The Stolen Olive

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October 12, 2005

Episode # 13: "Six Diagnoses" of

AS THE TONSIL FALLS

Well, as I was leaving "TheDrugDealer's" office today, I asked for a copy of the charge slip that had listed the six diagnoses and further treatments prescribed on it, so that 1) I could remember it all, 2) I would know how to spell it, and 3) because I'm a blogger and that's what I do.

Primary Diagnosis: Sensorimotor Polyneuropathy
Secondary Diagnosis: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Tertiary Diagnosis: Migraine Headaches
Quarternary Diagnosis: Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Quinary Diagnosis: Snoring Disorder
Senary Diagnosis: Arnold Chiari Malformation.

So, what does all this mean? Your guess is as good as mine. Basically what I gather is I have nerve damage in my peripheral nerves. The signals my arms, hands, legs & feet are sending my brain just aren't getting there. Kinda like packages sent to me, they get held hostage by the apartment office, never to be seen again.. but that, my blogging friends is a whole 'nother post.

First, "TheDrugDealer" took me off of the Topamax and Flexeril and put me on Lyrica for the polyneuropathy, but she wants me to up my dose of the Naprosyn. Since the blood work from the last appointment showed me low on B12 and Folates, I had been taking B12 but her medical assistant didn't tell me what and how much of the Folate so I wasn't taking it. I got a prescription for that too. She also extended the prescribed number of E-stem treatments and I went to one of those today after my appointment. And speaking of blood work... they took more. AGAIN. TODAY. Like they just didn't take enough yesterday at the other doctor, and out of the same darn arm at that.

When I said that I felt like I was losing my balance and that my neighbor has been making comments like "been walking long?" or that I've been tripping over my own feet, she said that made perfect sense with the polyneuropathy. She did, however, write me a letter to take to school so that I could park in the handicapped spots near the culinary building. They have basically blocked off all of the other parking near the culinary building due to construction and the combination of me walking from the parking garage to the culinary building carrying a knife kit (tool kit), suitcase(because I go from work to school and have to change clothes), book bag, purse, and my 2 bottles of Fruit2O is not a pretty sight.

Second, I am supposed to go buy some wrist braces for the carpal tunnel (or find the ones I already have) and start wearing them as much as possible, but mostly during when I sleep.

Thirdly, I was given a new prescription for Zomig for my migraines. I was taking Relpax, but the last migraine I had, the Relpax didn't seem to help much. I wonder if it was just in combination with all the other drugs I was on.

Forthly, apparently when I took the sleep study, I had quite a few times where my breathing slowed to next to nothing. I am being referred to an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist to make sure there is nothing obstructing my breathing while I am sleeping. She also said the best thing for this was to lose weight. Great! That's the last thing I need. Now instead of my mother being on my back about being too fat, now I have "TheDrugDealer" telling me the same thing. So, when I got to work, I signed up for the SouthBeachDiet online. I started reading thru it and it has you eating a lot of salads and eggs. I hate eggs and I'm allergic to lettuce. I may have to cancel the subscription and try something else.

Fifth, I snore! There. I said it. Although, I know there are a few people out there who could have already told me that. In fact, when I was four years old.. I woke my grandmother up in the middle of the night to ask her if she would teach me how to snore the next morning. Between Nana, Peep and my dearly beloved, late Aunt Ruth... I had the three best snore-teachers in the world. She suggested that I go buy some of the BreatheRight strips to use while I sleep.

While I am on the subject of sleeping, I am also being sent back to the Sleep Lab for an extended Sleep Study. Apparently in a normal sleep cycle, one takes approximately 90 to 200 minutes in the other stages of sleep before diving into the REM stage (dream stage) of sleep. During the sleep study I went to back two weeks ago.... I took NINETEEN MINUTES. The weird thing about that is, I woke up feeling horrible, like I hadn't slept at all. I would have sworn that I had laid there the entire night halfway between awake and asleep. And don't ask me what I dreamed about because I have absolutely no freaking clue. She said this is a condition known as Narcolepsy and that is what the extended sleep study is supposed to test for.

And lastly, my Arnold Chairi. The diagnosis that started this all. Again, I'm told that it has nothing to do with anything. That its become so common that its no big deal. That still doesn't explain my overly-sensistive gag reflex, the ringing in my ears or the fact that I cant hear when I swallow or that the numbness in my arms and legs multiplys tenfold when I sneeze. I am still going to send my MRIs to the specialist at the Chiari Institute in New York. I have been waiting on the MRI films from the one I had in October 2004 in Houston, as I have been having a hard time getting those peopel to send me the films without charging me an arm and a leg.

What's next? Continue the E-stem treatments. Take the new prescriptions to CVS and start taking them. MRI for shoulder & knee on Friday. Call and set up appointment with Orthopedic Doctor next week. Set up appointment with Ear Nose & Throat Doctor. Schedule Extended Sleep Study. Lose weight. FollowUp with PCP in two weeks. FollowUP with "TheDrugDealer" in eight weeks.

Oh yeah... and somewhere in all of this, I'm supposed to find the time to go to school, do homework, work 40 hours a week, do laundry, pay bills. I may have to start calling in "stuck in traffic" just so that I can find time to shave my legs.

***Edited to Add***
The nurse from the PCP called Thursday afternoon. My triglycerides and bad cholesterol are both high and I get to start another new medication for that. Oh fun.