500 + 1

Wow!  I didn't realize it but yesterday's post was my 500th blog post!  I really wish it had been a happier one.  My posting this year has certainly been hit or miss and mostly miss.  The biggest reason for that is some health issues that have popped up.  I'm trying my best to get things results.  I'm damn sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.  I'm still have big issues with my sinuses.  The referral is in for me to see the ENT and it can't happen soon enough!  Last week I had a sinus infection that morphed into an upper respiratory infection.  Hello Prednisone.  That led to some problems as well.  About 2 months ago I had a horrid migraine.  For a week afterward I had severe pain in my neck and up the back of my head and around my left eye.  After sucking it up for a week I went to the Dr.  Turns out the neck/head pain was from my sinuses (seriously could the be more of a pain in the a$$?!!?)  The Dr. was somewhat worried about the eye pain and did a neuro exam but things seemed fine.  They they decided that an emergency appointment with the opthamologist was a good idea.   So there I was was in the waiting room with my Dad & Princess Bear (PB).  My dad decided me driving after having my eyes dilated was a scary prospect so he drove.  I go back and am explaining why I'm there and they start doing stuff to my eyes.  At one point the nurse, tech, whatever the heck says I'm going to go ask Dr. something I'll be right back.  Ummm- ok.  Little hairs on the back of my neck raise up.  She comes in and says the Dr. said to go ahead and dilate your eyes and he'll see you then.  Ok.  So we're off and running.  Well it turns out that my IOP (intraocular pressure) was high like much higher than it had even been at my last exam just 2 months earlier.  The good news is that it had not affected the optical nerve but it was still dangerously high and I was in danger of losing my vision.  CRAP!!!  I kind of like working with all 5 senses.  The Dr. did some more tests including running this thing all over my all ball checking to see how my eye drains.  It's so freaking weird to know that something is on the surface of your eye and you can't feel it!!!  So the first course of action was to start eye drops that lower the pressure inside my eye.  I had some side effects so the timing was switched around but all in all the drops were ok.  It is a bit freaky when I use the drops every once in awhile the liquid from inside my eye really starts exiting and it looks like I'm crying.  I went in for a recheck 2.5 weeks later and the drops were working.  My numbers went from being in the 30's (I think both eyes were at a 32) to one eye being 22 and one 23.  Still high but the Dr. is happy with it and says that the immediate danger to my eyes is gone.  I'll have to be rechecked every 4 to 6 months for the rest of my life since this jump happened in a bit over 2 months.  Now I mentioned that being on prednisone kind of threw a monkey wrench in things.  Prednisone can do really wonderful things for the body but it can do really horrible things as well.  It does mess with the IOP so I have to make sure anytime I'm put on Prednisone it's very necessary.  As the nurse said respiratory does beat vision so there is that.  I was also diagnosed as being severely anemic.  When I saw my PA to discuss the ENT referral I was telling her that in spite of the Hashimoto's and my fibromyalgia being treated and monitored very closely I was still exhausted almost constantly.  She did some routine blood work and I asked her to check for anemia as well since I have menorrhagia due to uterine fibroids.  Ding Ding ding!  We have a winner!  What I also didn't know is that my grandmother was very anemic and had to get blood transfusions on a somewhat regular basis.   My hemoglobin came back at 7.4.  So I'm on iron supplements and a high iron diet.  My friend Susie reminded me that cooking in cast iron would also help so our skillet has been getting a good workout.  I go back for my follow up blood test the end of next week.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed!   There have also been some big changes with my fibromyalgia meds.  I was taking gabapentin which really was working for the pain aspect in a lot of ways.  I wasn't pain free but it was most definitely helping.  I did notice some nasty side effects and then my sister shared some information with me about what gabapentin does to your brain.  I may not have a whole hell of a lot going for me but my brain most definitely works well and I'd like to keep it that way.  So now the search for a drug that can keep the pain levels down while having a minimum of side effects including long term is on.  Again- keeping my fingers crossed.  So that is the current situation here.  Just hoping to get all the pieces lined up!