Sleep Study

On the 18th I had the extreme pleasure of participating in a sleep study. Okay, so it really wasn't a pleasure since I did NOT want to go. My rheumatologist insisted that it needed to be done before we pursued any aggressive treatment on my not sleeping. I don't like feeling that I can't function during the day because I don't sleep at night. So, after much chagrin I finally agreed to go.

Luckily for me the people that helped me that night were way cool. They joked around with me and made me feel completely at ease. They took me to my room which looked like a nice hotel room except for the camera in the corner. Then they took me for my wire makeover. It took awhile to get me all hooked up to the million wires that were going to record my every action that night. I was a little worried about the one they hooked up to my throat to see if I snored. How embarrassing is that to have strangers hear you snore! Even while they were hooking me up I could hear one man snoring on their computer. Oh boy, I was hoping that wouldn't be me!

It was about 11:30 at night by the time I got to lay down on my bed for the night. It took me a little while to fall asleep. I don't know how long it was before I woke up. It felt like I laid there forever tossing to and fro. The little monitors they hooked to my head were giving me a headache and I had to really pee but I didn't want to get up. As it turns out I probably should have because the techs were bored. They are used to 60+ aged sleep subjects that get up several times a night to potty. Oh well.

They woke me up at about 6:00 a.m. and I did not want to be up yet. I felt sooooo tired. I just laid there while he started asking me what kind of muffin and juice I wanted. I was hoping for breakfast in bed but he didn't go for that. Dang it! I can't anyone to serve me breakfast in bed! I had to tease the doctor about it as we said our good-byes.

I'm not sure when I will hear my results. I doubt they'll find anything. It was probably just another test to waste my time and money. We'll see...

U can't take away my food!!

This weekend has been a pain in the butt, I mean stomach. On Sunday anything I ate felt like it instantly churned up the acids as they burned my throat and stomach. I felt like I really needed to throw up. Not to mention the severe headaches I've suffered since then.

I really couldn't eat much. That sentence is torture for me. I live for food! Maybe that could be the problem. I indulge in whatever sugary, greasy, fattening items that catch my eye.

I need them!
I crave them!

My stomach however does not. Today I am finally able to eat normally although I have a little pain left in my throat. Plus the dang pain in my upper right quadrant of my tummy is still there. What gives?

Reflux sux!

Doctors, doctors, and more doctors...

Tuesday was a day pack full of doctors for Carlee and I.

1. We started out our early morning with a couple of needles in the Arco clinic. Ouch! Poor Carlee has to endure a poke twice a week for her allergy shots. I just went in for a Kenalog shot. Carlee, I feel for you!
2. The next doc was Carlee's dermatologist. It was basically just a "Hi, how ya doin', I'll get you your med refills." At least he was a little more positive this time about the possibility of her growing out of her eczema. I really hope that she does!
3. The last doc was my rheumatologist Dr. Scoville. We always have a long wait for him but it's worth it to finally find a good doctor! Carlee was such a funny girl and entertained herself and us with the skeleton in his office.

"Hi, nice to meet you!"

She was so nice to share her necklace with him.

She did some poses for me and laughed.

Who needs to read a magazine when you have live entertainment?

Silly girl. I'm so lucky to have her!

Dr. Scoville took me off my skelaxin (muscle relaxer) and wants me to go back onto Tylenol p.m. (Completely ineffective in the past, but hoping that combined with Lyrica it will do something). Plus he set up a sleep study for the 18th. Bleh, I don't wanna go! I don't know why I have such a hard time sleeping. The doc thinks my body gets too immune to medications so then they become ineffective. I'm just sooooooo tired! I've also been so weak that I can barely function.

To add insult to injury he also wanted more labs. Ew. My veins are already scarred so they don't want to be poked anymore. I had them drawn up in Arco the next day. Sure enough it took a little prodding to get a few vials of blood. The lab tech put some of the blood back in my arm because my arm was starting to turn purple. I wouldn't know since I can't watch! Wimpy I know. It's funny because I can watch on other people but I can't watch them taking my own blood. It's too creepy!

Anyways, that's all for now!

My Weekend

I had a whole list of things that I wanted to accomplish this weekend including:

• washing laundry
• putting away the laundry (hate that part!)
  
• dishes and cleaning the kitchen
  
• baking back to school treats
• making jello with Collin
  
• getting Collin ready for his first day of school
• cleaning up my bedroom
• cleaning the dreaded "little boy's toilet" (insert scream here)

I really had to prioritize my list though since we spent all day Saturday shopping for last minute school supplies. I know, I know, I'm a procrastinator. In my defense though I wanted to go weeks ago. Eric just didn't think we needed another trip across the desert. So like suckers we went the Saturday before school. The supplies were really picked over and we couldn't find pencils or glue sticks to save our life. Seriously, no pencils? That's unheard of! I had to scrounge all over the house for any pencils and half used glue sticks to tide Collin over.

Then on Sunday I felt like absolute crap. I had nonfunctional fatigue. It took everything I had just to sit through church. One sweet man could tell I was having a hard time and came to give me sympathy. Even though he is a cancer survivor he felt bad for me! Probably should have been the other way around. He just has a tender side for those who suffer on a day to day basis. It made me feel better mentally to talk to him. Physically though when I got home I barely had the strength to lift my sweet girl out of her car seat. I even tried to take a nap (ha, like that would ever happen).

I bounced up enough strength after I "woke up" to start some laundry and made Jigglers with Collin since I promised him we would. Thank heavens that Jell-o is easy! Unfortunately now my stomach was nauseous. The rest of the baking I wanted to do didn't happen. My stomach was getting worse as the night rolled on so after packing Collin's backpack with what supplies we did have and finishing up some more loads of laundry, I gave up. Needless to say, the clothes didn't get put away and anything left on my list was skipped.

Que sera sera!

Back from camp!

First: Felt sore and tired.

Second: A long and bumpy motorbike ride.
Third: A hike up a steep mountain.
Fourth: A little girl that ONLY wanted momma to carry her.
Fifth: Being out of shape in the first place.

Wrap them all together and you have one sore woman!
It was worth it though to see the view.
Wouldn't you agree??

Rain, rain, go away!

I absolutely love watching lightning storms. They are so beautiful and amazing. Well, as long as they are not too close! We have been leaving our shades open so we can lay in bed and watch the lightning light up the sky.

Unfortunately for me I think our crazy thunderstorm weather has taken my body for a loop. During the day it has been sweltering hot and then at night we get the storms. The changing of the weather has left me weak, tired, and in pain. I guess it's worth the pain to see God's wonderful light show though!

This weekend is supposed to be getting colder. Yea. I don't think my body will like that either. I just hope that next weekend will be nice because we are going to hit the road and do some camping! I haven't got much prepared for it since I'm WAY too tired but hopefully my body will let me get everything done throughout this next week.

Keeping my fingers crossed!

A quick overdue update.

Okay, I have been neglecting this blog.

Maybe it's because I've actually been feeling good!

My rheumatologist added Lyrica and Skelaxin to my meds at night and it has been working wonders. I actually sleep now. An odd occurrence but a wonderful one! I'm still taking Celebrex and Plaquenil too during the day. This combo seems to actually be working! Picture me jumping up and down with joy much like this picture below:

Well, of course it was inevitable that I would have a set back. The other night I felt so weak and tired that I could barely move. My hubby had to drag me back to the bedroom so I could rest. He even moved the TV back there. Isn't that sweet! I felt worthless pretty much the whole next day too. I had a lot of pain in my ankles and arms. Ick. But hey, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger right! At least I haven't yet caught the sickness that the rest of my family has. They have sore throats and the kids are hacking and coughing on EVERYTHING!! Darn children. I hope they keep their germs to themselves.

The Pain! The Pain!

Five full days of misery and the reprieve has come! Last Saturday my thighs began to hurt. BAD. The pain was intense as I tried to pull myself up and down from the couch or stand for long periods of time. The pain got worse and mirrored down to my knees. My thighs also began to swell for some reason. The pain was growing? I don't know.

For the first time I was NOT able to take the stairwell at work. It was heartbreaking for me because I've always told myself to grin and bear the stairs and never take the elevator. I had no choice as even the three or four stairs just getting into my office building were unbearable. It totally sucked!!!! I was so mad that my body felt like a little old arthritic lady. I'm only 30 for pete's sake. Oh well. Many more years of pain to come. At least (for now) the pain goes away eventually. Only now my arms are feeling the pain but at least I can walk and it's not as intense. Sweet.

Brrrr....

I think this fall weather is going to do me in! I don't know how I'm going to survive this winter since it's already getting bad. I am always more achy in the cold weather so I imagine I'm going to start getting grumpy! I don't mean to take it out on my family but once in awhile Eric gets the brunt of it. Especially if he's complaining at how messy the house is, why there is no dinner, or why the kids haven't got baths for three days. I just can't seem to function when it's this cold. I've been in pain the last two days. It's very debilitating. I also feel so weak which stinks because it's hard to even lift my arms to work. Ahh, well. Life must go on.

Updates

It's been awhile since I've written anything on here. I now know for sure that I am sensitive to the sun. How do I know this? Well, being outside for one weekend in the blazing hot sun gave me heat exhaustion. I was weak, nauseated and feverish. I thought I drank enough but I guess not. I tried it for another weekend with the same result although definately not as severe as the first reaction. Anyways I am now also blessed with a reaction to the sun. Every time I spend too much time outside I get rashes on my skin. I mostly get them where the skin was exposed but I occasionally get them on my thigh which is usually covered up.





Also my left leg seems to have improved a wee bit. It still feels a little numb and I have pain in my calf but I think it will eventually get better. Please! Other than my normal overwhelming fatigue and pain I'm doing okay. I'm surviving and living life. I still force myself to get out and do normal activities (although sometimes it's really hard!). Life goes on...