update on me -

   Heads Up - this particular posting is going to contain an update on my medical condition(s). So, any of you whom are not interested in that info., will probably want to skip reading this particular posting. Just thought I'd let you know up front.  ;-)

     Elizabeth B. drove me to and from my 'yearly' Dr.'s appointment yesterday (THANKS Elizabeth!!).  When I left there, I felt better about everything. After being home thinking about it, while laying in front of my open window enjoying the wonderful breezes God was blessing me with, I even began to have hope again! :-)
     The Dr. had asked me why I had stopped going to the physical therapy for my Vertigo. I told him it was due to having registered at an 'acceptable level' on their testing machine. That while I still definitely have symptoms, I just had to keep working at the therapy procedures on my own, and hopefully over time everything would heal up. He did NOT like that answer!! "That is just wrong! We should not send a patient off to deal with something like Vertigo on their own!!! Especially somebody who's had it for h-o-w long now?!!" "I woke up with it on Jan. 12th."  "Yea. That's wrong!"  "The therapy did help reduce the severeness of most of my symptoms, at least most of the time."  He shot me this look.
     When he had asked me to lay back down on the bed for the exam part, he had also asked if I needed help "seeings it's such a narrow bed". I told him, "No, I'm not doing too bad." The nurse and him had exchanged a look. 
      When it was time for me to sit back up, he had offered me his hand. I warned him that this part can be tricky and that I need to go slow. He had replied that he wasn't in any rush and to take as much time as I needed. I had taken his hand with one hand, but also taken a hold of his arm with the other hand. I felt him brace himself. Slowly I began to sit up. Suddenly his eyes kind of popped and the nurse made this audible noise. I'm guessing I had done what Brent refers to as my "ghost imitation" - where I suddenly go completely white. Hadn't meant to!
      Once I was sitting all of the way up, my mouth was completely dry, so I asked if I could have a drink of water. The Dr. started to speak as the nurse was saying, "I'll get you one" and headed out the door. I had just meant the little cups that they often have in Dr. examining rooms. She came back with a ten ounce styrofoam cup, with a lid and straw, full of both ice and water. I smiled!
       That whole time the Dr. had not yet let go of my hand, even though I had eventually loosened my grip. And once he did let go, he still stood there for quite awhile, talking, yet watching my face. Not sure what it was telling him, but it took him awhile to sit down, and then he seemed to be stalling while going over things. When he did leave the room, he left stating that they had plenty of other rooms available for patients to be examined in, and that I was to take all the time I needed.
      One of the things we had talked about, was of course my Vertigo.  He had inquired how my family was handling it. I had said, "you know my husband Brian". Before I could continue, he had inserted a "Yea" while giving me a look of 'of course I remember him' ;-p. I told him about the technician showing Brian on the computer where the readings of my testing were, and how  "the box right here is 'normal', and as you can see, your wife is just south of normal". The nurse and the doctor had both started laughing and the Dr. has said, "And your husband told him, "yea I already knew that" " chuckle, chuckle. [I tell ya, I get no respect o;-p]
       I told them about how this situation had provided ever so many 'lines' - "I've got loose rocks in my head", "I'm a bit off", etc.. They both seemed to enjoy them a bit much. ;-p!!
      He had told me that he's referring me to a neurologist. That vertigo and things of that area of the body are not in his areas of expertise, so he wanted to send me to somebody that they were. "Maybe they'll know or come up with something that will be able to clear all of this up for you!"  Hope!!!
      He had also asked how often I was taking the vertigo medication. I told him that I tried really hard not to take it unless I was super bad, or traveling someplace, because they had told me that it contained narcotics and thus could become habit forming. He'd shot me this really puzzled look and while he was looking up something in my charts, asked me whom had told me that. I answered "the  guys at the balance clinic" while his expression went to one of assured relief and smilingly he had said that the medication he had me on did not contain narcotics and thus was in no way addictive - well, you could become addicted to taking pills at certain times, but your not the type to do that!
     I had commented on how I had been told that the medication didn't actually heal vertigo, it just camouflaged the symptoms and 'most people' were over their case of it by the time they ran out of the medication anyways. He had replied for me to "camouflage away!!" And that if I run out of pills before the neurologist got me healed, to call in and he'd order more for me. "Let's make this whole thing as tolerable as possible for you". Relief and Hope!!!
       He had questioned why I had not gotten some of the testing done I was suppose to have a while back.  I explained that part of it had to do with the mixture of the huge cut in pay Brian had been hit with last year, combined with the horrible insurance we had been put on. He had nodded understandingly. I went on to say, that I knew due to my age I was past due for another colonosopy, and especially when you add in the fact that my mom had died from colon cancer. But first there was the cost element. And then there was the whole thing of how I have the highly irritable bowl disorder (which of course is intensified by my high level of acid reflex), and that every time I have had the test, the medication they make you take before hand sets me off for a good three weeks, or longer. And right now, with having vertigo too, that combination just seems un-do-able!
      He suggested that I talk to the Dr. before hand and see if there was a different medication I could take, or a reduced amount or something. I said that I would try, but that usually you don't even see the actual doctor till your about ready to leave recovery. He had looked through my charts and said that this time he wanted me to go to Dr. Figg for the colonospy. He was the Dr. that had done a different procedure for me. I had liked, trusted, and felt comfortable with Dr. Figg, so I was in favor of the idea!  He then went on to say that I was to also discuss my bowl disorder with him (I had seen different specialist for that ailment before) and maybe he'd have different ideas about it and be able to help me get control over it. More Hope!!!  Both for handling the colonospy, and for reduced bowl challenges.  :-D
        For my over due mammogram and some blood testing, he was sending me to a clinic that could do both back to back, "That should make it easier on you all the way around."  :->!!
       I had brought up the subject that I knew I had gained even more weight and he had brushed me off saying that considering how much I hadn't been doing and for how long, I hadn't really gained that much. I persisted saying that I had tried cutting w-a-y back on eating, but that had made the nausa part of my vertigo worse. He said that we weren't even going to think about my weight for now.
      Last night I told Brian that I wanted to loose __ pounds by my birthday next year. He had given me this look and asked if I planned on cutting off one whole leg, or what?!?  "But Brian, I'm up to __ pounds now!"  "S-o, and your not even burning off most peoples normal daily calorie burn, cuz you simply can not handle moving around much. Once your moving again, you'll loose some, muscles will tighten up, and you'll be fine!!!!!"  He loves me ;-)
      When asking how my family was handling my condition, the doctor had also asked just how old my sons were now. I had told him and added that I had a daughter-in-love and a one year old grand daughter! :-) !  I had told them that our 'line' about our adorable grand daughter was that she was our reward for not having killed her daddy. Both the nurse and the doctor had thourally enjoyed that and stated that it was probably the truth - they knew it was for their kids. ;-p  The doctor has also said, "four sons, only one grand child so far ... just like the boys kept coming, so will your grand children!"  More Hope!!!!!  :-}

      So that's an update on where I am currently with my variyng 'conditions'. I am thanking God for giving me such a caring, warm hearted doctor (and nurse). I have restored Hope that this vertigo might actually go away some day, that it might even not be that far away in happening, and that I CAN take medication in the mean time to make it more handle-able.  I am no longer dreading a colonospy quite as badly, and have hope that there also might be help for my bowl problems. I know that seeings how 95% of my yearly co-pay for our insurance has already been met this year, these further visits / tests won't take a big chunck of our income. Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you Lord!!! For all of it!!!!