The AV Fistula is growing really strong.
I took a listen to it with my stethoscope and directly over the surgery site the sound is so loud that I couldn't keep the bell on my arm. Plus, I hear a nice loud sound both in my wrist and nearly to my elbow. Next, the development of the vein itself should be visible at any time. I do have my follow-up with the vascular surgeon on June 8th. At that time the Fistula will be mapped on ultrasound to check on how everything is looking. I'll tell you all about it.
Next, on to the news of the latest...
The last five days have been trying, to put it mildly. Lots of edema that never decreases; hence, lots of resting discomfort, and lots of pain any time I walk. The bruising around my ankles has become prevalent once again. I forgot to mention it to my doc, so I don't have an official explanation for it.
My appetite has taken a bit of a rebound. I've actually been hungry the last four days. As before though, if I ignore it too long it quickly turns into nausea. When I do eat, I've been taking in about two full cups of food; plus, I've been snacking quite a bit throughout the day. On the downside, eating has been making me feel worse...but if I don't eat, I've felt worse...it's a no-win situation for me. To try and combat this I've been taking a half dose of Promethazine on a regular basis. It helps a little. As before, I really don't want to take a full dose because it will knock me out and make me feel like garbage. Like I said...a no-win situation.
My headache seems to have notched up to a 9.75. Sharp pains are occurring frequently; and when they aren't, my whole head feels as if it's going to explode. The T3's are only keeping the pain tolerable.
I've been paying attention to my frequency and volume of urination. I have indeed decreased the frequency by an average of twice per day. Additionally, the total urinary output is definitely less than just a couple of weeks ago. There have been times this past week that I feel like my bladder is full; yet when I go relieve myself, the volume is much less than expected. (No, I'm not measuring anything. Just one of those things you get used to over 48 years of life. So, when the volume is less, you notice.)
The exhaustion and my naps continue to be as excessive as ever. Even though I rarely remember my dreams, I AM dreaming; which means I'm getting lots of REM stage sleep; which also means that I am getting (or at least, I'm supposed to be getting) enough restful sleep. However, poorly oxygenated tissues, muscles and organs really don't help in maintaining any energy. (Ahh the travails of organ failure and blood full of toxins...what fun!) (sarcasm noted.)
Anyhow, that's all. I'll keep you updated.
Good Health to All!
ScottW
Monday, May 30, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
25 May 2011
Here's the latest news on the kidney disease front...
*Kidney Function 18.2% (a slight 0.6% bump...NOT unexpected)
*Weight 260 lbs (a drop of 6 lbs)
*NA+ 141 (NR 135-148)
*K+ 4.4 (NR 3.5-5.5) Unchanged
*Glucose 97 (NR 65-109) Decrease of 1
*BUN 42.0 (NR 5-26) Increase of 3
*Creatinine 3.8 (NR 0.5-1.5) Decrease of 0.1
*Calcium 9.8 (NR 8.5-10.6) Decrease of 0.3
*WBC's 5.53 (NR 4.5-11) Increase of 0.45
*RBC's 4.03 (NR 4.7-6.1) Increase of 0.08
*Hematocrit 32.9 (NR 42-52) Increase of 0.7
*Also, the continues to be zero indication of diabetes, liver impairment, cardiopulmonary edema, etc. Everything STILL remains solely about the PCKD...What a relief!
*Blue indicates improvement/Red indicates decline
So basically, in spite of how bad I've been feeling, I have actually stayed steady over the course of the last 30 days.
However, my doc also stated that they way I've been feeling will only get worse as organ failure increases. So, we again discussed both the major and minor S/S's indicating the need for immediate dialysis, or impending organ failure.
So, that's the latest. The really good news here is that there is still time for the AV Fistula to strengthen and mature; so, the possible need for a surgical shunt diminishes with each passing week. I'll gladly accept THAT news!
Keep Smiling Everyone!
Good Health To All!
ScottW
*Kidney Function 18.2% (a slight 0.6% bump...NOT unexpected)
*Weight 260 lbs (a drop of 6 lbs)
*NA+ 141 (NR 135-148)
*K+ 4.4 (NR 3.5-5.5) Unchanged
*Glucose 97 (NR 65-109) Decrease of 1
*BUN 42.0 (NR 5-26) Increase of 3
*Creatinine 3.8 (NR 0.5-1.5) Decrease of 0.1
*Calcium 9.8 (NR 8.5-10.6) Decrease of 0.3
*WBC's 5.53 (NR 4.5-11) Increase of 0.45
*RBC's 4.03 (NR 4.7-6.1) Increase of 0.08
*Hematocrit 32.9 (NR 42-52) Increase of 0.7
*Also, the continues to be zero indication of diabetes, liver impairment, cardiopulmonary edema, etc. Everything STILL remains solely about the PCKD...What a relief!
*Blue indicates improvement/Red indicates decline
So basically, in spite of how bad I've been feeling, I have actually stayed steady over the course of the last 30 days.
However, my doc also stated that they way I've been feeling will only get worse as organ failure increases. So, we again discussed both the major and minor S/S's indicating the need for immediate dialysis, or impending organ failure.
So, that's the latest. The really good news here is that there is still time for the AV Fistula to strengthen and mature; so, the possible need for a surgical shunt diminishes with each passing week. I'll gladly accept THAT news!
Keep Smiling Everyone!
Good Health To All!
ScottW
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
24 May 2011
I sure am glad I took the time to research the progression of this disease and its common S/S's.
That knowledge is really helping me maintain my positive outlook because I am not depressed...wondering what is going on, how long it will last, how much worse it could get, etc. Every day that goes by is just another day closer to dialysis and transplant. By looking towards both, I continue to maintain mental strength, positive thinking and hope that all will be well. Having my mind in a good place is also vital to my overall health. My experience as a paramedic taught me much about the correlation between a positive mind and a healthy body. So, in spite of what my kidneys are doing, the rest of my body remains healthy.
State of Mind = State of Body = State of Spirit.
I firmly, adamantly believe in this tie-in. I have to; because otherwise, I would have no hope and would likely fall into despair. A huge part of what I am going through is mental. The mind and the body are inseparably joined in this fight. Where one is weak, the other will help us stand. As I endure the progression of this disease I see that correlation every day. Some days my body will be feeling terrible, but my mind will bolster the body and getting through the day is made easier. And so it is otherwise when my mind is struggling, the body will somehow feel a bit better and ease the burden on my mind.
I'm not talking any zen master stuff. I mean a real physiologically related thing that keeps the mind and the body in balance even for anyone going through a thing such as I am now.
The reason I went into this is because the past four days have been like a punch in the gut. My exhaustion has reached a new low and every day has seemed harder than the last. My average nap the last four days has been four hours long. And this following 7-8 hours sleep. As before, upon waking from either sleep or a nap, I am just as exhausted as before sleeping.
Plus, the edema in my legs as not retreated one bit. If anything, it has gotten worse. My ankles and feet are just ugly to look at and are painful when I walk. As far as my appetite, Today I have had no snacks and just one small sandwich and a few chips. That's it. Even my liquid consumption is down to around 45 ounces per day. I really do try to be sure I drink enough; but a lot of the liquids I take in are obviously going to the interstitial spaces as edema.
Nausea has increased overall and I am taking at least one small dose of Promethazine every day. Most days I am taking the anti-emetic as needed throughout the entire day. On top of that, my headache remains constant and extremely painful. On top of even that, I think my body is fighting a cold so I feel worse than normal. (ugh!)
On a positive note, the flaking skin on my face (in the beard area) and above my R ear has seemingly been brought under control. The combination of scrubbing my face plus using Selsun Blue (shampooo) with the ingredient Selenium Sulfide is working...so far. For now there are no more showers of dry skin cells falling off my chin when I scratch the area; no more shirts covered with what is, for all intents and purposes, dandruff. Yay!!!! :o)
Remnember what I said earlier...small victories! Any time I can get one, I will gladly accept it!
And all of this ties back into the positive mindset I currently enjoy. In spite of the exhaustion, the nausea, the malaise and just feeling terrible, because my mind is strong, positive and forward-thinking, I am actually doing OK. Don't get me wrong...going through this sucks! But with my ability to understand the process and to keep my mind in a strong, positive place, I am able to continue to keep away from hopeless, despair and depression. Thank Goodness for that blessing!!!
My next nephrology appointment is Wednesday (25 May). I'll update you with the very latest sometime afterwards--likely late afternoon.
Good Health to All!
ScottW
That knowledge is really helping me maintain my positive outlook because I am not depressed...wondering what is going on, how long it will last, how much worse it could get, etc. Every day that goes by is just another day closer to dialysis and transplant. By looking towards both, I continue to maintain mental strength, positive thinking and hope that all will be well. Having my mind in a good place is also vital to my overall health. My experience as a paramedic taught me much about the correlation between a positive mind and a healthy body. So, in spite of what my kidneys are doing, the rest of my body remains healthy.
State of Mind = State of Body = State of Spirit.
I firmly, adamantly believe in this tie-in. I have to; because otherwise, I would have no hope and would likely fall into despair. A huge part of what I am going through is mental. The mind and the body are inseparably joined in this fight. Where one is weak, the other will help us stand. As I endure the progression of this disease I see that correlation every day. Some days my body will be feeling terrible, but my mind will bolster the body and getting through the day is made easier. And so it is otherwise when my mind is struggling, the body will somehow feel a bit better and ease the burden on my mind.
I'm not talking any zen master stuff. I mean a real physiologically related thing that keeps the mind and the body in balance even for anyone going through a thing such as I am now.
The reason I went into this is because the past four days have been like a punch in the gut. My exhaustion has reached a new low and every day has seemed harder than the last. My average nap the last four days has been four hours long. And this following 7-8 hours sleep. As before, upon waking from either sleep or a nap, I am just as exhausted as before sleeping.
Plus, the edema in my legs as not retreated one bit. If anything, it has gotten worse. My ankles and feet are just ugly to look at and are painful when I walk. As far as my appetite, Today I have had no snacks and just one small sandwich and a few chips. That's it. Even my liquid consumption is down to around 45 ounces per day. I really do try to be sure I drink enough; but a lot of the liquids I take in are obviously going to the interstitial spaces as edema.
Nausea has increased overall and I am taking at least one small dose of Promethazine every day. Most days I am taking the anti-emetic as needed throughout the entire day. On top of that, my headache remains constant and extremely painful. On top of even that, I think my body is fighting a cold so I feel worse than normal. (ugh!)
On a positive note, the flaking skin on my face (in the beard area) and above my R ear has seemingly been brought under control. The combination of scrubbing my face plus using Selsun Blue (shampooo) with the ingredient Selenium Sulfide is working...so far. For now there are no more showers of dry skin cells falling off my chin when I scratch the area; no more shirts covered with what is, for all intents and purposes, dandruff. Yay!!!! :o)
Remnember what I said earlier...small victories! Any time I can get one, I will gladly accept it!
And all of this ties back into the positive mindset I currently enjoy. In spite of the exhaustion, the nausea, the malaise and just feeling terrible, because my mind is strong, positive and forward-thinking, I am actually doing OK. Don't get me wrong...going through this sucks! But with my ability to understand the process and to keep my mind in a strong, positive place, I am able to continue to keep away from hopeless, despair and depression. Thank Goodness for that blessing!!!
My next nephrology appointment is Wednesday (25 May). I'll update you with the very latest sometime afterwards--likely late afternoon.
Good Health to All!
ScottW
Thursday, May 19, 2011
19 May 2011
More of the same; and without a break.
That's really about the only way to describe the week up to this point. I awaken every day with my head just rockin. Nothing like downing a T3 as soon as you get up. (insert sarcasm...) In spite of my periods of increased T3 usage, I am still averaging just 3.33 pills per day over the last month. Considering how my head feels all the time, I am a bit surprised that I am only taking that much.
The nausea has been relentless. On Tuesday night it hit me really hard out of nowhjere. I had to take a full dose in order to get it under control. While I waited [for that], I seriously thought I was going to have me second emetic episode; I got that close. I really do hate feeling like that; and even taking the Promethazine only alleviates the nausea. My gut is left tied in knots the rest of the day, and my body feels like poo. (sigh!)
The edema has seemingly increased to the point that I'm noticing a slight drop-off in the frequency of my urination. I'd guess it to be a 10% difference than a week or so ago. Additionally, the total volume has also seemed to be slightly less about 50% of the time. Given how my legs and hands are looking, I shouldn't be surprised. This is going on in spite of the diuretic I take on a daily basis. I'm also seeing a lots of what looks like bruising around both of my ankles (both sides). I'm sure this has something to do with edemic pressure on capillaries in the area. I'll report this to my doc next week.
My appetite is still terrible. For instance, today I've had nothing to eat; nor have I been hungry--and I've been awake for eight hours [at this point]. I also haven't been thirsty, and have drunk only around 20 oz. of fluids.
Exhaustion is now my constant companion. I usually sleep restlessly. On the occasion I sleep well and get say nine hours of sleep, I am still waking feeling like I've been awake for a day and have yet to sleep. This week my naps have run a steady 2.5 hours each at least once a day. These too leave me as exhausted as ever. Whether I take these naps in bed or in my recliner, the result is always the same.
I'll be doing labs tomorrow in preparation for next Wednesday's (25 May) monthly nephrology appointment. Based on how I've been feeling, I'm anticipating another drop. We'll see. I've thought that way before only to see a non-drop or even a rise in kidney function.
That's all I can think of right now, so I'll be on my way.
Good Health to All!
ScottW
That's really about the only way to describe the week up to this point. I awaken every day with my head just rockin. Nothing like downing a T3 as soon as you get up. (insert sarcasm...) In spite of my periods of increased T3 usage, I am still averaging just 3.33 pills per day over the last month. Considering how my head feels all the time, I am a bit surprised that I am only taking that much.
The nausea has been relentless. On Tuesday night it hit me really hard out of nowhjere. I had to take a full dose in order to get it under control. While I waited [for that], I seriously thought I was going to have me second emetic episode; I got that close. I really do hate feeling like that; and even taking the Promethazine only alleviates the nausea. My gut is left tied in knots the rest of the day, and my body feels like poo. (sigh!)
The edema has seemingly increased to the point that I'm noticing a slight drop-off in the frequency of my urination. I'd guess it to be a 10% difference than a week or so ago. Additionally, the total volume has also seemed to be slightly less about 50% of the time. Given how my legs and hands are looking, I shouldn't be surprised. This is going on in spite of the diuretic I take on a daily basis. I'm also seeing a lots of what looks like bruising around both of my ankles (both sides). I'm sure this has something to do with edemic pressure on capillaries in the area. I'll report this to my doc next week.
My appetite is still terrible. For instance, today I've had nothing to eat; nor have I been hungry--and I've been awake for eight hours [at this point]. I also haven't been thirsty, and have drunk only around 20 oz. of fluids.
Exhaustion is now my constant companion. I usually sleep restlessly. On the occasion I sleep well and get say nine hours of sleep, I am still waking feeling like I've been awake for a day and have yet to sleep. This week my naps have run a steady 2.5 hours each at least once a day. These too leave me as exhausted as ever. Whether I take these naps in bed or in my recliner, the result is always the same.
I'll be doing labs tomorrow in preparation for next Wednesday's (25 May) monthly nephrology appointment. Based on how I've been feeling, I'm anticipating another drop. We'll see. I've thought that way before only to see a non-drop or even a rise in kidney function.
That's all I can think of right now, so I'll be on my way.
Good Health to All!
ScottW
Sunday, May 15, 2011
15 May2011
There has been no let up in the S/S's over the last five days.
The only real difference is that I am eating a bit more that I have over the previous few weeks. It's not much of an increase, mind you, and I'm eating almost zero snacks throughout the day; but it is an increase from about 1.5 cups to two whole cups in total.
Otherwise,everything continues. The headache remains barely under control. My average daily use of T3's is just a fraction over 3. Considering how my head feels all of the time, taking just three per day is noteworthy.
The vertigo on waking comes and goes. I will still be telling my doc about it on my next visit. Also, my sleep has been poor the last few days. I'm not sleeping more than five hours at a stretch. I then end up taking multiple long or short naps each day.as reported earlier, all the sleep and naps do nothing to help me feel rested. Considering my kidney function, and the lack of proper filtering of my blood, I probably shouldn't be surprised.
The flaking skin seems to be doing a bit better with using the Selsun Blue (with Selenium Sulfide). It may take a while to go away--if it ever does--but hopefully, it will get under control. Otherwise I'll be wearing only lite colored shirts all the time just to hide the damned flakes all over my chest and shoulders!
My abdomen has been full of that yucky feeling every day this week. It would seem that there is no escaping that feeling.
The edema in my legs remains in its now usual cycle--good...bad...worse...better...worse...etc. Right now I register the following results on my legs and feet:
L Foot +3 Color, +12 Rebound
L Ankle +3 Color, +20 Rebound
L Leg (Lower) +2 Color, +15 Rebound
L Leg (Mid) +2 Color, +10 Rebound
R Foot +3 Color, +13 Rebound
R Ankle +3 Color, +20+ Rebound
R Leg (Lower) +3 Color, +15 Rebound
R Leg (Mid) +2 Color, +12 Rebound
Additionally, I've got signs of edema in my upper thighs as well, and in my wrists, hands and fingers.
As previously, the longer I feel terrible the worse my near-sight becomes. I am wearing my reading glasses almost all the time I am on my computer now, sitting in front of the 23" screen.But again, as the S/S's ease up, so too does my near-sight improve.
That's all I can think of. I'm exhausted and my brain is slowing down. So, I'll be on my way.
Good Health to All!
ScottW
The only real difference is that I am eating a bit more that I have over the previous few weeks. It's not much of an increase, mind you, and I'm eating almost zero snacks throughout the day; but it is an increase from about 1.5 cups to two whole cups in total.
Otherwise,everything continues. The headache remains barely under control. My average daily use of T3's is just a fraction over 3. Considering how my head feels all of the time, taking just three per day is noteworthy.
The vertigo on waking comes and goes. I will still be telling my doc about it on my next visit. Also, my sleep has been poor the last few days. I'm not sleeping more than five hours at a stretch. I then end up taking multiple long or short naps each day.as reported earlier, all the sleep and naps do nothing to help me feel rested. Considering my kidney function, and the lack of proper filtering of my blood, I probably shouldn't be surprised.
The flaking skin seems to be doing a bit better with using the Selsun Blue (with Selenium Sulfide). It may take a while to go away--if it ever does--but hopefully, it will get under control. Otherwise I'll be wearing only lite colored shirts all the time just to hide the damned flakes all over my chest and shoulders!
My abdomen has been full of that yucky feeling every day this week. It would seem that there is no escaping that feeling.
The edema in my legs remains in its now usual cycle--good...bad...worse...better...worse...etc. Right now I register the following results on my legs and feet:
L Foot +3 Color, +12 Rebound
L Ankle +3 Color, +20 Rebound
L Leg (Lower) +2 Color, +15 Rebound
L Leg (Mid) +2 Color, +10 Rebound
R Foot +3 Color, +13 Rebound
R Ankle +3 Color, +20+ Rebound
R Leg (Lower) +3 Color, +15 Rebound
R Leg (Mid) +2 Color, +12 Rebound
Additionally, I've got signs of edema in my upper thighs as well, and in my wrists, hands and fingers.
As previously, the longer I feel terrible the worse my near-sight becomes. I am wearing my reading glasses almost all the time I am on my computer now, sitting in front of the 23" screen.But again, as the S/S's ease up, so too does my near-sight improve.
That's all I can think of. I'm exhausted and my brain is slowing down. So, I'll be on my way.
Good Health to All!
ScottW
Monday, May 9, 2011
09 May 2011
The small break is definitely a distant memory.
Saturday started out the same as Friday--increasing headache, edema, etc. By the evening I was feeling terrible. My gut felt worse than ever, I was so thoroughly exhausted that I slept for four hours after being awake for five, the edema increased again in my legs, and I literally just sat still in my recliner just to not perpetuate how I was feeling [by moving]. The only good news was that earlier I ate about 1.5 cups of food--the only food intake all day. Then, in spite of my earlier sleep, I was in bed and sleeping again by 2A.
Yesterday (Sunday) I awoke feeling the same. It stayed with me all day. I ate all of two small cinnamon rolls, and three small egg rolls over the course of the day. No snacks. I took two more naps of nearly three hours each. As the day wore on, all of my normal S/S's were present. The break seems like a distant memory; but at least I had one before going into this latest round of nastiness.
I had something new show up on Saturday. As I was awaking from my four hour nap, I was overcome by intense vertigo. I'm talking seeing the room and everything in it spinning and wobbling rapidly. I closed my eyes and it even continued! So I opened my eyes, and sat up as quickly as I could, grabbed the arms of the recliner and held on until it stopped. It left me nauseated for hours afterward. The same thing happened when I awoke in my bed on Sunday morning, then again after awaking from both naps. NOT fun! The vertigo wasn't present when I awoke today--thank goodness! If it continues, I'll be calling my doc. As far as a cause, I have no idea. I'm not doing anything different, not taking any new meds, etc. It simply happened. My initial thought is that it is a new S/S of the advancing disease; though that thought has certainly not been confirmed by my doc.
I may have found a solution to all the skin flaking on my face and scalp. I mention the problem to my doctor [on my last visit] and he suggested Selsun Blue shampoo. Specifically, the formula with selenium sulfide. So, I bought some last week. After trying it once I am pleased to report that the flaking was less than previously experienced. I used it again today; so we'll see what happens long term. Also, I remember my mom, who also had advanced kidney disease, as having lots of dandruff as her kidneys worsened. I'm thinking it might be a common issue with advanced PCKD patients. I don't know if the flaking is caused by the meds, the disease, or something else...I just know I have it and it's getting worse as I get sicker. Any confirmation out there?
Also, I continue to exercise the AV Fistula. I can't see the vein yet, but expect that I will very soon. As far as the surgery site, it seems to be healed, but I still have pain when lifting most things. As with any pain, it worsens the more I use it. So, when I feel pain, I let the arm rest. Like any surgery or injury healing, that's just the process that has to happen.
Anyhow, that's all for today. Looking forward to a bit better few days ahead.
Good Health to All!
ScottW
Saturday started out the same as Friday--increasing headache, edema, etc. By the evening I was feeling terrible. My gut felt worse than ever, I was so thoroughly exhausted that I slept for four hours after being awake for five, the edema increased again in my legs, and I literally just sat still in my recliner just to not perpetuate how I was feeling [by moving]. The only good news was that earlier I ate about 1.5 cups of food--the only food intake all day. Then, in spite of my earlier sleep, I was in bed and sleeping again by 2A.
Yesterday (Sunday) I awoke feeling the same. It stayed with me all day. I ate all of two small cinnamon rolls, and three small egg rolls over the course of the day. No snacks. I took two more naps of nearly three hours each. As the day wore on, all of my normal S/S's were present. The break seems like a distant memory; but at least I had one before going into this latest round of nastiness.
I had something new show up on Saturday. As I was awaking from my four hour nap, I was overcome by intense vertigo. I'm talking seeing the room and everything in it spinning and wobbling rapidly. I closed my eyes and it even continued! So I opened my eyes, and sat up as quickly as I could, grabbed the arms of the recliner and held on until it stopped. It left me nauseated for hours afterward. The same thing happened when I awoke in my bed on Sunday morning, then again after awaking from both naps. NOT fun! The vertigo wasn't present when I awoke today--thank goodness! If it continues, I'll be calling my doc. As far as a cause, I have no idea. I'm not doing anything different, not taking any new meds, etc. It simply happened. My initial thought is that it is a new S/S of the advancing disease; though that thought has certainly not been confirmed by my doc.
I may have found a solution to all the skin flaking on my face and scalp. I mention the problem to my doctor [on my last visit] and he suggested Selsun Blue shampoo. Specifically, the formula with selenium sulfide. So, I bought some last week. After trying it once I am pleased to report that the flaking was less than previously experienced. I used it again today; so we'll see what happens long term. Also, I remember my mom, who also had advanced kidney disease, as having lots of dandruff as her kidneys worsened. I'm thinking it might be a common issue with advanced PCKD patients. I don't know if the flaking is caused by the meds, the disease, or something else...I just know I have it and it's getting worse as I get sicker. Any confirmation out there?
Also, I continue to exercise the AV Fistula. I can't see the vein yet, but expect that I will very soon. As far as the surgery site, it seems to be healed, but I still have pain when lifting most things. As with any pain, it worsens the more I use it. So, when I feel pain, I let the arm rest. Like any surgery or injury healing, that's just the process that has to happen.
Anyhow, that's all for today. Looking forward to a bit better few days ahead.
Good Health to All!
ScottW
Friday, May 6, 2011
06 May2011
Well, the break continued through Tuesday.
That meant I had two days of feeling a bit better. Any time I can get a few precious hours of [relative] relief, I will certainly take it and not complain one bit! :o)
On Wednesday however, things started back to all too familiar territory. My headache--which never went down more than a point--continues. All day Wednesday (and Thursday) it was only just under control. I had to take more T3's than usual to keep it in check. And No, there were zero TMD symptoms within the headache.
As Wednesday rolled on that yucky feeling in my abdomen grew to almost overwhelming. It made me miserable. Because of it I ate less than a single cup of food all day. I had two small snacks and no other food the entire day.
Luckily, the mid-back pain over my kidneys has been fairly quiet. I'll not complain about that!
Thursday was slightly better than Wednesday, but only because I actually ate a small meal. It totaled about 1.5 cups; but was the only thing I ate all day--no snacks whatsoever.
Also, the other S/S's began returning to their pre-break levels. The edema increased about 10%; my gut continued to feel awful; the nausea increased slightly, etc.
All in all the break was very welcomed. Not only does it rest my body a bit, it also rests my mind.
Not a terrible few days. :o)
Good Health to All!
ScottW
That meant I had two days of feeling a bit better. Any time I can get a few precious hours of [relative] relief, I will certainly take it and not complain one bit! :o)
On Wednesday however, things started back to all too familiar territory. My headache--which never went down more than a point--continues. All day Wednesday (and Thursday) it was only just under control. I had to take more T3's than usual to keep it in check. And No, there were zero TMD symptoms within the headache.
As Wednesday rolled on that yucky feeling in my abdomen grew to almost overwhelming. It made me miserable. Because of it I ate less than a single cup of food all day. I had two small snacks and no other food the entire day.
Luckily, the mid-back pain over my kidneys has been fairly quiet. I'll not complain about that!
Thursday was slightly better than Wednesday, but only because I actually ate a small meal. It totaled about 1.5 cups; but was the only thing I ate all day--no snacks whatsoever.
Also, the other S/S's began returning to their pre-break levels. The edema increased about 10%; my gut continued to feel awful; the nausea increased slightly, etc.
All in all the break was very welcomed. Not only does it rest my body a bit, it also rests my mind.
Not a terrible few days. :o)
Good Health to All!
ScottW
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
02 May 2011
A teeny break!
After the terrible number of days, I get what is very likely a small break.
Sunday was awful...just as the previous week or so. My head was raging, I felt terrible all over, my feet were huge and painful, and I ate very little all day. Like I said--just like the previous week.
Today was slightly better. Though the headache is still out of control, my body aches and general feeling have improved about ten percent. Plus, the edema in my feet is down by around 30%. However, the pain in my feet remains; plus, I am now having pain in my thighs when walking. This is new, but not unexpected as the edema worsens systemically.
Unfortunately, I remain as exhausted as ever, and my sleep is incredibly bad. This in spite of sleeping over eleven hours between Saturday night and all day Sunday [prior to sleeping Sunday night--which I still did by 0100a!].
My appetite is unchanged. Today I ate all of about one cup in total--including snacks! I was all set for eating my one meal of the day, started on it, and my body just sorta went 'blech!" So I forced myself to eat about three fourths of a cup before I just couldn't even think about taking another bite without cringing. It's the first time I recall this happening. Hopefully it will only happen once in a while. At the same time (and as I've stated earlier), my snacking has decreased dramatically. I try every day to snack a little more; but I am simply not hungry.
I continue to properly exercise my AV Fistula. I can't see any difference yet; though that might be weeks away. I'll keep plugging along with my three times per day for three minutes each.
That's all. With just two days to report I don't have much to tell you.
Good Health to All!
ScottW
After the terrible number of days, I get what is very likely a small break.
Sunday was awful...just as the previous week or so. My head was raging, I felt terrible all over, my feet were huge and painful, and I ate very little all day. Like I said--just like the previous week.
Today was slightly better. Though the headache is still out of control, my body aches and general feeling have improved about ten percent. Plus, the edema in my feet is down by around 30%. However, the pain in my feet remains; plus, I am now having pain in my thighs when walking. This is new, but not unexpected as the edema worsens systemically.
Unfortunately, I remain as exhausted as ever, and my sleep is incredibly bad. This in spite of sleeping over eleven hours between Saturday night and all day Sunday [prior to sleeping Sunday night--which I still did by 0100a!].
My appetite is unchanged. Today I ate all of about one cup in total--including snacks! I was all set for eating my one meal of the day, started on it, and my body just sorta went 'blech!" So I forced myself to eat about three fourths of a cup before I just couldn't even think about taking another bite without cringing. It's the first time I recall this happening. Hopefully it will only happen once in a while. At the same time (and as I've stated earlier), my snacking has decreased dramatically. I try every day to snack a little more; but I am simply not hungry.
I continue to properly exercise my AV Fistula. I can't see any difference yet; though that might be weeks away. I'll keep plugging along with my three times per day for three minutes each.
That's all. With just two days to report I don't have much to tell you.
Good Health to All!
ScottW
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