health update
So I went in to see the rheumatologist, and she says I don't have any other symptoms of any auto-immune disorders, so "we're not going to go looking for something that's not there." She ordered a bunch more blood tests (the only one I identified was Parvo, which is not only a dog disease) and had the nurse give me an injection of cortisone (actually , something that is two words that means cortisone. I think it's like, corticol steroid or something.) And they scheduled a follow up appt for 4 weeks, actually 5, because in 4 I'd been in Portland.
So the next day, I noticed that I didn't hurt when I woke up in the morning. And over the next few days, the major stiffness went away, and much to my surprise, my sudden, intense sleepiness went away too. I've been unable to stay awake once I get sleepy, especially if I've been drinking at all. Like, at all.
So I've been living the good life. I got through the end of school, I've been feeling good. I've been waiting for my test results to come in the mail, hoping that it's parvo, because that'll mean it'll just go away, according to the internet. Nothing comes in the mail for weeks, so I call the office. "oh, you want those mailed to you? Usually we just go over them at the follow up. I can mail them to you." Well, yeah, my test results are *always* mailed to me. So I think that was Monday, which means I should get them today.
HOWEVER! I started to notice a little stiffness coming back as of last Friday, which was, coincidentally, my first day of summer. It increased over the weekend, and last night, I was uncontrollably sleepy at 10:30 PM. Damn. I'm definitely stiff again, and I'm most upset because I leave for Portland on Sunday, and I don't want to spend my vacation in pain and passing out at night. I kinda want to call to see if I can get another shot of cortisone for the trip. All of my symptoms are coming back, with a little less muscle fatigue this time. Grrr.....
Update on the update:
My test results came today, and from what I can interpret, it's not parvo, but my vitamin D levels are pretty low. So I took a multivitamin and sat in the sun for 10 minutes while getting the car smogged.
I also called and left a message with the rheumatologist. Just after that Mom called me back, and she said I should be pretty insistent about getting some sort of advice or something before I leave on vacation. But when the rheum.'s assistant called back, he told me that the rheum is out of the office until Tues. He suggested I see if I can see my primary care physician.
So I call my pcp (or actually my pcp's sub, since my pcp is on maternity leave), and she's gone for the day and booked up tomorrow. But I tell the nurse my sob story, about how I don't want to be in pain and uncontrollably sleepy for a 29 hour train ride and all of vacation and please, I know feeling good is an option and I want to feel good on vacation and she says that I could get in to see another doctor at the practice. I tell her I'm available now, and she schedules me for 4:30. Phew!
So we'll see what happens in an hour.
So the next day, I noticed that I didn't hurt when I woke up in the morning. And over the next few days, the major stiffness went away, and much to my surprise, my sudden, intense sleepiness went away too. I've been unable to stay awake once I get sleepy, especially if I've been drinking at all. Like, at all.
So I've been living the good life. I got through the end of school, I've been feeling good. I've been waiting for my test results to come in the mail, hoping that it's parvo, because that'll mean it'll just go away, according to the internet. Nothing comes in the mail for weeks, so I call the office. "oh, you want those mailed to you? Usually we just go over them at the follow up. I can mail them to you." Well, yeah, my test results are *always* mailed to me. So I think that was Monday, which means I should get them today.
HOWEVER! I started to notice a little stiffness coming back as of last Friday, which was, coincidentally, my first day of summer. It increased over the weekend, and last night, I was uncontrollably sleepy at 10:30 PM. Damn. I'm definitely stiff again, and I'm most upset because I leave for Portland on Sunday, and I don't want to spend my vacation in pain and passing out at night. I kinda want to call to see if I can get another shot of cortisone for the trip. All of my symptoms are coming back, with a little less muscle fatigue this time. Grrr.....
Update on the update:
My test results came today, and from what I can interpret, it's not parvo, but my vitamin D levels are pretty low. So I took a multivitamin and sat in the sun for 10 minutes while getting the car smogged.
I also called and left a message with the rheumatologist. Just after that Mom called me back, and she said I should be pretty insistent about getting some sort of advice or something before I leave on vacation. But when the rheum.'s assistant called back, he told me that the rheum is out of the office until Tues. He suggested I see if I can see my primary care physician.
So I call my pcp (or actually my pcp's sub, since my pcp is on maternity leave), and she's gone for the day and booked up tomorrow. But I tell the nurse my sob story, about how I don't want to be in pain and uncontrollably sleepy for a 29 hour train ride and all of vacation and please, I know feeling good is an option and I want to feel good on vacation and she says that I could get in to see another doctor at the practice. I tell her I'm available now, and she schedules me for 4:30. Phew!
So we'll see what happens in an hour.