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Author Topic: A Little TMI, but what the heck, right?  (Read 7350 times)

KayentaMoenkopi

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A Little TMI, but what the heck, right?
« on: October 04, 2016, 12:45:22 AM »

SO it's just easier on me to have this conversation once. my appologies to the uninterested. :P

Whenever it was last week that I was put into the hospital [Thursday night]...and they ran all those tests[Cat Scan, MRI, thyroid panel, Blood sugar, EKG, chest x-ray, blood pressure, other blood work, cholesterol, stroke enzymes, iron levels]...and found absolutely nothing wrong with me...

They set me up with a follow up exam from a doctor. And I went there today and she tells me I have a B12 deficiency but my iron levels are fine. That blood test from the ER takes a good two days for results to be obtained and I was discharged from the hospital before they came in. She gave me a B12 shot...and ordered blood work in 4 weeks. And I will proceed from there. Pill supplements are ill advised IF this is a genetic inability to absorb B12 through the stomach, which given the history of my mother could well be the case. Due to the lack of low iron, this is also indicated and not indicative of a poor diet.

So...it seems this may be responsible for a number of issues that I have been experiencing:

Nerve problems like numbness or tingling, muscle weakness, and problems walking
Vision loss
Mental problems like depression, memory loss, or behavioral changes

I am told that for most people, treatment resolves the problem. But any nerve damage that happened due to the deficiency could be permanent.

What can cause this?

Atrophic gastritis, in which your stomach lining has thinned
Pernicious anemia, which makes it hard for your body to absorb vitamin B12
Surgery that removed part of your stomach or small intestine, including weight loss surgery
Conditions affecting the small intestine, such as Crohn's disease, celiac disease, bacterial growth, or a parasite
Heavy drinking
Immune system disorders, such as Graves' disease or lupus
Long-term use of acid-reducing drugs. Stomach acids help break down animal proteins that have vitamin B12.
You can also get vitamin B12 deficiency if you're a vegan (meaning you don't eat any animal products, including meat, milk, cheese, and eggs) or a vegetarian who doesn't eat enough eggs or dairy products to meet your vitamin B12 needs.

Well she did mention pernicious anemia, which is the inability to absorb B12. The symptoms of that are:

weakness [yes]
headaches [yes]
chest pain [no]
weight loss [yes] 50 pounds in 3 months.
an unsteady gait [yes]
spasticity, which is stiffness and tightness in the muscles [yes]
peripheral neuropathy, which is numbness in the arms and legs [yes]
progressive lesions of the spinal cord [no]
memory loss [yes]

So after several years of being told nothing is wrong with me and I am just fine, but continued to feel like shit all the time...it is kind of a relief to have a lead for once.

Hopefully, as this is treatable, this will be what the issue is and I will finally get some relief.

So yeah, I am excited.
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Becquerel

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Re: A Little TMI, but what the heck, right?
« Reply #1 on: October 04, 2016, 12:57:09 AM »

I really hope that the issue gets solved for you, Kayenta. I know how frustrating it can be to know something is wrong with you but have providers keep telling you everything's fine. I'm trying to find out something as far as my own health is concerned as well and am wondering if my unsteady hands are just due to mental duress or something more sinister going on inside my body.

But at least you're finally being led in the right direction. I know you're probably stressed out due to the length of time it takes to get lab results back, but, sometimes you really can't get things done faster than that. Please remember that protocols must be followed in order to get accurate lab results and that sometimes facilities may not be equipped to handle certain labs, which requires them to be mailed out (taking more time). So hopefully they'll work with you just as well as you're working with them.

For the time being, just make sure you stay on top of the medicine that you've been given and changing your diet a little bit might improve your overall quality of life but might do little to help if it's really an inability to absorb B12. But if you find out you can't absorb it, then B12 shots are pretty easy to get taken care of in this day and age so I think your outlook would be good :)

But until then, no use sweating the small stuff. Stressing out over something you can't control (the wait) will just cause unnecessary damage to your body and psyche. While you wait, just make the most of your time and do what makes you happy.
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Ѕhadow

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Re: A Little TMI, but what the heck, right?
« Reply #2 on: October 04, 2016, 01:01:14 AM »

My Sister-in-law has anemia. She has to take iron pills for it and some other stuff.

Hopefully this will treat it and you can feel better. ^-^ Good luck. ~

Note irrelevant to topic: For those who like medical mysteries and sarcastic/funny people: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412142/

10/10
« Last Edit: October 04, 2016, 01:17:03 AM by Madara (Shadow) »
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KayentaMoenkopi

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Re: A Little TMI, but what the heck, right?
« Reply #3 on: October 04, 2016, 01:15:03 AM »

Thanks guys. I had the b12 shot today. And so four weeks of waiting for the new labs to be drawn.

near as I know, Pernicious anemia and anemia are two different things. one is an inability to absorb B12...like what they think I have, and the other is low level of iron...which I do not have.

others more versed in these matters might be able to shed more light on the differences.

anyway, bec...just keep investigating your health until they find something. People do not have issues for no reason. no matter how the tests come back fine fine fine.
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Becquerel

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Re: A Little TMI, but what the heck, right?
« Reply #4 on: October 04, 2016, 01:53:09 AM »

Anemia in general just means that there's something wrong with your blood. (coming from the prefix an- meaning without and the suffix -emia meaning blood) Usually, people use it as a general term to describe either low blood count or low iron levels. The word that comes either before or after it usually designates the specific issue. Like in Kayenta's potential case, Pernicious Anemia which inhibits gastric absorption of B12. Or sickle cell anemia, which causes the RBCs to take on a sickle shape as an evolutionary adaptation to the malarial parasite.
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Eric

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Re: A Little TMI, but what the heck, right?
« Reply #5 on: October 04, 2016, 03:19:37 AM »

I hope that this treatement works out for you Kay, and that no serious damage was caused during the Game of Checkmarks.

Getting over Strep doesn't seem as bad now.
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Vail

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Re: A Little TMI, but what the heck, right?
« Reply #6 on: October 04, 2016, 04:01:22 AM »

I hope everything goes well for you and that future treatments help to alleviate your suffering.
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KayentaMoenkopi

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Re: A Little TMI, but what the heck, right?
« Reply #7 on: October 04, 2016, 04:17:59 AM »

Thank you both.

But actually I have had strep and it is hell. nothing small at all, in my opinion.

I enjoy watching House too.
« Last Edit: October 04, 2016, 04:18:53 AM by KayentaMoenkopi »
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Hitler-Chan

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Raifudo Oppa

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Re: A Little TMI, but what the heck, right?
« Reply #9 on: October 04, 2016, 04:51:19 AM »

Watch your fat intake. You may not be consuming much of it.

I've been more and more into the macro nutrition scene and physiology study and am in no way an expert nor a credible source. However, I have come across an instance where this has happened to a friend on a cut without managing their nutrition properly:

http://www.nutritionsecrets.com/signs-you-need-more-fat-in-your-diet/

1. Dry skin
2. Depressed/angry
3. No energy
4. Always hungry
5. Constant coldness
6. Can't think straight
7. Weight problems
8. Vision problems
9. Aching joints
10. Low cholesterol
11. Overwhelmed in busy places
12. Vitamin deficiency

Although you don't show all of these, the flavor is similar. Worth a shot.
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Becquerel

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Re: A Little TMI, but what the heck, right?
« Reply #10 on: October 04, 2016, 05:32:15 AM »

I enjoy watching House too.

Funnily enough, the 'medical show' with the most accurate representation of how it is to work in a hospital (as well as most medically accurate) is the show Scrubs.
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Ѕhadow

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Re: A Little TMI, but what the heck, right?
« Reply #11 on: October 04, 2016, 05:37:43 AM »

I enjoy watching House too.

Funnily enough, the 'medical show' with the most accurate representation of how it is to work in a hospital (as well as most medically accurate) is the show Scrubs.

I love Scrubs.
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KayentaMoenkopi

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Re: A Little TMI, but what the heck, right?
« Reply #12 on: October 05, 2016, 07:41:58 AM »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbzHrhRJBHo

This.

That was hilarious.

Watch your fat intake. You may not be consuming much of it.

I've been more and more into the macro nutrition scene and physiology study and am in no way an expert nor a credible source. However, I have come across an instance where this has happened to a friend on a cut without managing their nutrition properly:

http://www.nutritionsecrets.com/signs-you-need-more-fat-in-your-diet/

1. Dry skin
2. Depressed/angry
3. No energy
4. Always hungry
5. Constant coldness
6. Can't think straight
7. Weight problems
8. Vision problems
9. Aching joints
10. Low cholesterol
11. Overwhelmed in busy places
12. Vitamin deficiency

Although you don't show all of these, the flavor is similar. Worth a shot.

you know in addition to those issues I initially mentioned I do get cold all the time. I never used to. That is new.
but I eat tons of fat. Almonds, walnuts, I cook with olive oil and coconut oil, eat olives and avacados...plus, yes...I am a carnivore and proud of it. I was really shocked my cholesterol was fine.
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KayentaMoenkopi

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Re: A Little TMI, but what the heck, right?
« Reply #13 on: December 03, 2016, 09:52:33 AM »

update? yeah, why not, right?

So the doctor calls me this week, her office does.

"Have you gotten the blood work done and have you picked a primary physician yet?"
--> they mean nurse practitioner, cause you don't get to see a doctor anymore unless its a specialist, and then only half the time. I wonder if they bill the same price for the nurse practitioner though? Anyway...

and I am like, "Yes, I did the blood work yesterday. but I am still waiting on my paperwork to see if I am approved for the medical card. So no, I have not found a primary care physician." Initial visit over $325 buck? who can afford that shit?

And she was like, "Well alright then. And how are you doing with those weekly shots?"

Blink blink..."Uhm, what weekly shots? I was told to wait until after the blood work came back to see what my B12 levels were and then we would plan a course of action?" [have witness, didn't go to the doctor alone]

And she is like, "Oh no. You were supposed to be taking them once a week."

So, no wonder I am not getting better. And missing just as much work as ever because of all the blah blah blah that goes with this....but I am nice. I did not say any of that. "Oh! I totally misunderstood. Can you call me in a prescription?"...sure...she can. oddly enough she hadn't already done that weeks ago...

SO now I shoot up once a week. Hopefully this works. The blood work showed I was still way low even after the shot they gave me at that first visit. My mother never had to take them every week. I would hate to think how low it initially was. Or how many years I have been suffering with this, cause I count at least 9, the last 2 being the absolute worst. 

Over $325 bucks for that visit to the doctor...for this? I could have put tires on my car for winter and had the same result. No treatment!

So that was...Monday. No, Tuesday. Thank God I wrote it on the wall calendar.

Tonight I get a forwarded email from my brother who moved to Peru[# 6 of us kids by mom], the day after Thanksgiving. And yes it is 'cute' that his wife thinks I will be able to go visit them some day. And felt the need to explain to me why it was important that I go to the nursing home to visit my own mother for Christmas cause she will not get a present if I do not go...And I smile and thank her for thinking of that. And yes, this really is my life.

Sorry, the email, right? My eyesight is going to hell. I use these dollar store reading glasses, 1.25 magnification now. $1 a piece. Already on my third pair cause I wander around with them on my head, literally on my head wondering where the hell I put them...well, that only happened tonight. The other times the house ate them and they are still MIA.

So the email, right? I see this...
"The funeral will be at...[the funeral home in my town]...and she will be buried beside dad. And yes, everything is paid for."

Now, several things go through my head. He[#6] is in Peru...I[#7] am 15 minutes from the nursing home. And I am like, "So my mother is dead?" Where the fuck are my glasses...I wander around and am in shock. I can't find them.

See, I can see great. Only not within arms length to read by. So when I walk I take them off or I can't see great and feel dizzy. And eventually I realize I have perched them on top of my head so I won't lose them when I got up to go check the email.

So I fit them on my nose and continue reading...I scroll down, and my brother[#4] who lives in Wisconsin actually sent the thing. The original message said, "Mom is not eating. She can't swallow. She is sick and they stopped giving her meds by mouth. And its all down to if she gets pneumonia or not. What arrangements do we have?" And the other brother[#6] replied to that. and forwards it cause he sees that myself and my sister[#5] who lives in the UK are not on the mailing list.

And I am just...shaking at this point at how FUCKING STUPID MY TWO BROTHERS ARE!!!!!!!

I call the nursing home and mom is not dying...tonight. I call off work I will go see her tomorrow. She is on antibiotics and whatever. I will find out tomorrow cause they just put her to bed and she is resting. And the nurse laughs when I tell her the tone of the email made me think she was dying. "Oh no hon. she is just ill." Then she proceeds to tell me how she can't swallow and they have to use suction on her. And that she is all congested and can't cough anything up.

And I know that she is getting dehydrated. We been here before. And I know they are letting her lie flat on her back, which is like the worst thing in the world for elderly people to get pneumonia with. And I know they can't give her an IV in the nursing home cause that is considered critical care at this place, so she would have to go to the hospital and be admitted to get it done. And I am thinking, well how long until you send her to the hospital. Until she is dead just like you did with grandma and my dad? But I am nice. I do not ask any of these things from the night nurse. She can't do anything about it. I will go in tomorrow and jerk the doctor's chain and make shit happen.

So then later my brother[#6] calls from Peru. And I tell him what I had learned. And he is sure she is dying. "She had been taking antibiotics since Monday and still is not better."

Blink...blink..."Well duh, you ever had pneumonia and been cured after only 5 days of drugs? Call the AMA~ its a miracle!" But I do not say this either. Instead, I promise to update him after I go to the nursing home in the morning.

Then my oldest sister[#2] calls from across the other side of the state. And I set her mind to rest and promise to update her.  And I tell her I was not on the mailing list nor was the other sister[#5] in the UK. And she says, "Oh be glad Em. Do you know what the title of the originial email was?

Mom's Funeral.

SO all of them on the list are freaking before they even open the dog damned thing. And my brother[#3] in Michigan, whose wife is getting her heart surgery on Monday is freaking, once he reads it even still, cause he thinks mom is dying and that he is going to miss his mother's funeral. No way he can leave his wife right after heart surgery...

My oldest brother{#1] prolly had a heart attack when he got the stupid thing. I am just like...what the hell is wrong with you[#4]?. You have a frikken Master's degree from Notre Dame University in English and a Masters in Business. DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS AFTER ALL OF THAT????? And was raised by the same parents as the rest of us.

Wisconsin. And he is a liberal. WTF????

Maybe he is the one who needs B12 shots.

But do you see the trend here? Everyone who lives too damned far away to do a blessed thing about it finds out...since Monday mind you...before me, who could walk to town in an hour!!!

But I will not say this. No, I will just blog this vomit here so I can be sane when I go deal with these fucks who dare to call themselves medical professionals. I swear my dad is rolling over in his grave!

SO yeah. There is denial. There is hope. But there is realism as well. More than likely we will all get a funeral for Christmas this year.

So I recall what she told me when I was a little girl. Her favorite hymn to sing at her funeral. Yeah, that's my mom.

In The Garden...
I don't know that I could get through the first verse.
« Last Edit: December 03, 2016, 10:58:34 AM by KayentaMoenkopi »
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Becquerel

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Re: A Little TMI, but what the heck, right?
« Reply #14 on: December 03, 2016, 12:26:32 PM »

Jeeze...I'm really sorry to hear all that. Sounds like a hell of a mess that you're going through. I wish I could relate, but I really can't. All I can do is wish the best for you, Kayenta, and your family. Being in the medical field, I'm kind of not surprised exactly how you've been treated. With the amount of patients we see, we always tell them to follow up with us because we might not be able to follow up with them in a timely manner (thankfully we only have to take care of ~400 medical records/personnel to keep track of). But still, with critical results like that, the provider who saw you initially should have been able to do the prescription.

And at least you are doing what you can to be with and help out your mother. I'm certain that she appreciates it. It's too bad the world isn't like the barracks life, because then you could just sneak in a saline IV and give it to her. Since she's having difficulty swallowing, maybe you can see if she can be put on a steroid to reduce swelling (if that's the cause)? Whatever you do, just do your best to stay strong. One of my favorite quotes (and I know it's corny) to go by in life that's helped me is from the movie Rocky, and I think it's true in almost all applications.
Quote
Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward.

Just do your best.
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