Monday, April 27, 2015

When is Enough Enough?

So, my appointments have been somewhat scattered and for that I am thankful.

As for the past few days:
Friday: migraine
Saturday: migraine hangover (which you understand if you get these monsters)
Sunday: left in the middle of Sunday school to head to the ER with what turned out to be kidney stones (which had, thankfully, already passed)
Monday: kidney stone hangover day

On a better note, a friend posted this blog entry to her Facebook page and with summertime nearing, I just had to share.  She is a woman I inspire to be; a woman who is comfortable in her body and accepting who she is.

I want to be a woman who accepts who she is as she is, even while trying to make changes.  We are all on a journey and if we can stop at any given moment and say "hey, I'm ok exactly as I am," well, that's success.  I know that God accepts me.  The problem comes in when I enter the picture.

Who else is touched by this blog?  Who can relate?  Who is accepting of yourself, regardless of height, weight, brain power, disability... and the list can go on and on...  Who respects themselves?  Where are you on your journey??

Monday, April 20, 2015

Make it STOP!

Medical update: some of my medical stuff has been moved around and moved to later dates.  This is a good thing!  I did see the physiatrist today and she ordered some x-rays (which I did downstairs from their office) and an MRI as well as wanting me be back in aquatic therapy.  Ugh!

In other news, you can check out my other blog: taleoftwodogs.blogspot.com where I picked up a feeder for one of our pups.  She tends to inhale her food... literally.  But today, all of that changed.  We got her this thing which makes her "fight" for her food (not the right word).  There is a video on the blog and you'll see what I mean.

In other news, I've been falling asleep in front of the TV.  Sitting up and falling asleep.  I had attributed it to one of my meds, but now that I'm off that med and it's still happening I have to come up with a new theory.  That will take some work.  Haha

Good news is that I am up to chapter 14 in Genesis.  Most days I do it when hubby isn't home.  On these days, the dogs get to hear a Bible reading.  I wonder if any of it is sinking in.  In any event, one chapter at a time - at least while the chapters are of reasonable length, in which case I read part of a chapter at a time.  It'll all sink in, however fast I read it.

That sort of covers it here.  I still have tons and tons of medical stuff keeping me busy.  Am I the only one living an insane life (especially with no kids and no job)?

Monday, April 13, 2015

Rare

Just to keep you in the loop (if anyone is actually reading this...) when I saw my psychiatrist this morning he is taking me off of one of my meds because of a few side effects.  He, who is in his 50s and very up-to-date with studies and the like, looked them up on the computer having not heard of them.

Guess what?  They are RARE occurrences on that particular med.  You read it right -- RARE!  If you didn't catch that the first few times.... my side effects are/were RARE!

Yep, that sounds about right....  Welcome to my world.

Warning: Medical Ranting, Venting, and Complaining Ahead

Don't say I didn't warn you!

In the next 2 weeks I am scheduled for something nearly every day.  FYI: last week wasn't much better.  But I digress...


  • We're talking aquatic therapy 3 times each week.
  • There is therapy once a week.
  • I saw my psychiatrist this morning (and traffic was a mess, so was taking some deep <fat girl> breaths as I made it to my appointment)
  • I have the CT urogram this week - where they catheterize me and inject a dye in my bladder, then follow it with a CT (hence the name LOL)
  • I had blood work to do before I could do the CT
  • I will be seeing the physiatrist for a follow-up
  • There is the oh-so-fun EMG at the neurologist's to evaluate my carpal tunnel
  • Then I see the hand specialist the day after the EMG to see where things stand, since I had the cortisone shots in both hands during two separate visits.
  • A week after the CT, I will see a urogynecologist who will do some sort of test requiring catheterization
  • I am on a committee for a seminar at my church.  I have a meeting for that tomorrow night.  The event is on Saturday.

I can barely breathe just typing it.

Now, I did contact the physiatrist this afternoon to let her know that I fell on Friday.  In the basement.  Onto the concrete.  I'm in some serious pain.  My back seems worse.  My right knee took a hit.  My right ankle twisted when I landed.  I think some damage was done to my left ankle, on which I had surgery that had me laid up for the better part of 2 months.

Yeah, I'm cranky.

I'm a stress eater.

I'm trying to get back onto the Weight Watchers program.

This does not add up.  But.... I won't be home very often to be tempted.  Oy!

As a PS: I know that most people would be envious of my schedule.  I just have to respond by saying that I am bipolar currently in a depression so severe the docs have talked of me being hospitalized.  Oh, and my agoraphobia has surfaced a little bit, so going out, especially by myself, is pretty scary.  So, I'll go back to working full-time if I could get rid of some of this junk!!!  I'll leave it at that.

I want to add Bible study to this list.  It's something I look forward to each week, but it makes life (and dinner!) more insane.

Thank you if you've made it to the end of this post.

Friday, April 10, 2015

Medical Update (so that doesn't sound as good as "Weekend Update" on SNL, does it?)

Well, onward and forward....

I went to the doctor on Tuesday and she found the same results as I had.  She said that there is this CT that would be the next test, but she wanted to speak with the associate from prior to this appointment to make sure she is on the right track (she's a young doctor, but like I said... she's amazing!).  My Mom is a nurse in the office and after seeing me, the doc said to my Mom that it's "unusual" (or a similar word) and Mom said "if it's rare, that's my girl!"

When I got the return call she said she is ordering the test.  Ugh.  Let me explain why:

OK, so I did a search online and couldn't find anything on my "go to" medical sites other than abstracts, which are by definition, pretty much less-than-helpful to a peon like me.  To start, three hours prior to the test, they want me to have 32 oz of water.  And hold it!  They will catheterize me (woo hoo) and put dye up into my bladder just prior to doing the CT scan.

If that isn't enough fun for you, I go to a uro-gynecologist (who knew?) the following week and he will catheterize me again to look into my bladder.  I have to question if this isn't a larger catheter so he can fit a small camera in it, much like a lower endoscopy or something similar.  In which case, OUCH and more than the first time.

I think this does beg the question: do people in the medical field really like catheterizing people that much?  I've had one catheter in my life and it was inserted while I was under anesthesia.  I asked my doctor if I was going to be awake (jokingly) and she said "no, but I can give you something."  I thanked her and said that I had plenty of stuff here.

Of course there is has been a lot of co-ordinating of services - there has to be blood work done at least 2 days prior to the test, the test needs to be pre-auth'd or pre-cert'd (I can't remember which) and after I was done with setting all of that up, I had to schedule with the uro-gyno and make sure that appt is far enough out from the test so the full results would be available.

There are far too many people "down there" - as if the annual gyn appt isn't bad enough.

For fun, in the midst of this, I've been doing aquatic therapy for my back 3x/week, seeing a hand specialist, seeing my neurologist for a hand-related test, and have my monthly psychiatry appt and my weekly therapy sessions.  I'm tired just writing it.

Anyway that's my Weekend medical update.

Any chance I can get on SNL, just for one update???  I didn't think so.

Thursday, April 2, 2015

A Fistula? Huh?

To get this out of the way:
A fistula is an abnormal connection between an organ, vessel, or intestine and another structure. Fistulas are usually the result of injury or surgery. It can also result from infection or inflammation. (as defined by the NIH)
Now, getting back to the topic at hand.  I did a test this morning which would rule out a fistula.  I got the results (something required to be done on my end) and called the doctor.  She said "hmmmm.... let me talk with <another doctor in the practice> and I'll call you back."  Ok?  She called back and said it would be rare for me to have a fistula so far out from my hysterectomy (years!) and that she would like me to re-do the test (which is no fun, by the way) and go to the office on Tuesday for her to do the final part of the test so she can see the results for herself.  Gee, this isn't nerve-wracking at all!

It's important to understand that "rare" is the kiss of death for me.  With one injury alone:

  1. most people don't need surgery for this injury
  2. it's strange that PT didn't work
  3. surgery: finds 5 torn ligaments in my ankle when only one showed up on the MRI
  4. post-op I thought I popped a stitch, so call the doc.  I get his associate who says to go in.  It turns out I had a large burst hematoma (a pocked of blood beneath the skin)  It's uncommon in your situation and to be directly under the incision, says the doctor
  5. I go and see my doctor a bit later (I can't remember if it was no more than 2 weeks later, but I'd imagine it was the sooner part of that) who says that in all his years of practice he's never seen such a this happen (it was ugly, people, super nasty - I won't disgust you by posting a picture)
  6. There's nothing else I can do (says the surgeon) but it's odd for it not to heal by now so you'll have to go to the wound care clinic.
This was all in December 2013 when I had my ankle surgery and had the rollator, so that's why I'm saying it was within a shorter period of time.
You get the idea?  Rare = my world

So, I did some research.  I know, I know, the internet is a dangerous place for research, but I try to stick to the NIH, Hopkins, Mayo - reputable sites.  They all basically agreed with my doctor, although she is amazing and I'd expect no less.  There are some pretty uncomfortable tests which could be done after I see my doc on Tuesday.  Surgery is a possible cure.  Yep, rare.  Sigh....