So much to share, but I'm too tired to share it all at the moment. I have a new medication that is helping a lot, but it's making me sleepy. Plus, I'm still fighting off the tail end of this cold, so I have to come back to all of you another day to get all of the updates together.
For now, I guess I can sum it up as this: I'm to a point where it is finally easy to exist again, but living is really, really hard. Much better than the days where I was fighting just to make it to the next minute without going crazy from chronic pain.
Over and out.
-S
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Happy Anniversary to me!
Hello,
I've just returned this afternoon from my 9th Wedding Anniversary mini vacay with my hubby. Despite the fact that we both have colds...his turned into an infection requiring anti-b's...and my pain is still flaring, we had an amazing, relaxing time in a cabin at a bed and breakfast. Since we didn't feel well, we didn't do the normal activities like shop in the tourist town, go to a bar, or take a boat ride, but we did manage to make it to dinner one night. We also took a 50 mile drive through farmland to take in the fall colors and I saw the first Bald Eagle that I've ever seen in the wild.
What really got me during the trip was that even though I was sick and in pain, I felt so much better than I did two years ago when we stayed in the same place for our Anniversary. It was during the time I was on a 2 month medical leave, about a week after I had a laparoscopy for my endometriosis (which didn't help) and at a time where I was taking 10-12 percoset each DAY. I barely got out of the bed during the 20 hours that we were there and not surprisingly, I don't remember much of the trip at all. I say this all the time, especially here--but I always think that I haven't made the progress that I should have, until something makes me think back. Then I realize how much hope I've been given since those hopeless months.
As for the next week, I begin Monday with my cholesterol test, followed by an appointment with my primary care physician to figure out what do to with my Fibro this winter, my pain medications for the pelvic/IC pain, and the GI stuff that's still causing me problems. I'm trying to centralize my treatment into as few doctors as possible, so I hope that goes well. On the downside, I heard a rumor that my awesome new primary care doc is leaving the practice, so that is going to put a gigantic wrench in my healthcare. Also, I have PT on Wednesday and a bladder instillation on Thursday, which is really going to hurt since I haven't had one in two months. I'm sure I'll have more updates on that this week.
For now, I sleep.
-S
Friday, October 7, 2011
A Friday 2fer
Me again,
Something I forgot to share that I remembered as I was hooking up my INF (similar to a Tens) unit. I'm becoming immune to it. Didn't know that was possible. After PT, I generally stay to be hooked up to the clinic unit before I leave. Normally, I hang out on the unit at the level of 10 to start, and about 18 when I leave. That's higher than most with my issues, meaning a stronger pulse. This time, my PT was turning up the level and I couldn't even feel it around 7. She was afraid of hurting me, so I took over the knob and turned it past 20. By the time I was done, I was in the 30s. My home unit is now doing very little for me since the top charge doesn't do what it used to. The good news about this is that it confirms my pain is real...not that I need confirmation myself, but I've learned it helps to have such notes in a medical file. The also sort-of good news is that it means that I'm acclimated to the pain. Meaning: I may not really be having less pain, but I'm getting used to what I have. Either way, I'm ok with it because overall, I feel better. The question is still...what next, which is where this ties into my previous post.
Not sure how well I've just explained all of that, but that's what it is.
-S
Something I forgot to share that I remembered as I was hooking up my INF (similar to a Tens) unit. I'm becoming immune to it. Didn't know that was possible. After PT, I generally stay to be hooked up to the clinic unit before I leave. Normally, I hang out on the unit at the level of 10 to start, and about 18 when I leave. That's higher than most with my issues, meaning a stronger pulse. This time, my PT was turning up the level and I couldn't even feel it around 7. She was afraid of hurting me, so I took over the knob and turned it past 20. By the time I was done, I was in the 30s. My home unit is now doing very little for me since the top charge doesn't do what it used to. The good news about this is that it confirms my pain is real...not that I need confirmation myself, but I've learned it helps to have such notes in a medical file. The also sort-of good news is that it means that I'm acclimated to the pain. Meaning: I may not really be having less pain, but I'm getting used to what I have. Either way, I'm ok with it because overall, I feel better. The question is still...what next, which is where this ties into my previous post.
Not sure how well I've just explained all of that, but that's what it is.
-S
Still not feeling great
Happy Friday,
I'm really kinda falling apart this week. No matter what I eat or don't eat, I can't get my digestive system on track, so I feel like I'm walking around with the flu. Sleep continues to elude me and my pelvic pain (which is actually more abdominal pain) at the moment is still flaring. My PT was able to confirm that the source of the pain is flared scar tissue/endometriosis adhesions. And being autumn in Wisconsin, my Fibro is flaring. My new symptom is random numbness in my arms. Unfortunately, there isn't a quick fix for any of this...but I guess if there was, I wouldn't be here blogging, huh?
So, the solution: I have an appointment with my primary care doctor on the 17th, along with a fasting cholesterol test and then we'll figure out how to attack all of this stuff. Not so coincidentally, I also have my bladder instillation at the hospital up the road later that day. It's nice to get things done all at once. Overall, I'm pretty down about it all this week. Such a mess. On the bright side, I was able to get four yoga workouts in in the last few days. I skipped a full workout today because we're heading back to Miller Park today and I know that I need to bank my energy for such events.
And a publicly shared note-to-self here...I have a few things that I've been meaning to talk about lately that I haven't gotten to. Here's a list for the hopefully near future:
-S
I'm really kinda falling apart this week. No matter what I eat or don't eat, I can't get my digestive system on track, so I feel like I'm walking around with the flu. Sleep continues to elude me and my pelvic pain (which is actually more abdominal pain) at the moment is still flaring. My PT was able to confirm that the source of the pain is flared scar tissue/endometriosis adhesions. And being autumn in Wisconsin, my Fibro is flaring. My new symptom is random numbness in my arms. Unfortunately, there isn't a quick fix for any of this...but I guess if there was, I wouldn't be here blogging, huh?
So, the solution: I have an appointment with my primary care doctor on the 17th, along with a fasting cholesterol test and then we'll figure out how to attack all of this stuff. Not so coincidentally, I also have my bladder instillation at the hospital up the road later that day. It's nice to get things done all at once. Overall, I'm pretty down about it all this week. Such a mess. On the bright side, I was able to get four yoga workouts in in the last few days. I skipped a full workout today because we're heading back to Miller Park today and I know that I need to bank my energy for such events.
And a publicly shared note-to-self here...I have a few things that I've been meaning to talk about lately that I haven't gotten to. Here's a list for the hopefully near future:
- Weight
- The funny side of pain
- Forums
I'm already forgetting at least one thing that I know has been on my mind so I hope it surfaces.
-S
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Still recovering
Hi,
Not much to say today. My stomach is still a mess, but at least my pelvic pain seems to be more manageable. yoga might be in my future for today. I haven't made an appointment with the GI doc yet, but I will today, I swear! The next plan is to go back to my primary care doc to review all of my meds and figure out the best way to treat my Fibromyalgia now that I've known about it for about a year.
Short and sweet.
-S
Not much to say today. My stomach is still a mess, but at least my pelvic pain seems to be more manageable. yoga might be in my future for today. I haven't made an appointment with the GI doc yet, but I will today, I swear! The next plan is to go back to my primary care doc to review all of my meds and figure out the best way to treat my Fibromyalgia now that I've known about it for about a year.
Short and sweet.
-S
Monday, October 3, 2011
Greetings,
As I mentioned in my last post, I was off to the Milwaukee Brewers playoff games over the weekend. Since we live over an hour away from the stadium, we decided to stay with our awesome friends and fellow ticket buddies Saturday night. That plan allowed us to attend church with their family, which includes our godson. The weekend was amazing sports-wise (I'm sure all of you non-Wisconsinites are already sick of us bragging about our Badger/Packer/Brewers victories over the weekend), but I'm paying for it dearly. I spent today on the couch and my legs, back and arms are still killing me. Aside from that, my pelvic pain has calmed a bit, but not enough. Normally, I'd be doing one of my favorite yoga workouts on Monday morning and then heading to coffee with the ladies, but today was a day when a workout would have hurt me more than helped me. However, the fact that I made it to both games and didn't have to leave early or give a ticket away was beyond anything I would have expected of myself at this point. The use of my tush cush, layers of clothing to keep the cold away (which I didn't need) extra medication (which I only needed twice in two days!) snacks, comfortable but not super-cute shores, and my ever-supportive hubby got me through. In 2008, the Brewers had the wildcard spot and I had to give away my second day ticket because I was so destroyed from the first day.
I can't remember if I've recently mentioned how effectively I've been putting off seeing a GI doctor and therefore; a colonoscopy, but my fear is that I have to put those days to a quick end. My greatest fear is Celiac Disease due to the fact that I already have a GIGANTIC list of things that I can't eat. I was really careful about what I ate this weekend and my friends were super kind in making sure that there was food for me to eat, but I indulged in about 2/3 of a beer on Saturday and maybe 1 1/2 MGD's on Sunday and boy am I paying for it today! My stomach is just destroyed. Sunday morning was kind of bad, and this morning had me doubled over in pain until about 3pm along with all kinds of other problems. I guess it's a good thing that I don't love beer (exception: Guinness) so I won't miss it too much. Looks like I may be doomed to a life of rice, potatoes and water by the end of this. Maybe I'll finally make that appointment tomorrow.
Maybe.
-S
As I mentioned in my last post, I was off to the Milwaukee Brewers playoff games over the weekend. Since we live over an hour away from the stadium, we decided to stay with our awesome friends and fellow ticket buddies Saturday night. That plan allowed us to attend church with their family, which includes our godson. The weekend was amazing sports-wise (I'm sure all of you non-Wisconsinites are already sick of us bragging about our Badger/Packer/Brewers victories over the weekend), but I'm paying for it dearly. I spent today on the couch and my legs, back and arms are still killing me. Aside from that, my pelvic pain has calmed a bit, but not enough. Normally, I'd be doing one of my favorite yoga workouts on Monday morning and then heading to coffee with the ladies, but today was a day when a workout would have hurt me more than helped me. However, the fact that I made it to both games and didn't have to leave early or give a ticket away was beyond anything I would have expected of myself at this point. The use of my tush cush, layers of clothing to keep the cold away (which I didn't need) extra medication (which I only needed twice in two days!) snacks, comfortable but not super-cute shores, and my ever-supportive hubby got me through. In 2008, the Brewers had the wildcard spot and I had to give away my second day ticket because I was so destroyed from the first day.
I can't remember if I've recently mentioned how effectively I've been putting off seeing a GI doctor and therefore; a colonoscopy, but my fear is that I have to put those days to a quick end. My greatest fear is Celiac Disease due to the fact that I already have a GIGANTIC list of things that I can't eat. I was really careful about what I ate this weekend and my friends were super kind in making sure that there was food for me to eat, but I indulged in about 2/3 of a beer on Saturday and maybe 1 1/2 MGD's on Sunday and boy am I paying for it today! My stomach is just destroyed. Sunday morning was kind of bad, and this morning had me doubled over in pain until about 3pm along with all kinds of other problems. I guess it's a good thing that I don't love beer (exception: Guinness) so I won't miss it too much. Looks like I may be doomed to a life of rice, potatoes and water by the end of this. Maybe I'll finally make that appointment tomorrow.
Maybe.
-S
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