Tuesday, November 27, 2012

I only like to go to the doc when I'm NOT sick

What's up with that?  An epiphany happened to me just now.  I found myself writing my close lupus friends online and asking if THEY thought I needed to call my doctor.  Had black stools this morning and haven't changed food or meds or taken iron.  Just feeling a slight discomfort and I definitely don't want to start stomach tests in the middle of this neck and spine fiasco.  Right?

And then I thought, I do this every time something serious comes up.  The trigeminal neuralgia attacks, the TIA, the ulceric lesion, the plantar fasciitis so bad I couldn't walk.  In retrospect it seems I don't want to go to the doctor unless we already have something established in relation to the problem.  I wonder if it's a trust issue or just a lazy issue.  I usually make it to tests and labs and follow ups without a problem.  Perhaps it's just denial that I have yet another health issue.  Truth is I've been ignoring my stomach issues a very long time now.  Maybe this is my body's way of fighting back, lol.  I've been living on promethazine for over three years, for nausea after eating, and I go through about 30 pills a month so I suppose that could be considered an issue.  Once again I've complicated the issue since I had gastric bypass surgery in 2004 and just chalked it all up to what is calling dumping syndrome.

Maybe I'll call and at least get an appointment with my GP for next week.  Oh Poo!  No pun intended!

Do any of you ignore the doc when your sick?  WHY do we do that?

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Occipital Neuralgia is a pain in the NECK!!!!

I must say the numbness from the occipital neuralgia is one of the strangest feelings I've ever had.  It feels as if I have a hole in my head.  An abyss where if touched or layed on will disintegrate or melt into oblivion.  How strange for me to hate th numbness so with so many extremely painful nerve conditions which are much much worse.

The zapping match striking pain is back under the fourth toe right foot for some long drawn out continuous torture.  It was MONTHS OF BLISS, thank you and bless you Dr. Todd Turley!!!!!  He listened to me..my wonderful dear pain mgmt doc who gives me radiofrequency ablations for my cervical spondylosis and cortisone for my peripheral nerve entrapments and radiculopathies.  He gives me months of being able to manage the incoming pain so I can deal with the tough stuff, like the trigeminal neuralgia and occipital neuralgia.

I used to be so jealous of the diabetic peripheral neuropathy sufferers whom walked around with numb feet.  I NEVER had numb feet in 20 yrs of nerve damage.  Hypersensitivity- check.  Freezing and burning-check.  Zapping (Aunt Agatha's Traveling Pains, lol)-check!  Numbness, no.  Just once.  I stepped out of the shower singing mindlessly....lala....lalala...tra la la....OOPS...looked down at my foot which was gushing blood.  I had no idea.  AHA, I said.  THIS IS NUMBNESS.  It went away as fast as it came and hasn't been back.  BYE NUMBNESS....HELLO PAIN!!!!  Boo!

So here is my occipital neuralgia gameplan.  I'm seeing an orthopedic surgeon for my FIRST TIME.  Nice guy.  Young.  Not sure what he knows about cranial and occipital nerves.  I hope he knows they are in the area and causing me pain along with the herniated discs, degeneration and bony spurs in the C2 to C5 area.  AND I"m seeing a new neurologist.  He's getting a copy of my MRI I PROUDLY took today without running away like I did last time like a bat out of hell.  They wrapped me up like a burrito, put plugs in my ears, then big sponges, then wedged me in.  NEVER had I had trouble before doing an MRI.  Not this time!  I YELLED, "GET ME OUT OF HERE"!!!!!!  HELP HELP HELP......Then I got out still yelling at them.  WHAT were you trying to do to me?  Are you kidding me?  Yikes.  I was a spectacle.  I left mad at myself for having to reschedule.

So I had the T2 flair  cervical MRI today.  I was fine.  I went to my happy place.  IF only I could go to my happy place from the pain on the side of my head, the numbness and the relentless zapping of my foot.  BUT no........here I am distracting myself on my blog.  Ah....

So here's a pic of my wonderful sexy neck for anyone who wants to see it.  LOL  I won't have a reading on it till Fri but they gave me a CD.  ;)   heh heh...

Have a FUN time for me today!  Make someone smile!

I'll come on and write an update after seeing the orthopedic surgeon and neurosurgeon on Friday!  Wish me luck!!!  BOO to pains in the neck!!!!

Here are some pics of my cervical spine.  You can see the herniations and spurs and the arial view you can see the neural pathway compromised.  KOOL, huh?