Nov 25, 2008

And Swallow


Today I had my Modified Barium Swallow today which means that I went to the hospital and met with a speech therapist who was really very sweet. She had me stick out my tongue a few times and discovered it has a natural tendency to go towards the left.

This is not really a problem, just good to know in case someday they think I have a stroke, and use my tongue as a guide. At which point I should tell them, not to worry my tongue has always been like that.

Basically I have more muscle on the right side of my tongue, so I guess I could just start some tongue workouts and be just fine and dandy. ;)


After all the tongue checks I got to sit inside a X-ray machine and eat different foods all of which had Barium mixed into them. First straight up drinking the stuff...
(in case you were wondering this stuff tasted like spicy pepto)
Then came peach puree', followed by a tuna fish sandwich and finally a gram cracker with peanut butter. Then I had to repeat a few of those, just to be sure.
The whole time I and the therapist could watch as I chewed and swallowed, on a monitor. I asked for a copy of the DVD so I could post it here, but she wasn't able to make that happen. So the picture here, is not me, but it is pretty close to what it looked like. Each time I would swallow you could watch this black stuff move through me. It was actually pretty cool. If I ever get a copy I will try to post it.

The results have to be sent back to the ENT, but it looked pretty normal other than my strong right muscle in my tongue, and that my tongue does not touch the back of my throat when I swallow, neither do my tonsils move up as they should. But I guess that is not a big deal.

Nov 22, 2008

better

I woke up today and did not feel like spending the whole day curled up in pj's in front of the TV or just in bed. It is maybe the first day in weeks that I have felt like getting up. Not the first day in weeks I have gotten up mind you. This is good!

Yesterday I felt horrible all day long, because on top of everything I had gotten a cold. It was my day off though, so I took full advantage of the time off to rest. I lounged in front of my TV and watched some of my favorite shows; What Not to Wear, Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, The Travel Channel (though sadly they did not offer much), West Wing and Gilmore Girls reruns and NCIS. Along with way too many hours of TV I also made tea, soup and drank water.

I finally fell asleep listening to Italian CD's and woke up this morning not feeling like I wanted to stay in all day. I am still not 100%, but I feel mounds better than I have in a long time.

So thank you for your prayers. Keep it up! Hopefully I can kick all of this stuff by Thanksgiving and have something to be super Thankful for!!!

Nov 17, 2008

Update

I feel like I should have my own medical blog just to keep you all up to date on the medical stuff. Thanks to all of you who have been praying for me these last few weeks. For those of you who care about the latest keep reading...(those of you who don't should have already stopped)

Here is the time line and answers as I know them:

Oct. 30th - Started feeling really crummy (thought it was the flu)

Oct. 30th - Switched from 90mg of Armour Thyroid to 120mg.

Oct. 31st- tried to take it easy, but allowed myself to go to the Amazing Black and White party

Nov. 4th - Thought I might just be really excited that Obama won when my heart started racing decided it was not that exciting so I took myself to the ER. See old post if you care that much.

Nov. 8th - Heart began racing again. Went to the ER again. Wore a holter monitor home for 24 hours, after another 5 hours in the ER. Lots of fun.

Nov. 10th - Saw a fill- in doc at my doctors office because my Doc was out of town. That was pointless. Got a massage, cause I was still feeling crummy. Everything even my fingers and toes hurt.

Nov. 12 - Saw the Endocrinologist he was looking at me because I was having a hard time swallowing and that was only getting worse. He ruled out a connection to the thyroid, and said that the heart problems were most likely from the increased thyroid.

Nov. 14th - Saw my Dr. she agreed with the endocrinologist so we lowered the Armour back to 90mg. She wanted me to see an ENT to get my throat looked at. Which the other doc had thought of too. Along with taking stuff for acid reflux in the mean time. She also discovered that I have Parvovirus B19 which is why I feel like crap. All my joints are swollen and sore and I am extremely tired because of this. Which is great! I am glad to have a name for it, but sad because there is no treatment, except time, rest and Ibprophen. It can last for months. Joy.

Nov. 17th - Saw the ENT, not my favorite idea, seeing as in High School I had to have nasal reconstructive surgery and in college another ENT discovered that the first ENT totally screwed up. Needless to say I am not a fan of the ENT's. So today New ENT stuck a scope up my nose and down my throat, and discovered that I do infact have Acid Reflux. So I will be taking more meds. I also need an X-ray to be sure I can swallow, so I have to swallow nasty stuff and then get an X-ray. Oh and I have to see a GI doctor, just to be sure that there is noting beyond my vocal cords that is a problem. Which means a different scope stuck down my throat.

So coming soon I will have more to report, but for now I am on 90mg of Armour Thryoid till Dec. then 115mg. I am on 4times the normal dose of Prilocect and I need to avoid all food and drinks that I enjoy, sleep on an incline, and stop eatting late at night.

thanks for caring enough to read all this.

Nov 5, 2008

So Excited

I don't know if I was just really excited to see my country finally select the new President or if I was having a reaction to my new level of meds but last night at about 11:30 my heart started racing and feeling funny. It was hard to swallow and I was feeling pain everywhere like I had been punched repeatedly. So I took myself to the ER to see what the deal was. After many tests, some which I expected and others they forgot to mention...EKG, Heart monitor, Thyroid TSH normal blood work up and a pregnancy test (just in case I somehow ended up in that condition unbeknownst to me.) after all that and lots of waiting they sent me home. The doctor said I was having minor heart palputations ... oh wait I knew that going in. I was instructed to see my Doctor this morning, but alas she is gone till a week from Friday. Best guess is that it is my body getting used to the meds.

I called for my lab results this morning at which time I found out I am not pregnant. Big Shocker there. And that my thyroid level is 1.27 which is "normal" But if this is what normal feels like, I don't want it, cause I feel horrible.


I think I need this guy and his team to figure this out stat!

Nov 1, 2008

worthy of newt

Okay so it is 9;30 I just got home to discover my power back on which is good because had it not been on I would have totally stepped on this Giant Purple Newt that was chillaxin by my door. By that i mean it is still there, it won't leave.





I don't think that you can really appreciate the size of this creature from my cell phone quality pictures. Think of my size 9 foot, it is about that big, and it is as slimy as it looks and purple with buggy eyes, not really what I was hoping to discover waiting at home for me.

quotes i love

  • "they will never care how much you know until they know how much you care."
  • "never be afraid to trust a well known God with an unknown future." - Corrie Ten Boom
  • "God doesn't need you, He loves you, that is much better."
  • "the world has yet to see what God can do through a man/woman who is totally commited to him." - D.L. Moody
  • "be who you is, cause if is ain't who you is, you is who you ain't."-
  • "some people say movies should be more like real life. I say real life should be more like the movies."