A Health Update
I decided that the easiest way to update would be to break things into topics, especially since it had been so long since I had last written (prior to the most recent entry). I posted back in July about finding out that I had a small mass in my left breast. I really should have updated about this part sooner, but better late than never, I suppose. I had surgery July 28th. Thank God for anesthesia. The last thing I remembered before the surgery was being transferred from the gurney to the operating table and being wrapped in heat blankets. Then I woke up and was groggy for 20 minutes afterward. Fortunately everything was beign. My surgeon did exploratory surgery. She ended up removing the mass, a cyst, and a milk duct. The cause for the bloody discharge was what they had initally suspected, an intracductal papilloma. I was sore afterward and took about four days off from work. I got the results back two days after the surgery, so luckily I didn't have to wait long. I was sore for a couple of months afteward, which is normal. I happened to look in the mirror the other day, and noticed that my scar was almost completely healed. You can't even tell it's there anymore. I had been worried that I would be stuck with a permenant scar.
About a month ago, I had a routine appointment with my allergist. Each time I finish a round of serum with my shots, I have to go for a checkup. I mentioned to him that I had been waking up at night coughingand struggling to catch my breath. These episodes last for about ten minutes. He decided to do a breathing test. It turns out that I have mild asthma. I imagine I've had asthma for most of my life and just didn't know it. Now I have to carry an inhalor with me, and periodically I do need to use it. I haven't had a full-fledged asthma attack (other than at night), but every now and then I'll have trouble breathing. Cleaning chemicals seem to present a problem with my breathing. It sucks because now that I'm starting at work at 5 a.m., our floor cleaning company is still in progress of waxing and buffing the floors. I seem to not take too well to some sort of chemical component in the floor wax. If I am in an area that is too warm (either when heat is on too high to my liking or being outside on a hot day), I have trouble breathing. I've also observed that stress seems to negatively affect my asthma, as does excercise.
After months of going to various specialists to try to figure out what was causing my back and knee pain, I finally have an answer. I went to five different doctors. My PC was the first stop, then a doctor I've seen at urgent care before for a second opinion, a pain management/sports medicine specialist, an orthapedist, and a rheumatologist. It took the rheumatologist to finally come up with a satisfactory diagnosis. In addition to scoliosis, I also have osteoarthritis in my spine. The scoliosis is helping to throw off positioning of the rest of my body, which might partially explain the knee problems.
I was also diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia, in its bare bones definition, is essentially widespread chronic pain. Currently, there is only one way to diagnose it. Medical researchers have determined 18 tender points on the body. The body is divided into four quadrants. A point is considered tender if the doctor applies enough pressure to whiten a fingernail and pain results. For a diagnosis, you have to have pain at 11 out of 18 points in all four quadrants of the body. There are several points in the upper back and shoulders, and of course, the knees. There are other areas too. If you want to see a diagram of tender points, just google Fibromyalgia and most sites that discuss it have the diagrams. Fibromyalgia can also cause extreme fatigue and lack of energy, both of which I am very familiar with. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is often co-morbid with Fibromyalgia. A lot of symptoms I've been having are explained by this diagnosis, and everything is tied together.
On the positive side, I have been trying to keep up a regular excercise routine. Lately I have been excercising for 25 minutes, three times a week. We have an elliptical machine (one with the skies and poles to move your arms back and forth). I have either been using that, or going over to my parents' house and using my mom's treadmill. I actually prefer the treadmill a little mroe because it seems to burn more calories. I need to start watching what I eat, but I am having a much easier time getting in excercise than dieting.
I'm going to close for now. I need to update again soon.
~E
About a month ago, I had a routine appointment with my allergist. Each time I finish a round of serum with my shots, I have to go for a checkup. I mentioned to him that I had been waking up at night coughingand struggling to catch my breath. These episodes last for about ten minutes. He decided to do a breathing test. It turns out that I have mild asthma. I imagine I've had asthma for most of my life and just didn't know it. Now I have to carry an inhalor with me, and periodically I do need to use it. I haven't had a full-fledged asthma attack (other than at night), but every now and then I'll have trouble breathing. Cleaning chemicals seem to present a problem with my breathing. It sucks because now that I'm starting at work at 5 a.m., our floor cleaning company is still in progress of waxing and buffing the floors. I seem to not take too well to some sort of chemical component in the floor wax. If I am in an area that is too warm (either when heat is on too high to my liking or being outside on a hot day), I have trouble breathing. I've also observed that stress seems to negatively affect my asthma, as does excercise.
After months of going to various specialists to try to figure out what was causing my back and knee pain, I finally have an answer. I went to five different doctors. My PC was the first stop, then a doctor I've seen at urgent care before for a second opinion, a pain management/sports medicine specialist, an orthapedist, and a rheumatologist. It took the rheumatologist to finally come up with a satisfactory diagnosis. In addition to scoliosis, I also have osteoarthritis in my spine. The scoliosis is helping to throw off positioning of the rest of my body, which might partially explain the knee problems.
I was also diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia, in its bare bones definition, is essentially widespread chronic pain. Currently, there is only one way to diagnose it. Medical researchers have determined 18 tender points on the body. The body is divided into four quadrants. A point is considered tender if the doctor applies enough pressure to whiten a fingernail and pain results. For a diagnosis, you have to have pain at 11 out of 18 points in all four quadrants of the body. There are several points in the upper back and shoulders, and of course, the knees. There are other areas too. If you want to see a diagram of tender points, just google Fibromyalgia and most sites that discuss it have the diagrams. Fibromyalgia can also cause extreme fatigue and lack of energy, both of which I am very familiar with. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is often co-morbid with Fibromyalgia. A lot of symptoms I've been having are explained by this diagnosis, and everything is tied together.
On the positive side, I have been trying to keep up a regular excercise routine. Lately I have been excercising for 25 minutes, three times a week. We have an elliptical machine (one with the skies and poles to move your arms back and forth). I have either been using that, or going over to my parents' house and using my mom's treadmill. I actually prefer the treadmill a little mroe because it seems to burn more calories. I need to start watching what I eat, but I am having a much easier time getting in excercise than dieting.
I'm going to close for now. I need to update again soon.
~E