Mid November Rant & Doctor Visits
I took my usual trip down to visit Rob Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th of last week. Rob’s friend Terry has been taking up most of Rob’s time off work, even time he should be sleeping.LOL
Tuesday Terry showed up again with a beagle he had just adopted from the shelter. He had been planning on adopting a dog and searching for one he wanted since summer. It is not wise to pick up a dog, not have bought any doggie supplies and be driving around with her and leaving her in the car. He could get ticketed for that and there is the possibility of harm to the dog. It would have sucked to just get the dog and have it taken away. But She is a cute beagle and seems well mannered.
Ok so also went on little road trip with Rob, went to CiCi pizza’s which is a pizza buffet place. Pizza being Robs favorite food he went all crazy. All the pizza is thin crust and they do have quite a few varieties I tried few of the veggie and chicken varieties. Rob and Terry competed to see who could eat the most slices. It is amusing the skin and bones boy can out eat most anyone when it comes to PIZZA. Afterwards Rob and I hit a few stores in the area.
Thursday 9th though Saturday 11th was a blur I don’t remember much.
Sunday we celebrated Mom’s birthday, her birthday was actually on Wednesday the 8th.
The house 6 was here (including mom of course) Alica and Justin came, Aral was working and Amber sent a card and called with her love from N.C. We had a lovely dinner and Dad bought Mom a giant ice cream cake. My present to my mother was CD player set(came with headphones, tape deck adapter to use through car speakers, A/C lighter power plug adapter and little remote so she not leaning over to play with buttons while in traffic.) I Also gave her two CD’s, some candy and other little items.
This past week I had to many Doctor appointments to visit with Rob or anyone.
Monday the 13th I had 6 vials of blood drawn for my hematologist. Complete blood counts (CBC), kidney and liver function tests and antibody tests for Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome (APS).
Tuesday I saw the Rheumatologist, who wasn’t very insightful. He asked some quick questions about my increased pain, if I was till taking the prescribed mega vitamins and discussed pain meds. But had no answer for why I was having more pain. He gave me a prescription, sent me for blood work for CBC, Calcium and Vitamin D levels and told me come back in 6 months. He prescribed me Ultram (generic Tramadol). It is an arthritis pain medicine that is in gentle on the stomach and not classified as a narcotic. It can be taken with Motrin which is good because my prescription is for 2 pills, 3 times a day(180 month) but my insurance will only cover 2 pills a day (60 month).
Wednesday I saw the Hematologist. I realized how bad my muscle weakness has gotten when in the waiting room my father handed me a thick magazine and I couldn’t even hold it up to read it, the effort of holding it made my arms shake and muscles hurt, that’s scary!!!
He said my platelets and other blood counts were good, liver and kidney function good and that I definitely did have APS because the antibodies continued to be positive. He said this worried him and he was seriously considering putting me on stronger blood thinners than the aspirin therapy he had me on.
An individual with APS is at higher risk for strokes, clots and miscarriages, but since I’ve not had any thrombotic event and was adamant about not wanting to add a pill like Coumadin at this time he agreed to allow me to continue just taking aspirin. I am to get my blood checked every 3 months (or sooner if I experience excessive bruising and bleeding) and visit him in 6 months.
Thursday I saw my Neurologist. She was concerned that the Lymphedema has continued to be a problem. So she is trying to order me some kind of compression devices to squeeze the excessive build up of lymph fluid out, so it will recycle back to my kidneys and be excreted.
She also again asked me to get a sublingual biopsy, fancy talk for salivary gland biopsy to test for Sjogens Disease. I could not get it done the 1st time she asked because no ear, nose throat doctor would take my health plan. Now I have a Medicaid plan and she believes the doctor she recommended will accept it. So I will have to call ENT doctor Monday and set that up.
Also she is sending me for a sleep study to see if I have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is when you stop breathing for over 20 seconds, while sleeping.
She also asked me a lot more indebth questions about my pain and muscle weakness. She told me the spasm, shooting pain I’ve been having in my back and head and general muscle pains would NOT be helped by the Tramadol. I didn’t ask her for pain medicine but she told me she wanted me to try a myalgia medicine. She gave me samples to try, Lyrica? She said take one for 3-5 days then go to 2 a day. If it works then I’ll see if my insurance will cover it, if not she will try to find a similar medicine my Medicaid will cover.
Myalgia means “muscle pain” and is a symptom of many diseases and disorders. The most common cause for myalgia is either overuse or over-stretching of a muscle or group of muscles. Myalgia without a traumatic history is often due to viral infections. Longer-term myalgias may be indicative of a metabolic myopathy, some nutritional deficiencies or chronic fatigue syndrome.
Friday I started my Tramadol and If I have no allergic reaction or adverse rections then Monday 20th I will add the myalgia medicine too.
I’ve been trying to deal with just aspirin and motrin, but the pain has gotten so bad that its hard to function. On both my prior visits to the Rhuemy and Neuro they had offered pain medicine, however I’d been afraid to accept because of the fear of becoming dependent on it. But now I feel so incapaciated and miserable that I have thoughts that maybe I’d rather be dead, so its time to accept I need pain medicine.
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