02 Nov. 2010

I really wish I had better news.
But, that will remain only a wish.

Over Saturday, Sunday and Monday I ended up taking a total of 8 half-doses of the anti-emetic Promethazine. The nausea was, nearly uncontrollable. Only by keeping it active in my body was I able to maintain what little control I had. Yesterday (Monday) was better; and today I have not taken any. Not that I've been without nausea--no, no, no! I've had plenty of that!--it has just been kept in relative check, and I've not had a single instance of intense nausea today. (Yay! Small victories...I'll take 'em!)

As has been the pattern, with the sustained increase of my nausea came a sustained increase in the intensity of my now one year long headache. Over the weekend (and up to today), it has averaged a stellar 8.5, with occasional spikes that were 9.5+. For the first time (I believe) I had to take a single dose of T3 every four hours for two days. Monday I only took three in total; and Tuesday, I had just one. Again, small victories.

All weekend the vertigo has been ridiculous. It has been nearly constant. I'm talking laying, sitting, standing, walking. No matter what I've been doing, it has been making me unstable on my feet, and increasing my nausea when I'm sitting or laying.

My appetite since Friday has been completely below average. I just don't want to eat. Considering the nausea, the headache and the vertigo, I'm really not at all surprised by this. Even my liquid consumption has decreased.

My eyesight has been exceptionally blurry in the middle of all of this. So bad, in fact, that my reading glasses cannot completely compensate as they have been able to do up til now.

Then today (Tuesday), I had my first occurrence of mis-dosing. I'd had a bout of diarrhea, and went to retrieve the Immodium. I opened a bottle, took the med, then suddenly realized that I had taken Zantac instead--which, I now cannot take tonight as only two doses per day are permitted. Upon realizing my mistake, I retrieved (and took) the correct med. I don't know why it happened. In reaching for the med my mind simply didn't register that I was grabbing the wrong med. I don't know how to guarantee against a repeat of this. If I take the wrong med and it's a bad error, I could very well place my health in danger. I have to figure this one out.

The incidents of my recall and short-term memory loss seem to be increasing. I'm having a difficult time remembering facts, names, dates, and even how to do simple tasks like setting the controls on the microwave. That one happened tonight. I went to warm something up, set it inside the microwave, closed the door, then just went blank and stared at the controls for about ten seconds. My brain finally snapped into place and I set the controls just fine. This isn't the first time things like this have happened.

On top of everything, I have been sleeping poorly, at best. I get about seven hours per day; but I wake multiple times, I have nearly uncontrollable disturbing dreams (my subconscious trying to sort things out, no doubt), and I awaken each day feeling exhausted--as if I didn't get to sleep at all.

On the plus side, the edema is down slightly. It has been for at least two days.

Also, I've found a temporary solution for the dry skin on my face. I had to shave my beard to mere stubble :o( in order to apply a non-paraffin based skin moisturizer to my chin, and around my mouth. I apply it twice a day. It works for about a week before becoming ineffective. So, I give my skin a break for a few days, then shave my beard and do it all over again. This is not a viable solution for my scalp simply because I am completely unwilling to shave my head. I'm looking for other shampoo-type products which might help.

(I just took a half dose of the anti-emetic. Intense nausea hit me about two minutes ago. I had NOT been nauseated this much all day; and it just came on like gangbusters.)

So, with the nausea onset, I'll wrap up this entry.

I hope that everyone reading this is in good health, great spirits, and moving towards great things in their lives. Keep going!

Good Health to All!

ScottW