update on me

      I had put off writing this even though I knew that numerous ones of you have questioned Brian about it and/or been concerned about it. Why then would I put it off? Because I strive so hard in my postings to keep at least somewhat of a positive attitude, and I hadn't yet succeeded in attaining one after talking to my Dr's office.
     And then once I started writing it, well, things came up, and other things changed. Finally I decided that I'm just going to finish this off with how things stand today.
     I left off reporting to you, with a report about having been evaluated at the 'Balance Center', and their saying that they would send a report and their recommendations to my Dr's office. I also wasn't sure if the Dr. whom had sent me there would continue on with my case, or if they would wait and hand me back over to my regular Dr., since he was due back from his missions trip shortly thereafter.
     (-->) My Dr's office did wait for my own Dr. to take back over. That part did not surprise nor upset me. What surprised and rather upset me, was the recommendations that followed. In-fact, after getting off of the phone with them, I went up, sort of woke Brian up while I was crawling in beside him and asked if he could just hug me. I was fighting tears big time! Why? I'll get to that in a minute.
     ( ~ ) The first recommendation is that I need to look into getting a hearing aid in my right ear. We knew that would be one of the things.
     ( ~ ) Another recommendation was that my Dr. should start trying me on various of the 'preventive medications' they now have for migraines. Try one for awhile and keep track of it's effectiveness. If it doesn't work 'good enough', take me off of it, wait a week, and then start trying another. Yup, this could take awhile. Then again, I've been struggling with these things for how many years? What's a bit longer when the issue of them is at least being seriously addressed?
     The thing is, my main Dr. is a OB/Gyn Dr.. Therefore, he feels that all of this is beyond his area of expertise and comfort zones. Seeings how my lung specialist is in an office titled "Internal Medicine", my OB/Gyn recommended that I have my lung Dr. handle this part. I didn't think it would be in my lung specialists realm either, and tried to explain that, but ended up calling there. I was right, while he technically is in an office titled "Internal Medicine", he is an Pulmonary Specialist. His offices are on one side of the waiting room, the rest of the Dr.'s he's now associated with are on the other side of it. So no, migraine medications aren't in his expertise area either.
      ( ~ ) I am now suppose to find and switch to a new primary / internal medicine doctor. From now on, I'm to go to my OB/GYN for hormonal issues (hey guys, lots of my migraines ARE triggered by those 8-/), my Pulmonary Specialist for my allergy based asthma, and a Internal Specialist for any thing else. Well, till he sends me elsewhere for something ....
     Around here there are three main hospital companies (not sure if that's the right way to explain it ...). There are doctors offices, etc. aligned with Metro Hospital. There are others whom are linked to St. Mary's hospital. And there is also the 'Spectrum' group, which includes both Blodgett and Butterworth hospitals. Seeings how all of my doctors and specialists all the way along have been part of the Spectrum group, I am going to find a new Dr. whom is also part of the Spectrum group. That way, all of my records are easily accessible, etc.. It's just that I have to find one .... talk about out of 'comfort zone'. Them sending me to a new specialist is one thing (like the heart doctor, etc.). Me having to randomly pick a regular doctor is totally another. I am going to talk to my lung doctor and see if he would recommend me seeing any of the others in his office, or anybody else for that matter. That's at least a starting point.
      ( ~ ) But we haven't taken this step yet, due to something having to do with another recommendation, which I'll cover in a couple of minutes.
      ( ~ ) My Ob/Gyn Dr.'s office recommended that I follow through with the sleep study Dr. I had previously been referred to. Some of you might remember that the last time I was evaluated by the heart specialist, and they determined that my palpitations were again hormonal related, he had also suggested that I see a sleep doctor due to my current interrupted sleep patterns.
      Brian accompanied me to the initial visit at the sleep study place. After reviewing my case and asking me a whole boat load of questions, the sleep specialist stated that he was just shy of being totally convinced that my sleep challenges were also hormonal / menopausal related. "However," he said, "we should go ahead and have you come in and run a full sleep study on you to prove it. Otherwise, the next time that something comes up with you physically, they are going to say, "You never did follow through with that, so we ought to check that out" and you'll be headed back here anyways."
     We were going to go through with the study, but then found out the insurance coverage we had last year wouldn't cover the test. Due to the testing being over one thousand dollars, we chose not to go through with it. If they had thought it would make a difference, we would have found a way to. But they hadn't, so we didn't.
     But that sleep study doctor had nailed it right! They are wanting me to follow through with that.
     ( ~ ) The other recommendation by the balance center, was that I go through balance therapy. The thing is, the audiologist who originally evaluated me there, had said that he felt the type of physical therapy they did wouldn't fit with what I was experiencing. ?!?
     Only thing we came up with, was that it must have come via the actual doctor who goes over all reviews before they are sent out to the patients doctors, and what they found by reviewing the other tests they had requested copies of.
     ( ~ ) Originally they wanted me to have another C.A.T. scan. But we found out that the one I'd had previously (when I'd been sent to a neurologist for my headaches) had been with in the last three years, so it is considered still valid.
      They had also requested copies of when I had previously been tested by a hearing doctor.
      I was suppose to call both of those places and request that they send the reports to the balance clinic. But I got to thinking about it. First off, I know that they charge you 'processing fees' for doing such transactions. Secondly, the request then gets handed over to one of their file clerks to handle. One whom already has how much work in her 'in-box'? This could take awhile. It definitely would not be near as important to them as it is to me. So I went with another idea.
     I had called my OB/Gyn's office and talked to my doctors nurse. I explained that I had been to the balance center they had referred me to, that they (the balance center) were going to be sending a report over, but that in the mean time they had requested these reports, and could she just send over the copies of the reports that they had in my files there.
      See, every time I have any type of testing, surgery, or specialist reviews done, I list that I want ALL of my doctors to receive copies of everything. That way, everybody caring for me is totally on the same page. This time it also speed up things ;-}
     She had said yes, and done so that same day. The balance center didn't find anything in my C.A.T. scan either (yeah, lots of lines there!!), and I'm not sure what they learned from my earlier hearing test. But somehow, between everything, they were now recommending that I go through 'balance therapy'.
      ( --> ) So all of that combined to just make me all teary eyed. I felt like they had actually pin pointed some of my problems, yet it didn't seem like anything was actually going to help me. Definitely tear prompters!!

      ( --> ) I did go in for what was suppose to be a forty five minute appointment with the balance physical therapist. We had been there two and a half hours, when after looking me straight in the face, he had declared that that was enough for today and sent me home.
     The majority of the time had been spent in further evaluating me. Sit like this, like that, stand like this, like that, walk up and down these steps, down this hall, pull, push, again from this part of your body, turn your eyes in this direction, now that, and on it had gone. Ridiculous how exhausting it had been!!!
     He also recommends that I hold off on trying the migraine preventive medicines for now. He will be covering 'migraine diet triggers'. And yes, both Pepsi and chocolate are on the list. As is high yeast breads, and .... . "We won't tell you that you can never again have certain foods. We will have you eliminate one thing at a time and have you see what difference they do or don't make, and then decide what you are or aren't going to do with that information."
     While he was convinced that I had "balance issues" (more lines ;-p), but wasn't convinced that I also had vertigo. Nevertheless he did a procedure on me, "just in case". He then sent me home wearing a neck brace. I was suppose to try and wear the brace for twenty four hours, I wasn't suppose to at all twist, bend or turn, and I was suppose to find a way to prop myself up to sleep since we no longer have a recliner.
     This is one way I slept for awhile that evening.

       By 4 a.m., I pleadingly asked Brian if I could remove the brace. I felt like my chin was breaking out from it, I couldn't sleep ... yup, I got whinny. Brent still declares that it wasn't fair that Brian let me, when we would NEVER let him take any of his off early!!
       By the evening of that next day, I was feeling like I was definitely progressing in the right direction!!! While there was still pressure on the top of my head, the world was no longer constantly tilting, and I could no longer feel my loose stones rolling around inside my head (and more lines ;-p).
       By Sat. I felt good enough, that I finished off the kitchen which Cyndi (with help from both Byron and Benson) had been tearing into. And Sun. afternoon I had dug into the piles in the den in order to catch the checkbook up, balance it, and shut some bills up [I mean pay some bills o;-p]. But Sunday evening my head again started just feeling 'weird' (and more lines ;-p). And Monday the stones again took off rolling. The tears returned. In earnest this time.
      Brian tried to reassure me that at least we know progress will be coming, and that we were scheduled to see the balance therapist again on Fri.. I tried to stay positive. But then the receptionist called to let me know that there had been a death in the family of my therapist and I needed to reschedule my appointment. I didn't begrudge him taking the time off. Not at all. I just wanted the stones settled again!!!!
     Since then, I swear even more have broke loose. I go in again on Monday. And I'm still doing the eye exercises he gave me to do.
     But I can only be on here short periods of time. The same with the TV. And reading books isn't possible ( :-<). Yeah, I'm whining again.
      Robin P. had taken me out for lunch the Sunday before the kids arrived. And Kate had stopped and visited me the Thursday before. I told both of them that I am having real challenges with the apostle Paul's instructions to 'be content in what-so-ever state you are in'.

      So, all of that is what's happened since I last updated you. Yes, I know that this was really long and packed with 'details'. Some of you want to know all of it, some of you don't.

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