Post Published on July 1, 2012.
Last Updated on April 28, 2016 by davemackey.
It has been about a week since I posted a health update…so I figured I’d post another, just to keep anyone who might care to know in the know. I apologize for the infrequency of my posts on topics of actual interest – I am afraid my productivity has been very low…writing posts is a bit of a chore.
You can read my original health update here. I’ll try not to recapitulate what I’ve already said.
- I saw a neurologist. He does not think I have a neurological condition, but to be on the safe side ordered an MRI. I had the MRI at St. Mary’s Medical Center. It was torture trying to lay still for the thirty minutes the MRI took. Not their fault – just those stupid legs going crazy.
- I went back to the functional medicine doctor, whom I like very much, but who isn’t covered by my insurance and truth is I can’t afford to see him at this juncture…So he gave me a lot of helpful information and I’m doing what I can with that.
- The symptoms seem to come and go – well, they never really go – but they get less crippling. This morning I awoke feeling pretty good, but within thirty minutes was nearly crippled, then I felt better for around an hour during church and then again (and since then) have been in fairly severe pain.
- The pain now includes my back, not just my legs…but I think this is a result of what it takes to feel any level of sanity/comfort when the symptoms are on me – namely walking. I’ve walked nearly 10 miles some days around my house since this has begun – unfortunately I haven’t been dropping weight. If I put a heat pad on it helps with the back pain significantly.
- I’ve been feeling more frequently nauseated. I dry heave a good amount and have a nagging cough that pops out occasionally.
- The pain has spread to my head – I’m unsure whether this is the result of further symptoms of the auto-immune disease or if it is a separate illness which has risen up due to lack of sleep and so on. It feels a bit like a cold / the flu and includes aches all over my body, but especially my forehead.
- Occasionally I have these very weird experiences in which I lose my equilibrium and feel like I may fall. There is a strange feeling as if air is rushing out of my head (let the jokes begin). I stabilize after thirty seconds.
I have another appointment with my PCP tomorrow morning. I’m hoping they can do something for the pain and fogginess. At this juncture I’d just like to be able to return to work…even if we aren’t able to discover the cause at the moment.