We had wood laminate flooring installed this past spring and our poor 10 yr.
old Shih Tzu had an awful time with the slipping and sliding.  I very
quickly got BIG rugs for under the coffee table and between the family room
and kitchen so he could have some safe places.  He still loves to run and
fetch stuff, but at times he sure does slide.

Jean

Gary - The flooring in the title got my attention as it's what has to be
done before we move me back the house.  We are looking at a comercial
product called amtico which is a vinyl product that looks like hardwood. It
is really beautiful. Does it sound familiar?

Hi all,
have about 3/4 of the new floor in now. Fought with the cheap laminate for 6
hrs on Sat. and finally gave up. Took out what I had gotten installed and
put it back in the box and returned it to the store. Never get the cheap
stuff again. What a  nightmare! Wound up buying self-adhesive tile with a
wood look and things went very smoothly after that.
Have one more section to do and should have that done by Wed. or Thurs. at
the latest. Next comes the bathroom and Mike wants his room done too. I
think I will let him lay his own tile in his room.
Poor dog has a very hard time keeping his feet under him on this stuff. My
son thinks it hilarious. Will have to get a couple of area rugs to help
things out a bit.
Still not smoking and stepped down a level on the patch so there have been a
bit more nagging wants, but it's ok.
Also, a question. Am told to up potassium intake due to the diuretics in the
hbp meds. Was also told NOT to take potassium as a supplement. How come? The
supplement I have is a 99mg pill. I believe I read that we are supposed to
get 4700mg/day of potassium from various sources.
GaryZ

Sorry about the floor but it all worked out.  Seems being cheap like myself
never works haha.

Now the potassium.  NOT all bodies handle potassium well.

Watch the amount of potassium you eat. Potassium is a mineral found in salt
substitutes, some fruits, vegetables, milk, chocolate, and nuts. Too much or
too little potassium can be harmful to your heart.   www.webmd.com
This is from www.chfpatients.com/tests/routine_tests.htm   Or patients that
have congestive heart failure.
Now you don't have CHFailure but you will have the signs below if you are
high or low.  Just helping you figure it out.
I would certainly ask the doctor IF you need some potassium supplements. I
am on a heart bp pill with the same meds you are on for a diuretic.  MOst of
the time I am too low and have been hospitalized because of it.   So the
irregular heart rhythm scares me ...End up getting IV potassium and that
stuff HURTS the veins.

Potassium
 Too much potassium
 is called hyperkalemia. Signs of too-high potassium may include anxiety,
irritability, stomach cramps, diarrhea, overall weakness, and muscle spasms.
Your pulse may be slow and weak
 Too little potassium
 is called hypokalemia. Signs of too-low potassium may include sluggish
thinking, very dry skin, depression, swollen abdomen, loss of appetite,
edema, nervousness, irregular heart beat, muscle weakness, and headaches.
Your pulse may be fast, then slow.
HERE is a list of what food are high, low or what ever in content.

Gary you need to first ask your doctor IF you need to take a supplement but
again do not do this on your own UNLESS your doc tells you it is ok. You can
go into kidney failure and all kinds of problems.

Supplements from a health food source are not helpful at all. It is how they
are made and believe me I would not trust them when taking a bp pill with
HCT in it.  UNLESS the doctor ok's it first.
DO not go by how much one person needs compared to the average. No one is
average by any means.

Eat a bananna and ask the doc if that is good enough and green leafy
vegetables, but make sure you wash them well :)
You will be surprised at what food has potassium in it.

good luck and let me know
janers

The living room floor is finished!! Mike has been home sick the past two
days so I had the opportunity to work on the floor. Putting furniture back
this morning and will complete that after work. Will also get my home
computer running again.
Diane, I don't know the name of the tile off the top of my head, but I will
check and get back to you. This stuff looks like oak pieces around black
marble diamonds (more oak than marble). I think it is an Armstrong product
and comes in 16"x16" tiles.
Janers, haven't taken the supplements yet. Let's see, from the lists of
symptoms...anxiety,irritability (Grumpy's my hero), weakness, muscle
spasms,sluggish thinking, depression,dry skin, swollen abdomen (beer
drinking??!), nervousness, muscle weakness. Hmmmmm, guess that makes my
potassium level "normal" as I have equal symptoms from both high and low!!
LOL
(Actually don't have all of those mind you.....depending on who your asking
about me)   :-)
GaryZ

Hi all,
have about 3/4 of the new floor in now. Fought with the cheap laminate for 6
hrs on Sat. and finally gave up. Took out what I had gotten installed and
put it back in the box and returned it to the store. Never get the cheap
stuff again. What a  nightmare! Wound up buying self-adhesive tile with a
wood look and things went very smoothly after that.
Have one more section to do and should have that done by Wed. or Thurs. at
the latest. Next comes the bathroom and Mike wants his room done too. I
think I will let him lay his own tile in his room.
Poor dog has a very hard time keeping his feet under him on this stuff. My
son thinks it hilarious. Will have to get a couple of area rugs to help
things out a bit.
Still not smoking and stepped down a level on the patch so there have been a
bit more nagging wants, but it's ok.
Also, a question. Am told to up potassium intake due to the diuretics in the
hbp meds. Was also told NOT to take potassium as a supplement. How come? The
supplement I have is a 99mg pill. I believe I read that we are supposed to
get 4700mg/day of potassium from various sources.
GaryZ

your poor doggie needs paw-sized deck shoes ;-)  i'm with janers on the
potassium, guy.  it's not something to arbitrarily play around with.  let
your doctor do the prescribing and make him be more specific about it.  way
to go with the flooring!

kate