Decisions – decisions…

07/07/2009, 10:50 AM

 
 

Whether it is the weather or not…

 
 

Woke up about 6 am - and was coughing - sat upright helped - but my chest feels like it is burning - not sure if it is the esophagus or bronch or both - and it really burns when I cough… having a COLD drink feels SOOO good…

 
 

Needless to say - I am tired and not doing much today… the weather is cold and damp - so I would imagine the humidity is high…

 
 

Screen clipping taken: 07/07/2009, 10:54 AM

 
 

My throat is feeling a dry/raw thing - drinking also helps - I am guessing it is a combo from coughing as well as the nebs…

 
 

Chest I would rate (other than the burning) at 6/10

 
 

Morning BG was 7.2 - so that is pretty good for a morning one.. Would like it to be lower- but better than my 9.4 from the other morning…

 
 

I had a nap as I felt I needed to sleep - especially with a poor sleep last night - late then waking up a few hours later coughing. Felt much better after the nap - chest wasn't burning as bad and no more cough really to speak of… and my BG was a nice 5.2

 
 

Hubby made a great lunch.

 
 

Post prandal I find that I am getting tired again - and my chest is starting to flare up again - had this been a work day there is no way I could work. The burning is coming back a bit and it feels like it is getting harder to breathe again… I have 3 choices I can see - take another symbicort &/or ventolin or second do a neb "early" before it gets really bad or 3 go see the doc and see what he suggests - as I am wondering if I need some steroids to help… or I just thought of option 4 - do I contact the respirologist and see what she suggests??

 
 

Decisions - decisions…

Early start or late finish....

About 45 minutes ago I decided to get settled for bed (seeing as I had had a nap it was a later night)...

When I started turning off lights and such - I noticed that my breathing was now about a 5/10 again - but wanted to see if I could just shrug it off - you know - the " this is all in my head" idea...

One nice thing is - I NEVER have anxiety attacks with this - if I start to feel anxious - I can quell the feeling and stay calm - my co-workers have noted this fact...

I got everything arranged - then made sure I was in a nice semi-fowler position - and nope - way too uncomfy to sleep or even stay lying down...

Fast forward to now - and my pulse is buzzing about 120 bpm after another vent treatment... my chest feels better- not great, but better... so I am waiting for the palps to stop and my HR to slow back to more normal levels - then hopefully I can go back to sleep...

Yup - I really think the weather is starting to look like my trigger... I did some research on it - and the change in humidity can be the cause of an attack... seeing as I live in SW BC - where we don't tan but rust - this could be interesting - maybe if I get used to the humidy level it will straighten out?

Here's to wishful thinking...

At least - prior to my trying to go to sleep - my BG was only 7.3 after a PBJ and toast!! :)

Last poke of the night…

06/07/2009, 10:37 PM

 
 

So now that I am breathing better- post neb - I would say about 8.5 of 10… and that the neb buzz has worn off - I am poking at 5.9 - best reading of the day.

 
 

There is still an inflamed mucous-y feeling in my lower throat/upper chest - and it still burns a bit… but nothing like before… so that is good…

 
 

Ok - back to studying - MUST finish my module… although I am finding that I am hungry… hmm… what to eat… need to go and get some fresh fruit/veggies from the store - we are basically out…

Post Neb buzz…

06/07/2009, 8:41 PM

 
 

I did a finger poke at 8:00pm and my BG was 9.0 - not too bad considering I had also just finished a neb treatment not that long before…

 
 

I took my 2nd dose of metformin - and I will take my symbicort in a while - still buzzing a bit from the neb treatment - it helped my chest, but my throat feels a bit raw…

Dinner time – life is starting to suck again

06/07/2009, 7:01 PM

Forgot to poke myself pre-dinner as I was STARVED!! Got a call I needed to go and fill in the forms WITH the doctor - so off I went to see him - took about 2 hours all told - between the waiting before and after for the paperwork to be completed.

One big thing to note - as soon as I went outside I started to feel crappier - like a 3/10 level… after my doc got the forms filled out he listened to my chest - and he actually heard a wheeze - which is RARE - so at least it is physical evidence again…

He also filled out a note asking for work accommodations as needed for the next 3 months… I am sure my manager will be "pleased"…

So I will do a 1 hour postprandial BG check - and likely will take a neb treatment to deal with my wheezing before it gets worse… as right now it is about the max I would push it… yup – it's neb time…

Post Nap...

06/07/2009, 1:00 PM

My day thus far - woke up after a disjointed sleep and started my day about 7:30 am… after journaling I did go and have my blood work done - stopped by McD's and had and Egg n Sausage McMuffin followed by about 2 cups of Shreddies with 1 cup of milk. Then I was tired - was likely stupid for 2 reasons - 1 I forgot to take my meds and two - when I got tired I should have taken my blood glucose level…

Post nap now it is 10.2 - over 180 so NOT good… and I finally took my meds…

My lungs feel inflamed - some pressure and feel a bit hot if that makes sense… so from 1 to 10 about a 5 again - they did feel better after I was up for a while - so maybe it has to do with lying down?

Who knows eh? All I can do is journal and wait and see… as for the food - I will have to figure out my calorie/carb intake to help watch with the BG.

July 2009 First Health Journal Entry

Today marks the first day of my journal - and I have to decide how I am going to journal - will it be private or open on a blog… or a combination…

So I was good and took my GB level 6.7 - not bad but not great - 120.6. And I will take my puffers in a bit.

I feel like there is a general heaviness in my chest - like there has been for a few days now… part of me is in denial in that I don't want to address this - and I want to have a temper tantrum and not take my puffer - but I will.

Another thing I have noted is that I have a muscle tremor or spasm on my right side of my abdomen. It feels like it is fairly deep in there - it isn't painful - almost a tickle of sorts. It is mid-right side.

So - to rate my breathing - from 1 to 10 - 1 being lousy and 10 being perfect - I would give it 5.

Next, other than taking my puffer, will be a shower then to show I am really serious - I will go and have my blood work done…

Tortured over tortuous

Ok - so the title sounds hinky... and hinky is how my life is right now...

Since late January 2009 I have had a problem with breathing - and after my first round of tests - we are no closer to knowing what is it...

Round 2 starts with my first appointment on July 15th to see a doctor about a night in the sleep lab... it seems I have mild to moderate sleep apnea - so I see him then I get to sleep in the lab while they figure out how best to treat it...

Seeing as I have snored for some time and can apparently cut down large trees with my snoring - I guess that it isn't a hard guess...

Will it cure my breathing problems? I won't hurt - but I doubt that it is the cause of it...

We also found out I have some problems in my esophagus - poor primary peristalsis with multiple tertiary contractions in the distal portion and the distal esophagus is tortuous - meaning twisted... so what the heck does that mean? Well - the primary is near kaput and the tertiary is abnormal - from googling it would appear it is something I might normally get when I am elderly - but I am NOT THERE YET!!

It also means I get to see another specialist - one who deals ONLY with this sort of thing... and likely at least a PH test - a wire down my nose that I swallow and keep in there for 24 hours... it will measure the PH level to see if that is the cause of my lung problem... who knows if that is where he will end...

And so that the lungs don't feel left out - I get more lung tests - not only the sleep lab - but a methocholine challenge to see if I do have asthma or not - PLUS another series of tests to see if I have weakened respiratory muscles - which might explain the orthopenea I have - I can't lie flat and be comfy anymore - there is discomfort and a pressure that builds up in my chest - I don't think it is my heart - but to absolutely make sure - I get a MUGA scan - basically a CT nuc med test of my heart like an echo on steroids... or make that isotopes... even though the MIBI and Echo were FINE!!! She (my respirologist) just wants to make sure all bases are covered - it should be noted that I have NO pedal edema - so I really REALLY doubt it is my heart (CHF)...

I am not sure - but she also might do a blood gas test when I am NOT having an attack... fun fun fun... if you aren't sure what that is - try it - they dig around your wrist to find an artery and pull the blood from there...

So - causes - well - thanks to my medical knowledge I have come up with a variety of things - the stomach could be related to my diabetes or not... add in the possible muscle weakness it could be neuro related - maybe related to my brain injury 12 years ago - but doubtful.... it could be something like MS (suggested by 2 other people I have talked to) or Lupus (I do have that wonderful malar rash - but all other times they have tested have been negative)... or it simply could be my obesity is involved -but what came first - the chicken or the egg... I have been hypothyroid for years now - since age 15 - so is that an excuse or a symptoms or a cause or ??

yes - I know - I like my junk food too much - and honestly, I have been trying to eat more raw veggies and fruit...

I also need to be more vigilant on tracking my diabetes... I did a quick check the other morning just prior to eating brunch and it was 9.4 or 169 - either way too high for a fasting check... guess I really need to make sure I go in for my A1C test this week... seeing as I am off on holidays/study break....

Which brings us to work... I have been on a reduced workload - albeit mostly not for the past weeks - and now that I have seen my specialist - it is time for another meeting to deal with it - most days I am just fine - but then 3 weeks ago I had another attack which left me needing reduced levels for a few days to cope....

Partly it is me getting to know my symptoms and trying to figure out my triggers... so, as per my specialists request - I will be journaling EVERYTHING... and see if I can figure out stuff...

It could be that it still comes down to a chemical exposure I had 1 years ago - actually - 1 year ago to the day... I ended up with breathing problems right afterwards - and maybe I thought they had returned to normal - but seeing as I have a high pain tolerance - maybe I didn't realize the symptoms??

So - is this something temporary - or going to be chronic... is it related to other health problems - or just a new problem added on - and maybe compounding the others...

Either way - something isn't right.... and needs to be figured out and dealt with... but the morning will be soon enough to start dealing with it...

So the morning plan - take my GB right away - remember to take my 1st puffers of the day and journal it all... hmm... I have my new netbook (to replace hubby's broken computer he gets my old laptop)..... wonder if I should just carry it and journal on OneNote as the day goes on - we all know how good my long term memory is (see above brain injury)... that's a thought - I have that nice small sleeve - or I have my new case for it - either way- I could tote it around and journal easy enough...

well - I will sleep on it... and sleep on what I have been studying - and hopefully get more studying done so that I can write my exam this week... then finish it on Monday next week...

and hopefully I will get phone calls telling me about upcoming appointments/tests so that round 2 can finish soon...

I finally got a good chance to sit and read a book... Navpress has a book program that you have to write a blog regarding a book they sent you...

The book I was sent was The Summer the Wind Whispered My Name by Don Locke.

It is about a boy coming into the reality that his parent's are perfect... and the changes that hit a neighborhood when a black family moves into a white suburb in 1959.

The book is written in a memoir style as the man looks back on his life and that summer.

What I liked about the book was the fact that it wasn't written from an "all is well" with the world. It looks at the thought process of a young boy - of his slowly waking up to the real world... of his dad falling from his perch and looking at his family... he has 2 siblings... 1 brother and 1 sister and a faithful mom... of his confusion of their changes and the changes of the family dynamics... this isn't "Beaver's" perfect house.

The boy has a paper route that allows him to have interactions with many of his neighbors - some of characters help him awaken new thoughts while others help him enjoy life and learn about the harsh realities that life sometimes presents...

I do recommend this book as it has a nice realistic story - not one where you know the finish before you start... one of a family struggling with the world as it was back then - dealing with racism, the cold war and "perfect" TV families….

Sunday - day of rest

Sundays - day of rest - and rest  I did - until after 10 AM... 

Still recovering from the lung problem... still sux - but each week is better.... some days we go forward - sometimes we go backwards... 

Each day we do the best we can... that's all we can do right?? 

It is now about 11:40 and I am ready for another snooze... 

At least there is the Canucks game later today... :) 

And then there is studying... I have a week of "holidays" and I will be staying home and studying during exam week - I have 2 exams this week, one Friday and one Saturday... and a WHOLE lot of studying before them... 

2 days in a row

So I am TOTALLY in love with my Wii and Wii Fit!! 

I like the variety of exercises - the games - the virtual room - all from the comfort of home - no leaving - no intimidation from bodies in MUCH better shape than mine... 

It is fun... I work up a sweat... I burn calories - I work on my cardio - what is there to lose!! :) 

I am really going to look into the EA sports one coming out in a couple of months - that seems really intersting - and challenging... 

So I have my exercise going well - and my eating is better - I am trying to cut down on calories and eat smarter - but still allow small indulges... note - the word SMALL... 

Now I gotta get my school work going better... but we are started... so no real complaints yet

A New Year

Why is it that a new year seems to be the only time we think of making changes?? 

The truth is we can make changes whenever... 

A while back I saw an article in the local paper about a friend of mine and her doing the Sun Run... and it inspired me... so I am going to join a clinic and give it a go.... 13 weeks...

I also plan to use my Wii Fit and to get to Monday night volleyball as often as possible... 

Sleeping and Dogs

Ok - I LOVE my dog Sherman! He is cute and adorable. But when I am trying hard to sleep (graveyards) I can't say I am as in love with him as he pounced on the bed wanting to play. I guess to be fair - he slept all night with daddy (who btw complained about being forced to the side of the bed once again) so he didn't want to sleep all day with me - but sheesh! Lord KNOWS I need my beauty sleep!

I finally got him to settle back down - only to have him pounce again 2 hours later. I think he got the message that I really wanted to sleep.

At least tomorrow grandma is going to take him and spoil him as usual....