It doesn't look as much of a tongue twister as it is until you try to say it ten times fast.
Tongue twisters aside, it's the truth, too. After eight and a half years of living on the East Coast, I'm packing my bags and returning to Colorado. It was a very hard decision, but after the year I've had, kind of inevitable. External logic aside, though, I fortunately also have felt good about it. I waffled for a bit, wondering about what I was feeling and sometimes feeling better about staying out here, but once I made a few steps to make the move and telling more people, it started feeling better.
So, next Friday, my wonderful, loving daddy-o will fly to DCA and then together we'll drive across the USA. We'll stop for a couple nights at my cousin Jenny's in Ohio, which will be fun. I haven't seen Jenny for a very long time, so I'm looking forward to catching up with her and meeting her kids. After that, we'll probably find hotels--or hopefully just one, but depending on how fast we go, it might be two. Really hopefully not more than that.
One blessing, among many, that has come with this, was finding a moving company that will load my boxes and furniture for me, and drive my stuff out to CO, for a very reasonable price--after gas is calculated in, it's less even than U-Hauling, where I'd have to pack and drive. Of course, there still will be gas, since we'll drive my car instead of towing, but, my car gets better gas mileage than U-Haul trucks, so it's still better.
Another blessing came last night when my roommate Carrie hosted a farewell party for me so I got to see many of my dear friends from the area. Most were from the Belle Haven ward, where I've been for the last three 1/2 years, but also some singles from different wards, and I think the only exception to that is my friend Justin and his wife Diana and new baby boy, whom I got to hold. Very cute kid.
It's actually significant to mention Justin for another reason. Although it's been a few years--since I don't think he was dating Diana quite yet, but he actually gave me a blessing in which I was told I would feel good about wherever I moved. Based on my graduating from Hollins and struggle with employment, I had thought I'd move earlier, but I've waited for the right feeling, and now I have it.
I'm glad I've stayed these couple of years, though, as I've been blessed with the friendships of a number of people since that time. And I've gained some experiences in other areas in my life, as well. But it will be interesting, now, to see what the Lord has in store for me back in Colorado!
Sometimes I'll write about my job, sometimes about my faith, sometimes about my hobbies, talents, miscellaneous interests. You'll see.
12 December 2010
14 July 2010
Am I really getting better?
Not long after I posted last, things, well, crashed.
It had been a bit of a hard day, physically. I sang as part of a trio in Relief Society, which proved an ordeal on my stomach. To add to that, there was no AC in the RS room, so as I soon as I was done singing, the stress on my gut and the no cool air shot me straight out of there and back to the primary room. (I was just called as Sharing Time leader, Yea! though I didn't have sharing time that day.) Being in the primary room was better, but not a whole lot. Even sitting down, singing any of the songs proved very hard to get enough air. So once I got home, I ate some lunch and made my way to my bed where I put my feet up and made plans to stay there for the rest of the evening, as much as I would have liked to attend a patriotic musical fireside going on that night.
I eventually pulled together some strength and got on the computer, posted that last one, and did some health research, since my stomach was hurting more and more. And laying down wasn't helping. Then, finally, after trying to get to sleep, around 11:00, after saying my prayers, I just couldn't get comfortable, so I stood up and before I knew it, I was hyperventilating and doubled over in pain, and gasping for air while I searched the house for a roommate. Fortunately, Sarah was just outside and she rushed me to the emergency room. They weren't able to find anything, but at least they gave me some drugs. Well, the better part of it was that Sarah called some friends in my phone so I was able to have the priesthood come and give me a blessing, which brought a peace and a lot of comfort.
For the proceeding two weeks, things got only slightly better. I wasn't always doubled over, but my stomach really hurt and I had a very hard time standing for very long, or carrying anything. To get to the point quickly, after an ultrasound and a CT scan, a doctor who thought I was low on electrolytes so recommended Gatorade (which didn't help), the GI doctor, for my follow-up, asked me, curiously, if I didn't think the stomach pains were a side effect of the Prilosec. Well, no actually. It hadn't occurred to me that some drug that was supposed to make my stomach feel better would have a side effect of making it worse. Call me crazy. So I asked what the side effects of Prilosec were, and he tilted his head to the side and said, "stomach pains." Oh brother.
Well, as I noted in that last post, I did have a number of other questions, and he answered some and some he deflected--the most irritating was when I asked if there was anything I could take for inflammation since acetaminophen, his previous recommendation to replace ibuprofen, is not anti-inflammatory. In response, he told me to ask my family doctor. What? So you're a doctor who diagnoses diseases that involve inflammation, and you don't know what a person can do for inflammation? I didn't actually ask him that. Instead, I named a couple that I'd found online and at Whole Foods--a turmeric-based supplement and the standard fish oil--and asked what he thought of them. The turmeric only puzzled him, but he did chime in that fish oil was good. Oh dear. I don't think I'll be seeing that doctor again.
Fortunately, his comment about the side effects got me a little curious about what the other side effects were of Prilosec, and so I did a little Google search and found the FDA site where it lists a bunch of things under a heading "for the professional" or something like that. I'm not a professional, but at least I can read and do Google searches for terms I don't know, which is exactly what I had to do. And quite fortunately one other person had had this particular side effect that I needed to know about--I don't remember and don't feel like looking it up again, but it started with an m and had to do with muscles weakening (which I did have to do a Google search on the term to learn), and for this other person, it went away when they went off Prilosec. Guess what I did next?
The next day, I still slept in a long time, but my legs were feeling much, much better off that drug. I was actually feeling quite good. The Prilosec had helped with the esophagitis so my chest was feeling good, and I had strength in my legs. Of course I expected the positive effects to wear off not long after the negative. And based on the stomach pains only, the GI doctor had actually given me Nexium samples to try. But I was reluctant to start those since two other drugs had already proven bad for me, and I had read that Nexium also had a side effect of stomach pains. I don't really want that, thank you.
And indeed, as the days have worn on, the effects of esophagitis have come back, and my chest and eating have those problems again, but I have also found a new source or direction for hope. In God's infinite mercy, he gave me a great supervisor at work, with whom I've been in touch throughout the ordeal and who has been a great blessing. It turns out, her husband sees this doctor in Alexandria who takes a more wholistic approach and uses more natural methods.
I'll confess that I've known herbalists and homeopathic believers, and I have been skeptical of their theories, but I think I must repent of that now. The more I learn about the way modern standard medical practices work, the more I'm disinclined to trust their approach of separating the body into segments that can't possibly have anything to do with each other, and chemical solutions that treat symptoms rather than problems. So Monday morning I went to see this new wholistic doctor, or one of the three in the office I should say, and I was very pleased with the attention they paid to me, listening to all of my conditions and concerns, and the friendliness of the entire staff. I don't have a whole lot of experience with their recommended solutions yet, but I'm appreciating the approach, so here's to taking a step in strange and unfamiliar medical territory.
It had been a bit of a hard day, physically. I sang as part of a trio in Relief Society, which proved an ordeal on my stomach. To add to that, there was no AC in the RS room, so as I soon as I was done singing, the stress on my gut and the no cool air shot me straight out of there and back to the primary room. (I was just called as Sharing Time leader, Yea! though I didn't have sharing time that day.) Being in the primary room was better, but not a whole lot. Even sitting down, singing any of the songs proved very hard to get enough air. So once I got home, I ate some lunch and made my way to my bed where I put my feet up and made plans to stay there for the rest of the evening, as much as I would have liked to attend a patriotic musical fireside going on that night.
I eventually pulled together some strength and got on the computer, posted that last one, and did some health research, since my stomach was hurting more and more. And laying down wasn't helping. Then, finally, after trying to get to sleep, around 11:00, after saying my prayers, I just couldn't get comfortable, so I stood up and before I knew it, I was hyperventilating and doubled over in pain, and gasping for air while I searched the house for a roommate. Fortunately, Sarah was just outside and she rushed me to the emergency room. They weren't able to find anything, but at least they gave me some drugs. Well, the better part of it was that Sarah called some friends in my phone so I was able to have the priesthood come and give me a blessing, which brought a peace and a lot of comfort.
For the proceeding two weeks, things got only slightly better. I wasn't always doubled over, but my stomach really hurt and I had a very hard time standing for very long, or carrying anything. To get to the point quickly, after an ultrasound and a CT scan, a doctor who thought I was low on electrolytes so recommended Gatorade (which didn't help), the GI doctor, for my follow-up, asked me, curiously, if I didn't think the stomach pains were a side effect of the Prilosec. Well, no actually. It hadn't occurred to me that some drug that was supposed to make my stomach feel better would have a side effect of making it worse. Call me crazy. So I asked what the side effects of Prilosec were, and he tilted his head to the side and said, "stomach pains." Oh brother.
Well, as I noted in that last post, I did have a number of other questions, and he answered some and some he deflected--the most irritating was when I asked if there was anything I could take for inflammation since acetaminophen, his previous recommendation to replace ibuprofen, is not anti-inflammatory. In response, he told me to ask my family doctor. What? So you're a doctor who diagnoses diseases that involve inflammation, and you don't know what a person can do for inflammation? I didn't actually ask him that. Instead, I named a couple that I'd found online and at Whole Foods--a turmeric-based supplement and the standard fish oil--and asked what he thought of them. The turmeric only puzzled him, but he did chime in that fish oil was good. Oh dear. I don't think I'll be seeing that doctor again.
Fortunately, his comment about the side effects got me a little curious about what the other side effects were of Prilosec, and so I did a little Google search and found the FDA site where it lists a bunch of things under a heading "for the professional" or something like that. I'm not a professional, but at least I can read and do Google searches for terms I don't know, which is exactly what I had to do. And quite fortunately one other person had had this particular side effect that I needed to know about--I don't remember and don't feel like looking it up again, but it started with an m and had to do with muscles weakening (which I did have to do a Google search on the term to learn), and for this other person, it went away when they went off Prilosec. Guess what I did next?
The next day, I still slept in a long time, but my legs were feeling much, much better off that drug. I was actually feeling quite good. The Prilosec had helped with the esophagitis so my chest was feeling good, and I had strength in my legs. Of course I expected the positive effects to wear off not long after the negative. And based on the stomach pains only, the GI doctor had actually given me Nexium samples to try. But I was reluctant to start those since two other drugs had already proven bad for me, and I had read that Nexium also had a side effect of stomach pains. I don't really want that, thank you.
And indeed, as the days have worn on, the effects of esophagitis have come back, and my chest and eating have those problems again, but I have also found a new source or direction for hope. In God's infinite mercy, he gave me a great supervisor at work, with whom I've been in touch throughout the ordeal and who has been a great blessing. It turns out, her husband sees this doctor in Alexandria who takes a more wholistic approach and uses more natural methods.
I'll confess that I've known herbalists and homeopathic believers, and I have been skeptical of their theories, but I think I must repent of that now. The more I learn about the way modern standard medical practices work, the more I'm disinclined to trust their approach of separating the body into segments that can't possibly have anything to do with each other, and chemical solutions that treat symptoms rather than problems. So Monday morning I went to see this new wholistic doctor, or one of the three in the office I should say, and I was very pleased with the attention they paid to me, listening to all of my conditions and concerns, and the friendliness of the entire staff. I don't have a whole lot of experience with their recommended solutions yet, but I'm appreciating the approach, so here's to taking a step in strange and unfamiliar medical territory.
27 June 2010
Questions Answered, some anyway
So, last I wrote I had a handful of questions and complaints. And, well, as time passes, I'm taming the complaints, and getting some answers. I still have a number of questions, though, but I'm trying to patient about those until I see my doc for the follow-up next week.
But, I will sure some good news/answers that I have received. My biggest complaint, you will recall, had to do with ibuprofen. And, admittedly, I am still lamenting its loss from my diet. However, I have found that acetaminophen actually helps more than I'd expected. I'm glad for something to help with pain in any case, even if something to reduce inflammation would be better. To that end, though, I have also found help and am grateful for the internet and friends for the answers to these prayers. I found a web page with an article that listed a number of pretty common things that help with inflammation, namely ginger, turmeric, and rosemary; fish oil, Vit. C and Vit. E, and a few less common things as well. But these I'd heard of and figured it wouldn't be too heard to implement them into my diet, especially since my primary doctor wants me eating more fish anyway.
So, initially I planned just incorporate them naturally into my diet and just bought some of the herbs and actual fish to eat. But as the week has worn on and I come to recognize the difficult of incorporating these things into the quick diet of a breakfast on the run and lunch munched on at my desk through the afternoon, I've realized that only having these things for dinner and not even always at that, is probably not going to cut it. I hadn't made any definite resolutions with this realization, but with it in mind, when my friend B... told me about a time when she'd had an inflamed thyroid and was encouraged to take 6 fish oil capsule-things a day, I realize I should probably by some of those fat pills rather than relying on just eating fish for dinner.
The immediate results of these changes, of course, have yet to make themselves as apparent as I would like, but I have confidence they will prove for positive changes in my diet. And I'm already loving the taste of turmeric mixed with thyme. I'd heard of turmeric before, and had of course tasted it in foods before without knowing it, but I'm glad now to discover it more completely. I found, but didn't buy, a supplement that is entirely turmeric and am now wondering if that might be better than fish oil--it will probably taste better in any case, just not sure if it's as effective.
I also have to give Kudos to my mom for realizing that I was not getting sufficient vitamins and minerals in my diet, which I was kind of realizing before though not able to put all the pieces together. And well, she recommended first a Multi-Vit supplement, which I'd recently read was completely ineffective, but then she suggested Ensure and so I've started drinking that pretty regularly and found a good increase in my energy level. Way to go, Mom!
And so, now I should apologize to any of you who thought you were following a great blog about books, because it hasn't really gone in that direction, has it? Obviously, my dietary dilemmas are top on my mind at the time, and reading about these things has been my most interesting study. However, never fret, because I still love fiction, and have continued to read a healthy dose of it. In fact, if you're looking for something good, I've just finished the trilogy of the Mysterious Benedict Society and would very highly recommend it. I actually listened to the whole thing rather than reading it, and really love Del Roy's voice for it. It kind of reminds me of Pres. Monson. He has his own unique voice--you would never mistake them--but the rhythm and pacing of his inflections are very similar, as well as his having a very kind old man's voice.
But, I will sure some good news/answers that I have received. My biggest complaint, you will recall, had to do with ibuprofen. And, admittedly, I am still lamenting its loss from my diet. However, I have found that acetaminophen actually helps more than I'd expected. I'm glad for something to help with pain in any case, even if something to reduce inflammation would be better. To that end, though, I have also found help and am grateful for the internet and friends for the answers to these prayers. I found a web page with an article that listed a number of pretty common things that help with inflammation, namely ginger, turmeric, and rosemary; fish oil, Vit. C and Vit. E, and a few less common things as well. But these I'd heard of and figured it wouldn't be too heard to implement them into my diet, especially since my primary doctor wants me eating more fish anyway.
So, initially I planned just incorporate them naturally into my diet and just bought some of the herbs and actual fish to eat. But as the week has worn on and I come to recognize the difficult of incorporating these things into the quick diet of a breakfast on the run and lunch munched on at my desk through the afternoon, I've realized that only having these things for dinner and not even always at that, is probably not going to cut it. I hadn't made any definite resolutions with this realization, but with it in mind, when my friend B... told me about a time when she'd had an inflamed thyroid and was encouraged to take 6 fish oil capsule-things a day, I realize I should probably by some of those fat pills rather than relying on just eating fish for dinner.
The immediate results of these changes, of course, have yet to make themselves as apparent as I would like, but I have confidence they will prove for positive changes in my diet. And I'm already loving the taste of turmeric mixed with thyme. I'd heard of turmeric before, and had of course tasted it in foods before without knowing it, but I'm glad now to discover it more completely. I found, but didn't buy, a supplement that is entirely turmeric and am now wondering if that might be better than fish oil--it will probably taste better in any case, just not sure if it's as effective.
I also have to give Kudos to my mom for realizing that I was not getting sufficient vitamins and minerals in my diet, which I was kind of realizing before though not able to put all the pieces together. And well, she recommended first a Multi-Vit supplement, which I'd recently read was completely ineffective, but then she suggested Ensure and so I've started drinking that pretty regularly and found a good increase in my energy level. Way to go, Mom!
And so, now I should apologize to any of you who thought you were following a great blog about books, because it hasn't really gone in that direction, has it? Obviously, my dietary dilemmas are top on my mind at the time, and reading about these things has been my most interesting study. However, never fret, because I still love fiction, and have continued to read a healthy dose of it. In fact, if you're looking for something good, I've just finished the trilogy of the Mysterious Benedict Society and would very highly recommend it. I actually listened to the whole thing rather than reading it, and really love Del Roy's voice for it. It kind of reminds me of Pres. Monson. He has his own unique voice--you would never mistake them--but the rhythm and pacing of his inflections are very similar, as well as his having a very kind old man's voice.
15 June 2010
The Latest Scoop
It doesn't sound like that creative a title, I know. But, it fits, actually, since I've been eating a bit of scoops--of fat free frozen yogurt that is. And why? might you ask. Because, well, because of a number of things. It's kind of a long story, but today marked a significant point in the progression of things, so I feel a greater liberty to discuss the story now, though of course, it is still in progress.
So, you might remember reading a little while ago about my supposition about having a yeast allergy. And if I would have written earlier I would have said, "woops, I was wrong." I went to an allergist and they told me that no, I was not allergic to yeast. They thought I had Gerd--basically, acid reflux. They suggested that I take Prevacid, and so I did, even though the diagnosis didn't seem to completely jive and the medicine packaging said only to take it if you were having heart burn three or more times a week, which I wasn't, at the time. I wouldn't even have called it heartburn, just a feeling like I had a hard time breathing when I ate bread, and a few times when I ate rotisserie chicken. Not other chicken, just rotisserie chicken. And I eat rotisserie chicken so seldom because it's expensive, that I'd forgotten about it until I was at the allergist. Anyway, all very curious, I know. I did have some other symptoms, too, but I'll spare you those for now.
I had had some heartburn, quite a bit, actually, last summer, when I had bought some ultra lactase instead of the regular kind for my lactose intolerance. And the heartburn only came after taking a prescription that I've been taking every day for the past six years. (Well, minus a few months to be totally honest, when I tried going off of it but discovered that wasn't a good idea.) In any case, I thought that was just a bad chemical reaction or something. When I went back to regular lactase, or only took half an ultra, the heartburn went away.
Anyway, so I took the Prevacid, and within a few days of taking it, it seemed that wasn't such a smart decision. I got sicker than I had been before, with light headedness and stronger shortness of breath, and even more tired, if you can believe that. So I stopped and called the GI reference my doctor had given me and started to keep a food journal.
Well, not along after that, I did start getting heartburn again, and not related to any lactase-taking. And I started getting some other symptoms in the lower digestive tract, or they got significantly worse I should say, the details of which I'll spare you. I also had a recurrent sore throat, and headaches and stuff, too. Really, it was quite messy. So I became quite glad that I had made that GI appointment.
However, it was still a couple weeks to wait, and then, even at the appointment, the GI doctor wasn't able to give a definitive diagnosis, though he thought it sounded like Gerd, too. He also thought I might have another cyst, and suggested I see my gynecologist. But in the meantime, he scheduled an endoscopy for me, because it was quite clear there were digestive problems regardless of any cyst presence.
(Fortunately, I was able to see my gynecologist two days after my appointment with the GI, and she confirmed that I do not have another cyst. She also did not think it likely that my digestive symptoms were related to my endometriosis. So, at least that was cleared up.)
But the wait for an answer was still on, and the appointment for the endoscopy was first scheduled for the 29th of June, which was frightfully long to wait. Fortunately, they told me I could call on Monday to see if there were any cancellations. And when I called, there was one--for the 15th, then a little over a week later. But now, today!
Drumroll, are you ready? It's kind of yucky, so you can go away now if you want. The diagnosis based on the EGD is that I have two small ulcers in my stomach and eosinophilic esophagitis. Lovely, huh? They also took biopsies, so I suppose there might be more later, but let's hope this is all.
What are these things? you're asking. Or maybe not. Ulcers, well, you know what those are. They're kind of scary sounding to me, though. I have been doing quite a bit of internet searching to find out what might be wrong and to figure out how to eat and all that. And the thought of an ulcer had occurred to me, and I remember even searching with trepidation, hoping that would not be the case. Why? I don't know. I guess it's one of those horrible words you grow up hearing in books and TV and whatnot, so I'm preconditioned not to like the sound of it. But in reality, how is it really worse than something I hadn't heard of as a kid? Like eosinophilic esophagitis? That one should probably be a bit scarier. Well, I don't know which is scarier.
But this ee thing, what is that? I was in a bit of a semi-conscious state when the doctor told me after the procedure, so I did a little research, and it turns out it's an inflamed esophagus, an auto-immune disease, and caused by an unknown allergen. It's also related to Candida, or yeast allergy. So you see, I wasn't crazy! It's not exactly the same thing as a yeast allergy, so maybe, I'm hoping, I can eventually eat yeasted things again. But we'll see. It's also related to Gerd, so acid reflux is a symptom.
Which brings me to the point that, fortunately, the treatment for both ulcers and ee is about the same. Soft and mild foods for awhile, take Prilosec, related to Prevacid, so I'm really hoping I have a better reaction, and discontinue NSAIDs.
Yes, I can't take ibuprofen any more. That was probably worse than hearing I had those abominable ulcers. No more ibuprofen? How can I manage? Maybe some of you are die hard anti-pill people and you don't think that's a big deal. But you probably don't have endometriosis and arthritis (only diagnosed in my foot, not my hands, fortunately, though it does make exercise kind of painful). If you do, please share your secrets, because this is really killing me. For both of those diagnoses, both doctors' suggestion was Advil, as many other doctors have suggested for various other pains I've run across in my life. Doctors seem to like to tell you to take Advil. But now I have one telling me to stop, and for a very good reason. I don't want any more ulcers, and I want these to go away.
I'm not addicted to ibuprofen. I have actually gone weeks without taking it. And I even try to postpone taking it at times, even when I have pain, just to keep myself from overdoing it because I know it can cause stomach problems. But there are also periods of time when I have to take a good dose every day for a stretch. I've tried other painkillers. I had a very bad reaction to aspirin, and Aleve made me bloat something awful. Not that those matter. I can't take those any more either. I actually use topical analgesics, like sports cremes, pretty regularly, and they work okay. Not great, and nothing for headaches but they help a bit. But Tylenol, the recommended alternative, or acetaminophen, has just never worked as well for me. And so if it doesn't work as well, will I be tempted to take more than I should and then have some other bad reaction to that?
Well, I irritate myself with too much negativity, and indeed there are some very positive things. But I needed to express those concerns in order to know how to turn them around, rather than being forced to ignore the negatives. I don't think that's helpful either.
So, for positive things:
1. The blessing I received comes back to comfort me that I'll be able to handle the changes in my life.
2. My family is very supportive and have been praying for me.
3. Supportive roommates, and much thanks to them for being willing to help me out so much.
4. Supportive friends at Church--and much thanks to Karen, the RS president for so cheerfully picking me up even though she wasn't familiar with the area, and for Marissa who was willing to.
6. And of course, the list goes on and on. Somehow things will work out, with God's abundant mercy.
So, you might remember reading a little while ago about my supposition about having a yeast allergy. And if I would have written earlier I would have said, "woops, I was wrong." I went to an allergist and they told me that no, I was not allergic to yeast. They thought I had Gerd--basically, acid reflux. They suggested that I take Prevacid, and so I did, even though the diagnosis didn't seem to completely jive and the medicine packaging said only to take it if you were having heart burn three or more times a week, which I wasn't, at the time. I wouldn't even have called it heartburn, just a feeling like I had a hard time breathing when I ate bread, and a few times when I ate rotisserie chicken. Not other chicken, just rotisserie chicken. And I eat rotisserie chicken so seldom because it's expensive, that I'd forgotten about it until I was at the allergist. Anyway, all very curious, I know. I did have some other symptoms, too, but I'll spare you those for now.
I had had some heartburn, quite a bit, actually, last summer, when I had bought some ultra lactase instead of the regular kind for my lactose intolerance. And the heartburn only came after taking a prescription that I've been taking every day for the past six years. (Well, minus a few months to be totally honest, when I tried going off of it but discovered that wasn't a good idea.) In any case, I thought that was just a bad chemical reaction or something. When I went back to regular lactase, or only took half an ultra, the heartburn went away.
Anyway, so I took the Prevacid, and within a few days of taking it, it seemed that wasn't such a smart decision. I got sicker than I had been before, with light headedness and stronger shortness of breath, and even more tired, if you can believe that. So I stopped and called the GI reference my doctor had given me and started to keep a food journal.
Well, not along after that, I did start getting heartburn again, and not related to any lactase-taking. And I started getting some other symptoms in the lower digestive tract, or they got significantly worse I should say, the details of which I'll spare you. I also had a recurrent sore throat, and headaches and stuff, too. Really, it was quite messy. So I became quite glad that I had made that GI appointment.
However, it was still a couple weeks to wait, and then, even at the appointment, the GI doctor wasn't able to give a definitive diagnosis, though he thought it sounded like Gerd, too. He also thought I might have another cyst, and suggested I see my gynecologist. But in the meantime, he scheduled an endoscopy for me, because it was quite clear there were digestive problems regardless of any cyst presence.
(Fortunately, I was able to see my gynecologist two days after my appointment with the GI, and she confirmed that I do not have another cyst. She also did not think it likely that my digestive symptoms were related to my endometriosis. So, at least that was cleared up.)
But the wait for an answer was still on, and the appointment for the endoscopy was first scheduled for the 29th of June, which was frightfully long to wait. Fortunately, they told me I could call on Monday to see if there were any cancellations. And when I called, there was one--for the 15th, then a little over a week later. But now, today!
Drumroll, are you ready? It's kind of yucky, so you can go away now if you want. The diagnosis based on the EGD is that I have two small ulcers in my stomach and eosinophilic esophagitis. Lovely, huh? They also took biopsies, so I suppose there might be more later, but let's hope this is all.
What are these things? you're asking. Or maybe not. Ulcers, well, you know what those are. They're kind of scary sounding to me, though. I have been doing quite a bit of internet searching to find out what might be wrong and to figure out how to eat and all that. And the thought of an ulcer had occurred to me, and I remember even searching with trepidation, hoping that would not be the case. Why? I don't know. I guess it's one of those horrible words you grow up hearing in books and TV and whatnot, so I'm preconditioned not to like the sound of it. But in reality, how is it really worse than something I hadn't heard of as a kid? Like eosinophilic esophagitis? That one should probably be a bit scarier. Well, I don't know which is scarier.
But this ee thing, what is that? I was in a bit of a semi-conscious state when the doctor told me after the procedure, so I did a little research, and it turns out it's an inflamed esophagus, an auto-immune disease, and caused by an unknown allergen. It's also related to Candida, or yeast allergy. So you see, I wasn't crazy! It's not exactly the same thing as a yeast allergy, so maybe, I'm hoping, I can eventually eat yeasted things again. But we'll see. It's also related to Gerd, so acid reflux is a symptom.
Which brings me to the point that, fortunately, the treatment for both ulcers and ee is about the same. Soft and mild foods for awhile, take Prilosec, related to Prevacid, so I'm really hoping I have a better reaction, and discontinue NSAIDs.
Yes, I can't take ibuprofen any more. That was probably worse than hearing I had those abominable ulcers. No more ibuprofen? How can I manage? Maybe some of you are die hard anti-pill people and you don't think that's a big deal. But you probably don't have endometriosis and arthritis (only diagnosed in my foot, not my hands, fortunately, though it does make exercise kind of painful). If you do, please share your secrets, because this is really killing me. For both of those diagnoses, both doctors' suggestion was Advil, as many other doctors have suggested for various other pains I've run across in my life. Doctors seem to like to tell you to take Advil. But now I have one telling me to stop, and for a very good reason. I don't want any more ulcers, and I want these to go away.
I'm not addicted to ibuprofen. I have actually gone weeks without taking it. And I even try to postpone taking it at times, even when I have pain, just to keep myself from overdoing it because I know it can cause stomach problems. But there are also periods of time when I have to take a good dose every day for a stretch. I've tried other painkillers. I had a very bad reaction to aspirin, and Aleve made me bloat something awful. Not that those matter. I can't take those any more either. I actually use topical analgesics, like sports cremes, pretty regularly, and they work okay. Not great, and nothing for headaches but they help a bit. But Tylenol, the recommended alternative, or acetaminophen, has just never worked as well for me. And so if it doesn't work as well, will I be tempted to take more than I should and then have some other bad reaction to that?
Well, I irritate myself with too much negativity, and indeed there are some very positive things. But I needed to express those concerns in order to know how to turn them around, rather than being forced to ignore the negatives. I don't think that's helpful either.
So, for positive things:
1. The blessing I received comes back to comfort me that I'll be able to handle the changes in my life.
2. My family is very supportive and have been praying for me.
3. Supportive roommates, and much thanks to them for being willing to help me out so much.
4. Supportive friends at Church--and much thanks to Karen, the RS president for so cheerfully picking me up even though she wasn't familiar with the area, and for Marissa who was willing to.
5. I have only been working part-time, so I've been able to come home and rest, as I've needed to.
And my supervisor at work has been supportive, even having some experience with Gerd--her husband, that is. And he actually doesn't take Prilosec, recommended by his first doctor, but instead found another doctor who's more homeopathic, like acupuncture. So that's actually a thought. I worry it might be kind of expensive, though, but maybe I'll try it.
6. And of course, the list goes on and on. Somehow things will work out, with God's abundant mercy.
12 May 2010
On a lighter note, maybe we can all march to the beat of the same drum
A couple weeks ago, there was this funny situation on the streets of DC. On my way to the metro after work, I passed these protesters who were marching, and pounding on drums and wearing block signs, hanging on their shoulders to cover their front and back. They were protesting a company that didn't pay fair wages and so in front of their building. They were chanting something, but I’m not sure exactly what they were saying.
In any case, the second day, there happened to be some special deal at the bank that happened to be next door to that office. So right next to each other we had two groups of people with opposite situations, and yet, the guy trying to get positive attention for the bank was dancing to the rhythm of the protestors’ drums. It was hilarious.
09 May 2010
Food Allergies
So you might have noticed I haven't blogged for awhile. Yeah, I know. You thought I liked to write, too.
But the truth is that sometimes I don't. That is, sometimes I feel I haven't got anything to say, and sometimes I think nobody's listening anyway. And sometimes I think if I write it down, then I'll have less to talk about when I have chances to talk to people, and since I'm not very talkative, having things to talk about is always nice.
But lately, I've mostly been tired. I mean, I play my point and click games, but putting fingers to the keyboard to write something meaningful has felt like too much. Especially with this laptop with a broken hinge that I can't put on my lap very easily, making my fingers have to stretch a bit more.
So why have I been tired, and have I really been that tired? Well, yes, I have. But the good news is that I think I'm figuring out why and things should look up soon. See, I think I'm figuring out that I'm allergic to yeast. And when a person is allergic to yeast and they eat things with yeast or refined sugar in them, then one of the symptoms is that they get very tired. And since just about everything worth tasting has refined sugar in it, so it seems, I've been pretty lethargic. But then, cutting out those things can be tiring too, because what's left? Fruits and vegetables, which aren't really as filling as I'd like, especially when you can't put things on them that have refined sugar in them, and so I'm hungry and tired.
Actually, I'm exaggerating a little bit. I have found some other things I can eat, but I've also not completely cut out some things as I should because I have a limited budget and would like to eat what I have. There's also the experimentation with different things in narrowing it down to what I am allergic to and what yeast is really in--which turns out to be more than you'd think, like cheese, soy sauce, tomato sauce, peanuts, mushrooms. And I actually think there are more things than just yeast that I might be allergic to, but I'm not sure exactly what they are yet. I do get to see an allergist this week, though, so I should have a better idea pretty soon.
And I had a priesthood blessing today which helped to lift my spirits more. Actually, I should point out that with my many prayers, my spirits have been doing better gradually. But the blessing was great. There was a case of interesting timing involved in this too, because I was asked to sub in the primary and that in itself was an answer to prayers because though I hate to admit it publicly (but here I go anyway:), I'm a little burnt out on R.S. and Sunday School at the moment. I'm sure it will pass. But I really do love children and miss being around them.
So anyway, the lesson I was to teach today happened to be about healing the sick. I got the link to it last night, and since earlier in the day or maybe the day before, I'd been contemplating sickness and Jesus's point of view on them, it made me a little choked up to open the lesson to see that's what I was to teach. It seemed to be a confirmation of what I'd been thinking. I needed a blessing. I felt some minor reservation because I'd just had a father's blessing when I was at home at Easter, but it wasn't a healing blessing, and because of not only the fatigue but other symptoms as well, it seemed like that was what I needed, and it did feel wonderful and give me some needed encouragement. I mean, hey--I'm writing now, putting fingers to this awkward keyboard, so that's something already!
But the truth is that sometimes I don't. That is, sometimes I feel I haven't got anything to say, and sometimes I think nobody's listening anyway. And sometimes I think if I write it down, then I'll have less to talk about when I have chances to talk to people, and since I'm not very talkative, having things to talk about is always nice.
But lately, I've mostly been tired. I mean, I play my point and click games, but putting fingers to the keyboard to write something meaningful has felt like too much. Especially with this laptop with a broken hinge that I can't put on my lap very easily, making my fingers have to stretch a bit more.
So why have I been tired, and have I really been that tired? Well, yes, I have. But the good news is that I think I'm figuring out why and things should look up soon. See, I think I'm figuring out that I'm allergic to yeast. And when a person is allergic to yeast and they eat things with yeast or refined sugar in them, then one of the symptoms is that they get very tired. And since just about everything worth tasting has refined sugar in it, so it seems, I've been pretty lethargic. But then, cutting out those things can be tiring too, because what's left? Fruits and vegetables, which aren't really as filling as I'd like, especially when you can't put things on them that have refined sugar in them, and so I'm hungry and tired.
Actually, I'm exaggerating a little bit. I have found some other things I can eat, but I've also not completely cut out some things as I should because I have a limited budget and would like to eat what I have. There's also the experimentation with different things in narrowing it down to what I am allergic to and what yeast is really in--which turns out to be more than you'd think, like cheese, soy sauce, tomato sauce, peanuts, mushrooms. And I actually think there are more things than just yeast that I might be allergic to, but I'm not sure exactly what they are yet. I do get to see an allergist this week, though, so I should have a better idea pretty soon.
And I had a priesthood blessing today which helped to lift my spirits more. Actually, I should point out that with my many prayers, my spirits have been doing better gradually. But the blessing was great. There was a case of interesting timing involved in this too, because I was asked to sub in the primary and that in itself was an answer to prayers because though I hate to admit it publicly (but here I go anyway:), I'm a little burnt out on R.S. and Sunday School at the moment. I'm sure it will pass. But I really do love children and miss being around them.
So anyway, the lesson I was to teach today happened to be about healing the sick. I got the link to it last night, and since earlier in the day or maybe the day before, I'd been contemplating sickness and Jesus's point of view on them, it made me a little choked up to open the lesson to see that's what I was to teach. It seemed to be a confirmation of what I'd been thinking. I needed a blessing. I felt some minor reservation because I'd just had a father's blessing when I was at home at Easter, but it wasn't a healing blessing, and because of not only the fatigue but other symptoms as well, it seemed like that was what I needed, and it did feel wonderful and give me some needed encouragement. I mean, hey--I'm writing now, putting fingers to this awkward keyboard, so that's something already!
03 March 2010
Once There was a Snowman....
The nice thing, though, is that even though he definitely shrinks, he is the last snow remaining, so the memory can linger.
12 February 2010
SNOW! Winter 09-10
Soo--as the pictures and the news you've surely read, indicate, we've had a lot of snow here! These first three pictures (which might not be the first three any more since blogspot's made some confusing changes to how the pictures are loaded) are from December, just before Christmas. We definitely had a white Christmas! I didn't join the kids sledding down the hill, but it looked like they were having fun. I did, however, make the snow angel. We got more snow through January and early February, cancelling school a few times, and making it a little hard to get around. But until February 5 and 6, it wasn't enough to play again, but then, oh boy was it. These next three photos are from that storm.
And yes, I even made a snowman! With the help of my roommate Tammy. I suggested a carrot, but she had a better idea, pulled off the icycles from the patio, making him a snow alien! Isn't he adorable? I was actually quite anxious to make this snow man because my memory doesn't seem able to recall a time when I've actually made an upright snow man. Can you believe that? I grew up in Colorado and attended college in Utah, big snow states. And yes, fortunately, I can answer that I skiied every time someone asks, which is almost every time. But I don't remember a snow man, which curiously, no one ever seems to ask. I do recall my brother making forts, and I remember making a lying down snow man because the snow wouldn't let us make him stand upright, and well, that served our purposes well enough. And I made a snow shark with my nephew once. But helas, finally, I have made an upright snow man! I found the time to do that actually on Tuesday, I think, and then the next day we got, yes, another snow storm. Can you believe it? Now, our alien is just a small hill in a new covering of snow--see below--right and left, respectively.
23 January 2010
Beauty
As I was in the temple the other day, I was working with a woman who was completely wrinkled. Every inch of her face was a wrinkle, it seemed. But, she was glowing with happiness and kindness and I couldn't help but think she was beautiful for that. Seeing her wrinkles, however, reminded me of an ad that's popped up on websites frequently, that shows the difference this product can make for wrinkled skin. (Curiously, there's also a disclaimer on the ad that says the results aren't typical. Ha!) Nonetheless, it does target this supposition in society that wrinkles aren't attractive, so people must not want them. But thinking about this woman, I tried to imagine her wrinkle-free, and it just seemed to me that it wouldn't make a bit of difference. If anything, she was more beautiful for her wrinkles. But really, her kindness and happiness--that is, having the Spirit of the Lord with her is what made her beautiful. She simply glowed with it.
Then, I took another step in my thinking. Is the wrinkle-free, shininess that is advertised as making one beautiful a way of women trying to target that glow they know they want, but with a misunderstanding of the source? Is there something innate in us that sees the glowing aspect of beautiful people that makes us want to emulate it, but without a knowledge of where it comes from, it's pretty hard to replicate. You can draw the conclusions you want from here, but I just thought I'd share some ponderings.
Then, I took another step in my thinking. Is the wrinkle-free, shininess that is advertised as making one beautiful a way of women trying to target that glow they know they want, but with a misunderstanding of the source? Is there something innate in us that sees the glowing aspect of beautiful people that makes us want to emulate it, but without a knowledge of where it comes from, it's pretty hard to replicate. You can draw the conclusions you want from here, but I just thought I'd share some ponderings.
17 January 2010
Books I've Finished Reading in 2009
Just for record keeping's sake, I'm pasting the list I'd kept on the sidebar here. Don't think I'm a crazy reader, though maybe I am. A lot of these are short, though--picture books or easy readers. With all my tutoring and teaching ESL this summer, I've tried to keep track of the books I read. Might help me recall some good ones in later times if the opportunities arise again. Also, I did a lot of books on CD this year, driving to and from work and just around town.
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