Well I called it... I put it out to the universe that I needed to stay healthy - like that term really means anything with regard to me. I feel like I'm in a holding pattern of stability - ill but not seriously so.
Last week I had to get paperwork to my family Dr so that I could start the process to go back to work. But work needed the Dr to fill out the forms and so I had to go see him. I was up til really late (~4am) and I noticed what I thought were hives - 2 of them - n my chest. Midline and slightly lower than the left sternal notch. I didn't think much of them - they were kinda burning and so I put some hydrocortisone on it and took a couple of benedryl and went to bed. When I went into the Dr's the next day (~3pm) we were about to wrap things up and I made the remark to him "hey, can you take a look at these, they're kinda burning - I thought that they were hives but what do you think"
His response - ya you have SHINGLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So for those layman folk out there, that's the chicken pox virus that rears it's ugly head when you're older - as in mostly those who are ELDERLY!!! I realise that I got it because my immunity isn't what it's supposed to be, but geeeeeeze I feel like I finally get up on my feet and then get knocked down again.
I couldn't believe it and I had no filter at the time and said "are you fucking KIDDDING me?!!!!!"
Ya, he wasn't. To which he replied that that meant that I wasn't going to be going to work as planned. So he filled out my paperwork and off I go to give the pharmacy the script for antiviral meds & cream. I get there about 4:30 and tell them I'll be back to pick it up.
Well the pharmacy ppl didn't bother to say ANYTHING to me about the fact that they were closing in 30 min - b/c of the fact that it was actually a holiday here. Grrrrrr - I was rather irritated and hubby said that he would pick it up first thing in the morning after his night shift. Well I ended up being awake all night (doing that paper I told u guys about) and so I went with him to get the med - complained to the manager there that I should have been notified at least considering what kind of med it was for!
Anyways - so I take the first dose and put the cream on - OMG that cream was awesome! Totally took away the burning feeling!
So because it was now after the holiday weekend, Dr's were back in offices and so I figured that I would call the surgeon.... the one who said that I would have surgery by the end of May!!!!!! I got a hold of them immediately and they indicated that they were waiting on MRI reports that they had requested (which I completely understand that they needed) - but these were requested in FEBRUARY!!!!! So I tried to be VERY nice to the receptionist and was more than frustrated. I inquired as to why I hadn't been put on the schedule once they received them and she bypassed this with offering me the next available time slot - just over a week away.
Ok, sign me up!!! But I also told the receptionist that she needed to let the surgeon know that I was diagnosed with shingles and told her what medication I was on (I knew the surgeon would want to know) and left it at that. Wellllllllll..... it turns out that the surgeon didn't want me on the table that soon after having them and now I have to have it on the 24th - the day AFTER my LAST semester begins. UGGGGGHHHHHHH
I realize I need this surgery, hopefully it can be done in one fell swoop and I'll be good to go after that. Unfortunately, knowing my luck, I'll have to wait another six wks after this surgery to have the actual surgery to make everything right. Not encouraging!
I also called the immunologist office b/c I'm sick of being sick. I inquired about blood work and whether the receptionist can get the Dr to fax a requisition to my family Dr and hopefully I can get the necessary blood work done so when I see him he'll see just how crappy my immune system is and POSSIBLY he might actually do something about it! At this point, if he doesn't I'm going to ask for a second opinion b/c I think with everything I've been dealing with this past year, I need all the help I can get and if a Dr isn't going to help me, I need to find one that is!!!
So..... just as I was ready to go back to work, I develop shingles which delays things and then I find out that in the 3rd wk of the month I'll have surgery..... so at this point I have no hope of getting back to work until the middle of september I figure - and that's IF I don't have to have more surgery. Like I said, my life is ever far from boring!
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