Fluffysmom's Profile
Mood:
Fluffysmom is
curious
About Me:
Female, 46, Portland - OR, member since Jan 2008
I love to cook and bake when I have the energy, and love trying new ethnic recipes. I prefer vegetarian, because they use the healthiest ingredients, and my job is staying as healthy as possible. I've been on disability since 1996 for multiple issues (I've had 5 knee...
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Jun 04, 2008 12:41PM
- 2 comments
(Faxed this morning)
Dr. Dr. S.,
I have been taking 25 mg. of Metoprolol at bedtime for 15 days, as prescribed for tremors. I never got to the dosage of twice a day, due to side effects that I could not adjust to.
I had only been taking it for three days when I saw you on May 22, 2008, and my gait was worsening then, and has continued to get more erratic to the point that on June 1, while laughing and talking to my roommate, I fell face first into the corner of the half-wall between the tub/toilet area and the sink vanity area of the bathroom. I had paint on the left lens of my glasses, as well as a bruised eyebrow and cheekbone. The cheekbone is still tender, as are the gums beneath where my face hit the wall.
Since then, I have been moving very carefully, and have still been hitting walls going around corners, catching myself from falling, and needing to grab for support at odd times. Yesterday I was so dizziy that my head was spinning sitting perfectly still. The last couple of days I felt like I was going to fall while climbing or descending the stairs. I felt unsteady, not afraid.
Early in the course of the Metoprolol, I began itching on my legs and arms. I took chlorpheniramine maleate, exfoliated and moisturized my whole body, and the itching continued. There was a slightly raised rash on my elbows and thighs.
I experienced stomach pain, which I thought came from the baby aspirin I was taking, but the pain continued after I quit taking the aspirin.
I am drowsy all the time, except when it is time to sleep. My vision is blurry, my short-term memory is shot, and I have trouble finding words while halfway through a sentence. The word might come to me several seconds to a minute later.
Yesterday I became concerned about my condition, as I was too tired to get much done, and couldn't trust myself to drive and run errands. I thought my symptoms that sent me to a neurologist were getting worse and that I had no where to turn for answers.
I decided to look at the information about Metopolol, and discovered that most of what I have been experiencing is listed as side effects of the drug.
I also discoverd that it is prescribed for anziety disorders, as well as essential/familial tremors.
Neither my parents not their parents had tremors of any kind. I am not suffering from anxiety.
You have know me for more than nine years; have watched me lose more than 100 pounds and work my way through some depression and many pain issues. I slowly gained a few pounds back, until I herniated a disc, had a painful reaction to an epidural, and suffered from tremors and fatigue. Then it was nearly impossible for me to get much exercise, and I gained more weight quickly.
I am now working that weight off, slowly. I tried going back to Aqua Moves on May 24, and now my radiculopathy and low back pain is pretty bad, which might also be interfering with my gait, as my right foot hurts a lot, especially the big toe.
I am committed to overcoming obstacles or learning to work around them, despite setbacks.
I haven't heard anything about my EEG, or heard from the neurologist at OHSU.
I am glad that the metroprolol has a short half life, because I have a lot to get done. I am seeing the surgeon (Dr.H) on June 10, and I can't consider hip surgery if I can't walk straight, am at risk for falling, or run into walls.
I am looking for answers about very real conditions. I may know more than the average patient about some conditions, but that is simply because all I can do at this time is try to find answers so that I can move forward and live my life as best I can.
If you have any questions about my condition or what I've been going through, you can aslk my friend Linda, who will be accompanying me to my appointment with you on June 12 at 10 am. If you wish to speak with her before then, she can be reached on her cell phone at almost any time. Her number is ***-***-****.
Thank you for your time and continued caring support.
Kathy
Dr. Dr. S.,
I have been taking 25 mg. of Metoprolol at bedtime for 15 days, as prescribed for tremors. I never got to the dosage of twice a day, due to side effects that I could not adjust to.
I had only been taking it for three days when I saw you on May 22, 2008, and my gait was worsening then, and has continued to get more erratic to the point that on June 1, while laughing and talking to my roommate, I fell face first into the corner of the half-wall between the tub/toilet area and the sink vanity area of the bathroom. I had paint on the left lens of my glasses, as well as a bruised eyebrow and cheekbone. The cheekbone is still tender, as are the gums beneath where my face hit the wall.
Since then, I have been moving very carefully, and have still been hitting walls going around corners, catching myself from falling, and needing to grab for support at odd times. Yesterday I was so dizziy that my head was spinning sitting perfectly still. The last couple of days I felt like I was going to fall while climbing or descending the stairs. I felt unsteady, not afraid.
Early in the course of the Metoprolol, I began itching on my legs and arms. I took chlorpheniramine maleate, exfoliated and moisturized my whole body, and the itching continued. There was a slightly raised rash on my elbows and thighs.
I experienced stomach pain, which I thought came from the baby aspirin I was taking, but the pain continued after I quit taking the aspirin.
I am drowsy all the time, except when it is time to sleep. My vision is blurry, my short-term memory is shot, and I have trouble finding words while halfway through a sentence. The word might come to me several seconds to a minute later.
Yesterday I became concerned about my condition, as I was too tired to get much done, and couldn't trust myself to drive and run errands. I thought my symptoms that sent me to a neurologist were getting worse and that I had no where to turn for answers.
I decided to look at the information about Metopolol, and discovered that most of what I have been experiencing is listed as side effects of the drug.
I also discoverd that it is prescribed for anziety disorders, as well as essential/familial tremors.
Neither my parents not their parents had tremors of any kind. I am not suffering from anxiety.
You have know me for more than nine years; have watched me lose more than 100 pounds and work my way through some depression and many pain issues. I slowly gained a few pounds back, until I herniated a disc, had a painful reaction to an epidural, and suffered from tremors and fatigue. Then it was nearly impossible for me to get much exercise, and I gained more weight quickly.
I am now working that weight off, slowly. I tried going back to Aqua Moves on May 24, and now my radiculopathy and low back pain is pretty bad, which might also be interfering with my gait, as my right foot hurts a lot, especially the big toe.
I am committed to overcoming obstacles or learning to work around them, despite setbacks.
I haven't heard anything about my EEG, or heard from the neurologist at OHSU.
I am glad that the metroprolol has a short half life, because I have a lot to get done. I am seeing the surgeon (Dr.H) on June 10, and I can't consider hip surgery if I can't walk straight, am at risk for falling, or run into walls.
I am looking for answers about very real conditions. I may know more than the average patient about some conditions, but that is simply because all I can do at this time is try to find answers so that I can move forward and live my life as best I can.
If you have any questions about my condition or what I've been going through, you can aslk my friend Linda, who will be accompanying me to my appointment with you on June 12 at 10 am. If you wish to speak with her before then, she can be reached on her cell phone at almost any time. Her number is ***-***-****.
Thank you for your time and continued caring support.
Kathy
May 14, 2008 11:13PM
- 0 comments
Timeline
Health Issues
This is an attempt to put into order a timeline of the health issues that have accumulated over the years and have led me to where I am now.
1977: I left home at 15 and moved in with an alcoholic that was many years older than me. I drank heavily for the eight years that I was with him. I started noticing a "numb pain" on the front of my right thigh that came and went. I gave up alcohol in January of 1986 with no treatment or problems.
1978: At 16 I had a UTI, bladder infection, and yeast infection at the same time, with blood in my urine.
1979 – present: I have HSV II and have outbreaks on my face and had ulnar nerve damage from lesions on the hand that has since resolved. I have not had any outbreaks other than on my right hand or the left side of my face.
I have had multiple injuries to my back, shoulders, and knees, resulting in a great amount of pain and surgeries, attempts to control the pain, and disability.
I have a history of PSVT, had an ablation that was partially successful and had pericarditis after the procedure.
I had a rheumatologic work-up that was negative in the 90's
I have had multiple episodes of vertigo, the most severe being in
1988
2006
2008
I have a history of cold intolerance.
2001: I started having a tingling on the lower right side of my abdomen. It came and went over the years, but has progressed to where it is tingling pain, wrapping around from front to back. It is too painful to wear underwear or clothes that aren’t loose and have a lot of give.
I also began having wrap-around pain from the middle of my thoracic region, usually from back to front. It has been recurrent; sometimes one side or the other, sometimes around my whole ribcage. I cannot wear a supportive bra because of this pain.
Since February of this year I have had a series of symptoms that are not like the ones I’ve been battling since your 20's. It is not like the arthritis or any of the problems I have had previously except the paresthesia on my thigh, the pain and sensitivity around my back and chest, and vertigo.
PRESENT PROBLEMS:
2008, February 6: I woke up with tremors in my hands and head/neck, and an intense occipital headache. Over the next couple of days, it had involved my trunk and legs, culminating in a fall on the 11th. Extreme fatigue also was a part of the package of symptoms. I saw PCP on the 18th, who did a neuro exam, took history, and scheduled brain MRI for the 22nd. Saw her again on the 25th, and the MRI showed lesions that could possibly be MS.
February 27: I saw my optometrist, being concerned with the floaters that had showed up with my tremors, after a brief episode of blurred vision. He said that although my vision had worsened a fair amount, he couldn't see any damage, but told me to call if I had any more problems. I got a new eyeglass prescription, with bifocals.
March 12: I scheduled an appointment with a neurologist. My tremors were not as obvious but still a problem with me. He dismissed them, disagreed with the neuroradiologist's report, and told me that my brain was atrophied from alcohol consumption during my youth. He seemed to think the lesions were from microvascular disease, though I made it clear to him that I had no predisposing factors; my BP and cholesterol have been good for years, no diabetes; my glucose is always like 61 or 80.
April 4: I had an outbreak of herpes virus on my face. I caught it early and doubled my Valtrex, but it still had a crust after a month, though the nerve pain was not as intense as it has been in the past.
April 8: I had scheduled another appointment with another neurologist; earliest available was two months after onset of symptoms. She noted "with fatigue of eye movements she may have a subclinical INO with rapid saccades"and "LE there is some vibratory loss on right more than left", "some trouble with tandem"gait.
After I left my appointment with her, I started having sharp pains in my bladder, and my normal frequency became more urgent, and I started having a buzzing/tingling sensation between my legs. One evening the buzzing wrapped around my left thigh and tingled for a few hours. The bladder symptoms decreased after several days. I saw my PCP on the 10th, (two days after bladder symptoms started) and she ordered urinalysis and culture, which both came back clear.
April 11: After my Lumbar puncture I developed a spinal headache that required a blood patch on April 15, which resolved the headaches. I developed more floaters, including my left eye, after the LP
April 18: I saw an ophthalmologist on, who said my optic nerves looked very healthy, and that the floaters often happened because of the pressure difference after the LP, and they are nothing to worry about, and that my vision was the same. It seems blurry to me. I'm scheduled for a visual field test on May 14.
My LP and blood work came back essentially normal, though I'm concerned that perhaps more obscure causes for my symptoms may not have been tested for. I wonder if the patchy areas on my thoracic spine could have been there since my old Judo injury, and are lesions of another sort that cause some of my symptoms.
My PCP ordered other blood tests, and my thyroid levels are good.
Tremors and dizziness continue to be a problem. I often drop thing or lose my balance. I often wake up with tremors more active, and then ease up. They are also worse after I do physical exercise.
May 11: I woke up once again with the intense occipital headache and much increased tremors; my head going back and forth rapidly, and my hands jittery. I am also having a difficult time walking straight, or keeping my balance.
May 15: Follow-up with neuro; significant exam findings: "she has a head, vocal, upper body tremor. It is variable frequency and fluctuates during the interview from not being present to being more obvious". "Today she has a distractable Romberg". She put her hand on my chest and then my back, stopping my swaying, as soon as I began to sway while tapping my fingers together, after about 10 seconds each time.
May 17: While watching a live basketball game, my vision became very jittery; I couldn't focus, my whole field of vision was jumpy for several minutes. I then became so tired that it was hard to sit up, to hold my head up.
Balance issues continue to be a problem.
May 22: Saw PCP; she thought May 17 event was a seizure, scheduled EEG.
May 27: EEG
June 1: I was laughing and talking with my roomate while in the bathroom, and lost my balance and fell face-first into the half-wall between the tub/toilet area and the sink/vanity of the bathroom. Got paint on the lense of my glasses, bruised my left eyebrow, cheekbone, even gums hurt.
June 2: Difficulty keeping my balance; run into wall while turning corner into kitchen, bathroom, etc. Catch myself on walls, chairs, or shelves while in public. Use shopping cart for balance when only buying few items.
Health Issues
This is an attempt to put into order a timeline of the health issues that have accumulated over the years and have led me to where I am now.
1977: I left home at 15 and moved in with an alcoholic that was many years older than me. I drank heavily for the eight years that I was with him. I started noticing a "numb pain" on the front of my right thigh that came and went. I gave up alcohol in January of 1986 with no treatment or problems.
1978: At 16 I had a UTI, bladder infection, and yeast infection at the same time, with blood in my urine.
1979 – present: I have HSV II and have outbreaks on my face and had ulnar nerve damage from lesions on the hand that has since resolved. I have not had any outbreaks other than on my right hand or the left side of my face.
I have had multiple injuries to my back, shoulders, and knees, resulting in a great amount of pain and surgeries, attempts to control the pain, and disability.
I have a history of PSVT, had an ablation that was partially successful and had pericarditis after the procedure.
I had a rheumatologic work-up that was negative in the 90's
I have had multiple episodes of vertigo, the most severe being in
1988
2006
2008
I have a history of cold intolerance.
2001: I started having a tingling on the lower right side of my abdomen. It came and went over the years, but has progressed to where it is tingling pain, wrapping around from front to back. It is too painful to wear underwear or clothes that aren’t loose and have a lot of give.
I also began having wrap-around pain from the middle of my thoracic region, usually from back to front. It has been recurrent; sometimes one side or the other, sometimes around my whole ribcage. I cannot wear a supportive bra because of this pain.
Since February of this year I have had a series of symptoms that are not like the ones I’ve been battling since your 20's. It is not like the arthritis or any of the problems I have had previously except the paresthesia on my thigh, the pain and sensitivity around my back and chest, and vertigo.
PRESENT PROBLEMS:
2008, February 6: I woke up with tremors in my hands and head/neck, and an intense occipital headache. Over the next couple of days, it had involved my trunk and legs, culminating in a fall on the 11th. Extreme fatigue also was a part of the package of symptoms. I saw PCP on the 18th, who did a neuro exam, took history, and scheduled brain MRI for the 22nd. Saw her again on the 25th, and the MRI showed lesions that could possibly be MS.
February 27: I saw my optometrist, being concerned with the floaters that had showed up with my tremors, after a brief episode of blurred vision. He said that although my vision had worsened a fair amount, he couldn't see any damage, but told me to call if I had any more problems. I got a new eyeglass prescription, with bifocals.
March 12: I scheduled an appointment with a neurologist. My tremors were not as obvious but still a problem with me. He dismissed them, disagreed with the neuroradiologist's report, and told me that my brain was atrophied from alcohol consumption during my youth. He seemed to think the lesions were from microvascular disease, though I made it clear to him that I had no predisposing factors; my BP and cholesterol have been good for years, no diabetes; my glucose is always like 61 or 80.
April 4: I had an outbreak of herpes virus on my face. I caught it early and doubled my Valtrex, but it still had a crust after a month, though the nerve pain was not as intense as it has been in the past.
April 8: I had scheduled another appointment with another neurologist; earliest available was two months after onset of symptoms. She noted "with fatigue of eye movements she may have a subclinical INO with rapid saccades"and "LE there is some vibratory loss on right more than left", "some trouble with tandem"gait.
After I left my appointment with her, I started having sharp pains in my bladder, and my normal frequency became more urgent, and I started having a buzzing/tingling sensation between my legs. One evening the buzzing wrapped around my left thigh and tingled for a few hours. The bladder symptoms decreased after several days. I saw my PCP on the 10th, (two days after bladder symptoms started) and she ordered urinalysis and culture, which both came back clear.
April 11: After my Lumbar puncture I developed a spinal headache that required a blood patch on April 15, which resolved the headaches. I developed more floaters, including my left eye, after the LP
April 18: I saw an ophthalmologist on, who said my optic nerves looked very healthy, and that the floaters often happened because of the pressure difference after the LP, and they are nothing to worry about, and that my vision was the same. It seems blurry to me. I'm scheduled for a visual field test on May 14.
My LP and blood work came back essentially normal, though I'm concerned that perhaps more obscure causes for my symptoms may not have been tested for. I wonder if the patchy areas on my thoracic spine could have been there since my old Judo injury, and are lesions of another sort that cause some of my symptoms.
My PCP ordered other blood tests, and my thyroid levels are good.
Tremors and dizziness continue to be a problem. I often drop thing or lose my balance. I often wake up with tremors more active, and then ease up. They are also worse after I do physical exercise.
May 11: I woke up once again with the intense occipital headache and much increased tremors; my head going back and forth rapidly, and my hands jittery. I am also having a difficult time walking straight, or keeping my balance.
May 15: Follow-up with neuro; significant exam findings: "she has a head, vocal, upper body tremor. It is variable frequency and fluctuates during the interview from not being present to being more obvious". "Today she has a distractable Romberg". She put her hand on my chest and then my back, stopping my swaying, as soon as I began to sway while tapping my fingers together, after about 10 seconds each time.
May 17: While watching a live basketball game, my vision became very jittery; I couldn't focus, my whole field of vision was jumpy for several minutes. I then became so tired that it was hard to sit up, to hold my head up.
Balance issues continue to be a problem.
May 22: Saw PCP; she thought May 17 event was a seizure, scheduled EEG.
May 27: EEG
June 1: I was laughing and talking with my roomate while in the bathroom, and lost my balance and fell face-first into the half-wall between the tub/toilet area and the sink/vanity of the bathroom. Got paint on the lense of my glasses, bruised my left eyebrow, cheekbone, even gums hurt.
June 2: Difficulty keeping my balance; run into wall while turning corner into kitchen, bathroom, etc. Catch myself on walls, chairs, or shelves while in public. Use shopping cart for balance when only buying few items.
May 14, 2008 09:08PM
- 0 comments
I used to climb mountains; eight in one summer, then as often as I could after that. Shasta, South Sister twice, Mt St. Helens twice, Mt. Thielsen, Bailey, Bachelor, climbed on Hood, Lassen, I can't remember them all until I get out my pictures and then I can smell the crisp clean air and taste the glacial meltwater.
I have overcome many challenges in my life. I fought my way from obesity not once, but twice. The most recent battle began in 1999 and was a very healthy experience, despite obstacles. I learned to cook healthy meals and love to eat them in moderation. I lost more than 100 pounds and kept it off for several years, until a few pounds crept on here and there. It wasn't until early this year that I added another 25 pounds afer herniating a disc, having weeks of bad reaction to an epidural, and then the tremors and fatigue.
I took great pride in the changes I wrought in myself. I continued eating well and exercising, switching modes of exercise when one became too painful. I took pain management classes, relaxation classes; I am not a quitter.
I have a best friend that likes to travel, and she takes me with her on marvelous adventures. I've been to Maui twice, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Rosarita Beach, Palm Springs, numerous trips to Las Vegas, a week in Park City Utah, to Seatttle and Sacramento for WNBA games, to her daughter's in Danville to help babysit her three grandsons. Everywhere we went, I walked, hiked, swam, joined in water exercise classes, looked for beads for my jewelry making.
I'm on disability, but I was starting to make some money selling the jewelry I make. It was so wonderful to have an outlet for my creativity and to dream of selling my creations at craft fairs and holiday bazaars; maybe someday being able to once again earn a living.
Neck, back and nerve pain interfered, but life was still good, and I loved having the strength to overcome whatever challenges came my way and plan future outings.
Then the dizziness and fatigue got bad, and I had to cancel a trip to Newport, then one to Las Vegas, then a babysitting trip. I kept dragging myself to the pool, then herniated the disc while taking my cat to the vet. I sought help, and when things calmed down, went back to the pool, made jewelry, cooked wonderful vegetarian meals.
Then came the morning when I woke up with my head and hands shaking, then my trunk, then my legs wouldn't work quite right, and the nasty occipital headache, floaters in my right eye. I fell. I kept thinking it would get better, but I was so tired I could hardly do anything. By the time I got to a neurologist, the worst symptoms had calmed down.
I still had trouble giving myself my allergy shots, filling my cat's medicine capsules, and forget about making jewelry. My hands don't behave properly; I drop things, I spill things, I toss things.
My friend sent me to Palm Springs for a week to get over my fatigue. I was good for a few hours in the morning, then I stayed in my air conditioned condo. I went to one aqua class. I found the Living Desert and Palm Canyon and did some hiking, resting a lot, carrying water with me. I made simple delicious healthy meals. I was still fatigued.
I went along with her for a conference in Las Vegas, and had little energy, but pushed myself to do things and recorded a lot of steps on my pedometer. I got so tired it was hard to walk. Luckily my friend understands, having her own back and knee issues. We did manage one good day in the Valley of Fire State Park, with a case of water and a picnic lunch and two cameras.
My radiculopathy is flaring up, my feet hurt when I walk, and I never feel rested. My tremors came back with a vengence on May 11.
I have a trip to Phoenix with a group of friends planned for this weekend, to see the WNBA season opener for last year's champions. I'm concerned about my stamina, but I will enjoy my life.
I have several trips planned for this summer to Seattle and Sacramento for WNBA games. January 1, 2009 I'm flying to Maui for two weeks. I would like to be as healthy as possible to enjoy all the fun things I've so enjoyed in the past.
I need to have a hip labral tear repaired, and I am used to doing all the neccessary rehab exercises after surgery. I want to reduce my pain level without use of too many medications that fog my mind, or injections that eventually will harm my body. I should look into Euflexxa injections in my knees; with the large chondral defect, grade 3 and 4 chondromalacia, and torn meniscus in each knee, I could use some cushion again. I'm putting off any more surgery in them until they need replacements.
I would love to see my friends in my water aerobics class. I have missed many weeks due to dizziness and fatigue making me realize I shouldn't drive. The silver lining there is I don't have to fill my gas tank very often!
I am determined to make the most of my life. I will face any challenge and do my best to overcome it or accept it and accept change. Life is good and is constantly evolving. I don't want to go back to who I was; I want to go forward to who I can be.
I used to climb mountains; eight in one summer, then as often as I could after that. Shasta, South Sister twice, Mt St. Helens twice, Mt. Thielsen, Bailey, Bachelor, climbed on Hood, Lassen, I can't remember them all until I get out my pictures and then I can smell the crisp clean air and taste the glacial meltwater.
I have overcome many challenges in my life. I fought my way from obesity not once, but twice. The most recent battle began in 1999 and was a very healthy experience, despite obstacles. I learned to cook healthy meals and love to eat them in moderation. I lost more than 100 pounds and kept it off for several years, until a few pounds crept on here and there. It wasn't until early this year that I added another 25 pounds afer herniating a disc, having weeks of bad reaction to an epidural, and then the tremors and fatigue.
I took great pride in the changes I wrought in myself. I continued eating well and exercising, switching modes of exercise when one became too painful. I took pain management classes, relaxation classes; I am not a quitter.
I have a best friend that likes to travel, and she takes me with her on marvelous adventures. I've been to Maui twice, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Rosarita Beach, Palm Springs, numerous trips to Las Vegas, a week in Park City Utah, to Seatttle and Sacramento for WNBA games, to her daughter's in Danville to help babysit her three grandsons. Everywhere we went, I walked, hiked, swam, joined in water exercise classes, looked for beads for my jewelry making.
I'm on disability, but I was starting to make some money selling the jewelry I make. It was so wonderful to have an outlet for my creativity and to dream of selling my creations at craft fairs and holiday bazaars; maybe someday being able to once again earn a living.
Neck, back and nerve pain interfered, but life was still good, and I loved having the strength to overcome whatever challenges came my way and plan future outings.
Then the dizziness and fatigue got bad, and I had to cancel a trip to Newport, then one to Las Vegas, then a babysitting trip. I kept dragging myself to the pool, then herniated the disc while taking my cat to the vet. I sought help, and when things calmed down, went back to the pool, made jewelry, cooked wonderful vegetarian meals.
Then came the morning when I woke up with my head and hands shaking, then my trunk, then my legs wouldn't work quite right, and the nasty occipital headache, floaters in my right eye. I fell. I kept thinking it would get better, but I was so tired I could hardly do anything. By the time I got to a neurologist, the worst symptoms had calmed down.
I still had trouble giving myself my allergy shots, filling my cat's medicine capsules, and forget about making jewelry. My hands don't behave properly; I drop things, I spill things, I toss things.
My friend sent me to Palm Springs for a week to get over my fatigue. I was good for a few hours in the morning, then I stayed in my air conditioned condo. I went to one aqua class. I found the Living Desert and Palm Canyon and did some hiking, resting a lot, carrying water with me. I made simple delicious healthy meals. I was still fatigued.
I went along with her for a conference in Las Vegas, and had little energy, but pushed myself to do things and recorded a lot of steps on my pedometer. I got so tired it was hard to walk. Luckily my friend understands, having her own back and knee issues. We did manage one good day in the Valley of Fire State Park, with a case of water and a picnic lunch and two cameras.
My radiculopathy is flaring up, my feet hurt when I walk, and I never feel rested. My tremors came back with a vengence on May 11.
I have a trip to Phoenix with a group of friends planned for this weekend, to see the WNBA season opener for last year's champions. I'm concerned about my stamina, but I will enjoy my life.
I have several trips planned for this summer to Seattle and Sacramento for WNBA games. January 1, 2009 I'm flying to Maui for two weeks. I would like to be as healthy as possible to enjoy all the fun things I've so enjoyed in the past.
I need to have a hip labral tear repaired, and I am used to doing all the neccessary rehab exercises after surgery. I want to reduce my pain level without use of too many medications that fog my mind, or injections that eventually will harm my body. I should look into Euflexxa injections in my knees; with the large chondral defect, grade 3 and 4 chondromalacia, and torn meniscus in each knee, I could use some cushion again. I'm putting off any more surgery in them until they need replacements.
I would love to see my friends in my water aerobics class. I have missed many weeks due to dizziness and fatigue making me realize I shouldn't drive. The silver lining there is I don't have to fill my gas tank very often!
I am determined to make the most of my life. I will face any challenge and do my best to overcome it or accept it and accept change. Life is good and is constantly evolving. I don't want to go back to who I was; I want to go forward to who I can be.
Apr 17, 2008 03:50PM
- 0 comments
A friend sent me the photo from her phone. We visited Bad *** Coffee Company on Maui, in Sister's, OR, and in Park City, UT, so she figured it would make me smile, since at the time I was lying in bed with a spinal headache, drinking my caffeine out of bottles, along with lots of water. I just thought an explanation was in order.