Lately I have this thing where I get a date in my head and it gets stuck. I convince myself that an appointment I have scheduled (for instance) is on "xyz" date...even when it isn't. I can't tell you how annoying this is. I did this with my appt. for Dr. B (the Alpha-1 pulmo). I was certain it was on Feb. 4th, but when his office called two weeks ago to request that I send them some more info, I asked when my appt. was just to be sure. Feb. 1st...8:40 a.m. Whew, good thing I asked! So I put it into my Thunderbird mail calendar thingamabob and added a reminder to it. Days passed, new stuff cropped up, and I slipped back into thinking the appt. was on the 4th. When I didn't get a reminder phone call for Fri. I thought nothing of it. Friday came and went (with a phone call from Dr. S...more on that later), Saturday was half over and I started questioning when I was supposed to see Dr. B. I pulled up the calendar and there was nothing listed for the 4th...or the 1st...or anywhere for that matter. Everything was GONE. I went into the living room and asked Ryan to check the calendar on the laptop and sure enough, there was nothing listed. After some checking it appeared as if a software glitch ate all of our entries, including my appointment w/Dr. B which was (obviously) on the 1st, not the 4th. I cried. I had been waiting for this appt. for over 4 months and because of a glitch, both from the computer and from the clinic not calling to remind me, I missed it. Don't get me wrong, I should have written it down as well. Lesson learned.
Today I called and explained what had happened. The receptionist was extremely kind and did her best. She got ahold of Dr. B and asked if he would come into the clinic for an extra appt., yet he wouldn't. He's also booked out until May. Yep...May. So I'll be waiting forever once again. I'm on the cancellation list just in case, although Dr. B is rarely in clinic so I doubt anyone else will be as stupid as me and not show up. Needless to say I am tattooing the date for this appt. on my forehead instead of trusting my computer. Sigh...
One good thing did take place on Fri., though. Dr. S called me back after I left another message for her and we went over the recent findings. She spoke with a bone specialist/radiologist (something like that) again regarding my SI joints. He told her that what I have is degenerative, not related to the cysts/lesions in my pelvis, maybe caused by childbirth (??), and that he wants to see my MRI from last year. I told her I'd have them send it up so he can look it over and we'll go from there I guess. Dr. S also put in an order for me to schedule an u/s for my liver, spleen, veins, et al--which I did today and will be going under the Doppler this Thurs. In addition to all of that I got a referral back to the gastro docs. I specifically requested NOT to see Dr. N again, however. When I called the gasto folks today to get scheduled they put me in w/Dr. Z who I was originally supposed to see way back when. But...like Dr. B, Dr. Z is a busy man. So busy in fact that his earliest appt. is in JUNE! Once again I was put on the cancellation list and the gal I spoke with said she would also speak to the doctor to see if he can get me in earlier. If not I'm seeing someone else. Both Dr. S and the doc I saw at the Immediate Care clinic were quite adamant I be seen a.s.a.p. The person I talked to said they hadn't received a referral from Dr. S yet, so maybe when she sends it that will speed things along. I'm also going to pick up my records from the Immediate Care place and send them on to Dr. Z so that he knows what's going on. Fingers crossed that I can see him by next week.
The pain on the left side (spleen) isn't as bad as it was the weekend before last, or maybe I'm getting used to it, but it's still pretty painful. My right side (liver) is really uncomfortable. I'm still battling the nausea and fatigue. Fatigue is better, nausea is too, yet they're there. I think I've lost weight, though...bonus!
Lung-wise my Peak Flow Meter readings are holding around 350-400. I'm no longer feeling the effects of the corticosteroids from the Advair, thankfully. I go back to Dr. J (the pulmo) in another week or so. More updates when that happens.
More petechiae have appeared on my arms and now on my legs. Dr. S was at a loss as to why they are showing up when my platelets are okay. Who knows with me! :o/ I'm just glad I didn't need a transfusion...knock on wood.
Showing posts with label SI Joint Problems. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SI Joint Problems. Show all posts
Monday, February 4, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
And the verdict is
As of now Dr. J thinks I have asthma. My lungs looked good on CT and there isn't any evidence of emphysema, but I did drop pretty quick during the methacholine challenge test. He has put me on Advair twice a day for the next three weeks at which time I will see him again. I took the first dose last night and a second this morning. Unfortunately Advair is a corticosteroid and we all know how much my body hates them. Today the lightning in my head and the shakiness came back from it's hiatus. But, I can take a deep breath again. And my peak flow meter hit 445--still below normal but up from my usual average of 400. I have yet to take the third dose tonight as the symptoms I am having are the "call your doctor" type. Tomorrow I will call Dr. J's office and find out if he wants me to keep taking it or what. Not sure what my other options will be as non-steroidal treatments aren't effective. :o(
Stupidly I put off asking for a percocet refill and now I am out. Of course today would be the day that my left SI joint has decided to scream at me. My skin in that area feels incredibly bruised too. Wearing jeans to the store tonight was so not fun. Honestly, the roxicet doesn't kick this pain. At least not the half of one I've taken. Maybe if I upped the dose it would which would be fine for the times that the pain gets this bad and then I can take it back down to the low dose I'm usually on. Or I'd be up for trying something completely new too. I've left two messages for my rheumy starting yesterday and no one has called me back. I need a family physician that can handle stuff like this. It's my fault for waiting this long, I know, it's just that I hate asking for pain meds. I really do. But damn I wish I would've called last week. The pain is bad this time. Real bad.
Stupidly I put off asking for a percocet refill and now I am out. Of course today would be the day that my left SI joint has decided to scream at me. My skin in that area feels incredibly bruised too. Wearing jeans to the store tonight was so not fun. Honestly, the roxicet doesn't kick this pain. At least not the half of one I've taken. Maybe if I upped the dose it would which would be fine for the times that the pain gets this bad and then I can take it back down to the low dose I'm usually on. Or I'd be up for trying something completely new too. I've left two messages for my rheumy starting yesterday and no one has called me back. I need a family physician that can handle stuff like this. It's my fault for waiting this long, I know, it's just that I hate asking for pain meds. I really do. But damn I wish I would've called last week. The pain is bad this time. Real bad.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Add seasoning, stir, and simmer
In my never-ending quest to find relief for my pain, I picked up some sea salts with special herbs for muscle/joint pain when we were grocery shopping this week. Yes, I was skeptical too and after reading the label I realized that most of the stuff in the package (the $5.95 package) was in my pantry. Except Dead Sea Salts. I bet I could get some, though. But whatever...I love the new bathtub and will use any excuse to get in there and soak. Not that I need an excuse, mind you.
Yesterday was a particularly grueling day for me. I'm not sure what the deal was but my pelvis felt as if it were ready to break in half. I was literally crying and/or fighting back tears from the afternoon on as the pain was constant and no position brought relief. Sometimes it would let up a bit yet it always came back. Up until then I had been doing fine. Sure my bones were more achy than usual however I can deal with that. When my SI joints flare up it can be excruciating to say the least. I wonder if the cortisone is wearing off or something? Who knows. So after taking a half and a whole Percocet in about a 3 hr. time span and still having a ton of pain, I figured I'd try the Dead Sea Salt soak for the hell of it. The kids were watching cartoons, Ryan wasn't home yet, and the dogs were conked out as usual. I crept downstairs, drew the water, lit some candles, poured the contents of the package into the included sack per the directions, then placed it into the tub. Little bits of thyme and who knows what else floated out here and there. The salts dissolved through the bag and as I sat in the tub I felt sort of like a chicken. Steam was rising not only off of the water itself, but also off of my hands, arms, or whatever else I pulled out of the super hot water. It was very warm, I was seasoned up good, now all I needed were some cannibals dancing around me, singing, and waiting for me to read 185 degrees when poked with a thermometer. The directions read that I had to sit in there for 30 mins. Normally this wouldn't even be an issue for me. Last night, however, I ran the water a tad too warm as I didn't want to get cold while soaking, so I was quite toasty. I even opened up two windows to get some cool air in. In the end I managed to withstand the piping hot water for the allotted time but unfortunately it didn't provide much relief. Maybe it would have had I not been in as much pain as I was. I ended up taking yet another whole Percocet later that night just to make it through until bedtime.
Today I do feel better but I'm still hurting really bad. Not make-me-cry bad, though. Just enough to make me kinda hate life right now and keep me from working on the website that I need to get done. Sitting at my computer is tough at the moment. Even with a fairly comfy chair. I need a butt pillow. A really good butt pillow that will support my pelvis. There has to be one of those out there. Off to hunt for one...
Yesterday was a particularly grueling day for me. I'm not sure what the deal was but my pelvis felt as if it were ready to break in half. I was literally crying and/or fighting back tears from the afternoon on as the pain was constant and no position brought relief. Sometimes it would let up a bit yet it always came back. Up until then I had been doing fine. Sure my bones were more achy than usual however I can deal with that. When my SI joints flare up it can be excruciating to say the least. I wonder if the cortisone is wearing off or something? Who knows. So after taking a half and a whole Percocet in about a 3 hr. time span and still having a ton of pain, I figured I'd try the Dead Sea Salt soak for the hell of it. The kids were watching cartoons, Ryan wasn't home yet, and the dogs were conked out as usual. I crept downstairs, drew the water, lit some candles, poured the contents of the package into the included sack per the directions, then placed it into the tub. Little bits of thyme and who knows what else floated out here and there. The salts dissolved through the bag and as I sat in the tub I felt sort of like a chicken. Steam was rising not only off of the water itself, but also off of my hands, arms, or whatever else I pulled out of the super hot water. It was very warm, I was seasoned up good, now all I needed were some cannibals dancing around me, singing, and waiting for me to read 185 degrees when poked with a thermometer. The directions read that I had to sit in there for 30 mins. Normally this wouldn't even be an issue for me. Last night, however, I ran the water a tad too warm as I didn't want to get cold while soaking, so I was quite toasty. I even opened up two windows to get some cool air in. In the end I managed to withstand the piping hot water for the allotted time but unfortunately it didn't provide much relief. Maybe it would have had I not been in as much pain as I was. I ended up taking yet another whole Percocet later that night just to make it through until bedtime.
Today I do feel better but I'm still hurting really bad. Not make-me-cry bad, though. Just enough to make me kinda hate life right now and keep me from working on the website that I need to get done. Sitting at my computer is tough at the moment. Even with a fairly comfy chair. I need a butt pillow. A really good butt pillow that will support my pelvis. There has to be one of those out there. Off to hunt for one...
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