Can't Write, Can't Type, Can't See... Oh My, Oh Me #8 in General Mental Anesthesia

Almost caught up to current day with my PB’er friends regarding my health absence. We’re almost there!

Any and all new readers / commenters are most welcome including the new DE community of course! Thank you for stopping by; however I must warn you, although I make every effort to entertain in my entries about my life with photo’s and video’s and humor where applicable; the reality is that I’m very sick and have been for some time. Jumping into my life at this juncture may be a bit overwhelming, but if you love to read, you’ll find no shortage of it here!

JUNE 7, 2019

This is a VERY IMPORTANT #IBD post & directly correlates to my last update!

Please share these posts with others!

If you haven’t read my last post, I’ll wait. Seriously, it’s critical to read prior to this one.

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I spent the day today (once again) in the hospital. For certain tests (both related to my #ulcerativecolitis as well as my inability to breathe / two months of bronchitis).

In regards to uc, as I’ve mentioned many times prior, it can attack areas outside of the colon (swollen, painful joints (arthritis) bone loss, swelling of the eyes, spondylitis, liver disease etc…)

Ulcerative Colitis flare ups usually last a few days to a few weeks & sometimes a few months. I’ve been in a flare state now since Nov, 2015 or 3 years and 7 months!!!

I’ve seen over a dozen gastroenterologists in that time and I’ve complained (especially over the past 8 - 10 months) how fatigued I am; how weak I feel, how much blood I’ve been losing when I go to the bathroom (sometimes 1/4 cup of blood at a time) how I’ve been getting headaches that last for days, chest pains, the constant and severe dizziness, lightheadedness and nausea I feel. I’ve also been on nebulizers, and other breathing treatments because I’ve been dealing with extreme shortness of breath and over the past 8 - 10 months, my resting heartrate has averaged in the 130’s (double what it should be) which my pulmonologist is VERY concerned about since it puts me at risk of having a heart attack.

Now, my GI’s do absolutely nothing about all my complaints other than to say: go see your primary care Dr.

So I have, and she told me to go see a pulmonologist, so I did.

My pulmonologist (and again, this is where reading my previous update comes in handy) has begun doing a number of tests on me, I mean all kinds…

She asked me yesterday:

“When was the last time your gastroenterologist tested your blood for anemia?”

I said:

“I don’t know that they have”.

She was shocked to hear that, especially that they hadn’t checked recently given my symptoms and complaints. So she did.

Not only did she call me yesterday saying that many of my numbers / levels were off the charts, but today she told me this…

“Your hemoglobin should be in the 13.5 - 17.5 range. Anything from 10 - 11.9 is anemia, and I’d recommend iron supplements. 7 - 9.9 is moderate anemia (at which case most Dr’s including myself would strongly recommend an iron transfusion). You are at a 6!

And as sick as you are with your colitis, it will get worse. With anemia this severe at your current level; it’s amazing that you are even up and walking around. How you even get out of bed I can’t understand”.

Symptoms of moderate to severe anemia:

FATIGUE
WEAKNESS
DIZZINESS
SHORTNESS OF BREATH
LIGHTHEADEDNESS
A TINGLING OR CRAWLING FEELING IN THE LEGS (RESTLESSNESS)
FAST OR IRREGULAR HEARTBEAT WHICH CAN LEAD TO HEART FAILURE OR AN ENLARGED HEART.

So now it’s not (you might need an iron transfusion) it’s a “You MUST have an iron transfusion! Likely a few).

PLEASE SAVE ME FROM THESE GI DR’S

Ironically, other than all the blood loss caused by my #ulcerativecolitis - I’ve had a TON of blood work done over the past few months. Hell, in the last 30 days alone I’ve had 9 or 10. 6 vials here, 4 there, 10 there, 5 here… You don’t think that also contributes to a person in my condition becoming anemic???

I had an iron transfusion in December, 1992. I remember it like it was yesterday; I wish it didn’t.

If you’ve never had one, think of an IV, but thicker. The iron is black, ice cold as goes into you, it’s very thick, thicker than oil so it’s VERY PAINFUL! From what I’ve been told (at the hospital today) the transfusion is pretty much the same now as it was then… Man, I sure hope not!

They bring out the crash cart; I remember getting a wicked migraine! And my arm hurt & it was itchy… just sucks.

Iron transfusions take a minimum of 3 to 4 hours and often require multiple visits.

I’d say that today also qualifies for my “Oye Vey” face. Yeah, you know the one…

JUNE 11, 2019

Been a long day. It’s still tough to look at words or to look at the screen because of nausea and dizziness. It’s a day event to leave a post, sometimes longer.

Saw pain management today, they are now giving me 300mg increasing to 900mg of Gabepentin because of the various back injuries (including my 2 broken vertebrae which apparently still haven’t healed) which combined with multiple bulging discs are causing searing nerve pain down my legs into my feet and heels.

Actually, for those of you who remember, the day I died TWICE (March 18, 2014) that injury, L4 - L5 / L5 - S1 bulging discs… THAT is directly connected to whatever nerve(s) that travel to the heals & feet. So something (I don’t know what) is different in that area and to be quite honest with you… thinking about that day… indescribable pain the likes of which I DIDN’T SURVIVE…. I’m afraid, I truly am afraid. (Not of death of course, but the pain!!!)

For the past 2 years, I’ve either been stuck in the hospital, in ER, Dr’s offices, stuck at home (or evacuated) oh and then there was that month+ that I lived in the car with a freshly broken back because of the mold in our home that STILL hasn’t been fixed!!! I really want to go to the beach again, but because of my health, I can’t. :(

So what’s up for next week?

1. Pre-op appointment to have my gallbladder taken out.
2. My first Iron Transfusion since Dec, 1992
3. Allergist Appointment & testing
4. Asthma Appointment and testing
5. Primary Care Appointment
6. Hopefully get some more test results back from everything I went through last week.

Thank you to all, my friends, my family & to anyone new that may be reading and supporting me whether it’s through donations, shares of the gfm page and/or your kind words and encouragement.

I hope that some of my posts also get shared merely for the education within them. Someone has to tell the truth. Not all Dr’s know what they’re doing… or sadly care about their patients well being.