Medical Update. booooooo *hiss* yaaaaaaaaaaaaay.

So, I had an appointment with the nurse practitioner at the gastroenterology clinic recently. the morning that Molly got assaulted.    She had previously ordered some blood work...regular stuff...metabolic profile, complete blood count, lipid profile, and a vitamin d test.

White blood cell counts were below normal.  They generally are and have been for a few years.  It kinda concerns me since my T-cell counts were so high, but none of the tests I had done less than a year ago turned up anything.  So I won't worry too much about it.

Vitamin D though?  Yeah, Gone like N*Sync.

I was all crunk that I had gotten down to only a few pills a day.  Now, I'm back on my probiotics, taking at least 1200mg of Calcium a day, and taking 50,000 IU of vitamin D a week for 12 weeks.   Oh well, I'll never complain about being proactive with my health...well, I will, but I won't really mean it.

I also asked why the manometry was scheduled after my CT scan.  The notes mentioned a distended esophagus.  *cries*  This coupled with the notes from my last barium xray about my LES spasming causing delayed emptying of contents from my esophagus into my stomach really really really makes me uncomfortable.   My diagnosis is still non-specific esophageal motility disorder or esophageal dyskinesia...meaning I don't yet fit into any of the known primary motility disorder categories such diffuse esophageal spasm, nutcracker esophagus,  or achalasia nor do I have condition that is causing esophageal problems.    


I'm okay as long as I know that I don't have to suffer in pain because my condition doesn't have a name and because I don't fit into some neat disease box.   


Having a medical team that truly supports you and wants you to get better is the best feeling in the world.  

Tag Team, back again...

So let's play catch-up.  Okay?  YAY.

For the most part, I'm still the same.  My life is still the same.  My cats still hate each other and me.

There are some new things going on.  For instance, I'm trying to embrace veganism and raw foodism.  No drastic changes, but I've stopped snacking on junk (for the most part) and now only eat raw fruits, veggies, and seeds between meals.

I'm also in the process of becoming a DONA-certified birth doula.  This is very exciting to me because I've wanted to work in childbirth since I was a senior in high school trying to figure out what I wanted to major in in college.   When I was unemployed for almost a year (that wonderful wonderful time of my life that I miss so much), I decided that I wanted to be a midwife.  Watching baby shows all day long everyday will do that to you...  But, I didn't know how to go about it.  When I did figure out how to go to school for it, I felt guilty for wanting to spend more money to go back to school.   Fast forward to now, I figure that I can become a doula and get a feel for the field.  If I find out that I'm not fit to be a medical professional, I can still be part of the support system for pregnant mothers.  So there's not really a downside to this.

I'll go into more detail about what doulas are and what they do and do not do in another post.

That's really all I have going on right now.  I got into a fender bender in Molly. *cries*  Same thing everyday.  Monotony.  No excitement.  

Happy Independence Day!

^^^that's what they call talent^^

I actually had to google what the flag looked like to even attempt to doodle one out.  :(

Anyway, I feel bad about not blogging for so long.   So I shall soon return.  

HOLLER!

Before my night was interrupted about news of bin Laden's demise...

I wanted to talk about this beer...

If you knew me, you'd know that I like to try local beers...and by local I mean, Louisiana and all of the Gulf Coast.  

Tonight, I picked up this.    I'm happy.  I like it.  

They even have a blog @ http://bayoutechebrewing.blogspot.com/

The day that time stood still.

Five years ago, my sister almost lost her life.

This is copied straight from her facebook on the first anniversary of her ordeal.

This is for those that don't know and a reminder for those that do. (This is my testimony from 2006.)
A year ago today, Sunday, 23 April 2006, my life almost ended. I had coughed up alot of blood and my mother took me to the VA emergency room. The doctor on duty ran tests and told me I had pulmonary embolisms (blood clots in the lungs). I went back into the waiting area and that's when everything started happening very fast. I had a sudden sharp pain in my right side and I couldn't breathe. My oxygen levels had fallen and my blood count had dropped. They put me on oxygen to help me breathe.
They admitted me into ICU and put me on complete bed rest. I couldn't get up for anything. They did blood work, x-rays, ultrasounds, ct-scans, everything. I had blood clots scattered throughout my body. I had a huge clot that was blocking my right artery to my lung, and smaller clots that were blocking the left lung. I had clots in both legs. Let me add that I also had a broken ankle and was in a cast and had developed pneumonia in my right lung. My mother stayed camped out in the waiting room the entire time.
That night while in ICU, I prayed to the Lord and asked Him was it my time to go. He told me that I was going to have a testimony. And the way I see it, that meant I was going to have to be here in order to tell my testimony. They were drawing blood every two hours, constantly giving me blood thinners. The next day my friends came to visit. My assistant minister, Minister Nelson came to pray with us. My pastor, Rev. Banks and his friend, Rev. Palmer came to pray with me and I told them what the Lord had told me. Afterwards, my mother said that Rev. Palmer told them they didn't have to worry about me because he could see that I had Faith all over my face. 
I was in pain almost constantly, even with pain medication they were giving me. With the clots blocking my lungs and the pneumonia it was a struggle just to breathe. I couldn't lay flat on the bed because laying flat seemed to cut-off the little air I was able to get. I had to sleep with my bed at almost a 90 degree angle. I had to stay still because even the slightest movement would cause me to have what felt like spasms in my back and side and when that happened I could breathe. I would be gasping for air.
My dad came, then my sister, Toya came and stayed for a week with me. Everybody camped out in ICU waiting room. The doctors had told me they were going to put a filter in that would prevent the clots from getting into my heart - which would have killed me if they broke loose. Everyday was a different reason why they could do the operation. I continued to go through being stuck with needles in veins that they couldn't find. One day I was stuck over 15 times. It was so bad they tried to get blood in places you would never imagined. My arms were so badly bruised from the IV's that they ached. They were running out of places to get blood. Finally they did a pic-line, which is like an IV but normally for cancer patients to receive chemo. It involves using a guide wire to get the tubing into place, which is supposed to go up your arm and across your chest. Well the first attempt mine ended up in my jugular vein (the big one in your neck). 
By Friday, I had broken down. I thought the doctors were going to let me lie there and die. Because they hadn't put the filter in. They had been increasing the dosage of the blood thinners and still no change. My nurse told me not to worry and not to loose Faith. I hadn't lost my Faith, I just had a moment of weakness and Satan thought he could make me forget about the promise the Lord had given me. And a few hours later, the doctors came in with wonderful news. The blood clots were beginning to get smaller. ALL GLORY TO GOD! And I say this not only because it's true, but because the doctors kept telling me the medication WILL NOT AND CANNOT dissolve the clots. And they were right! IT WAS THE LORD! 
I was moved out of ICU that Saturday, and stayed in the hospital another week. I was discharged on Monday, 8 May 2006. I have had to go to the doctor some times twice a week because I was still on blood thinners. My body didn't seem to be adjusting well to the blood thinners at first. They were increasing my dosage every time I went for my visits. But I am here to say that everything worked out just like the Lord had promised. I have been off my blood thinners for about 2 1/2 months and my last ct-scan came back negative, so there weren't any signs of blood clots. I'm still on blood pressure and cholesterol medications, but that too shall soon pass. I'm keeping the Faith. 
I want to thank all of my friends that called and visited. My mother, father, and sister for being there to comfort me and your continued prayers. To Rev. Banks, Rev. Palmer, Min. Nelson and the New Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church family and everybody in the community that kept me in your prayers, my our Lord and Savior continue to be a guiding force in your lives.

I'M CELEBRATING THIS DAY AS MY NEW BIRTHDAY OR AS MY SISSY CALLS IT MY LIFE CELEBRATION DAY!

It's been five years since that day, and I'm so happy that my sister is still here with us.  Every time I hear the song "Live in the Sky," I think about those five days I spent in that waiting room without showering...sneaking in to see her when it wasn't visiting hours...crying on the bus to Shreveport...and those red pants of mine that she grew to hate. lol

I love my Sissy.

Do you know?

I heard this on the radio yesterday morning, and it made me feel some type of way.

Another anniversary.

Molly aka Molly Ringwald aka Molly Moll aka Fiya Red aka T'ick Redbone  aka...lmao...lemme stop...

So yeah.  A year ago today, Molly came home from Houston.  Unfortunately, I'll always remember that day because that's the day the Horizon sank, but I'm not trying to be all mushy today.

She was so shiny back then...with her Mac Haik yellow tag in the front.  Now's she's dusty and has a scratch on her booty.  (don't ask)

Last year, filling her up barely cost something like $40.  Today, I spend over $60.

I love my little red she-devil, though.  And I never thought I would.