Well hello again,
Unfortunately, each day keeps getting worse for me. I've been fighting a cold, my feet, legs and wrists are still killing me, but once again, I missed out on fabulous plans because of my health.
Yesterday was supposed to be a fun day where my hubby took off work and we went to a baseball game with our friends and their 3 little boys, the youngest of which is our Godson. I woke up that morning still feeling my cold, still feeling the pain from Fibromyalgia, especially in my feet, and on top of it, a migraine was coming on. So, I took migraine meds and plopped down on the couch. About 30 minutes after we were supposed to leave, I decided that there was no way that I could go to the game. So, I sent my hubby on his way. About 30 minutes after that, I started throwing up. Then about 15 minutes later, I threw up again...and again...and again...and again. I still haven't figured out why this happened. It could be part of my cold, part of the migraine, a result of everything in my system just being off, or maybe some kind of flu bug. Either way...I'm glad that part is over for now.
Tomorrow is reserved for rest, rest, and more rest, no matter how I feel. Saturday is my day to attend a bachelorette party and I really feel the need to have a night out where I don't have to worry about my health for a few hours. However, after forcing my feet into 4" heels last weekend, I think I'm going to go the sensible Birkenstock route for this party, especially considering that my car is currently sitting about 10 blocks away from the final destination of the party at my brother-in-law's place (long story...related to my hubby's car issues from last week), and I'll have to walk there to retrieve it after the party.
Otherwise, I'm still attempting to catch up on many missed phone calls since Saturday. I listened to 9 voicemails in total today and haven't made a single call yet. If anyone reading this needs information from me, the best bet is probably a short email or text--I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
Sweet dreams everyone--off to bed for me.
-S
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Ok, then...
Hi again,
Well, I was going to write a quick post about how much my feet, legs and wrists feel today (Fibromyalgia pain, complicated by crappy weather) and click "post", but something funnier happened:
The internet is a strange place. I'm really not that naive, but I'm still constantly surprised by the cruel, sick, strange and puzzling things I see sometimes. Tonight, my stats page told me something interesting...someone actually found my blog by searching for the following on google "locker room shower girls awkward swimsuit". My bet is that person was SORELY disappointed to find my blog post about a broken down thirtysomething going to the Y to walk in a warm water channel!!!!
Anyway, back to my original story. Stress, stress, stress...I've had a cold for a week, the hubby had an unexpected car breakdown, we had an out of town wedding, insomnia took over again, and then Easter Suday was kind of a wash for me because I was so out of whack. I had to leave the sunrise church service halfway through, then ended up sleeping for most of the day. Monday was a day of complete rest, and today was a day of complete pain. My feet seriously feel like they are broken...no exaggeration. I've broken bones, and my feet feel like they are broken.
So now, I am going to give in and take a sleeping pill to make sure that I get a good night's sleep.
Good night!
-S
Well, I was going to write a quick post about how much my feet, legs and wrists feel today (Fibromyalgia pain, complicated by crappy weather) and click "post", but something funnier happened:
The internet is a strange place. I'm really not that naive, but I'm still constantly surprised by the cruel, sick, strange and puzzling things I see sometimes. Tonight, my stats page told me something interesting...someone actually found my blog by searching for the following on google "locker room shower girls awkward swimsuit". My bet is that person was SORELY disappointed to find my blog post about a broken down thirtysomething going to the Y to walk in a warm water channel!!!!
Anyway, back to my original story. Stress, stress, stress...I've had a cold for a week, the hubby had an unexpected car breakdown, we had an out of town wedding, insomnia took over again, and then Easter Suday was kind of a wash for me because I was so out of whack. I had to leave the sunrise church service halfway through, then ended up sleeping for most of the day. Monday was a day of complete rest, and today was a day of complete pain. My feet seriously feel like they are broken...no exaggeration. I've broken bones, and my feet feel like they are broken.
So now, I am going to give in and take a sleeping pill to make sure that I get a good night's sleep.
Good night!
-S
Article from yesterday's post
http://www.possibilism.org/bring-nature-home-for-pain-relief/
OK...starting to figure out blogger for my Android.
-S
OK...starting to figure out blogger for my Android.
-S
Monday, April 25, 2011
I hope this works!
Greetings!
I downloaded the Blogger app for my phone in hopes that I can blog on-the-go. Insomnia gives me a lot of free time many nights, and I've recently been filling that time by reading articles on paint management, diet, etc. This one struck me because I love nature, yet my issues (and Wisconsin weather!) keep me from getting outside as much as I would like.
More to come on my get-back-to-nature plan to fix myself up. It's in the works.
-S
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Good yesterday/rough today
Well, one out of two isn't bad for me. :)
Yesterday was my appointment with my new Ob/gyn. Even better than the fact that the appointment went well was the fact that I felt well on top of it. Here's the scoop:
I arrived later than I was supposed to because I didn't leave on time, hit construction (the place is about an hour from my house) and couldn't find the clinic. Then, I couldn't immediately find my insurance card in my wallet. Turns out, there's a slot in it that I didn't even know was there that I must have absentmindedly stuck the card in last time I had it out. Once they called me back, there was the horrifying experience on the scale, but after that, the appointment went very well.
First came the daunting task of entering my information into the computer. We started from scratch since this was my first time visiting an office in that healthcare system (ProHealth). That task took about 45 minutes. Part of it was that I have so many drug allergies, past procedures, diagnosed issues, and current symptoms, but most of it was that this poor woman was just starting out on her job, and was also not used to either a computer or the computer system. Worse, was that she is not familiar with either medical terminology or the spelling of many drugs, so it was pretty painful for both of us until a seasoned pro came in and took over. I'd estimate that that the first woman took 80% of the time to enter 25% of the information, so I was beyond grateful to get the show on the road.
Next, I met the doctor for the first time. She did a wonderful job taking my history, asking questions, listening to my concerns, and allowing me to ask all of my questions. Even better was that she was able to hook me up with recommendations for many of the specialists that I need to replace, and was forthright in letting me know their strengths, along with any concerns I may have. Since I have several overlapping issues, specifically the chronic pelvic pain, Endometriosis, and Interstitial Cystitis (or not..see previous posts), there are several doctors, including the Ob/Gyn who could both treat and perform surgery. She was very honest in telling me that she was not the strongest of the surgeons due to the fact that she is a generalist, and also gave me recommendations as to who would be the best captain of the ship...the ship being me, of course.
I walked away with a list of the following specialists:
As for today, I was supposed to go back for a cholesterol test, but I had to cancel because I caught my husband's cold, and possibly the flu bug that was going around the Sunday School Class that we teach. Meaning...back to bed for me.
Many more doctor appointment updates to come...
-S
Yesterday was my appointment with my new Ob/gyn. Even better than the fact that the appointment went well was the fact that I felt well on top of it. Here's the scoop:
I arrived later than I was supposed to because I didn't leave on time, hit construction (the place is about an hour from my house) and couldn't find the clinic. Then, I couldn't immediately find my insurance card in my wallet. Turns out, there's a slot in it that I didn't even know was there that I must have absentmindedly stuck the card in last time I had it out. Once they called me back, there was the horrifying experience on the scale, but after that, the appointment went very well.
First came the daunting task of entering my information into the computer. We started from scratch since this was my first time visiting an office in that healthcare system (ProHealth). That task took about 45 minutes. Part of it was that I have so many drug allergies, past procedures, diagnosed issues, and current symptoms, but most of it was that this poor woman was just starting out on her job, and was also not used to either a computer or the computer system. Worse, was that she is not familiar with either medical terminology or the spelling of many drugs, so it was pretty painful for both of us until a seasoned pro came in and took over. I'd estimate that that the first woman took 80% of the time to enter 25% of the information, so I was beyond grateful to get the show on the road.
Next, I met the doctor for the first time. She did a wonderful job taking my history, asking questions, listening to my concerns, and allowing me to ask all of my questions. Even better was that she was able to hook me up with recommendations for many of the specialists that I need to replace, and was forthright in letting me know their strengths, along with any concerns I may have. Since I have several overlapping issues, specifically the chronic pelvic pain, Endometriosis, and Interstitial Cystitis (or not..see previous posts), there are several doctors, including the Ob/Gyn who could both treat and perform surgery. She was very honest in telling me that she was not the strongest of the surgeons due to the fact that she is a generalist, and also gave me recommendations as to who would be the best captain of the ship...the ship being me, of course.
I walked away with a list of the following specialists:
- Urogynocologist (A urologist and gynocologist, which is hard to find)
- Hematologist
- Ferility doctor for the futureInternal Medicine
- Neurologist
- Pain Management
As for today, I was supposed to go back for a cholesterol test, but I had to cancel because I caught my husband's cold, and possibly the flu bug that was going around the Sunday School Class that we teach. Meaning...back to bed for me.
Many more doctor appointment updates to come...
-S
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Research
Hi.
Today is a pretty rough day for me. Pelvic pain, Fibro pain and Endometriosis are all competing for my attention. Endometriosis is winning with Fibro pain, specifically in the neck and upper back a close second.
My recent promise to myself was that I would read anything about Fibromyalgia that I could get my hands on. Now that I've started my research, I've decided to modify this promise. The more I read, especially testimonials, the more I really, truly realize that there are many things that I am never going to be able to do again. I think the one that hits me hardest is playing in a soccer league I played soccer for 15 years, beginning when I was just 4 years old in Appleton, WI. When my family moved in third grade, the new friends I made that year were all from my soccer team. When I moved again my sophomore year of high school, I had a hard time making friends until soccer tryouts that spring, where I became a starter on the Varsity team and made lifelong friends. I was all set to play college soccer, but ended up withdrawing two days before the first practice (I had worked or babysat almost every single non-soccer night since I was 14 and decided that I needed some free time), though I still played in recreational indoor leagues. In the couple of years between not playing and the beginning of my health issues, I always thought I would play again. Now I'm realizing that my body just can't take the strain.
So what's the solution? I'm not really sure yet, but for the moment, I'm letting myself be sad about this for a few days, but then I'll figure out what activities will still suit me (Curling? Table tennis?) and go from there.
Another thing I meant to mention a few posts back was that I'm realizing that I also need to give up attending Aqua Zumba as frequently as I have, if not altogether. Water walking against a current has been really helpful, but dancing in the water just causes more pain than good. Back to the boring!
And...back to my weekend. :)
-S
Today is a pretty rough day for me. Pelvic pain, Fibro pain and Endometriosis are all competing for my attention. Endometriosis is winning with Fibro pain, specifically in the neck and upper back a close second.
My recent promise to myself was that I would read anything about Fibromyalgia that I could get my hands on. Now that I've started my research, I've decided to modify this promise. The more I read, especially testimonials, the more I really, truly realize that there are many things that I am never going to be able to do again. I think the one that hits me hardest is playing in a soccer league I played soccer for 15 years, beginning when I was just 4 years old in Appleton, WI. When my family moved in third grade, the new friends I made that year were all from my soccer team. When I moved again my sophomore year of high school, I had a hard time making friends until soccer tryouts that spring, where I became a starter on the Varsity team and made lifelong friends. I was all set to play college soccer, but ended up withdrawing two days before the first practice (I had worked or babysat almost every single non-soccer night since I was 14 and decided that I needed some free time), though I still played in recreational indoor leagues. In the couple of years between not playing and the beginning of my health issues, I always thought I would play again. Now I'm realizing that my body just can't take the strain.
So what's the solution? I'm not really sure yet, but for the moment, I'm letting myself be sad about this for a few days, but then I'll figure out what activities will still suit me (Curling? Table tennis?) and go from there.
Another thing I meant to mention a few posts back was that I'm realizing that I also need to give up attending Aqua Zumba as frequently as I have, if not altogether. Water walking against a current has been really helpful, but dancing in the water just causes more pain than good. Back to the boring!
And...back to my weekend. :)
-S
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Ranting and reading
Happy Thursday!
Unfortunately, I was house-bound today becasue I'm still dizzy from the Savella (my new Fibro med that I mentioned in yesterday's post). And...to rant a little about the healthcare system again...a well-run healthcare clinic is hard to find. I sorely miss my year and a half with the University of Wisconsin Healthcare system. I swear that I have never waited more than an hour from a call back from a Doctor's office, and much of the time, it is the doctor that called me back personally. If not the doctor, I got to speak to a well-informed proxy who takes care of all of my issues in one return phone call. Back to the rant...I had to call the pain clinic this morning to let them know that I'm still dizzy and unable to walk long distances (as in, further than down the hallway), or safely drive, and that I need to know what I should do next. The thing is, they have a 24-hour callback policy, but are not available Mondays. Messages must be left by 4pm, so anything that happens after then can't be called in until 8am the following morning. Prescription refill requests are only honored Tuesday-Thursday, and there is a 7 business-day lead time policy that the patient must honor, so Thursdays are crammed with patients trying to get refill requests in on time. That said, I called immediately after waking up at 11am this morning (I was up until 6am this morning, despite doing everything I could think of to fall asleep) and did not get a call back. So, by the time I get a call back, I will have missed 4 doses of this medication. Since the prescription has to start at a low dose and step up every couple of days, I'll probably have to start over if the doctor wants me to continue. How frustrating. Like having Fibromyalgia (along with my chronic pain and other issues), isn't bad enough!
Otherwise, I've been diving back into reading again lately. I had a really rough childhood and books were always my escape from reality when I wasn't playing soccer or hanging out with friends. When all of these health issues cropped up, I wasn't able to read because the pain was too much of a distraction. Now that some of the pain is under control, I am devouring every book that I've always meant to read but haven't. Off the top of my head, in the last couple of months I've read:
-S
Unfortunately, I was house-bound today becasue I'm still dizzy from the Savella (my new Fibro med that I mentioned in yesterday's post). And...to rant a little about the healthcare system again...a well-run healthcare clinic is hard to find. I sorely miss my year and a half with the University of Wisconsin Healthcare system. I swear that I have never waited more than an hour from a call back from a Doctor's office, and much of the time, it is the doctor that called me back personally. If not the doctor, I got to speak to a well-informed proxy who takes care of all of my issues in one return phone call. Back to the rant...I had to call the pain clinic this morning to let them know that I'm still dizzy and unable to walk long distances (as in, further than down the hallway), or safely drive, and that I need to know what I should do next. The thing is, they have a 24-hour callback policy, but are not available Mondays. Messages must be left by 4pm, so anything that happens after then can't be called in until 8am the following morning. Prescription refill requests are only honored Tuesday-Thursday, and there is a 7 business-day lead time policy that the patient must honor, so Thursdays are crammed with patients trying to get refill requests in on time. That said, I called immediately after waking up at 11am this morning (I was up until 6am this morning, despite doing everything I could think of to fall asleep) and did not get a call back. So, by the time I get a call back, I will have missed 4 doses of this medication. Since the prescription has to start at a low dose and step up every couple of days, I'll probably have to start over if the doctor wants me to continue. How frustrating. Like having Fibromyalgia (along with my chronic pain and other issues), isn't bad enough!
Otherwise, I've been diving back into reading again lately. I had a really rough childhood and books were always my escape from reality when I wasn't playing soccer or hanging out with friends. When all of these health issues cropped up, I wasn't able to read because the pain was too much of a distraction. Now that some of the pain is under control, I am devouring every book that I've always meant to read but haven't. Off the top of my head, in the last couple of months I've read:
- Tuesday's with Morrie by Mitch Albom (I plan to blog about this at some point soon)
- Memoirs of a Geisha
- The first 7 Sookie Stackhouse Novels by Charlaine Harris (The True Blood novels)
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- The Twilight Series (Yes, I admit it)
- Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
-S
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