Tag Archives: pain

New Thumb Brace and Some Hope

For those of you not following my Instagram (which, why not?), I did get in to see the hand specialist on the 16th! It was much sooner than I expected to be able to see them.

After a physical exam and some x-rays, it was determined that my thumb is actually … okay. Well, it’s probably recurring tendonitis or something like that. He said I could do an MRI if I wanted, but since my thumb was starting to feel better already I figured it probably wouldn’t show anything (though the next time it flares up badly I’m going to request one). My other options were to do nothing, request specific occupational therapy or physical therapy, or steroid injections. I didn’t like any of those options so I was trying to be more specific about how I can’t even write because it hurts too much.

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Stomach Issues Return

Normally after vacations, due to all the restaurant and junk food, I am horribly stopped up.

For some reason, this time, I now have diarrhea. It’s not “running to the restroom every few hours” bad, but the last three days have all had multiple loose stools. Today is the worst of it so far. But the frequency is way off. I’ve only gone about twice each the last two days, which is weird.

My stomach though feels horrid. It feels like I’ve been hit in the lower abdomen by a baseball bat and my colon has been set on fire. No idea what triggered this.

I do not have a fever.

I’m glad I see my GI on the 31st. Hopefully it doesn’t get any worse, and I really hope it doesn’t last that long…

Heat Headaches

I have been struggling with headaches recently thanks to the heatwave that is engulfing of the central and southern United States lately. It’s been in the 90°F range (or hotter) petty much every day for weeks, and I don’t have a way to keep my house less than 80°F. When I overheat, I get headaches. When I get headaches, I can’t use the computer. 😦 I am hoping to get back to writing more soon!!!!!

Emotional Roller Coaster, Old vs New

This weekend I’m having a rough time with my “new” body. I’m really missing being able to everything and not die. My fatigue is killing me and I feel physically beat up. I had a lot of fun, but I feel physically awful. Emotionally, the physical stuff is killing me. Ugh. This is just my life now, but I don’t like it.

Time for a Colonoscopy

As I mentioned at the beginning of yesterday’s post (The Personal Hell That Is My IBS), my GI is starting to suspect that my IBS may not actually be IBS after all. Why has he come to this conclusion? Well, for the same reason I am not completely shocked by his conclusion, actually: because I just do not respond well to any treatment for IBS that I get put on. For some reason, everything we do to try to treat my digestion problems just seems to cause me an entirely new set of issues. My system just doesn’t behave at all like it’s supposed to, to anything at all. Wonderful.

gastroenterology

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The Personal Hell That Is My IBS

Unfortunately, my gastroenterologist is now starting to suspect that my IBS may actually be something more than IBS. I have been dealing with my severe IBS-C for more than 20 years, so this is both not surprising and very frustrating. (Yes, I am only 26. I literally cannot recall a time in my life that I have not been constipated unless I was horribly ill and afflicted with diarrhea instead.) If I was told to name one singular illness that causes me the most negative impact on a daily basis, and that I have to most carefully plan my life around, I would choose my IBS. Yes, above the POTS that makes me so dizzy I can’t think straight, above the fibro that can make a gentle breeze feel like I’m being sand blasted, above the allergies that make my eyes feel like they’re full of sand, and above the asthma that can make me feel like I’m trying to run a marathon on top of Mt. Everest. My IBS literally runs my life and it is relentless.

gastroenterology

(Disclaimer: This post is going to talk about poop, just in case you hadn’t figured that one out; you might not want to be eating.)

What is IBS? Continue reading →

Full Body Headache, Or So It Feels…

My entire body feels like it has a migraine. I’m in so much pain today. My back is STILL shot. I thought after Pilates yesterday, my back would feel better, but I can’t seem to get ahead of this. My fibro pain is almost always first prominent in my hips, so I’m pretty sure that is why I’m just stuck in this cycle. The daily migraine also hit REALLY early today, and I was struck down by about 11am, when I woke up at 10am. Ugh. I have been lying on the couch, with the room dark and the TV on VERY quiet just because my ADHD makes me really bored if I’m not doing anything at all. I finally had to call Dan at work because the waves of pain were too much, and then came to the realization I absolutely had to take Tramadol and Excedrin (an hour apart for my poor stomach). I had buttered noodles and Ensure for lunch, and my stomach is still killing me despite Zofran. No idea if it’s the medication or the migraine or the pain or a combination of everything or something completely different. I can barely think and I feel horrendous. I’m so sick of lying on the couch. I’m so sick of headaches.

pills and couch june 2016

Daily pills (AM top hand, PM bottom hand), and my usual place and position of lying on the couch.

Why I Haven’t Been Posting: Migraines & Pain

Today is the first day in a VERY long time that I haven’t had a migraine by this time (5pm). I have been suffering from nearly daily migraines for weeks, and denying it. Denying it with excuses: “I’m on my period, I’ve always gotten them every day of my period week” (pretty much true), “my allergies are just really bad, so it must be a crazy sinus headache” (obviously, I like lying to myself as well as Dan), “I’m tired,” “I have eyestrain,” “I can cope,” etc. However, after my back seized up and my pain went out of control, I couldn’t deny them anymore. I finally called Dr K (the neurologist that had given me the medication that is supposed to be stopping my headaches and controlling my pain) and left a message with his medical assistant. Hopefully, I’ll hear back and either be able to get in with another appointment or be told to raise the dosage and the headaches will stop. I forgot to mention the side effects on the message though, ugh. I didn’t realize that until I was typing this out.

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Stomach Bug?

Apparently, I’m feeling awful because I have gastroenteritis. Or at least, that’s what my GI thinks. Gastroenteritis = the stomach flu. Stupid stomach bug. I don’t have a fever that we’ve noticed, but I’ve been downing pain meds like crazy so it might be suppressed I suppose.

He told me to hold off on my Amitiza for three days, then restart it on the next higher dose (since before the bug I didn’t think it doing anything). If my symptoms don’t come back, then it was just a bug. We shall see. Here’s hoping I survive.

Digestion Shmigestion

Obviously, things have gone kaplooey again. I didn’t think my new medication was doing ANYTHING at all, because I had gone back to “normal” (my normal for 20+ years has been constipation). Yesterday, I suddenly got violently attacked by severe diarrhea. Today, it continues. I have a call in to the GI. Hopefully, he knows what to do.

One of my best friend’s baby showers is on Sunday, so I HAVE to feel at least a little better by then…