Followups....

Wednesday was the big day. Poor Sam was stuck in the hospital waiting room for FIVE hours as they ran a little behind.

 

HAHAHA! I said "Behind".

Ahem.

 

The doc took pictures. Just the thing for a coffee table book, I'm thinking.

 Or maybe not.

 

But here you go, pictures of my Kaleidoscope.

 

 

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Yep, my darling daughter sent me a kaleidoscope!

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In the actual procedure, The doc said everything looked good (Good being a relative term when you are looking up someones backside...) although he did biopsy a mass he thinks is probably a thromboses (i.e., blood clot filled) hemorrhoid. (TMI!) I will learn the results of that biopsy next week.

Meanwhile, my regular doctor did a followup on the arthritis and took me off of EVERYTHING. No drugs at all. He is electing to "watch and wait" and see how often I flare before deciding on a course of treatment.

 

In mentioning the findings of the Kaleidoscope to my regular Doc, he said that the biopsy itself should 'resolve' the thromboses. Online research say most of these resolve themselves in 2 weeks or less and rarely need surgical correction.

 

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So back at work- remember those 25 batteries the ASSistant manager said he would deal with? Well, he left them until AFTER business hours, and had to be paid overtime to do them. So *I* was in trouble for "not doing my job". Suddenly, it is no longer "We are all a team"... It is, "Your co-workers are complaining you are slacking and they have to do your job. You have to do the job you were hired to do, or we need to fill the position with someone who can." Today I was called aside and told I now have to have a medical release filled out by my Doctor. I am pretty sure what he ISN'T coming right out and saying is that he has found someone else he wants to hire for the position I am in.

 

He has said to me in the past he never fires anyone. But I have seen him start riding people until they quit- deliberately provoking them until they walk out. If they don't take the bait- he  invariably discovers they are 'stealing'. Guess I should start job hunting. Something better suited to my physical limitations. Y'all be praying for me!

 



What FUN!

Or maybe NOT! Today is the day of fasting and prep for the colonoscopy tomorrow. I made some gelatin from fruit juice and Knox unflavored gelatin powder. Got lots of juices, a few cans of broth. Even got soft tissue and cleansing wipes. I'm all set, except the whining. I want crackers with my broth! and add some barley to it. maybe some chunks of beef. Oh wait, guess that defeats the entire purpose of the clear liquids, doesn't it?

What was fun was going down to Texas this past weekend for my Aunt Jean's 80th birthday celebration. I got to visit Mom, see my brothers. Saw Dad and Kathie, lots of cousins and the whole new crop of littles the second cousins are producing. Noting that someone I once changed diapers on is now a grandfather... I am starting to feel a bit old.

Or maybe I just feel crispy. I snap, crackle and pop every time I have to get up.
I was told to NOT take any arthritis medications for five days before the procedure. I can sure tell what a difference the steroids were making. The Meloxicam pain medication I can do without! Or at least its side effects. Horrible nightmares.

Anyway, we had a great time visiting the family.

The drive home, Dan and I went off the beaten path. We meandered north and east, north and east, north and east in little increments across Oklahoma. We got on the beautiful OK HWY 2 for quite a ways. It took longer, but I had just been thinking on the drive down that I would someday like to see more of the parts of the state than I have. "Someday" I would like to do that. Monday was one of those "someday's".

Today, work was pretty chaotic. There was a lot of freight. I got sent out on several deliveries. When I finally got to doing the Returns, we had 25 battery cores to go out. There was NO WAY I was up to lifting 25 cores. I was doing good to find as many of the returns as I did. The assistant manager got stuck with putting the battery cores on the pallet. Good luck with finding the items I eventually gave up on. I worked straight through from 6:30 til after 1:00. On a bowl of jello and a bottle of coconut water, and some "*vitamin water". (*Nasty stuff tastes like diluted Koolaide. Not sure what it's sweetened with, but eewww!)
 I was about falling out by the time I got home! Another bowl of gelatin, and some broth helped a lot.
I told the boys I am not allowed online tomorrow after I get back from the hospital. I'm pretty sure they have a nefarious plan to record me while I am loopy.
 Thursday I go back to work, and have a Doc's appointment in the late afternoon.

April 1st, 2013

I haven't thought up any April Fools jokes.
This morning I woke up a bit after 2:00 am and needed a drink of water. I resisted for awhile. Suddenly I remembered that today is the day I am supposed to be at the Doc's office for fasting lab work! I never did fall back asleep, though I really tried. Tom got up a bit after 3. He reads and works out. I catnapped- not really falling into a sleep, but not 100% awake. Finally gave up and got up at about 5.
I went to my follow-up visit at the Doc this past Thursday. He said I do not have osteoarthritis!
But I do have some form of inflammatory arthritis, variety to be determined. It is an auto-immune disease, my body attacking itself. He put me back on steroids- but at a lower dosage. Gave me a once a day pain reliever. It said it could make one drowsy, so I took it at night. It kept me awake with wild and crazy dreams. I skipped it yesterday, and took it this morning. (I could use a nap!)
The reason I needed more bloodwork today was because Doc Benjamin and I began discussing family health history. I mentioned my little brother passing away. Doc went back through my charts and said I had really great cholesterol... for someone my age. Oh wait, These results are more than five years old! Thus, the general blood work was set up for all the routine screens. He is also supposed to be setting me up for my first colonoscopy. If  I've heard it once, I've heard it twenty times this week. "The test isn't so bad... It's the prep!"
I return on the 11th so he can monitor how I'm doing.
Today is the day Ben and Paula are supposed to close on their home! I am so excited for them! They hope to have it ready to move into in the next couple of months, so they  are in it before the baby arrives.
Have a blessed day!

HAHAHA! I ran spell check. It suggested I change colonoscopy to kaleidoscope! Yes, I think I would rather have a kaleidoscope....