Here’s a health update, mostly for my personal record keeping. When it’s getting close to an NIH admission, I read back through these and look for trends. NIH wants me to keep a regular journal, but if you journal about your health stuff every single day, it’s easy to get too wrapped up in it.
Overall I’ve been doing a bit better, but am somewhat concerned that I still haven’t completely shaken this cough. I’m concerned there might be some inflammation – maybe asthma-like stuff – going on in my lungs. The cough is fine as long as I’m sitting up and not active. As soon as I try to go to the gym, walk more than two or three blocks, do housework, carry laundry up and down the stairs, I’m hacking a dry cough that if it goes on, starts to sound like a dog barking.
I feel as though there’s something stuck in my throat when I cough – and the coughing always happens when I breath out, not in. It’s worse at night. Abuderol does help, which is why I think it might be an asthma thing.
It doesn’t make complying with my CPAP therapy easy though. Nothing like feeling the need to cough, as though there’s something in your throat, with air being pushed down your throat all night. My CPAP compliance has gone from much improved to pretty spotty (I’m so sorry Dr. Markello! I’m trying – really.)
I feel so badly every time I wake up and am having CPAP issues because Dr. Markello spent so much time and effort – staying up all night two nights in a row – to try to help with my sleeping issues.
My GI issues have been varying a lot. I’ll go days and I’m just fine. Then I go through several days of the runs, joint pain, lower back pain etc. Then, sort of like when I first started having GI issues, I’ll get very constipated. Now, this is a real trick when you have an ostomy. But I’ll eat and sometimes nothing comes out for a day to a day and a half. I’ll start feeling crampy etc. and then the dam breaks.
The good news is the bleeding sores around my stoma are much better and they stay better longer. I’m convinced this is partly from not working. When a problem develops I can be on it right away. I think that helps a lot.
My bacteria issue still isn’t gone, but this morning I did see some improvement so maybe the antibiotics are kicking in. I hope so. The last thing I need is an HPS-related scene at Ryan’s wedding. Lord, please don’t let me cough!
The only other thing that I’ve noticed that is weird is that my hands and feet seem to get cold way easier than they used to and it’s almost impossible to warm them up once they get cold. My blood pressure has been much improved (again, not being at work helps) – but I wonder what might be causing this issue?
Lastly, my thyroid. My thyroid test came back normal, but I’m not convinced. The doctor only ordered a TSH3 and it’s always perfect, no matter how wacked up my thyroid is – it’s the TSH4 that’s always off when there’s a problem. I’m a little frustrated that this wasn’t tested, but at this point I’ll be in the hospital in a week and a half – they can sort it out there.
The only other weird thing I’ve noticed is fatigue. Who knows why? Emotional, physical – I’m so tired of trying to figure out why. But I spent most of Dec. 23rd in bed. I couldn’t stay awake! I just have these days, or sometimes several days, when I’m so draggy.
Overall I’ve been doing a bit better, but am somewhat concerned that I still haven’t completely shaken this cough. I’m concerned there might be some inflammation – maybe asthma-like stuff – going on in my lungs. The cough is fine as long as I’m sitting up and not active. As soon as I try to go to the gym, walk more than two or three blocks, do housework, carry laundry up and down the stairs, I’m hacking a dry cough that if it goes on, starts to sound like a dog barking.
I feel as though there’s something stuck in my throat when I cough – and the coughing always happens when I breath out, not in. It’s worse at night. Abuderol does help, which is why I think it might be an asthma thing.
It doesn’t make complying with my CPAP therapy easy though. Nothing like feeling the need to cough, as though there’s something in your throat, with air being pushed down your throat all night. My CPAP compliance has gone from much improved to pretty spotty (I’m so sorry Dr. Markello! I’m trying – really.)
I feel so badly every time I wake up and am having CPAP issues because Dr. Markello spent so much time and effort – staying up all night two nights in a row – to try to help with my sleeping issues.
My GI issues have been varying a lot. I’ll go days and I’m just fine. Then I go through several days of the runs, joint pain, lower back pain etc. Then, sort of like when I first started having GI issues, I’ll get very constipated. Now, this is a real trick when you have an ostomy. But I’ll eat and sometimes nothing comes out for a day to a day and a half. I’ll start feeling crampy etc. and then the dam breaks.
The good news is the bleeding sores around my stoma are much better and they stay better longer. I’m convinced this is partly from not working. When a problem develops I can be on it right away. I think that helps a lot.
My bacteria issue still isn’t gone, but this morning I did see some improvement so maybe the antibiotics are kicking in. I hope so. The last thing I need is an HPS-related scene at Ryan’s wedding. Lord, please don’t let me cough!
The only other thing that I’ve noticed that is weird is that my hands and feet seem to get cold way easier than they used to and it’s almost impossible to warm them up once they get cold. My blood pressure has been much improved (again, not being at work helps) – but I wonder what might be causing this issue?
Lastly, my thyroid. My thyroid test came back normal, but I’m not convinced. The doctor only ordered a TSH3 and it’s always perfect, no matter how wacked up my thyroid is – it’s the TSH4 that’s always off when there’s a problem. I’m a little frustrated that this wasn’t tested, but at this point I’ll be in the hospital in a week and a half – they can sort it out there.
The only other weird thing I’ve noticed is fatigue. Who knows why? Emotional, physical – I’m so tired of trying to figure out why. But I spent most of Dec. 23rd in bed. I couldn’t stay awake! I just have these days, or sometimes several days, when I’m so draggy.
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