Changes I'm Making

[enna]

Liked the article, Marty. It is frustrating to not be given answers. Today I left the house at 9:30 for my MRIs (fifteen minutes from the house) and didn't get back home until 12:50. I was in the machine for almost two hours and my ears are still ringing. I now have five different discs with my information on them but of course I have no idea what they mean! My testing stops after Friday's test with the urologist.

I am ready for battle. I have many more things to do with my life and going to doctors is not even on my list.

I will spare you my Irish rant. By the time I get answers, I'll probably have cured myself!

My new mantra from now on will be, "Give me my damn data."

Patience is not one of the virtues on my list this month.

[feralfae]

. . . and Anne becomes yet another wise one who, when asked the question, "Who is your primary physician?"

replies to the questioner, "I am my primary physician!"

fae

[Queeniemary]

Good for you Anne....I am so sorry that you are so frustrated, but I certainly understand why. Maybe now that all these tests are over, you can get some answers from these "specialists". If they are so "special" why don't they understand we want to know now.........not later.

Keeping you in my heart.

QMary

[kayc]

Anne, I am sorry not only that you have something going on with your body, and that you have to go through all of this therapy and testing, but that you have to wait so long for results! I am not a very patient person and just waiting two months to get my gallbladder out was bad enough, it was a drop in the bucket to what you are enduring.

Just today I learned that my old insurance company had my data leaked/breached. Social security number, contact information, birthdate, etc. Great. They said they'd give two years to a credit monitoring place, big deal, I'm already subscribed to a credit monitoring place. Two years is nothing, there's no expiration date once they have your information!

[MartyT]

And this in yesterday's New York Times: The Healing Power of Your Own Medical Records:

. . . At every stage, Mr. Keating, a 26-year-old doctoral student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab, has pushed and prodded to get his medical information, collecting an estimated 70 gigabytes of his own patient data by now. His case points to what medical experts say could be gained if patients had full and easier access to their medical information. Better-informed patients, they say, are more likely to take better care of themselves, comply with prescription drug regimens and even detect early-warning signals of illness, as Mr. Keating did . . .

[enna]

One day you wake up and find that you have survived 34 months and nine days without the most important person in your life.

Tomorrow, April 3^rd is your birthday and you so loved your cake and ice cream.

I have come a long way. You would be so proud of how I’ve owned this new life of mine. I can now think of so many of the happy times we had together. Oh, the pain of your absence will always be present, but I keep you with me as I stumble through the days.

It is a daily struggle. I know that our energies will meet again when it is my time to leave this earthly place. I have stepped up to challenges that have come my way since you left. You know this and I appreciate how you have stayed by my side during some of the difficult times. So, Happy Birthday to you again. I need you to be very close to me as I work through these health issues I'm still dealing with today.

I have a strawberry cream cake that I'll share with a few people tomorrow as we celebrate your birthday.

[feralfae]

Happy Birthday to Jim, and wonderful memories for Anne.

{{{hugs}}}

[kayc]

That sounds like a great idea, Anne, one that I never thought of! I hope you enjoy his birthday with those you've chosen to share it with. And what a great picture!

[Wifflesnook]

I know it's hard for you Anne and I'm thinking of you. Somehow Jim is alongside you. I just know he is. Jan

[feralfae]

I just lit a candle for Anne and Jim.

May all the memories be blessings.

[enna]

Thank you, dear friends. I have a candle lit, also. The Boston Cream Fresh Strawberry cake was so good. I so appreciate all of you. One of Jim's friends mentioned how good he felt when he was around Jim. How nice. I miss him as those who have lost a spouse understand.

[kayc]

I'm lighting a candle for Jim also, dear friend. We know each other's spouses through each other. Did you see the strawberry banana cheesecake recipe I shared on FB today? Somehow I think you'd like it! It's a fruit salad though.

[Wifflesnook]

Dear Anne

I woke up thinking of you. I hope that yesterday wasn't too hard for you. I'm going to be busy over the next few days as our daughter and her two littlies come today. I've made icecream, bought Easter eggs for the hunt on Sunday, got all meals planned. I know I'm lucky to have them but oh how my Pete would love them. I still manage to feel he is here with us. If I lost that feeling I would lose myself. I wish you all a peaceful Easter. Jan

[LadyCarrie]

Happy Easter to All of our Forum Family from Jerry, Amberly, and me ❤️.

Amberly began our morning by sending us this video of Don Francisco's, "He's Alive," which melted Jerry's heart--expressed by great tears of gratitude for God's love and for our eternal salvation streaming down his face.

I do hope this comes to you as "He's Alive," rather than as a red Dachshund plastered by his belly on a refigerator due to his having swallowed all of the refrigerator magnets. Amberly sent that cartoon also, as well as a baby hippo having its first swimmimg lesson given by the mommy. Whatever you receive here, I hope you enjoy. I have neither Jerry's nor Anne's expertise in use of electronic media.

Hugs,

Carrie

Check out this video on YouTube:

[LadyCarrie]

Yaaaaay! I did it! I'm a a big girl now!

Carrie

[enna]

Absolutely beautiful, Carrie. Thank you for sharing this and please tell your Amberly thank you from me. Jerry was not the only one with tears.

And where is the cartoon Amberly sent?

Wishing you, Jerry and Amberly a joy-filled day today and all days. You are always in my thoughts.

Anne

[LadyCarrie]

I'm going to try to send the Doxie on refrigerator door. If he doesn't show up, he's still stuck, and please forget I tried to get him off.

[kayc]

Carrie, I have Don Francisco's "He's Alive" on record album, too bad I haven't had a record player in years! We got to see him in concert many years ago, amazing singer/songwriter! I love that song, perfect for Easter, thank you for sharing it with us.

[kayc]

I just clicked on the "funny", that is great!

[LadyCarrie]

❤️

[feralfae]

Thank you Carrie. It has been a beautiful Easter here so far. What a joyful and magnificent Day, made better by your sharing of that beautiful video. Thank you so much!

fae

[feralfae]

Magnets!

Very funny!

[MartyT]

[enna]

ASK and you shall receive . . .

Today I met with my neurologist for results of blood tests and 3 MRI test results.

I began my visit with a question ~ Why do you make your patients wait to tell them about the findings of tests? A phone call would put us at ease so we don’t worry about what are you or are you not finding. His comment to me was if we tell you too early about something we are looking for you’ll worry and if we wait so as not to worry you needlessly then we add to your stress! We doctors can’t win.

So what you are telling me doctor is that it is better to have a patient worry about what might be than worry about a half diagnosis?

Yes Anne, I know you are frustrated since this has been going on since October. Here’s what I know right now. Let’s talk about the blood test result first. Because of high levels of Methylmaionic acid and Homocysteine – wait doctor, WHAT? These levels mean that you are at risk for vascular disease if we don’t lower the levels.

So, what do I have to do?

Since you already have heart disease we will monitor for renal failure.

Renal, that means my kidneys – right? Yes, but it doesn’t mean you’ll go into kidney failure.

Oh, that’s good to hear. Thank you.

So, what do I have to do to lower the levels? Notice, I have asked this once before and have not received an answer yet.

We will monitor things. Blood work again in three months.

That’s it - nothing for ME to do?

Brain MRI – no evidence for intracranial mass, hemorrhage or acute infarct.

WHAT?

Everything is normal.

GOOD. Now, why couldn’t someone tell me that a few days after the test?

Results were and still are incomplete Anne. We are waiting for the urologist findings and treatments he might suggest and you need another appointment with the spine surgeon.

About the MRIs for the cervical and thoracic spine areas – remember, we already have results for the lumbar section of the spine and we talked about spondylosis.

Cervical – multilevel spondylosis with some disc protrusion but the cervical cord is normal.

That’s good, right? Yes, we will monitor it.

Thoracic – your vertebral body height is normal, disc disease is moderate, no scoliosis present.

What does that mean? There is no curvature of the spine in the thoracic area and only a slight curvature in the cervical area but nothing to worry about.

You will see the spine surgeon for further evaluation of your spine and treatments.

An area of concern is in the thoracic area where nerves lead to other organs like your bladder.

I will not need to see you for three months unless other systems present.

Good, good, thank you. It is a relief to know that there is nothing wrong with me neurologically!

I will see you in three months. Don’t forget to stop at the desk to make an appointment.

I wish doctors had a sense of humor. So I’m going to the health club to see if I can work on spreading my legs more so I can get on a horse. I really want to get back in the saddle again. I’m “killing off” these specialists one at a time.

[Wifflesnook]

Why did he have to treat you like a collection of bits? Why couldn't he start with the really good news, like brain scan normal? It all sounds good if only you can interpret it. Oh Anne ......