Pain Management Doc Appointment

Hi All -

Just a short post.  I went to the doc yesterday, they told me my color has come back to my skin and I don't look grey anymore.  I will take it.  That is the second doctor that has told me that.  I really think it is due to no hospital stays, no broken arm, no procedures to cut away more dangerous tissue in the last 8-9 months.  I really have had a long run of time to heal - what a blessing.

We so take advantage of our health - even me.  I have had a good long run without any major crisis and I am so grateful.

Also while I was at the doc, she said she had been laid out by some type of sinus infection and had taken to bed all day.  She thought as she laid there, feeling sorry for herself, of all the patients she sees who have tough illnesses and what a big baby she was being.

I often hear this.  Someone comparing their small illness to my big illness.  I told her that it was okay to not feel good and feel sorry for herself due to it.  It is the bags we carry.  Some are small, some are big and some are extremely deadly.  It is just a bag and how we react to it.  I told her not to feel bad about it and not compare one bag to another's bag.  We are all different and get dealt a different set of cards.  I feel no animosity about it. 

It is just the way we carry our loads.

More later -

Surviving Spring Break

This last week was Spring Break.  Unfortunately my children do not know how to entertain their selves all the time.  For the last three nights of it, I had 4 kids in my house - you say what's the big deal you already have three?  Add in another girl and the decibel level in the house goes wayyyyy up.
But they had fun - that is the point.

Yesterday was the triplets birthday.  Hard to believe the years have flown so quickly - 11 years.  I went through the IVF process and I remember it start to finish as if it were yesterday.  Happy Birthday Daniel, Sarah and Matthew.  It is funny how I always put their names in birth order.

I am going to go get my last three filings today.  Can't wait.  My health has seemed to level off.  The fatigue is still a bug-a-boo and hits me at inappropriate times.  Since I change up the meds, I haven't fallen - so grateful for that.  Thanks for all the continued prayers.

More later -

A week in review

Wow - what a week.  I take a lot of meds - most of them have a side effect of making you sleepy.  So in the middle of the night when I get up, I fall or slam into walls.  Fun stuff.  That was one of the reasons I went to the dentist.  I had slammed my body up against the left side of my body and had a huge left chin bump - swollen and red.  Chin a ok but 6 cavity fillings to come.  I had three earlier this week and will have the next three next week.

I took another bad fall early Tuesday morning about two am.  I was trying to make it  back to the couch - yes, I was  using my walker.  I missed the couch and went to the floor hard.  I just happened to have an appointment I made with my primary physician.  My ribs HURT.  We did a couple of things.  Cut down one med.  He looked at my last results and he did not like my kidney function results plus I had gained 10 pounds in a very short time.  When you gain more than 5 pounds while on a feed bag it is concerning - it means your body is not functioning well in absorbing the TPN.  So between my weight gain and my kidney results, he took me off the feed bag and put me on Lasik (makes you pee all your extra fluid retention out).  So I had a three day vacay from TPN (it was nice to not have to hook up) and peed a lot.  I lost 11 pounds in three days - so now I am off the Lasik.  And lastly, I had a chest x-ray and all was well - nothing broken.

I saw my psychiatrist Friday.  We stuck with the cut down in one med and went up on another.  It is an anti-depressant approved for bipolar patients.  If you give just regular anti-depressants to a bi-polar patient, it typically makes them very manic - when this happens to me I don't sleep well and I spend tons of money (that I do not have).  So we will see what the increase in the med does.  I will let you know.

Kids are on spring break - yay!  Nice thing is not getting up at 6 am to make sure they get ready and take them to school.  Bad thing is - the constant fighting.  Just had to diffuse one. We will see how it goes.

Hope your Spring Break, if applicable, is a good one. 

More later -

What do teeth have to due with Cancer???

It really is just another side effect.  Due to my being fed through the feed bag, I do not eat foods that provide fluids our bodies need.  Yes, I drink diet coke all day - but it is not enough.  The dentist said water won't help either.  My mouth feels dry all day long.  He gave me some Biotene mouth rinse with so I will try it.  I wake to go to the bathroom at night I first have to have something I can drink before any thing else.

I went to the dentist this last week because the left side of my chin was swollen and red - and it hurt like heck.  After I had made the appointment, I noticed a red sore spot on my left clavicle.  So you ask, what does this all affect my teeth.  I am getting there. At night when I have had all my meds, I don't walk so great.  I recalled slamming into the wall - thus the soreness on my chin and clavicle.  I now use my walker at night - it has helped some.  Only problem with it is that it does not fit into the guest bathroom.  For example, I went to sit down and my back hit the lid of the toilet all the way down - hurt.

But I went anyhow - just in case.  Jaw was good.  Teeth not so good.  One of the side effects of not being able to eat, is I get dry mouth.  Thus the connection.  If there is a side effect, I will get it (I know I have said this before but it is so true).  The dryness causes cavities.  I haven't had a cavity for so long - I can't even remember.  So I have 6 cavities that need work - one of the six needs a crown.  Really???  What's next?

More later -