Monday, November 23, 2009

New medicine

As I mentioned in my last post, my PCP put me on another drug to go along with the Lasix.
It is IC Metolazone. It's a 2.5 mg tablet.
I have gone from 250lbs last week to 239lbs today. I really hope it keeps working. I need to lose all this excess fluid.
My PCP also called this morning to check on me, because I guess there are some similarities to Sulfa, which I am allergic to, in the new drug, and she wanted to know if I'd started taking it yet and make sure I am okay. I have been on it for a few days, and don't seem to have any allergy-like symptoms, so that is good.
I know that this can cause a potassium drop, so I am trying to have things high in potassium to avoid that.
I got a letter from the diabetes nurse telling me that my Vitamin D level is very low. (despite the fact that I am on Vitamin D daily) and sent a script for a weekly dose, which is higher.
I am going to call my PCP on that to figure things out.

Friday, November 20, 2009

That didn't take long...

I pretty much called my PCP crying because I am so sick over this whole thing.
I told her that there was no change/I got worse while on the Torsemide. She has said to go back on the Lasix, and is starting me on another diuretic to take WITH it. I don't recall the name, I have to pick it up tomorrow and will start it then.
I was also told to make sure my potassium levels get re-checked next time I go in, to make sure that everything is as it should be in that regard.
She also said that someone should be calling me about getting an echo-cardiogram shortly.
I am having really weird chest pains today.
Very random.
It sporadically feels like someone is stabbing me in the right side of my chest.
It hurts.
I am not doing anything too strenuous today... no idea why this is happening, it started a few hours ago.
I am so sick of this.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

I guess I should do a basic round-up.

On a somewhat unrelated note, I fell down some stairs this weekend.
Went to the hospital via ambulance when ibuprofen didn't help.
As I expected, nothing was broken, but I sprained my wrist and knee. I was given immobilizers for both as well as a cane.
Kind of hard to get around with them, and not entirely sure that they are helping. I am in pain, but trying to push through. I have not filled the prescriptions for pain medicine yet. I hate taking extra pills... but damn, this all hurts.
What I could really use is a decent massage. Heck, I could use any massage at this point.

So I have been on the new diuretic since Saturday. It is called Torsemide. No longer on the Lasix.
So the current med list is as follows:

Lantus ~ 50 units in the morning
Humalog~ 12-18 units with meals
Diovan~ 80mg
Levoxyl~ 100mcg (can't remember if I mentioned that my endocrinologist upped that last month or so...)
Zyrtec~ 10mg
Torsemide~ 20mg
Vitamin D~ 2/400 unit tabs

Study medication, which may or may not be a low-dose of Cymbalta (I am off of the Topamax temporarily for the study... and also that gastroparesis med)

No prescription:
Vitamin B Complex+C~ 100mg
Cinnamon~ 500mg

I really don't know if the CPAP machine is working. I ordered a new mask over a week ago now and it still isn't here, so I am using the one that bothers me quite a bit, and nobody has bothered to return my calls about that.

I have had the flu shot and the H1N1 shot. I was given Azithromicin last week when I was feeling like crazp, and after they had been telling me for 3 weeks to take Sudafed, which I did, and it didn't help.

I swelled up last week to the point where my legs where tight, shiny, and immobile. (along with the rest of me...)

I am so sick of going to doctor after doctor, after doctor and getting NOWHERE. No answers. Okay, if you don't know, how about you keep looking til you DO know? What do these people get paid for? "Oh, your electrolytes look normal and all" Okay, so what else could it be?
If my kidney function is good, then its not, then it is.. how about we investigate further?

Are we forgetting a few months ago when the allergist refused to do the tests? Outright refused? What if this is all a huge allergic reaction? But to what? I don't only swell up in the house. I have been swollen for 18 months now. It makes me sick to look at myself.

I am a good person, but people don't look at that. They look at the fact that no matter how damn actuve I am (and I am NOT a sit-around, lazy person. I am a here, theer , and everywhere person) the swelling holds me back and makes me look like a giant fat blob. I am carrying 100lbs of fluid around in me, and I can feel it, and it makes it hard to move, and it makes everything hurt all the time.

I am scared out of my mind, and I just want to be back to size 14-going-on-12-and-losing again.
I miss being somewhat decent looking. I miss being happy. I miss being able to kneel and bend and stretch and touch my toes and all that stuff that normal-ish people can do.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Here we go again...

On Monday night, I wound up going to the ER.
I was out of Lasix and didn't know it, but I was swollen like crazy BEFORE it was time to take the medicine. I swelled up about 10lbs over night.
The skin on my feet, calves and whatnot up to my knees.
My thighs won't even go together properly, and I can FEEL the water with my hands.
It is so painful.
A small rash type thing developed in my right ear and on the back of my neck when the swelling happened.
I was put next to a doctor who was doing dictations and I had a panic attack/PTSD episode because he was dictating some very graphic abuse.
They gave me an Ativan and IV Lasix and pretty much kicked me out the door.
The discharge sheet says that I swelled up because of my missed dose, even though I told them MANY times that I was swollen BEFORE missing my dose.
I am STILL swollen, even though I have had my Lasix as I normally do now.

I have an appointment with a sleep neurologist tomorrow, to follow-up about the CPAP machine, and an appointment with the diabetes nurse on Friday.
I also have a fibro-study visit on Tuesday and an appointment with my PCP on Wednesday. Here's hoping that I get some relief!

I am so swollen. My knees won't bend very much and it hurts so much.
I need a diagnostician. Immediately. I need to know what is going on.