found appreciation of knowing where the bathroom is will manage just fine. Although I do need to call out all the places who decided they needed bathrooms the size of phone booths. For those who don’t know what a phone booth is (I had to explain them to my niece) I’m sorry. just google it. I went to one recently where I had to hold my arms in front of me when I sat down. I felt like a sardine in a can. There was no room and all I could think was “Whose bright idea was this?” I mean who thought that would be a good idea? Did they even try it for themselves or did they laugh like an evil movie villain after it was completed?