My Health Review Update. 😐

[JoGee]

The good news is that I can pick up my prescription next week at the hospital pharmacy again. The NP says she's trying to look out for her people who require that medicine.

I asked her about a strange blister on my tummy. She never saw one line it before and took a culture of the weird thing. Whether is a part of my condition which looks like it's making changes, or something else, she doesn't yet know. But I will have a professional strength topical ointment for it.

My blood stats are yet another thing. My hemoglobin has dropped significantly out of the "safe" zone. While the white cells are high.
This is what makes me feel tired, weak, and always cold.
(Our weather has reached the 80's, and yet I need the heating pad in my chair)
So I go back in 6 weeks for a new set of tests. And 6 weeks after that I'll see the actual Doctor.
They will determine whether I need a blood transfusion, and/or my bone marrow tested.
Then who knows what else?

I hope there are no more unpleasant surprises ahead.
We are so very weary of all these doctors.

[boffler]

JoG it just never seems to end does it? I am hopeful they will get to the bottom of your problem, or be on top of it!! Hope the topical cream helps your tummy sore...I use a heating pad on my bottom for other reasons, LOL...take care.

[JoGee]

Sharon, that is so true. It does seem endless at times.

My mother used to think that once a doctor started treating something, that he'd cure that while giving you another medical problem or two. She probably saw a do for just a handful of times in her life. She'd find out what he thought was wrong, and never go back, and she'd never fill his prescriptions. She figured a good, long soak in a hot tub would fix her body aches. And drinking nothing but cups of hot water would fix any other internal distress. And she lived to be 81.

Oh, that cures should be so easy!

[maxie]

Hope you get the answers and medication you need. I do not understand chronic illness but know several of you suffer them. And I had several relatives that drank hot water...I never understood the reasoning for that but they might have been on to something?

[JoGee]

My speculation was that the hot water was a purifier, and possibly a placebo, which "purified" whatever ailed them.
That can work for some things.
I doubt it would work on chronic illnesses. Mine is based in my bone marrow. However, it may have been activated by the several months of commercial bug poison that was purposely sprayed on all my office supplies and equipment in the church office I worked in in Phoenix. (The church elders wanted me to turn over my entire office budget over to them, and of course I refused. They already had their budget.)

[determined]

JoG, when I worked at the nursing home we had an "old Army nurse" and after every meal she would ask for a cup of hot water, she said that it kept your bowels regular, don't know if it did but she never had a problem like a lot of the residents had. Have also heard older people claim that so long as your digestive track was working the way it was supposed to that it kept the rest of the body "in-line" which there maybe something to. Don't think it was just in our family but if you said you didn't feel good the first question you were asked was "Did you poop today?"

[JoGee]

Sounds like there might be something to it, then.
My mom sometimes went a full day or more....four days sometimes, with nothing but cups of hot water during the day.
Never knew what her problem was, though. She wouldn't talk about it.

[Paula A]

Jo, thanks for the update. Adding my hopes for answers and good results.
You sure maintain a positive attitude!

[JoGee]

Thanks Paula.
I have a great distraction person here. Other than that, I try to take things in stride until things really call for a melt-down.
And he's still there for me. He won't let any doc double-speak to me....he understands Doctor-speak and calls them on it. They hate that! 😈
Also, I have a great support group in my Rounder friends! I thank you all for that.
Sharon has given me a great pick-up when she tells me her philosophy (half-full/half-empty), and that will not go to waste, seeing all that she deals with!!!

[JoGee]

Well, I am convinced that our hospitals are run by the Keystone Cops!
I did finally get through to the right unit and got my appointment made. Nobody ever scheduled it for Tuesday.....the doctor isn't not in on Tuesdays. So I go Wednesday afternoon.
I had been given a total of 5 phone numbers, 4 of which were incorrect, one of which was in a totally different area than my doctor's unit is in. Go figure.
So I stopped my Coumadin a day early because of the erroneous information, and I don't know what those doctors will say about it. They weren't in when I called. They will probably want me on another form of blood thinner, but I haven't had a bleed, big or tiny, for about a week now. I think I can do without it til the procedure is done.
....I just got their call, no Coumadin "shots" needed since I haven't had the bleeding. Whew! So I got my instructions for restarting that pill.

Now I just need the unit's real nurse to call with instructions and set up my prescription for the prep.

Oh, another fun thing. They never did call my home phone. Surprisingly, they didn't dig up my cell phone number, but my voice mail is purposely not set up on it....but even more surprising was that they found E's cell number...he has a new phone and it's not set up yet either. I asked why she called that number when I'd left my home number with every call? She said "Oh." Well, I guess that explains it in nurse-talk.

Things were a lot simpler in the days before the high-technology.

[JoGee]

Well, today is my last day on real food. Today I'll make some jello for the next two days. A total clear-liquid diet. The procedure is Wednesday afternoon.

[Paula A]

Good luck and so glad you have E!

[JoGee]

Thanks, Paula. So am I ! 😊

[boffler]

Since I have Crohn's Disease mostly called perirectal disease, I know all to well about colonoscopies, been part of my life for over 30 yrs. I don't do the Golytly prep or half lytely prep anymore, I do the one with Ducolax, Miralax prep...so much easier than trying to drink all of that Epson salt/soap combination or that citrate stuff that makes me puke...I don't like broths so the two days of eating is a bit difficult, but I get popsicles, jello, juices and do just fine..since I don't have to drink the nasty stuff don't mind it a bit...
Good Luck JoG.

[JoGee]

Thanks, Sharon.
I don't have too many colonoscopies. However, they need to see if there's a reason for some internal bloody discharges.
I suppose there's a reason for my having to drink all that pukey stuff. I can't have anything that has blue, purple,or red dyes, so as to not confuse the bloody issue. At least I can drink the nasty liquid with half tonight, and half in the morning.
Gives me a break in between.