The health issues just keep a-comin.
On my reproductive health
I had my annual exam on Wednesday. I brought up some symptoms I've been experiencing over the last several months, and the nurse practitioner I saw said it sounds like I have PCOS.
So she took some blood and is running some tests, and I should find out next week.
I've been reading up, and I'm dead on for so many of the symptoms, it's kind of frightening. Scott tries to reassure me, "you haven't gotten the test results back yet..." But when it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it's usually a duck.
The good news is that losing weight (one of my goals) can usually help restore fertility, so when I finally get to my weight goal (and provided that my other health issues are under control, too), we can discuss having another baby.
The birth control pill I'm taking is one of the medicines used to treat PCOS. There are other medications that I can take if needed to help with some of the other symtoms of PCOS. It isn't like I'm stranded without chance of recovery.
It makes a lot of sense, though, given a lot of what I've experienced in the last couple years.
This gives me even more motivation to eat right and keep up with the activity (I've been doing pretty good so far this year, doing as much as my body will allow) and everything.
On pain management...
On another health-related note, I'm seeing my rheumatologist on Monday (I can't believe they're open, but that's when they booked me). I've grown tolerant to the pain medications I've been using, and I don't know how that conversation will go with her. But I trust that she and I can come up with options to control my pain. She's kind and helpful and really cares about me and my comfort levels. I appreciate the way she treats me in our appointments.
Disability application...
Also health-related, toward the end of last year, I applied for disability. Because of my emotional health (mainly my crippling anxiety) but also because of my fibromyalgia as it's gotten a lot worse in the last year. I had a mental health exam and cognitive testing done in the beginning of the month, and I have a physical evaluation coming up next week. It's been a long process, but I feel like we're getting close to the end of it all and that they'll be making a decision soon. If you could think good thoughts for me on this, I'd appreciate it. I don't intend on being on it long term, just long enough to get everything back under control and well-managed so I can go to work or school again. So if you'd send up getting-approved thoughts, I'd really appreciate it.
On a positive health-related note...
I quit smoking on January 4, and I haven't used nicotine gum since January 7. I was faced with an opportunity to have a cigarette yesterday and resisted. I'm 12 days smoke free, and I don't want to undo all the progress I've made. I'm not even having cravings any more. There are times where I think, "gosh, it'd be nice to have a cigarette," but they're only tiny moments that pass and don't leave me aching for a cigarette.
I've tried patches, gum, lozenges and Chantix. Nothing helped. This time, I used nicotine gum for just a few days, and I've been fine since. I was so tired of the coughing and the wheezing and the way it was aggravating my asthma. It was time to quit. So far, so good. :