My appointment was at 9:15 today. Arrived at 9 and was taken right back to a room. Had a shot in the bottom of my right foot, and was out by 9:30.
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My appointment was at 9:15. Arrived at 9:05, and was taken back to a room at 9:20. Everything is going well except my lower back and hips. I didn't have to get a shot, so this visit was primarily to get my scripts updated. I had forgotten to have my blood tested before seeing her, so when I got back into town, went to the hospital to get it done. The hospital parking lot was all tore up - they look to be expanding, and adding on, so I had to walk through a maze to get in the front door and to where I needed to be. I was in and out pretty fast. Went to see Dr. McMath too.
We returned from our vacation up north yesterday, and I had my Dr. appointment with Dr. Frascone today at 9:15. I had a shot in the bottom of my right foot. The left foot is still doing good so I think the shots in that foot are finished for good. My foot burned the whole way home, and it's kind of difficult to walk, but as long as the bump is going away on the bottom, it is worth it.
Logan and I both had Dr. appointments with Dr. Hall today. He had his 2nd HPV vaccine, and we both had our blood pressure readings. Logan's was 119/80, and mine was 117/73. I had blood work taken again to check my cholesterol. It was high again.
Today was Logan's last day of 10th Grade! He had his gym and history exams today. Said they will be easy though. So Proud of him! Can't believe he's going to be a Junior soon!
My Dr. appointment with Dr. Frascone was at 8:30 today. I arrived a little after 8 and got right in. I wish all Dr.'s were like him and Dr. McMath. Only had to have a shot in my right foot. Had it in the top of my foot, and that hurt! Left foot is good though. The bump is still there, but Dr. thinks in time it will heal and eventually go away. The bump turns purple, and is slightly painful, but it is not nearly as big as it once was. Was in my car by 8:35 and on my way home.
I gave myself my Humira shots 4 days early this time on May 31st. I just couldn't deal with the pain anymore, and it kept getting worse, so I called Dr. VanDellen to see if I could get in. I was able to be seen by here today, June 2 at 11:00. She gave me a shot in my left shoulder, and the nurse gave me a prednisone shot in my right hip. She also prescribed percocet 325/10. She said she hadn't seen me in this much pain in a long time. Went downstairs at St. John's, and had a chest x-ray too, then left and came straight home. Stopped at the pharmacy and filled my prescription, then came home and took a percocet, and crashed in bed until it was time to get Logan from the bus stop. He drove home, and I went back to bed until 7. Stayed up for a couple hours, but went back to bed at 9. Way to many medicines in my body today, but I really wasn't feeling to much pain anymore.
My friend bought me a beer on May 7, 2016 before a road rally. That was the last time I had a drink until this past Saturday, memorial weekend, when I bought a 6 pack of budlight lime, and drank them all at a friend's party. Sunday morning, I woke up with extreme pain in my left shoulder/ shoulder blade, and it hurts to take a deep breath. My neighbor had a party Sunday, and I did not drink anything other than water and coffee, and today, Memorial Day, I am still in pain. I can not move my head to the left, and it hurts to take a deep breath and move my left arm. So, my note to self is to never drink alcohol again. Period. Having a few drinks with my friends is not worth the pain that those few drinks cause. I can not drink alcohol anymore!
It's was a painful week that led to a shoulder blade attack at 3am Friday morning. At 6am I gave myself my humira shot. I should have injected a couple days early this week to maybe have avoided the pain in my shoulder blade, and I will try and remember that next time. Both shoulder blades had hurt all week, but whatever happened at 3am, I never want to experience again. I woke up to, what felt like to me, was someone stabbing me over and over again in my right shoulder. I got up and took a norco and 2 neurontin, and proceeded to fight through the constant intense pain. I went outside to avoid waking anyone up, sat on my stool, and smoked a cigarette to try and calm myself down, and wait for my medicine to start working. It was an exhausting and overwhelming experience. I went back to bed an hour later and slept for another hour and a half. After waking my son up for school, I took my humira shot. My right arm and hand felt sore and numb, like someone had punched me in that area.
I felt this way pretty much all day, and very tired. Probably because a couple extra neurontin, but I would rather try and stay ahead of the pain. Humira felt like it started working within an hour too. I believe I would die without this medicine. And that is another story. I have not accomplished too much all week, but I feel grateful for the moments I have experienced, and am ready for a new week. My Frustrating experience this month: I went to see my rheumatologist on April 4. I asked her if she could start filling my norco prescription. She said yes, but I would have to get out of my 'pain contract' with my neurologist. On April 26, I had a followup visit with Dr. Turk, my neurologist, from my transferaminals that I had on March 21, and April 11. April 26th was his last day...he has only been here a year and a half. My appointment was at 9:45. I arrived at 9:30, and the nurse called me back at 9:35. She told me today was the Dr.'s last day, and that this appointment should be pretty quick. HA! The Dr. came in to see me at 10:40. He released me from my pain contract. The appointment with him was so frustrating, I am happy he is leaving. Maybe now I can be seen by a Doctor who actually speaks English, and knows what I am asking. The Dr. had an assistant with him this time. I asked the Dr. if I could have a 3rd transferaminal this time to hopefully get me through this year. The injections I had last year worked for 7 months...they wore off right before Thanksgiving last year, which meant I had to have cortisone injections in November, December, and January. Anyway, the Dr. could not understand my request. The assistant had to ask him the same exact thing I did, and his answer was no. He scheduled another appointment for me in 2 months. While waiting at the front desk to be rescheduled, I asked the receptionist if I could get a copy of my 'release of pain contract'. She said yes, but she would have to go to the back to get it. I asked her what time it was, and she said 10:50. I was late for my next Dr. appointment which was at 10:45, so I said never mind, and left quickly to speed to my late appointment!
When I got home later that day, I called my rheumatologist and left a message letting her know I had been released from my pain contract. The rheumatologist's office called me back the next day, April 27th, saying the Dr. had called in my new prescription for norco to my pharmacy. My other 3 prescriptions for Humira, Neurontin, and Arava could be refilled on the 28th, so I called them in, and on Friday afternoon I go to the pharmacy to pick them up. My Humira was all screwed up. The pharmacy received the syringe, not the pen, so they have to call the Dr. to get approval for the pen. I received the other 3, but when I get out to the car, I check the prescriptions and my Norco was horribly wrong. My neurologist had been prescribing 75 pills, 1 pill 3x a day, and they were 325/10. The prescription I received was 60 pills, 325/5mg. When I got home, I call the rheumatologist. I explained to her what had happened. She said that since I picked up the prescription, there was nothing she could do. I said that wouldn't do. I will have to take 6 pills a day to get the same relief as I was from the 3. The nurse says "well, you're going to run out then." I told her to speak with Dr. VanDellen and get back to me to see how we can make this right. All this happened on FRIDAY! Monday morning, Tammy from Dr. VanDellen's office called. She said she had left a message at Dr. Turk's on Friday and today, and no one had sent her the fax she needs proving that I was released from my pain contract. She said that once she receives that, Dr. VanDellen could refill my prescription in 2 weeks at the correct dose. I called Dr. Turk's office and left an angry message. Tammy called me back later that morning and said she had heard from Dr. Turk's office saying they would send her a fax, but she had not received anything yet. I waited until Tuesday to call Tammy to see if she had received the fax, and she said yes. So, hopefully my medication will finally be right. I guess I will just have to wait to find out. |
AuthorMy name is Karen. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid in the fall of 1990 when I was almost 22 years old. Archives
January 2020
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