Doctors visits, treatments and medication, oh my!

It has been quite some time since my last post, so I have several topics to cover. First IV therapy and my port, Dax. Things are going well in those areas, the port is one of the best decisions I think I have made for my health. It is just so much easier now to get IV therapy! I am still getting the multivitamins, minerals and lipids and they have added amino acids to the mix. Well not really, because it is in a separate bag. So now I get 3 bags and it takes 5 hours (average). Depending on whether or not I have labs. I get them every week. I have the weekly labs and every other week they add in a PT INR and once a month I have a HUGE list in the place of those. I enjoy getting the IVs, I think of it as a spa (LOL). I go in 3 days a week, so it is exhausting but I think it is helping.

When I say helping, I don’t mean it stops the pain or anything, hell I don’t really think it is doing much for the
fatigue either. My Dr. says that my numbers are getting back up; I think she is hoping that my numbers would go up and everything would fall into place but I’m not that easy. Plus there is a national shortage on lipids so I haven’t been
getting them for the past 2 weeks. My cholesterol has dropped since then, and my Vitamin A is still undetectable and my
D is still low, I’m slightly anemic; but other than that my numbers are better. My Dr. also gave me 4 new prescriptions
to start off the year, and they seem to be helping too.


In family news, we got another dog! His name is Mack and he is really cute and very funny. He is 2 so he needs a lot
of play time, which has really helped me try to be more active. My doctor had said something about starting physical
therapy, but with flu season she decided I should try to do more at home to start off. I go out every other day to
throw a Frisbee and walk around the yard. He is really gentle with me so I’m positive he knows that I am sick.

My Dad has been in the hospital this week, so I canceled all of my IVs so that I could go in to see him. Unfortunately
driving back and forth 3 days a week is too much. I wasn’t able to go see him yesterday or today. Yesterday I was just
so tired, and today I can barely walk without pain medicine. I even had lunch delivered because I couldn’t stand. Dad
was very understanding and told me not to worry about it. He is a pretty private person so I won’t say what was wrong
but I will say that he is doing better, they may release him on Monday. I am so happy that he is doing better; I have a
tough time dealing when I am not the patient, LOL. I am a self admitted control freak!!

My Grandmother

Her name is Elsie; she was born January 22,1920. She had a stroke February 12 2007, and is paralyzed on her right side. She can not eat, she can not swallow, she can not walk, she can not talk...

She married Christian and had a son; my father Chris in January 1944. Christian died in a plane crash when my father was 11. For a year they would not pronounce him dead because they could not find his plane. My Grandmother pushed and pushed and when they finally found the plane (in a lake in Texas) she sued the pants off the airport who let the men take off with out equipment. She remarried years later; a man named Donald.

When I was a little girl, my Great Aunt Aggie moved in with my Grandmother. Aggie was having a tough time taking care of herself, so Grandmommy helpped out.

When my daughter was born, her birthday parties were at my Grandmother's house and we went trick or treating there every year. Even after her stroke we went trick or treating there. I suppose it was part of my inability to let go...

GrandDonald died last February, and she is still stuck in a nursing home. Unable to say good bye or even attend his funeral.

Today, I spoke to a lawyer. She did not want to be kept alive by tubes...so I had to find out what I need to do to help her. She is not getting better. She is in pain. She is miserable. She is dying at a snails pace...

I don't know what will happen next.

I'll be seeing you
In all the old familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces
All day through

In that small cafe
The park across the way
The childrens carosel
The chesnut trees
The wishing well

I'll be seeing you
In every lovely summers day
In everything that's light and gay
I'll always think of you that way

I'll find you in the morning sun
And when the night is new
I'll be looking at the moon
But I'll be seeing you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIGO6mQnLjQ

Say What???

So last Wednesday I got a rash in the middle of my back. It was a little itchy and sore, but I thought it was poinson ivy. It had little blisters and after 5 days of peroxide and calamine lotion, it was still the same as it was in the begining. So I saw my mom and dad on Sunday and they looked at this rash. They said, "Chrissy that's not poison ivy, you have shingles."
Say what mom and dad? Shingles? Huh?

I know what they are; I just didn't expect that was what I had. So today I went in to see my doctor. She took one look and was like, "yep. That's Shingles." That wasn't all she had to say though. She gave me prescripts for pain and for the virus itself. The whole time she was a FLURRY of activity. Upping my dose of multi vitamins at the IV center, entering things into the computer, asking my what seemed to be random questions...then I recognized a few of them and it dawned on me as she pulled up my blood test results. My vitamin levels have basically gotten so low--I have no ability (or it is a weak one) to fight off infections and such.

She explained to me that her flurry mode was because I can't fight stuff off...my vitamin levels are so low...and then she mentioned the C word...

Say what??

I don't have cancer; but am considered at risk; and if I do develop it...I can't fight it off. I'm not planning on bringing it up to Frank right now. He has a lot on his plate, including his own medical problems...The C word would just scare him like it did me. There is no point in that. I just have to take care of myself...resting, drinking lots of fluids, and not missing IVs.