IVIG today

Yesterday and Today I had this month's IVIg treatment. Yesterday, over halfway through the treatment, I developed a bad headache and vomited. It is one of the side effects of IVIg...so, Dr. Lowery had them give me something for the headache through my port. It helped :)

I've not really had side effects of the IVIg treatments, aside from being tired and cranky afterward...easily treated by chilling on the couch in the evening! But, these last few treatments have kinda thrown me for a loop.

Today during the treatment, early on, I started with the headache and being nauseous. Dr. L had them give me pain med for the headache and something for the nauseousness. It helped some, but never got rid of it completely...but it was tolerable. Tonight, I have a tremendous headache, nauseous, stomach cramps, etc...I'm quite miserable and not much of anything I can do about it. I have no pain meds other than tylenol, which has not helped. My other, normal, everyday pain is...well, painful and I've spent the evening in tears in the bathroom so that Mik wouldn't know...I'm just ready for this to stop.

ER Visit

Monday evening I took a fall in the kitchen. When I hit the floor, I knew that I had hurt something pretty badly...thinking I may have even broken my hip. So, Mik called for an ambulance...the fire trucks made it first. Nice guys, but wouldn't move me until the ambulance got there. Once the ambulance got there, they got me onto the stretcher...once they moved me off of my hip, that helped to relieve some of the pain...but not enough to make me send anyone on their way! (BTW...ever have firemen and ambulance crew trying to do their jobs when you have a curious 13 year old in the way...and a curious dog in the way??)

I've never actually been in an ambulance before. You know, for someone who is in pain and hurting...I don't recommend riding in the back of an ambulance. If something wasn't broken already, I was sure it would be by the time we got to the ER!!

But, if you want to get a bed in the ER quickly, the ambulance is the way to go...I got in right away. Still felt like way too long before they finally got me pain meds, but I'm not real sure how long it actually was. The good news...the x-rays showed no breaks or fractures. The bad news...I'm in pain and it feels like the bone is bruised. Can that be?

I have some wonderful friends. Tammy and Brian met me at the ER, stayed and drove me home. I don't remember much of that (pain meds working!) Tammy stayed the night to make sure all was okay. Laura from work also met us at the ER and stayed until we left. She was great too...I was glad she was there...def made things easier.

Another Diagnosis to add to the Mix

I received a letter in the mail today from my PCP (not my rheumy) regarding the Bone Density test that I had done a bit ago. First my rant...why send a letter to your patient to say that there is something wrong? What ever happened to the phone call? I know some doctors make them b/c my rheumy does, whether it's good or bad news. Oh well. She (rheumy) also doesn't wait over a month after the test to tell me what the results are from a test.

Anyway, that rant is over. So, I have bone loss in both hips and am at risk for hip fractures. I have Osteoporosis. Nice, another side effect of the prednisone.

Alone Time

Maybe I should get better at updating this thing.

M has been away at her summer camps and youth group trips, leaving me home with the two dogs. So, I'm quickly reminded of how much I rely on my daughter to help me around the house to get the little everyday things done. My arms/shoulders are too weak to lift the garbage bag out of the trash can to take outside. I have trouble walking up and down the one step going to the back yard in order to water the plants and give the dogs water outside. Getting wet clothes out of the washer feels like I've been working out for an hour or so...and the list goes on. I miss M. (for other reasons too!!)

Today has been a hard day with pain. *sigh*