Words from the West Side
I don't remember where we left off with my physical craziness, but here's the latest. Forgive me if I'm repeating myself, but my memory is a casualty of this madness.
Numb forehead, dizziness, extreme fatigue. Blood work comes back and I'm anemic. No surprises there. Protein is down. Not a surprise. PCP calls me to go in right away. I thought he'd prescribe iron and send me on my way. I'm bleeding intenally. That accounts for the anemia, diziness and even the numb forehead, believe it or not. He wants me in for a scope righ away because he's 99.9% sure it is a gastric bleed. How can that be? Sure I took NSAIDS after the accident, but following my Gastric surgeon's orders, I took Pepcid with it and even Protonix. It was supposed to coat the pouch and keep me safe.
The Gastroenterologist wanted me in the next morning, but The Man had just paid almost 500.00 a night for a suite at the Palazzo in Las Vegas. Las Vegas has hospitals if I need them. I couldn't back out on The Man because he had booked this room to get me out of town, let me rest and recoup. So I kept my mouth shut, away we went and rest I did. I ate well, the hotel cooked food to my order. I soaked in the big tub for hours on end and read good novels. I honestly think getting away and getting some rest did me a lot of good. We got home about 7:00 last night, I went straight to sleep AGAIN,woke up at midnight for about an hour and slept until 8:00 this morning.
I see the gastroenterologist in the morning and I'm sure there is a scope in my future next week.
So here are my words of semi-wisdom for you guys... Don't take one single NSAID. Not one. Don't take it with an antacid, a glass of milk, in a box with a fox. I took them for less than 30 days and took every precaution I could and while it did a lot to reduce my pain, it wasn't worth it.
I'll let you know what next week brings.
Numb forehead, dizziness, extreme fatigue. Blood work comes back and I'm anemic. No surprises there. Protein is down. Not a surprise. PCP calls me to go in right away. I thought he'd prescribe iron and send me on my way. I'm bleeding intenally. That accounts for the anemia, diziness and even the numb forehead, believe it or not. He wants me in for a scope righ away because he's 99.9% sure it is a gastric bleed. How can that be? Sure I took NSAIDS after the accident, but following my Gastric surgeon's orders, I took Pepcid with it and even Protonix. It was supposed to coat the pouch and keep me safe.
The Gastroenterologist wanted me in the next morning, but The Man had just paid almost 500.00 a night for a suite at the Palazzo in Las Vegas. Las Vegas has hospitals if I need them. I couldn't back out on The Man because he had booked this room to get me out of town, let me rest and recoup. So I kept my mouth shut, away we went and rest I did. I ate well, the hotel cooked food to my order. I soaked in the big tub for hours on end and read good novels. I honestly think getting away and getting some rest did me a lot of good. We got home about 7:00 last night, I went straight to sleep AGAIN,woke up at midnight for about an hour and slept until 8:00 this morning.
I see the gastroenterologist in the morning and I'm sure there is a scope in my future next week.
So here are my words of semi-wisdom for you guys... Don't take one single NSAID. Not one. Don't take it with an antacid, a glass of milk, in a box with a fox. I took them for less than 30 days and took every precaution I could and while it did a lot to reduce my pain, it wasn't worth it.
I'll let you know what next week brings.
I can use every last prayer you want to send up. I'll let you know what happens next week but in the meantime, everytime my head spins, I'm just going to pretend I'm drunk. At least I think that's the way it feels to be drunk. I don't think I've been drunk in at least 10 years so I'm going on old memories.
Many Hugs,
Connie
Many Hugs,
Connie
Connie, I'm so sorry you're having more problems!! I know that your back problem is enough to drive you crazy with pain.
I was low on iron last summer and had to have IV iron for about 5 hours one day. They never did know what caused it. I was not taking a NDSID ,
My cousin wighted 398 and he had , had a light stroke and the doctor told him to take a baby asprin everyday for the rest of his life. Well, he had gastric about 5 months ago. He went home and a week later he passed out , he was still taking that asprin and he had a whole in his pouch. He was bleeding from both ends. He had to have 7 pints of blood!! He almost died.
He's fine now and he's lost 110 pounds, but it was scary there for a few days.
Take care of your self and keep us updated on what you find out. Love ya, Judy
I was low on iron last summer and had to have IV iron for about 5 hours one day. They never did know what caused it. I was not taking a NDSID ,
My cousin wighted 398 and he had , had a light stroke and the doctor told him to take a baby asprin everyday for the rest of his life. Well, he had gastric about 5 months ago. He went home and a week later he passed out , he was still taking that asprin and he had a whole in his pouch. He was bleeding from both ends. He had to have 7 pints of blood!! He almost died.
He's fine now and he's lost 110 pounds, but it was scary there for a few days.
Take care of your self and keep us updated on what you find out. Love ya, Judy
God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good. Today is very imporant, because I'm exchaning a day of my life for it.
Judy,
When the doctor's office called and said I was anemic, I thought for sure it was from low iron and I'd get a transfusion like you did or pills. I never thought I'd have internal bleeding. I think I remember you telling us about your cousin. How scary was that? His surgeon should have told him to stop taking the baby aspirin, but 110 pounds in 5 months is fabulous.
I'll let you know how it goes next week. If nothing else, I hope you guys learn from my trials and tribulations.
Much love and hugs,
Connie
When the doctor's office called and said I was anemic, I thought for sure it was from low iron and I'd get a transfusion like you did or pills. I never thought I'd have internal bleeding. I think I remember you telling us about your cousin. How scary was that? His surgeon should have told him to stop taking the baby aspirin, but 110 pounds in 5 months is fabulous.
I'll let you know how it goes next week. If nothing else, I hope you guys learn from my trials and tribulations.
Much love and hugs,
Connie
Ya know Connie, you sure did not need anymore problems then you already had. I am glad you have someone checking into it soon. I take advil quite a bit for my back pain & now know why I have some of the pain. (Osteopenia) Will most likely be on
meds now for life. If it can be reversed or stopped at this point. Don;'t know yet.
Anyway, I have taken advil for quite some time & have not had any problems that
I know of. I know we are not suppose to, but, its the only thing that works these days.
Tylenol crap just does nothing. Hope you feel better soon & I will keep an eye out
for any stomach problems or discoloring in anything from now on.
Thanks for your information!! Take Care of You & glad you had a restful stay in
Vegas. Very Nice of that MAN of yours!! I'd say keep him around. Someone needs
to take care of you, cause you sure don't do a very good job with all the working you
do.
Lots of Love & prayers for you!!
meds now for life. If it can be reversed or stopped at this point. Don;'t know yet.
Anyway, I have taken advil for quite some time & have not had any problems that
I know of. I know we are not suppose to, but, its the only thing that works these days.
Tylenol crap just does nothing. Hope you feel better soon & I will keep an eye out
for any stomach problems or discoloring in anything from now on.
Thanks for your information!! Take Care of You & glad you had a restful stay in
Vegas. Very Nice of that MAN of yours!! I'd say keep him around. Someone needs
to take care of you, cause you sure don't do a very good job with all the working you
do.
Lots of Love & prayers for you!!
Marilyn C (Bearlady)
Marilyn,
Please, please, please stop taking the Advil. I don't have any symptoms at all (ok, dead tired, numb forehead, dizzy as hell), but all signs point to a bleeding ulcer. I don't have stomach pain or discoloration or anything that I would have thought would be intenal bleeding. I only found out because I had my normal annual checkup. I thought I was exhausted because of all the work I do and how little sleep I get. There have been times in the past that I've taken Advil once in a great while, but never on a regular basis. I took Celebrex for a month and with an antacid to coat my stomach. Celebrex is much easier on the tummy than Advil so I can't imagine what long-term use of Advil would do.
See if you can see a specialist. because if you are having pain, there's probably something else going on. Osteopenia almost never exhibits any symptoms including pain. If you're having pain, it must be from something else, perhaps arthritis.
Many thanks for the love and prayers and right back atcha.
Connie
Please, please, please stop taking the Advil. I don't have any symptoms at all (ok, dead tired, numb forehead, dizzy as hell), but all signs point to a bleeding ulcer. I don't have stomach pain or discoloration or anything that I would have thought would be intenal bleeding. I only found out because I had my normal annual checkup. I thought I was exhausted because of all the work I do and how little sleep I get. There have been times in the past that I've taken Advil once in a great while, but never on a regular basis. I took Celebrex for a month and with an antacid to coat my stomach. Celebrex is much easier on the tummy than Advil so I can't imagine what long-term use of Advil would do.
See if you can see a specialist. because if you are having pain, there's probably something else going on. Osteopenia almost never exhibits any symptoms including pain. If you're having pain, it must be from something else, perhaps arthritis.
Many thanks for the love and prayers and right back atcha.
Connie
I will stop the Advil!! On the other I should be having an MRI this week (waiting for
the darn approval) to find out how bad the osteopenia is. I have 3 sections right in the
middle of back that had deteriated a lot & the cushing is gone between the bones, so
bone is rubbing against bone in those places. That is the pain I get, supposedly. It made
sense to me, from the neuro-back Doc. Will know more soon & where to go from here.
the darn approval) to find out how bad the osteopenia is. I have 3 sections right in the
middle of back that had deteriated a lot & the cushing is gone between the bones, so
bone is rubbing against bone in those places. That is the pain I get, supposedly. It made
sense to me, from the neuro-back Doc. Will know more soon & where to go from here.
Marilyn C (Bearlady)
I'm starting to understand now. It sounds like you have disk degeneration in the thoracic area of your back. That's unusual, but not heard of. It's more common to have disk degeneration in the cervical or lumbar area because the thoracic area has ribs to help support the spine, but the cervical and lumbar areas are only supported by the spine itself - or so says my physical therapist and spine doctor.
The MRI will show if any disks are bulging and how badly they have degenerated. When they do your MRI, ask for the films before you leave and then ask for a copy of your report after it is written. The doctor normally does not get a copy of the films and only gets the report. You can get the films, take them to your next doctor appointment and ask him to explain it all to you.The Osteopenia is normally diagnosed with a Dexa Scan. I've never heard of it being diagnosed with an MRI, but I learn something new everyday. If by chance you've had a Dexa Scan, ask for the report so you can see what the actual scores are. The BMD will be your Bone Mineral Density. The T-Score will tell you how you compare to women in their 30's and the Z-Score will tell you how you compare with other women your own age.
I always ask for copies of my reports and keep them in a medical folder. This way I have something to haul in to my doctor visits and I can compare one test to the next. I learned this the hard way when a doctor had his medical license revoked and closed up shop. I couldn't get my medical records and felt like I had medical amnesia. I was so dependent on that doctor that I never remembered the dates of procedures or what medicines I was on.
Once they decide what's wrong with you, ask to see a pain specialist. They are much better prepared to know all the latest medicines for pain and can keep you from developing an addiction. When I switched from my pcp to the pain doc, he took me off of everything that my pcp had prescribed because it was way too addictive. We went through a period of trial and error until we figured out what works for me without over-medicating me while keeping me functioning. I'm never without pain because I choose to live that way. If I was medicated to the point of no pain, I'd be unable to function and make the split second decisions I have to at work. There are times when the meds I'm on stop working and we go through the trial and error again, but he always finds a way to keep me moving. My pain doc is so up on the current meds that he knows about and prescribes stuff before even the hospitals carry it. I go back and share with my pcp what I'm on and why. In fact, he's stopped prescribing Soma and Vicodin together.
Good luck with all of this and I hope you feel better soon.
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