Well, we got home from our vacation safe and sound and as life does, you get thrown back into your routines and schedules. Work was busy when I came back as my supervisor was on vacation and I was stepping in to replace her. So needless to say, I was busy and trying to figure out the last couple of weeks and get caught up.
I was also trying to get back into my workout routine. We live 19 blocks from my work and I walk to and from work everyday. Also at lunch time, weather permitting, I would do an incredible walk outside in the river valley or do a workout class in the gym at the building I work at. I considered myself somewhat in shape and watched what I ate so as to take care of my body.
But things still weren't feeling right. I remember being in the gym one lunch hour trying to do a workout and turning to my friend and saying "I am struggling, something is just not right with me. I need to see my doctor."
So I proceeded to call my doctor to go in for a check up. Funny thing, when I called the doctor's office, they were going to call me. When I went for my annual physical back in the spring, they lost some test results and just found them and needed me to come in as one of my results was off and needed further investigating. Great. You know how the doctor's office says don't call us, we'll call you...I have rethought that over and over since that phone call. So off to the doctor's I go.
When I get to the doctor's I find out that my last pap test was abnormal, I was needing to go to a specialist to get my cervix checked out further. Not to worry, the big "C" word was not in the mix at this point but I had to get it checked out right away or the "C" word could become a factor. I get book into the Colposcopy Clinic for November 19th. Okay, I can deal with this. I don't like that the appointment is in the Alberta Cross Cancer building, not exactly the place you want to be going for tests. But I am glad that my doctor's office "found" my test results and that we are getting this taken care of. I also mention this to stress the importance of getting your annual physicals. It is so important to have things checked out regularly so that bigger problems don't potentially develop in the future. If you do not book annual physicals, please don't wait any longer.
So, I tell my doctor what has been going on lately. Lack of energy, sore and achy all over, cold all the time, headaches which I don't normally get, tingling in my face and hands, diarrhea that is almost daily now. Doctor agrees to run some blood work on me. This is September 24th.
I am also going back to my eye doctor as my left eye since the beginning of the year has been extremely itchy and dry. They checked it out in January and couldn't find anything but I felt that I should have a follow-up appointment. They still can't find anything wrong but I literally want to rip my left eyeball out of it's socket. Drops don't help, they don't know what is wrong.
September 26th I get a phone call from my doctor, they need to see me to go over my test results. This didn't suprise me, I haven't been feeling good so hopefully they will have some answers for me. I will go see him on Monday September 29th.
September 29th...here are the results that we have. I am severely anemic. I am going to have to go on some iron. But the results that have my doctor concerned are three tests that are showing abnormally high.
They ran a test called ESR-WESTERGREN which records the inflammation levels in your body. Normal tests should be in the 0-20 range. I scored a 111. A little off the charts and a concern for sure. They have to figure out what is causing the inflammation in my body.
Another test called Rheumatoid Factor should have levels less than 20, I scored a 54. Something else is going on in my body.
The last test is called ANA Anti-Nuclear which records if there is an auto-immune problem, you guessed it, I scored a positive.
So the ball gets rolling, doctor figures I need to see a Rheumatologist. Unfortunately, we know that seeing specialists never happens overnight, I am booked for November 13th. Until then, I am to go on the iron, try and take it easy and just have to wait. Doctor figures at best guess, I probably have arthritis. We will wait and see. Why does November have to be so far away??
No comments:
Post a Comment