tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18666550108578115842024-03-04T23:58:47.733-08:00The Interesting PatientRenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-70343481881515626352011-12-13T14:29:00.000-08:002011-12-13T14:29:01.368-08:00Follow up to my 2 Year VisitSo...last Thursday the 8th...a week after I had my follow up visit with Dr. Nan, she called to say that my blood work does not look all that great. My CRP (C-Reactive Protein) is out of whack. Normal is less than 5 and mine is 46. It indicates inflammation...somewhere. Could it be that since I had 2/3 of my stomach cut off (I had a vertical sleeve gastrectomy on Nov 16. You can read about that at <a href="http://www.wakemeupwhenimthin.blogspot.com/">www.wakemeupwhenimthin.blogspot.com</a>) that I'm having inflammatory issues???? I think so. Also, after two years of NEGATIVE ANA tests all of a sudden I get a positive test. What the heck? How does that happen? Can it happen? Could someone else's name have been put on my little vials of blood?<br />
<br />
Soooo...today I went to have another blood draw to see if the levels are coming down, still the same etc. I am praying that everything is going to go back to where it came from. I DO NOT want to go back on any more medication than I have to. I certainly don't want to start steroids again. <br />
<br />
In a few days we'll see what they say.Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-31701072561186682742011-12-13T14:20:00.002-08:002011-12-13T14:29:42.537-08:00February 19, 2010 Couldn't figure out how to put this post and the following one at the beginning....so...this is from last year. <br />
<br />
Things change day by day. <br />
<br />
Today even after receiving all of the blood products yesterday my hematologist came in first thing this morning to say that things didn't really change from taking all that stuff. My ability to clot is a <br />
REAL problem. They explained to me that I could literally bleed to death if I started and it got out of control. <br />
<br />
It's very scary. <br />
<br />
I was also supposed to get a new IV line today but because I will probably be here for at least another week and that my veins are blown the decision was made to put in a PICC line. Here is what mine looks like and here is an explaination of what it does... http://picclinenursing.com/picc_why.html <br />
<br />
It was pretty cool to have it done. The gal came in and basically set up my room like an O.R. and was done within about 30 minutes. It will be GREAT not to have to be stuck every time they need blood. <br />
<br />
Tonight I had scary experience. I got a bloody nose that would not stop. I ended up laying back so far that I was almost sliding off the bed. It took almost 2 hours for the bleeding to stop. My heart was racing and I had a hard time breathing. <br />
<br />
While I was laying still for that Allison noticed that my PICC line was bleeding and that it had gotten on the pillow under my arm. The nurse came in and decided to change the dressig. Apparently it happens to some people but to me it almost caused me to convulse...I just kept laying there thinking I was going die laying on this bed with my head practically falling off the bed with a giant nose plug sticking out of my right nostril! What a sight! <br />
<br />
The nurse came in and changed the dressing and said that she pulled a clot off the PICC line that was about 3 inches long. Nice huh? <br />
<br />
I'm hoping that tonight will be better. Tomorrow I will have to get a blood transfusion and have another round of dialysis. <br />
<br />
OH....as for my face...it is now peeling like I've gotten a bad burn. I wondered if I should blog about my illness like Nie Nie does about her burn experience. I thought about callling it "In Sickness and in Health." <br />
<br />
One bright spot in my day was receiving a beautiful flower arrangement from my friend Donna.Thank you so much they are beautifull! <br />
<br />
Keep those prayers ascending to Heaven.Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-66532298941806157542011-12-13T14:20:00.000-08:002011-12-13T14:20:12.013-08:00February 18, 2010BELOW is the first post I made regarding my illness. I can't figure out how to get it at the beginning of the blog so you'll have to read this and then go back to to the beginning of the blog. I've got one more to post from 2/19/10 and then you can read from the beginning of the blog. <br />
<br />
<br />
I was admitted to Dallas Presbyterian hospital on Monday 1/15 suffering from vomiting and then the discovery that I was in renal failure. This hospital was the closest one with a dialysis center in the hospital. It's been blessing for me to be here...the doctors are wonderful and thorough and caring. <br />
<br />
On Tuesday when my creatinin levels didn't come down it was decided that I needed to have a temporary port put in so that I could do dialysis as soon as possible. I was in the procedure for that by 9:30 a.m. and had my first dialysis from 1-3. <br />
<br />
Erik was supposed to leave for a business conference in San Diego Monday and I encouraged him to go...that I'd be fine and he would be back a few days anyway. When he left I was just dealing with the vomiting and by the time he landed at noon our time I was in acute renal failure and being transferred in an ambulance from one hospital to another. He made the decision to leave San Diego and fly back to me that night which he did. He got in around 11:30 pm after having been up since 3:30 taking me to the <br />
ER in the morning. How I love this man! <br />
<br />
My initial dialysis made me feel a lot better and my kidneys put out a lot of urine...which they had not been doing. We were all hopeful that this would just be a short battle. I've had 2 more sessions including todays. Today was a little rough though. <br />
<br />
I have a new complicaton unrelated to the kidney issue. It's a blood disorder called D.I.C. It's a clotting problem that can be caused by a variety of things, one of which is this autoimmune problem that I have. You can read about the illness here....http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec14/ch173/ch173h.html <br />
<br />
Today I had 4 units of fresh frozen plasma, fibren and platelets. It kind of made me fee crummy. <br />
<br />
On top of that I am also dealing with an allergic reaction to Bactrim. It's caused me to look like the Crypt Keeper. My facial skn is so dry and tight that sometimes I cannot open my eyes and mouth. I look like someone has poured glue on my face and let it dry. NOT pretty. It's a shocking sight to most people who deal with me. I now have a picture of myself as my wallpaper on my cell so that I can show people the "real" me. You know it's bad when your Hematologist says.."Oh my...look at our face!" first thing in the morning! <br />
<br />
I'm hoping for good news tomorrow but realize that this is going to be a process. They are telling me to expect to be in the hospital through next week. <br />
<br />
Thank you all for your love and prayers! You'll never know how each little note brightens my day. I am humbled to know that so many people love and care about me. I'll try to keep the notes up to date as well as my status.Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-33392188102902531562011-12-03T17:58:00.000-08:002011-12-03T17:58:22.296-08:00Two Years Out<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwKmEDk9JRcYFxKS1fBSMLm8qTSW7qrok6jVwZbGdNq_AOcBEdC40YCcNRNvxtIxgF09k0EUUjEADaz5CEgu-JQFFMirRRgVHtQjb3k6RaND0FErOdaTZhMl1SdU66WGUYblcsY0GlQdh/s1600/no-drugs.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwKmEDk9JRcYFxKS1fBSMLm8qTSW7qrok6jVwZbGdNq_AOcBEdC40YCcNRNvxtIxgF09k0EUUjEADaz5CEgu-JQFFMirRRgVHtQjb3k6RaND0FErOdaTZhMl1SdU66WGUYblcsY0GlQdh/s320/no-drugs.gif" width="320" /></a></div>I had what amounts to my 2 year check up with my rheumatologist. Back in August when I saw her I had been off of my Plaquenil for a few weeks and was doing great. She wasn't too happy about me being off the medication and recommended that I go back on the medication since we didn't have a diagnosis and she didn't want me to relapse.<br />
<br />
So I started taking the medication again for about 2 weeks. At that time I noticed that my eyesight went from being "normal" for me without glasses to being pretty foggy with or without my glasses. So I decided to stop taking the meds. I have had NO problems since then. I've had 2 surgeries and have managed to not experience any joint pain, muscle pain, no rashes or fever etc. I feel good about the decision NOT to take the medication.<br />
<br />
My check up was scheduled for December 1 and my husband thought I should just cancel it but I went anyway. Of course the doctor asked me if I was taking the meds and I told her I wasn't. I told her about my experience with my eyesight and she tried to play that down telling me that only after people had taken the medication for 10 or more years did they have problems with their retinas and such. I told her that I didn't want to go back on the medication regardless.<br />
<br />
She feels that because I am "undiagnosed" that I should remain on all this stuff for another 6 months to make sure I'm not going to get sick again. This may come back to bite me in the butt, but I'm just not convinced that I NEED to take medication for something that is undiagnosed "just in case". So she advised me that I needed to call her right away if I had an unexplained fever or rash. I assured her that I would and let's face it...I'm not all that stupid! I'm not going to let it get out of control.<br />
<br />
A few weeks ago I looked down at my arm and thought I had a rash and honestly my heart sank and I thought..."OH NO!" It turned out NOT to be a rash at all but the impressions of my sweater on my arm! So anyway...if I notice any of those things I will call her. In the mean time...Just Say No to Drugs!Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-47256705305142573652011-07-25T10:17:00.000-07:002011-07-25T10:17:20.122-07:00Giant Cell what?.....Giant cell tumor of the tendon sheath. That's what the doctor thinks I might have on my left index finger. (that's "Pointer" for those of you who sang "Where is Pinkie"?)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEhHduT8UcDM_oeGtY_KtluW_AlGLGFrt9E-GM1MHNRDc-ZrPsYPH_pDZmCv4EIyO00RfkKr_17g_VtIVSC6_EIUXThRwbmyVgLLQ1dxeo3xxf9Kil9waVAwazlHHlc6DyPZcEorh4kd8-/s1600/nodule.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEhHduT8UcDM_oeGtY_KtluW_AlGLGFrt9E-GM1MHNRDc-ZrPsYPH_pDZmCv4EIyO00RfkKr_17g_VtIVSC6_EIUXThRwbmyVgLLQ1dxeo3xxf9Kil9waVAwazlHHlc6DyPZcEorh4kd8-/s320/nodule.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is not my finger but it's representative of what it looks like.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
Pretty soon after I had began this odyssey with my health I got a lump near my knuckle on my left index finger. At first it was small but now it's like the size of a peanut. I finally went to the hand surgeon today to get it looked at.<br />
<br />
There is also a possibility that this "mass" is a rheumatoid nodule. He said that given my history he would not be surprised to find out that after the "mass" is biopsied we find that it has been caused by rheumatoid arthritis. He said that he has seen a lot of patients in his practice with these nodes who have gotten a negative blood test back on the R.A. but the pathology of the nodes indicates otherwise. <br />
<br />
We shall see. Tomorrow the nurse calls and we arrange for the outpatient surgery. I have to go to sleep for this. Oh boy....here we go.Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-91974590878604618332011-03-08T13:01:00.000-08:002011-03-08T13:01:54.250-08:00What in tarnation?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCarUgyJBZclaL6g__v1RqPCsSrlijLHU7tOwMtas_doRbLkdj3MH9lTvvuEngB6QWlubNGRkml8oe5Sqfuy266QHUGwaXubUif638dkjkzZXZoUTbsvkPPDfxj0ngyR0xoVCI9k5pJ2Xi/s1600/wrong-way.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCarUgyJBZclaL6g__v1RqPCsSrlijLHU7tOwMtas_doRbLkdj3MH9lTvvuEngB6QWlubNGRkml8oe5Sqfuy266QHUGwaXubUif638dkjkzZXZoUTbsvkPPDfxj0ngyR0xoVCI9k5pJ2Xi/s320/wrong-way.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
So....I had to go back to the rheumy today. For the past 3 weeks I've been having a pain in my left elbow. At first I thought maybe I'd pulled a muscle or something. Although I couldn't remember how I might have even pulled a muscle...I mean you do have to lift or exercise or something right?....I just thought maybe I did something to my left arm. I also sleep on my left side and typically my left arm goes under my pillow and head and my hand kind of hangs out between the mattress and headboard. Maybe my odd sleeping position put a strain on the joint?<br />
<br />
Anyway...it wasn't going away and in the meantime I also started developing more symptoms like REALLY swollen hands in the morning and just a couple of days ago started having bad hip pain and lower back pain.<br />
<br />
Since the CRP level was slightly elevated in January I thought it best to follow up with the doctor. So, I called yesterday and got an appointment for 12:30. Dr. Nan examined me and noticed that my knuckle joints are swollen and my fingers are red and puffy. Not a good sign.<br />
<br />
Off to the lab I went where they drew 12 vials of blood. She's repeating all of my initial labs to see if she can find out what's going on. I'm praying she can find out that my thyroid is out of whack and I need some thyroid medicine that will turn me into a Catherine Zeta-Jones body double! However, because my life is typically going in the wrong direction....<br />
<br />
Instead of this........ <br />
<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm bound to get this from all the steroids:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLDpi8pc73DvKBqFzvLoN7sR2LnIVBlosp8HLijjmpOsapUhFZBBdnSH21ibBDDLqHpbcRZE_ZbNoNgm0_3_CWHsOLi3wgnxvM6swNvZjDX_WWSrtG9SLZLCtP34uzYmv9rRSBj1GS63n/s1600/funny-fat-catherine-zeta-jones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLDpi8pc73DvKBqFzvLoN7sR2LnIVBlosp8HLijjmpOsapUhFZBBdnSH21ibBDDLqHpbcRZE_ZbNoNgm0_3_CWHsOLi3wgnxvM6swNvZjDX_WWSrtG9SLZLCtP34uzYmv9rRSBj1GS63n/s320/funny-fat-catherine-zeta-jones.jpg" width="237" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sooooooooooooo.................</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6PXF_XuJAP5eCiT-p3Yjyu6Zi06JMSUHZzBa0YekiRj6c6HTI7EOax4eT7erAr5diDRYBAR8ufDZhXGZxedMrlLXrhk1T12RxwCcYHs08TUDZE6yXmJdfpz5DnwkErP89TbcnmtCvpvt/s1600/stay+tuned.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6PXF_XuJAP5eCiT-p3Yjyu6Zi06JMSUHZzBa0YekiRj6c6HTI7EOax4eT7erAr5diDRYBAR8ufDZhXGZxedMrlLXrhk1T12RxwCcYHs08TUDZE6yXmJdfpz5DnwkErP89TbcnmtCvpvt/s1600/stay+tuned.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I'll have an update next Tuesday or Wednesday.Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-46604313290285671132011-02-09T10:29:00.000-08:002011-02-09T10:29:18.108-08:00Reflecting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi7VuOzqotrOKmm8lgc3Fkk4md9LdYeRXmkODtwXpYg-WdLhqZ90K1xppK9V3wJMMFJa4J2C-YRPitkq2Q_E07IS7tPsL-vn88KS5HHLTjkc0Hw6_JYYNaBAmGYV4Hox1CtWhKzKlbvGi5/s1600/life-is-good-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi7VuOzqotrOKmm8lgc3Fkk4md9LdYeRXmkODtwXpYg-WdLhqZ90K1xppK9V3wJMMFJa4J2C-YRPitkq2Q_E07IS7tPsL-vn88KS5HHLTjkc0Hw6_JYYNaBAmGYV4Hox1CtWhKzKlbvGi5/s1600/life-is-good-.jpg" /></a></div>Lucky for me follow-up visits have been uneventful. I had one a couple of weeks ago and everything looks like it's fairly normal. My blood work did show that my CRP levels are elevated. CRP tests indicate inflammation levels. I have been feeling pretty normal with very little joint pain although my hip bones have been more stiff than usual in the mornings or when I get up from a sitting position. Overall I am doing 100x better than I was!<br />
<br />
Yesterday while my husband was at work, he saw our beloved Dr. Kazi and chatted with him for a moment. Dr. Kazi inquired about my health. After my husband updated him on how well I am doing Dr. Kazi said, "I've never seen anyone in renal failure like she was make a recovery." BAM!<br />
<br />
That kind of hit me like a ton of bricks. I thought I understood how sick I had been. I was there after all. I was the one getting poked, prodded, tested, transfused, dialized, and all the other things they did to me. In a lot of ways it's surreal.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday, Feb 15th it will be one year since I found out that I was in renal failure. My husband, ironically, will be leaving on another business trip that day, just like he did last year (at my insistance) only this year he won't have to come back because I might be dying.<br />
<br />
Anniversaries cause you to think back and remember. Some anniversaries are sweet, like your wedding anniversary or the birth of a baby, or your first date. Some anniversaries bring a lot of grieving. I never grieved so much in my life as at the first anniversary of my father's death. I didn't even grieve so hard at his actual passing.<br />
<br />
I try to be a spiritual person and I am active in my church. I have a deep faith in God and in His plan for our lives. I have felt His hand in my own life many many times. I think that God really protected me from feeling scared and unsure when I was sick. I don't think that I realized at the time the gravity of the situation I was in...and it is probably a very good thing.<br />
<br />
This last year has been so full of blessings and goodness in my life. I am so thankful to have been allowed to remain with my family. To become a grandmother to two sweet baby girls. To be a mommy to my 10 year old son. To be a mother to my grown children. To be the wife of an amazing man. <br />
<br />
I'm glad I didn't miss out on any of it. I'm thankful that even though I was so completely miserable for the first half of the year that I had them and that there was so much happiness despite the pain.<br />
<br />
Life really is good.Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-15916783325844684992010-12-23T07:01:00.000-08:002010-12-23T07:42:03.216-08:00Meanwhile.....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz99bk-gnMcvfDFzpRrJjxzBbN05sGE8XMRkAO_Vlnh6tJ0pLBqlOwayvwgqzEMCsYk_ZWVCYcZp8AUbul7ueyNAlF7cMpXGGBsCSbXshftBD4B2gOuWokHah5VMnNym1K7rnDGXdnDcCj/s1600/one+year+later.PNG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz99bk-gnMcvfDFzpRrJjxzBbN05sGE8XMRkAO_Vlnh6tJ0pLBqlOwayvwgqzEMCsYk_ZWVCYcZp8AUbul7ueyNAlF7cMpXGGBsCSbXshftBD4B2gOuWokHah5VMnNym1K7rnDGXdnDcCj/s400/one+year+later.PNG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553893206925378306" border="0" /></a><br />Originally I wanted to post this last Saturday, Dec 18. That was the one year anniversary of the beginning of my illness. I've thought about it all week...in between the baking, wrapping, shopping and taking care of my new granddaughter.<br /><br />It's hard to believe that this time last year I was laying in a hospital bed attached to IV's, a catheter, and receiving so many medications I can't remember most of my week in the hospital. It was on Christmas Eve that we were told that I might have lymphoma and shortly after that I went in for a bone marrow biopsy.<br /><br />So what has this year brought to me? Well for starters, an appreciation for good health that I didn't have before. I took my relative good health for granted and assumed that I would always be the way I was. I'm not a health nut, exercise freak or anything like that but I'm basically a strong person, I can walk, take care of myself and my family, and do things I like to do. When I couldn't even roll over in bed without help and suddenly needed help to get dressed, brush my hair and put on my socks, I realized how much I had lost.<br /><br />I also learned that being a patient patient makes dealing with something like this a lot easier. I wanted to speed through my recovery but my body wouldn't cooperate. I found myself thinking a lot about people who are trapped in bodies that don't want to work...the elderly, people with muscular dystrophy and others whose bodies are twisted and frail who have minds that are functioning like any other normal human being. It really stinks relying on others to survive through taking care of your basic needs. Patience has never been a virtue of mine but I'm learning.<br /><br />Probably one of the most important things I got this year was a new outlook on the power of prayer and my own faith and the faith of family and friends. I have a firm knowledge that I was healed of all my infirmities by my Father in Heaven. I also believe that if it were His will that I die, that no prayer could have kept me here. I think that prayer brought me and my family great peace and the ability to get through this trial with power and strength and that it was the Lord's will for my life to be spared. There are so many who pray for healing who end up dying. Are their prayers less powerful, are they not heard? I don't believe that is true. I believe that prayer for the Lord's will to be done and for our acceptance of it is probably the most significant things one can learn in life.<br /><br />I'm grateful that it wasn't my time to go. I would have missed out on a lot of beautiful things. The first beautiful thing would have been witnessing the birth of my first granddaughter in March. I was well enough to go to Arizona and be there when she was born. It was one of the most miraculous things I've ever seen in my life, more so than the birth of my own children. She is a blessing to me.<br /><br />I'm grateful for time that I've spent with my 9 year old son who was scared out of his mind that his mother might die. I've had fun watching him grow this summer and really develop a wonderful sense of humor. I love that he will come and sit near me and snuggle, that he will often come up to me and put his arms around me and tell me that he loves me. I'm grateful that I can do the same for him. He needs his mom.<br /><br />I was fortunate enough to have my college age daughter home while I was going through this illness earlier this year. She was a rock to me. She had to dress me, help me go to the bathroom and had to see things no child should have to witness in a parent. I think it made her stronger and more appreciative, I know that it made me love her even more.<br /><br />I'm grateful for the time that I've been able to spend with my husband. Things seem so much sweeter. We celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary and I've enjoyed reconnecting with him in a way that would not have happened had this whole thing not transpired. We are closer than we've ever been. I would have felt really gypped if I'd missed out on all the goodness that has come into our lives this year, especially becoming grandparents.<br /><br />Our oldest daughter gave birth to our second granddaughter on December 4th. Another event I might have missed. It's fitting that this new life comes to our family this Christmas. Last Christmas was so depressing and mostly forgotten. My husband and I stood outside of the operating room when this little baby was being born via c-section. The nurse came to the door and opened it as this sweet baby took her first breath and cried her first cries. What a sweet and tender moment in my life. As we stood at the door embracing, I felt a happiness that I probably wouldn't have felt had I not gone through this last year. My struggle has made me appreciate life's blessings so much more!<br /><br />Never thought I'd say this but I'm grateful for this trial. Life is so much better now because of it.Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-39561211073881733882010-10-26T07:49:00.000-07:002010-10-26T08:41:24.834-07:00All crappy things come to an end....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcT-IMqLAqHNwhzlSxZazXbsY-W143AFG4faUSCqSujXV9z5gJsqoybfw16Cy32Av-TKUXUk0HHLd-QcN7h4ol7yxv3_Ech56BEBe3mlIJQfplB6Ofu-q6ktUJhaUVxlekDRy_lOpiz0B/s1600/light+at+the+end+of+the+tunnel.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 360px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcT-IMqLAqHNwhzlSxZazXbsY-W143AFG4faUSCqSujXV9z5gJsqoybfw16Cy32Av-TKUXUk0HHLd-QcN7h4ol7yxv3_Ech56BEBe3mlIJQfplB6Ofu-q6ktUJhaUVxlekDRy_lOpiz0B/s400/light+at+the+end+of+the+tunnel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532372301952479634" border="0" /></a><br />I've never been fond of tunnels. I remember when I was young and growing up in New York. When we would go to Manhattan we either had to take a bridge or a tunnel to get into the city. From Queens we used the Mid-town Tunnel. I hated being in this confined space with cars whizzing past going in the opposite direction. (I don't know if you travel in opposite directions in the same tube any more but you used to) There were lights in the tunnel but something about knowing that I was 100 feet under the Hudson River and having my ears popping as we descended into the tunnel bothered me. It also freaked me out to see water dripping down the walls of the tunnel. The worst was when we had to go to New Jersey and go through the Holland Tunnel. It's 2000 feet longer than the Midtown Tunnel.<br /><br />I always felt better as we would ascend out of the tunnel and you could really see "the light at the end of the tunnel". I could literally breathe a sigh of relief when we got out into the light. As an adult I still hate driving through a tunnel. Maybe that's why I found it so difficult to deal with "Mystery Illness" in the beginning. I was impatient and just wanted out!<br /><br />Ten months have come and gone since I contracted whatever virus it is that started the one and only health crisis I've ever had. In the beginning I really couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was in too much pain, my health declined too quickly, doctors didn't know what to do for me and it was really frightening.<br /><br />Today I had another follow up with my rheumatologist. I've lost 22 pounds since I last saw her at the end of August and since getting off of Prednisone. It's a good feeling. My joints, although stiff sometimes in the morning, generally feel fine. I do notice that it's still not very easy for me to get up off of the floor if I get down to scrub something or even when I was playing with my baby granddaughter. Sometimes my tailbone aches after sitting too long but after what happened to me earlier this year those are minor issues.<br /><br />I do have to have my eyes checked and have an x-ray of the node on my finger and probably have it removed. I'll get my eyes checked but as for the node/cyst....that will have to wait until after the holidays. I'm in need of a working finger till then! A<br /><br />I'm not a believer in the saying that "all good things must come to an end". I'm not sure I believe that. I believe that love can last forever, that you can be happy forever, and that "good" things are often a matter of your opinion. I do, however, believe that all crappy things come to an end. If you're mentally healthy you don't grieve forever, stay mad forever, hold grudges forever, and unless you're going to die you don't stay sick forever. Eventually you get better. I am getting better. The light at the end of the tunnel isn't attached to a train!<br /><br /><br /><div class="sblk"><div class="sblk"><span class="vi"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="sblk"><div class="scnt"><span class="ssens"> </span></div></div></div></div>Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-33938481263440340822010-08-25T10:21:00.000-07:002010-08-25T11:01:17.286-07:00The illnesses of interesting patients fall into three categories:<span style="font-family:courier new;">The illnesses of interesting patients fall into three categories:</span><sup style="font-family: courier new;"> </sup><span style="font-family:courier new;">rare disease, pseudodisease, and atypical ordinary disease.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">I found that on this website....click </span><a style="font-family: courier new;" href="http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/summary/116/3/442">HERE</a><span style="font-family:courier new;"> when I Googled "the interesting patient". I thought that it was kind of funny that they have something called The Interesting Patient SYNDROME.</span><br /><br />Syndrome definition: <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" >In </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicine" title="Medicine">medicine</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" > and </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychology" title="Psychology">psychology</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" >, a </span><b style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia;">syndrome</b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" > is the association of several clinically recognizable features, </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_%28medicine%29" title="Sign (medicine)" class="mw-redirect">signs</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" > (observed by a physician), </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symptom" title="Symptom">symptoms</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" > (reported by the patient), phenomena or characteristics that often occur together, so that the presence of one feature alerts the </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physician" title="Physician">physician</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> to the presence of the others. In recent decades, the term has been used outside medicine to refer to a combination of phenomena seen in association. (Found that on Wikipedia so it must be true!) LOL<br /><br />I don't know what category I am but thought it was interesting.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Anyway...today I had a follow up visit with Dr. Nandeeshwar. My dear Dr. Kazi is no longer in practice, he works for the Veteran's Administration doing research. He suggested that I go back to the rheumatologist that saw me initially. He was confident that she could handle any issues I had and that he would be in touch with her. I trust him so I went back to her today. True to his word, he had already been in contact with her and updated her on all of my issues.<br /><br />My appointment was scheduled for 8:45. I try to get the first appointment of the day because she ALWAYS runs late and true to form she didn't come into the room until 9:30! How can you run 45 minutes late after only 1 patient? Sheesh! It is irritating. Her office is small and the exam rooms are like closets. As I sit there all I can do is look at the posters on the wall that look as if they've been hanging there since the Creation! Some of them are barely stuck to the wall with yellowed tape. They were all free too...from pharmaceutical reps. For someone who is making a bucket load of money from my insurance company can't they have some pastoral scenes on the wall. Make it more homelike and not so institutional. Thank goodness I had my phone and could get on Facebook and check my email while I waited, and waited, and waited!<br /><br />I tried not to get irritated because lets face it, the last time I saw her I wasn't doing all that great and I am 1,000 times better than when I saw her in February. She came in and was very pleasant as was I.<br /><br />Here's the 411....<br /><br />On Friday, I'll come off the prednisone and will only be taking 400 mg of Plaquenil. Dr. Nan says that I will have to be symptom free for a year before we talk about coming off of that. She thinks there is a chance that I will have pain again after I come off the steroid and that if necessary I'll have to go back on the prednisone. I pray NOT!<br /><br />I won't see her again for 2 months and at that point she will decide whether or not I need to have an MRI on my left index finger. I have developed some kind of nodule on my joint.<br /><br />Here is a picture. My hands are VERY dry and so my skin looks more wrinkled and old than it is...well, maybe I am wrinkled and old!<br /><br /></span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8eZqgWp8oXT8tdz72gbwpt_MIo_90CEj8hjNC0Fb6F_bkYiJ7ytRaIsbV6wmuw7WYXgQ64PVfGgHi2T_FT8ugTtumUjf6tXcwBIQvtQ9am0rvzqoSW_mv0RtgG2BEMAvSBQcgL2XMnx-c/s1600/Node+on+left+index+finger+002.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8eZqgWp8oXT8tdz72gbwpt_MIo_90CEj8hjNC0Fb6F_bkYiJ7ytRaIsbV6wmuw7WYXgQ64PVfGgHi2T_FT8ugTtumUjf6tXcwBIQvtQ9am0rvzqoSW_mv0RtgG2BEMAvSBQcgL2XMnx-c/s320/Node+on+left+index+finger+002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509404369640417378" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;">You can see the bump on the inside of my finger. It's not painful but it is obvious to me that it's there. She thinks it might be a cyst. What the?!!! It's not hard like bone but it's not squishy either. It's just weird. But hey...this whole thing has been weird so why not!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;">I had blood work done, we'll see what that says, and for some reason she also wanted a urine specimen.<br /><br />As a side note...Can someone out there figure out a better way to do that please!? I mean really you want me to pee into a cup that's the size of a small Dixie cup and sit on a disgusting toilet in a doctor's office. (Ok it wasn't filthy when you looked at it but it is a public toilet.)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;">And the process....sheesh...straddle the toilet, hold this little tiny cup in your urine stream and pray you have a stream and pray that you don't overfill the cup at the same time! Then you pee on hand. Remove the cup out from underneath you, and set it........WHERE DO I SET IT!? Oh...wait...I see where I set it, I set it on top of the stainless steel toilet paper holder where everyone else sets it. And how do I know that? Because I can see the rings from the various paper cups that have been set there, while people finish up the paperwork, and the uric acid has etched the stainless steel?!! EWWWW!!! But what choice DO you have? Set it on the floor? Ummmm...NO!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;">Some offices have a private bathroom with a little box with a door between the bathroom and the lab. And you KNOW that someone is on the other side of the box and they CAN hear you as you pee and place the little Dixie cup in the box. At least in the box there is usually a paper towel to sop up the pee on the outside of the cup. I am totally neurotic about the cup though. I have to wash off the outside so that there is no pee on it. Anyway...someone needs to figure out a better way. How about some sort of funnel? Ha! That thought makes me laugh out loud!<br /><br />So...I will know by the weekend how the blood work and urine test came out and what I need to do or not do from there.<br /></span>Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-20243819934546262232010-07-18T16:19:00.000-07:002010-07-18T16:39:09.933-07:00A hair in the head is worth two in the brush. ~Oliver HerfordWell for those of you waiting on pins and needles I can tell you that my hair is growing back. It's looking less frizzy, there are no more bald spots where you can see my scalp and it's actually getting thicker. It still doesn't look like it used to. When we look at pictures of my hair from B.M.I. (Before Mystery Illness) my hair looks like a WIG!<br /><br />I really believe that using the Rogaine for the last month has helped the problem. I'm not shedding the way I was at all. My bathroom doesn't have to be vacuumed every day and I'm not losing hair when I wash it so that's all good.<br /><br />Here is a picture before I started losing my hair:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGliv36EG7Gg6LIQ81fCNt48h9J8Meo9kU9OwMrKoQ4JjhmwAPKXEFPImiCRN9eNtJ6ATM9B-Mat6k1ZSNrd4J1TVl6JH-ZfdXA6ptt-C1_onR4uCEpxn9EgM7OKaNyyW6-SV0lPLtrLS/s1600/058.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGliv36EG7Gg6LIQ81fCNt48h9J8Meo9kU9OwMrKoQ4JjhmwAPKXEFPImiCRN9eNtJ6ATM9B-Mat6k1ZSNrd4J1TVl6JH-ZfdXA6ptt-C1_onR4uCEpxn9EgM7OKaNyyW6-SV0lPLtrLS/s320/058.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495394186779472338" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />This is a picture from today. (Don't pay attention to the mess in the background. We're moving in 13 days and the house is a wreck!) Oh and I didn't give you a face shot on purpose. I got up from a nap and let's just say it's not my best look!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvAxPBzO4woDOSjBWt45runSlNTicVDegBq4COACJpL5XqVi2e1aEYrffQ4FBBD2UfDg7y7v71vZWB9tTskF3uDV8ExiPZcFZNp7-j8r1TkQZ6RPPHpcleLzuxw-e68uOje3QkWcb3fC1/s1600/032.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvAxPBzO4woDOSjBWt45runSlNTicVDegBq4COACJpL5XqVi2e1aEYrffQ4FBBD2UfDg7y7v71vZWB9tTskF3uDV8ExiPZcFZNp7-j8r1TkQZ6RPPHpcleLzuxw-e68uOje3QkWcb3fC1/s320/032.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495393823384705906" border="0" /></a>Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-87670401371956634942010-06-21T14:25:00.000-07:002010-06-21T14:39:09.149-07:00Another Doctor Visit<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1JZIfFvC-pwLYgoabApsgdzenADkbhO0cNjOttAL0EfoDMGjBNBwu16Gy_dv5n891S7JFUixzRqURd38CNFVG9wsEP1UyINwUz2ThdDN_rz0_0F-dUK9Eru0DFGvQBfhhzJQy65FTK22/s1600/death+rattle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1JZIfFvC-pwLYgoabApsgdzenADkbhO0cNjOttAL0EfoDMGjBNBwu16Gy_dv5n891S7JFUixzRqURd38CNFVG9wsEP1UyINwUz2ThdDN_rz0_0F-dUK9Eru0DFGvQBfhhzJQy65FTK22/s320/death+rattle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485343927880126802" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I don't know if you've ever watched someone who is dying but they get this rattle in their chest known as the 'death rattle'.<br /><br />I'm convinced that I have it! Not really... but I ended up at the doctor's office again today. I've been sick for over a week and yesterday I got so sick that I couldn't even really get out of bed. I have a BAD sinus infection that has moved into my lungs. Every time I breathe in or out you can hear this rattle in my lungs. Too much mucus.<br /><br />I tried Mucinex....who invented that stuff? It should state on the bottle that it's only for men or women who have the ability to 'hock a loogie' from way back in the back of their throats because if you don't have that ability all it does is make you feel like you're drowning in snot!<br /><br />I tried, Nyquil, Dayquil, Sudafed, Claritin, Excedrin....nothing worked. So finally today I went to the doctor. By now I really do have an infection and need an antibiotic and a cough syrup with codeine in it...THANK YOU! I'm sure my husband thanks you too since I sound like a grizzly bear when I'm trying to sleep. I've woken MYSELF up with the horrible sounds coming out of me!<br /><br />On a positive note....<br /><br />I think my hair is starting to grow back in. I've been using Rogaine for women and my hair is thicker on the top. Its kinda funny because you only put 1 ml of stuff on your scalp and rub it in. I try to get it rubbed in before it drips down on my face but a couple of times I've had some beads of Rogaine go down onto my face. I picture looking like this some day.....<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58z2vFVOgt6nkG6qdfwosSdR_LvPl_zkqjNdmJvMAzcEqOv5jTfUTo4Pal9L1Hb-APZnSK82Z80tQHilhEVpGyht21U3L4zCIZ_ii0UKANUS_m7UmqLj8aqujSwb1yz6A8qjSB8EStOB-/s1600/hair+growth.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 274px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58z2vFVOgt6nkG6qdfwosSdR_LvPl_zkqjNdmJvMAzcEqOv5jTfUTo4Pal9L1Hb-APZnSK82Z80tQHilhEVpGyht21U3L4zCIZ_ii0UKANUS_m7UmqLj8aqujSwb1yz6A8qjSB8EStOB-/s320/hair+growth.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485343017444767858" border="0" /></a><br />But I really think my hair is going to end up looking like this....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7YdPf26si_0dadPUA34gXBaya9jil8JgWMnni112M0F3K9jJUpILzKPKlkgZIScbOYSKnkh9KGsgVEmLoy-wiOjfcCBs-luv4ZhKsl9v1wvEm0Ey5fUarw7vJHLgOKnHsjki1476r0SS/s1600/rihannas_mohawk_hairstyle383.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7YdPf26si_0dadPUA34gXBaya9jil8JgWMnni112M0F3K9jJUpILzKPKlkgZIScbOYSKnkh9KGsgVEmLoy-wiOjfcCBs-luv4ZhKsl9v1wvEm0Ey5fUarw7vJHLgOKnHsjki1476r0SS/s320/rihannas_mohawk_hairstyle383.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485343714751941090" border="0" /></a><br />I'll just be glad when my hair doesn't look like an add for Frizz Ease!Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-22906985952515417482010-06-11T08:10:00.000-07:002010-06-11T11:39:57.484-07:00WigsThe time has come....it's time to purchase a wig. I realized this as I looked at pictures from this last weekend of me holding my new granddaughter. My own hair has turned into something that looks like ragged Barbie hair. It's course and straw-like. I haven't started using Rogaine yet but I will start today in hopes that it will help my hair to grow in.<br /><br />With all the hair that I've lost and continue to lose, you would think that you'd see some re-growth, but alas it is not so. I do appear to be getting more white hair and they are growing in curly and wire-y. NOT nice!<br /><br />So...thanks to www.taaz.com I was able to do a little makeover on myself and "try on" some different hair.<br /><br />Vote for your favorite. <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Be sure to vote on the poll at the top right of the blog.</span><br /></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GkT85RH5Pmp8FXK5f-MQ9kztYDo54p9LEt6Fad92Emfp3fld8Ns6FUfo8A3MAhAiPFi1Go7-w4GFGWsWmMfl0wuHvf5uonq-y0IffVui0ZH6-FNt8cJxeHpD56N7O03vIt2iki5ln-3x/s1600/rennie+w+lisa+rinna+hair.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GkT85RH5Pmp8FXK5f-MQ9kztYDo54p9LEt6Fad92Emfp3fld8Ns6FUfo8A3MAhAiPFi1Go7-w4GFGWsWmMfl0wuHvf5uonq-y0IffVui0ZH6-FNt8cJxeHpD56N7O03vIt2iki5ln-3x/s320/rennie+w+lisa+rinna+hair.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481534093279965410" border="0" /></a>#1.<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxRI_T-_Z9r7KnShiNCM89yB4Yy4OgjYlCWhy1ShBIIN-VqWQve_xd-BUh9Hi3k1KAFTxoXm6jHBk-Jj5VsjAsonkQDPIEBa5U0uVSynyFUyoL9PEu8Ckg7QbhK74FiVCwnxZSM1CWshm/s1600/rennie+w+blond+hair+blue+eyes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxRI_T-_Z9r7KnShiNCM89yB4Yy4OgjYlCWhy1ShBIIN-VqWQve_xd-BUh9Hi3k1KAFTxoXm6jHBk-Jj5VsjAsonkQDPIEBa5U0uVSynyFUyoL9PEu8Ckg7QbhK74FiVCwnxZSM1CWshm/s320/rennie+w+blond+hair+blue+eyes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481534093337409026" border="0" /></a>#2...If I go blond I will have to get blue contact lenses.<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlAmZXcpLoPFz_2DePsA40ow7_Lmg1JWKTs3qWBDAXgVIKf5GOrR055IcN8o2XV9OsavJuv9iETZ01fy3qiozft4mwHzq9htfvkTQyuKXhxFInGQboBuudDDQv-ibBnxbKnrrwB9UzwBeH/s1600/rennie+w+cindy+crawford+hair.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlAmZXcpLoPFz_2DePsA40ow7_Lmg1JWKTs3qWBDAXgVIKf5GOrR055IcN8o2XV9OsavJuv9iETZ01fy3qiozft4mwHzq9htfvkTQyuKXhxFInGQboBuudDDQv-ibBnxbKnrrwB9UzwBeH/s320/rennie+w+cindy+crawford+hair.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481534089537948034" border="0" /></a>#3<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEileUwxGt_oBChAqKw5F8cJBChCkbB48LUilZRnYZvHFxxHT7Y4QFBrLu19Ha1NATsaO2B5VU1eXaAq_gpZy_Ou-Yk6973-JqX7ky3MBF82WWX3eFiN225S2Jxv15fDtbLsBbdA1QLQvf9a/s1600/makeover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEileUwxGt_oBChAqKw5F8cJBChCkbB48LUilZRnYZvHFxxHT7Y4QFBrLu19Ha1NATsaO2B5VU1eXaAq_gpZy_Ou-Yk6973-JqX7ky3MBF82WWX3eFiN225S2Jxv15fDtbLsBbdA1QLQvf9a/s320/makeover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481534085996257858" border="0" /></a>#4<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I can try to get something closer to my natural hair color and style but if I have to do this maybe I should do something fun and totally not me? What do you think?<br /></div></div>Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-24220479380034326872010-05-25T10:44:00.001-07:002010-05-25T10:46:29.087-07:00My hairHere is a photo of my hair today. I've just NEVER had thin wispy hair...well maybe when I was born?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBraBUTVVqMOVVLm6WPLkapayE43JgXQTCfPuT-0GBJIxqvIeaYa7SKk2fGMa9pc_cyz6dPt2JA38Rv85x8gQYTy1k0IPI2rXrQAOyDYEJe8KnYhkyaRqTKalZndV8GYSKITiwggX_loE/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBraBUTVVqMOVVLm6WPLkapayE43JgXQTCfPuT-0GBJIxqvIeaYa7SKk2fGMa9pc_cyz6dPt2JA38Rv85x8gQYTy1k0IPI2rXrQAOyDYEJe8KnYhkyaRqTKalZndV8GYSKITiwggX_loE/s320/001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475265145282527922" border="0" /></a>Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-76216104807497676302010-05-25T07:04:00.000-07:002010-05-25T07:21:07.224-07:00I Am Not My BodyI thought it was time to update my health blog.<br /><br />I last saw Dr. Kazi on April 22 and a few days later he called to tell me that my blood work was mostly normal. My SED rate was slightly elevated which indicated inflammation in my body but that wasn't anything out of the ordinary considering my inflammatory arthritic issues since becoming sick in December.<br /><br />By the time I'd seen Dr. Kazi I had been off of the Prednisone for about 2 weeks give or take a few days. I wasn't really feeling bad but I wasn't feeling great. Then another 10 days passed and I began to have a lot of pain and swelling in my knees, ankles, shoulders, hands and wrists. It was discouraging to say the least because more than anything I want my body to cooperate and just be "normal".<br /><br />Dr. Kazi was kind enough to give me his personal and professional e-mail addresses so I sent him a message telling him of my pain. He replied right away and said that I should go back on 5mg of Prednisone and that we would probably add something called hydroxychloroquine in a few weeks.<br /><br />Hydroxychloroquine, brand name Plaquenil, is an older medication used in the treatment to prevent malaria. That's right, the disease that is spread by mosquitos. For some reason, this drug also helps reduce swelling in the joints of people with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I wonder what person with RA went on safari, took this drug and realized that their joints didn't hurt after they took it?<br /><br />Anyway...after being on the 5mg of Prednisone for a week it really wasn't doing much for me at all and the pain in my joints was so bad at night that I had trouble getting up the stairs again and I needed to take a hydrocodone in order to sleep at night.<br /><br />Another e-mail to my beloved Dr. Kazi, 10 mg of Prednisone and 400 mg of Plaquenil later and things are starting to improve. I'm sure the idea is to give the Plaquenil some time to work (it takes 2-3 months in order to feel the full effect) and then to get off the Prednisone again.<br /><br />As I was going through this particular period I saw the following video posted on my church's website.<br /><br />This woman is clearly an inspiration. Although I have not been disfigured by this illness the way she has been in her accident, I can relate to her feelings of looking in the mirror and not seeing what she expects. Everyday as I look in the mirror I can see that my hair is continuing to fall out, the scars from my dialysis ports and PICC lines and I can see how my body has aged in these last 6 months.<br /><br />At one point she says, "I am not my body." and that has had an impact on me on many levels. A person's spirit is who they are. The physical house of your spirit is not who you are. I'm blessed to be able to walk and talk and care for my family and enjoy sunsets and cool breezes. I'm blessed beyond description.<br /><br />Enjoy this video and I hope it inspires you as much as it inspired me.<br /><br /><br /><object style="background-image: url(http://i4.ytimg.com/vi/KHDvxPjsm8E/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KHDvxPjsm8E&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KHDvxPjsm8E&hl=en_US&fs=1" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-49162564472775857822010-04-22T14:24:00.000-07:002010-04-22T16:39:19.346-07:00Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother, you're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3a1a9HgZLP5HOWZ3FqL1PsuDb2UxG8PmiOvZP7kho0edn3_em5L0O9gx2ln4JHxcSK8W-Wh8ToCTmzv_x1KZmb_Sc_9IHPWis07_NjFKTx1aU0Smceu8YbkpJKurzAQgEybQKrZaZWZCB/s1600/Bee_Gees_Stayin_Alive.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 296px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3a1a9HgZLP5HOWZ3FqL1PsuDb2UxG8PmiOvZP7kho0edn3_em5L0O9gx2ln4JHxcSK8W-Wh8ToCTmzv_x1KZmb_Sc_9IHPWis07_NjFKTx1aU0Smceu8YbkpJKurzAQgEybQKrZaZWZCB/s320/Bee_Gees_Stayin_Alive.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463076795717292722" border="0" /></a><br />The Bee Gees have nothing to do with my post but I got the lyrics in my brain after my doctor visit today and I know you'll be singing right along with me.<br /><br />Well I'm not a brother, but I'm a mother....oh that SOOO doesn't sound right but some people might actually think that! HA!<br /><br />Today I had my follow up visit with Dr. Kazi. He really is a unique doctor! He came to say hi to me while I was checking in to say that he was happy to see me.<br /><br />After I got into the exam room he came in and sat down on the rolling stool. He looked at me and said, "I'm so glad to see you. To be quite blunt I'm surprised you're alive!" He told me that I had been really really sick and that I looked great now. I have to say that I was a little taken aback by his comment but acknowledged that while I was in the hospital I didn't really comprehend the depth of my illness. That was probably a blessing.<br /><br />He looked over the last set of blood work, ordered more blood work so that we can see a comparison but thought that he wouldn't really see anything that would show that I was still having problems. I do have swelling in my joints but after tomorrow's results on the blood work we'll know where to go. He really feels like this is just going to disappear altogether and that I won't have to deal with this any more.<br /><br />I will see him again on June 22 right before he leaves this practice. He is going to work for the V.A. as he got a 12 million dollar grant to do some research. He will spend about 30% of his time seeing patients and the rest doing his research. He said that he will keep in touch with me and will see my husband at work so he'll know how to get a hold of me. He also said that if I want to continue to see him that he'll figure something out. He's just a good man and a great doctor.<br /><br />I really feel like it was divine providence that I ended up in Dallas Presbyterian Hospital and got to have this man as my doctor.Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-9496571360684950212010-04-21T17:45:00.000-07:002010-04-21T17:52:40.606-07:00Kamikaze<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0d3cBrsXoXCGCxbbnn6oGfKSFQiwR_5sOKYD8fuXGwKt5FoUAtipSe3Ymapa9ZwPVM6QPMzt2I1HHUl6JSbf_4UCBybx8SLcA2ERt9PI2p7qRoaU6sI6OYq5aki_CGd6Udav2_svlT0I/s1600/kazi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0d3cBrsXoXCGCxbbnn6oGfKSFQiwR_5sOKYD8fuXGwKt5FoUAtipSe3Ymapa9ZwPVM6QPMzt2I1HHUl6JSbf_4UCBybx8SLcA2ERt9PI2p7qRoaU6sI6OYq5aki_CGd6Udav2_svlT0I/s320/kazi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462756922001825138" border="0" /></a>This is my rheumatologist, Dr. Salahuddin Kazi, I bet he got called Dr. Kamikaze at some point in his life. I'll have to ask him. You can't see it in this picture but he has beautiful blue eyes. He also has those breakaway glasses I told you about...the ones that come apart at the bridge. Anyway...<br /><br />Tomorrow morning at 11 I have my first follow up appointment with him since being discharged from the hospital on March 1. I was supposed to see him on March 25 but I was in Arizona witnessing the birth of my first grandchild. I'm going to ask him lots of questions with one of them being if he really thinks I need to follow up with the oncologist and have another CT scan of my spleen. They even mentioned doing another bone marrow biopsy at one point. Frankly I don't think I need to have a visit or the biopsy. I'll do whatever Dr. Kazi thinks is best.<br /><br />My joints are on fire today after going to an exercise class that put way too much pressure on my knees and major joints. I'm probably better off sticking to walking. I'll ask him about that too.<br /><br />Maybe I'll ask him where he got his cool glasses. More tomorrow.Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-75124593168951391662010-04-20T14:00:00.000-07:002010-04-20T14:10:36.297-07:00Your one true beautyIn the movie, Little Women, Jo sells her hair to make a wig so she can make money for the family. Her whole family, shocked, sees it for the first time when she takes off her hat and instead of seeing the abundant long hair she once had they see her short hair. One of the sisters exclaims with a sad voice, "Oh Jo, your one true beauty!"<br /><br />That's kind of how I feel. I don't have much about me that is beautiful but I did have great hair. Every hair dresser has told me how wonderful my hair is. It's thick and shiny. Well it was....here is what I have now. Thin, brittle and falling out. Handfuls every day.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXUHVF1NM9EJYQMzkgqtJSE-ShV2K-YFJcwm67RqQQ1hsljYo2Bw_FH-luES2c6DRlB8e9dAuppKMKh_XMlQrpqQEZQj5HPst7DQTLDy_Xk11xAXesa4bkMyJSckvqJijRP4kCcvs9GAM/s1600/my+bald+spot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXUHVF1NM9EJYQMzkgqtJSE-ShV2K-YFJcwm67RqQQ1hsljYo2Bw_FH-luES2c6DRlB8e9dAuppKMKh_XMlQrpqQEZQj5HPst7DQTLDy_Xk11xAXesa4bkMyJSckvqJijRP4kCcvs9GAM/s320/my+bald+spot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462329771564426338" border="0" /></a>Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-83415845222636356802010-04-18T20:27:00.000-07:002010-04-18T20:43:45.644-07:00Raquel Welch, I have an idea for youDear Raquel,<br />I'm losing my hair due to being poisoned by a drug. Every day I wash my hair and every day my bathroom floor looks like a bad shag rug! My hair is getting thinner and thinner every day. I'm looking at wigs...yours in particular. Today I came across this website for your wigs...click <a href="http://www.hairuwear.com/rw.aspx?pgID=866">HERE</a>.<br /><br />Not only do I want your wigs but I want your body! (Not in a sick way.) You're how old? Right now you're 69 but you're going to be 70 in September...I looked it up. I also saw you on Oprah a few weeks ago. You've had so much plastic surgery that you look like you haven't aged. Are those your real boobs or are they fake? Hmmm...I'm guessing fake. Anyway...you also had on what looked like a pair of Spanx only they went down your legs like pantyhose. I want those but I want a pair that will go from my neck, down my arms, to my finger tips and down my legs to my toes. I'm kind of picturing something like one of those suits that burn victims wear but much more fashionable for those of us trying to look slimmer and hold in all the jiggles.<br /><br />I know you have jiggles...you're 69 for heaven's sake! Don't lie...just tell me where you got them.<br /><br />Anyway...I said I have an idea for you....besides the wigs can you sell us your body? Again, not in a sick way...I just want to use your body with my head for a little while. You probably know a way to make that work. If you can't do that can I at least have a free wig? Just one. I'm thinking about changing my look completely if I'm going to wear a wig. What do you think?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRytW6Pnu0opC9BbZ4wW0ZIxYMxGDebS8SZNU0pYecreZqdRGGMKyEov-vA9k82eUPbF4kQ8RhPq02fhoHGYjQyWyV4fzmi4QYLSIX15tGw0-RKVDAqyQhLT7bQkhRjNq5muwnd-q8y6h/s1600/Spotlight_mn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRytW6Pnu0opC9BbZ4wW0ZIxYMxGDebS8SZNU0pYecreZqdRGGMKyEov-vA9k82eUPbF4kQ8RhPq02fhoHGYjQyWyV4fzmi4QYLSIX15tGw0-RKVDAqyQhLT7bQkhRjNq5muwnd-q8y6h/s320/Spotlight_mn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461687767571579458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2I9EZG9pu8SV2c5AZVHFDLzNn1GY9Yw9z4pwTVQx15mNTtvAGrAy6cMKNPKD5NSf6g8l_RrEa37TKVCEDuNug5dTXgPnAj3sol0FmcPrRyFL5Anx5i14RllrQfF-kTVKPXmi2tw0smI3y/s1600/Romance-mn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2I9EZG9pu8SV2c5AZVHFDLzNn1GY9Yw9z4pwTVQx15mNTtvAGrAy6cMKNPKD5NSf6g8l_RrEa37TKVCEDuNug5dTXgPnAj3sol0FmcPrRyFL5Anx5i14RllrQfF-kTVKPXmi2tw0smI3y/s320/Romance-mn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461687767043863842" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCd0OQsb1g5PWA30fQsjrF5XqQvtqTX8UwPrGX6bAMdkHIGlY-rqmxh0cU8n8JjGFb6qMGNbZLwbyvFY5K1YGvbYsMrc-VZeGwYYy0ulNj7SOFDWaTVyJusMGqgvs3-TLbA7X2B3Z3UbCE/s1600/Eternity1_mn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCd0OQsb1g5PWA30fQsjrF5XqQvtqTX8UwPrGX6bAMdkHIGlY-rqmxh0cU8n8JjGFb6qMGNbZLwbyvFY5K1YGvbYsMrc-VZeGwYYy0ulNj7SOFDWaTVyJusMGqgvs3-TLbA7X2B3Z3UbCE/s320/Eternity1_mn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461687764998914050" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQLJ6KIHgM59nOCcEaYkKDz56lgAN1QIW3qkWsfDDefJBXedbqyCs_Hb-wBAaWdZu0phPK7GFNcRB2yHYqJyDgZMRoIcXXz78kxG_1Xxm80jFwIrfK-GktCXxvftJaJPPXj5GjloY6US2/s1600/Charmer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQLJ6KIHgM59nOCcEaYkKDz56lgAN1QIW3qkWsfDDefJBXedbqyCs_Hb-wBAaWdZu0phPK7GFNcRB2yHYqJyDgZMRoIcXXz78kxG_1Xxm80jFwIrfK-GktCXxvftJaJPPXj5GjloY6US2/s320/Charmer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461687761113386466" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNcJLF5iR1oMunDEfM4Gg3pW974jp_8yiquiRJUClmmLD8QmNjgnTNdZSwtYHH1Dr2mqSLiz-k16mTxjtDBkKiWtgN2TzTcRXTxfhp0Y7-rw91Ny9K-SbrerTJ7_Do3aFrtvqSlaUOwx-F/s1600/At-ease1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNcJLF5iR1oMunDEfM4Gg3pW974jp_8yiquiRJUClmmLD8QmNjgnTNdZSwtYHH1Dr2mqSLiz-k16mTxjtDBkKiWtgN2TzTcRXTxfhp0Y7-rw91Ny9K-SbrerTJ7_Do3aFrtvqSlaUOwx-F/s320/At-ease1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461687753556817826" border="0" /></a>I'll take any free wig you want to send me but I'm thinking long flowing hair might be a nice change. My husband says that my skin tone isn't really suitable for blonde hair so maybe something red or something brown with blonde highlights? Why don't you just surprise me.<br /><br />You don't have too long to make your decision because I'm thinking of shaving my head and I'll want to cover up this bald head A.S.A.P.!<br /><br />Thanks for taking the time to read this Raquel. Looking forward to hearing from you.<br />Me!Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-76588836413689431232010-04-04T18:22:00.000-07:002010-04-04T19:00:53.322-07:00Your face is so, so, so.....ROUND/FAT<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigO3x_PQF-aQLOHQ4gyj8Wu4ttfk3ZyGqUTlyNm3wZKqNymbLCtDCt3QQsMA3iwMLe6Ia20zSNUM10MOuh2ZMoMPPS-HtC4Ie6mJaSdqEENr-lojcpL5Ip1Cj46tt5tbcbFpEEf-LKU2QI/s1600/fat+face+baby.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 255px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigO3x_PQF-aQLOHQ4gyj8Wu4ttfk3ZyGqUTlyNm3wZKqNymbLCtDCt3QQsMA3iwMLe6Ia20zSNUM10MOuh2ZMoMPPS-HtC4Ie6mJaSdqEENr-lojcpL5Ip1Cj46tt5tbcbFpEEf-LKU2QI/s320/fat+face+baby.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456458281165163682" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: courier new;">Found this photo on the Internet and thought...this baby looks how my face feels!<br /><br />I'm down to 5mg of Prednisone and although I have lost 30 pounds my face is still very round. My skin feels hard too. Like the tissues got pumped up too much!<br /><br />To top off my fantastic look I'm also still losing my hair. It's not coming out in clumps but I swear I am losing handfuls of hair every day. If I'd saved it I might be able to make a wig for myself.<br /><br />I'm feeling so much more like myself before I got the "Mystery Virus". I'm just wishing that the side effects were over. I still have skin that is peeling on the bottoms of my feet, the hair and the Prednisone face. I'm ready for it to all go away.<br /><br />Going up the stairs is no longer an effort so that's awesome and I don't feel like I need a nap every day. It's all good.<br /><br />I need to schedule a follow up with the rheumy and with my hematologist and I'm hoping that I won't need to keep monthly visits with either one.<br /><br />That's all for the update for now.<br /></span></span>Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-81816077798956537662010-03-19T13:41:00.000-07:002010-03-19T14:00:00.017-07:00To Blog or Not to Blog<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjSzZAKtEnXKO41bp3FD0wvX1KsiPvKDX71XEQfiYxCjGewoh7iTNGeRpyWms6tySPM38oC_3CtnRZ-mh9qGzts5Fk1aTp6hMZ_HbDN0M7K10IkZMH9R1fmoyB17S6x2I_8W6e1hl9S_D/s1600-h/to_blog_or_not_to_blog.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjSzZAKtEnXKO41bp3FD0wvX1KsiPvKDX71XEQfiYxCjGewoh7iTNGeRpyWms6tySPM38oC_3CtnRZ-mh9qGzts5Fk1aTp6hMZ_HbDN0M7K10IkZMH9R1fmoyB17S6x2I_8W6e1hl9S_D/s320/to_blog_or_not_to_blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450448583794944930" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:courier new;">Some people think that I am giving out too much information about my life. Perhaps...but they're reading it aren't they? Funny how the ones who think you tell too much are the ones that check your blog like 50 times a day to see if you've posted anything new! Hypocrites!<br /><br />Anyway...I updated my private blog and thought I should update my health blog as well while I was at it.<br /><br />Remember...I'm graphic and telling it all!<br /><br />So...it's been a little over a month since my kidney failure/Bactrim allergy/D.I.C./I almost died episode. I'm actually feeling pretty good. I went to see my PCP (the one that prescribed the Bactrim for me in the first place) about 4 days after I was released from the hospital. I needed her to write a prescription for insulin and I didn't really have time to deal with getting a different doctor.<br /><br />Anyway...I think she probably realized that there is a possibility that I would go after her in court because she said that I am a scary patient to have. She wanted to know if there were "any drugs" that I could take without having a reaction because of my "underlying rheumatological issue". Well...I don't know but I think you should consult with my rheumatolgist before you write an RX for me now shouldn't you? I think that was her way of saying..."Listen honey you can try and sue me but my lawyer will argue that you're a difficult patient anyway so regardless of what drug I prescribed you were bound to have some problem."<br /><br />Back to my health...<br /><br />I am down to 15 mg of Prednisone this week. I've stopped gaining weight and have kept off the 30 that I've lost in total but my face is still round and puffy. At least to me. I can see it and even though my husband won't say it I know he sees it too.<br /><br />My skin...let's talk about that. That damn Bactrim has done a number on my skin! I am STILL peeling skin from my waist down. When I take my clothes off you can see all the skin dust flying in the air! My hands are finally done peeling and thankfully I didn't lose my nails like some people do. Now my feet are peeling! And I mean in thick sheets! My toes, the tops, sides and bottoms of my feet! I can't believe how long it's taken this drug to get out of my system! In case you didn't get the idea...DON'T TAKE BACTRIM....EVER!!!!<br /><br />My hair...let's talk about that! The day after I got home from the hospital I was finally able to take a shower without all the tape and plastic covering ports and whatnot so I was able to really scrub my hair. The skin on my head peeled...remember...Abominable Snowman type dandruff? Anyway...the first time I lost about a cup full of hair. I am still losing hair. When I blowdry my hair the tile on my bathroom floor looks like a shag rug from the 70's! Thankfully I started out with A LOT of hair and I'm hoping it will grow back.<br /><br />On the plus side...I haven't had a menstrual cycle since December. Could it be possible that all of this has rocketed my body into menopause? That would totally be on the UP side for me! I'm not a big fan of the whole process to begin with and if it could just be gone and never come back I could REALLY like that!<br /><br />That's all for now. All you closet Gladys Kravitzes...hope that was worth it for ya!<br /><br /><br /></span></span>Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-10676560983101236322010-03-08T11:09:00.000-08:002010-03-08T12:33:11.044-08:00Realizations<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkrEqtbl-LU059SSmsqIrAjmxlINpcvQq7KgZsqLM17TzptbM_6os_hxE2TByUnWxbVoJD2btWReg7Qskes8beWJmZC3TS8Mloly6w1rwQ0fyVTszZOhOkG4Tmk0wkRYgMw18_2BpMy5nY/s1600-h/bubblewrap460.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 209px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkrEqtbl-LU059SSmsqIrAjmxlINpcvQq7KgZsqLM17TzptbM_6os_hxE2TByUnWxbVoJD2btWReg7Qskes8beWJmZC3TS8Mloly6w1rwQ0fyVTszZOhOkG4Tmk0wkRYgMw18_2BpMy5nY/s320/bubblewrap460.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446343194358262242" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Have you ever gone through something only to realize later on that it was worse than you thought it was at the time you were going through it? Does that even make sense?<br /><br />I think back to when my Dad was diagnosed with cancer in May 1993. As I look back on those few months I think that God kind of put bubble wrap around me so that the feelings and emotions were kind of cushioned...almost to the point that I couldn't acknowledge the entire experience at once.<br /><br />Today I was looking at the photos on my cell phone. I had forgotten that on the 2nd day of dialysis that I'd taken pictures of myself. I look like I'm dead! The skin on my face is pulling my eyes and mouth down and I look like I am moments away from death.<br /><br />It was around Thursday last week that I realized that I totally could have died. I think that in the recesses of my brain that I knew that might be a possibility but I think the "bubble wrap" was around me and I wasn't really able to totally comprehend and grasp how dire the situation could have been.<br /><br />I know that in the hospital I thought about the possibility of having to be on dialysis for the rest of my life. I did think about the possibility of dying but that quickly flew out of my mind. Maybe it's just that people don't want to think of themselves dying.<br /><br />Since my Dad died I haven't been afraid to die per se. I'm not afraid of being dead...I'm more afraid of the "getting dead" part...the process of how I will die. I don't want to die in pain and I don't want to die without notice. I want to have time to tell my loved ones that I love them and spend time with them before I die.<br /><br />It's a good thing that my thoughts didn't linger on the reality of how sick I really was. Dialysis, blood clotting/not clotting issues, skin falling off my body. It wasn't until I was up and walking around the hospital and the nurses and doctors were amazed at how much better I looked that the thought came to me that I must have been much more ill than I had originally understood.<br /><br />Anyway....<br /><br />Despite my better judgement I'm posting a picture of myself.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:courier new;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EAEI8qhWHIgo3tBBNZDfzfbziyWWSuk_a9_hcthAQwS9Vhc1JIsd7szw5vLWQhi3el_9NhX9TH5YMlVYC4SH6l9MHAU7OWR3UWHsuIo6Nu1wAAmzhUqWPdLZF0NpG1cUfAdcRoUeD4CW/s1600-h/rennie+on+dialysis.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EAEI8qhWHIgo3tBBNZDfzfbziyWWSuk_a9_hcthAQwS9Vhc1JIsd7szw5vLWQhi3el_9NhX9TH5YMlVYC4SH6l9MHAU7OWR3UWHsuIo6Nu1wAAmzhUqWPdLZF0NpG1cUfAdcRoUeD4CW/s320/rennie+on+dialysis.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446346893963770258" border="0" /></a></span>Pathetic!<br /><br /></div><span style="font-family:courier new;"><br />I went to follow up with my PCP on Friday. She's the one who prescribed the Bactrim for me. I had contemplated contacting a medical malpractice attorney because she prescribed Bactrim for me <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">knowing</span> that I was on Methotrexate. From everything we read on line that is NOT a good combo. As I visited with her I realized that I might be "up a creek" if I tried to sue her because I was on so many other drugs and there would be no way to tell what really caused the allergic reaction. I have this basic rheumy problem to begin with and is that what could have caused the allergic reaction to be so severe?<br /><br />I've been home for a week and I'm doing a lot better. I still feel tired but as far as the kidney thing goes I am not feeling any ill effects from that.<br /><br />I am still taking insulin 3 times a day, twice a day it's Novolog and then once a day at night I take Lantus. Giving myself the shots isn't as bad as I thought it would be. However, I am anxious to get off of it and am hoping that once I'm done with the Prednisone I'll be done with the high blood sugar thing. The insulin and test strips alone are $100 a month!<br /><br />As for my rheumatological issues...I'm down to 20mg of Prednisone and unfortunately I don't feel as good with the lower dosage. I can feel every step these past couple of days and I feel like my joints are stiffer. Dr. Kazi thinks that I won't need any drugs after I'm off the Prednisone. As I am lowering the dosage I'm not so convinced. We'll see. I'm willing to give it a chance. I don't see him again until March 25.<br /><br /><br /></span>Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-86571273386142469172010-03-02T10:03:00.000-08:002010-03-02T10:44:01.144-08:00There's No Place Like Home<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUuoizskWHmTjUcYXLIKgUF0mR217XSuOgZaMouhJJePl_gK3avgOIV6i_r29sQmYPsphvieX4yamQJHckO2dPC-Udb_H04Ns5ZH1wJCJZYjguyvWE75l66JHFvEJMcMX8RfGzYWxFB1d/s1600-h/ruby+slippers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUuoizskWHmTjUcYXLIKgUF0mR217XSuOgZaMouhJJePl_gK3avgOIV6i_r29sQmYPsphvieX4yamQJHckO2dPC-Udb_H04Ns5ZH1wJCJZYjguyvWE75l66JHFvEJMcMX8RfGzYWxFB1d/s320/ruby+slippers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444099458419432274" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Had someone given me a pair of Ruby Slippers 2 weeks ago I would have wanted to click them and repeat the familiar refrain, "There's no place like home" and be whisked back to the safety of my own house. In retrospect it's good that I didn't have that ability because I really needed to be in the hospital.<br /><br />I was cleared by my renal doctor, Dr. Rinnir, yesterday morning to be able to go home. He said that I don't even need to follow up with him. I'm supposed to follow up with my rheumatologist and send blood work to Rinnir.<br /><br />Yesterday was a little stressful because although I was anxious to go home I had to have the PICC line and the temporary dialysis port pulled from my body and learn how to give myself insulin shots.<br /><br />One horrible side effect from the Prednisone is that I've developed what we're hoping is a temporary bout of diabetes. I am now on insulin until I'm off the steroids.<br /><br />When I had the dialysis port put in my chest they didn't knock me out but they did numb the spot and I was pretty out of it besides that. I remember pressure and then it was done. The PICC line was another "pressure" thing...not painful.<br /><br />I was petrified to have them pull those things out though. They brought me down to some room in the hospital where they put in all the drains and stuff and an abnormally hairy doctor came in to take the dialysis port out. I warned him about my skin sensitivity and I told him that normally I have a very high threshold for pain but that I was nervous that it was going to hurt...especially since he was not going to give me any form of anesthesia. As they say in the South, he "didn't pay me no mind" really. He told me he was going to clip the few stitches and then he'd apply pressure to the entry point and then I'd be done. He asked me to count to 1492. By the time my brain grasped the oddity of this number the port was out and I hadn't felt a thing. One down, one to go. The PICC line was basically the same thing but my nurse did that. I kept the PICC line. I'll use it for an object lesson at some point.<br /><br />In the afternoon the diabetes counselor, Beth, came in to bring me my insulin pens and needles and to show me how to give myself the shots. In the old days they would give you a vial and some needles so you could give yourself insulin. Now they give you a pen that's loaded with a set amount of insulin and you dial the amount of insulin you need and stab yourself with the pen. In fact Beth told me to do it with a stabbing motion.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71u3m7kJiIhaw-gb3JMAT_osYJLXyN7MXYjG2YLB3uovH3iPiDbRkrWVvtoxGwiDsKQ5C3crDSdstyr_v0GiOsVvsC8JNxnTsL0r3mmx0kuwCOd6PQ9GV2Jpy3eiypeCc1F0fdM0pHItl/s1600-h/200px-InsulinPenDial.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71u3m7kJiIhaw-gb3JMAT_osYJLXyN7MXYjG2YLB3uovH3iPiDbRkrWVvtoxGwiDsKQ5C3crDSdstyr_v0GiOsVvsC8JNxnTsL0r3mmx0kuwCOd6PQ9GV2Jpy3eiypeCc1F0fdM0pHItl/s320/200px-InsulinPenDial.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444105368890520178" border="0" /></a><br />The needles are small and you screw them onto the top of the pen every time you need to give yourself insulin. I am supposed to test my sugar 15 minutes before I eat and then determine how much insulin I need to give myself using a sliding scale.<br /><br />Then it was time to "practice". I am really not a sissy when it comes to pain. I usually have a very high tolerance for pain but my face got so hot and flushed at the thought of stabbing myself with a needle. I practiced into my thigh. I pinched the fat...a very easy task...and then stabbed the thing into my thigh. It wasn't bad. In fact I've given myself 2 shots since I've gotten home and I really can't feel it. I'm going to have to learn what works for me as far as the number of units to take. Last night I think I took too much and it made me a little dizzy and by bed time my blood sugar was 80 and I needed to drink some juice.<br /><br />I'm also supposed to give myself a shot every night of a maintenance insulin type drug. Erik did not want me to take that shot last night because my glucose level was already within a normal range. I will have to call Beth and make sure that I'm not going to send myself into a coma or anything by taking the maintenance drug at night. The directions say that I should take it at night regardless of my blood sugar. I think Erik's just being extra cautious because of all I've been through already.<br /><br />I got home yesterday around 5:30 and my Mom made a great dinner and we watched some TV. Around 9:00 I was crashing on the sofa so I went up to bed.<br /><br />It was so lovely to go to sleep in my own bed! I did have to leave a light on in the closet because I was afraid that I'd wake up in the night and not remember where I was.<br /><br />Today I've been trying to take it easy. I have started a couple of loads of laundry and I actually feel pretty normal. My legs are weak and I'll have to get used to going up the stairs again. It's amazing how quickly your muscles atrophy when all you do is sit in bed and go for short walks. I couldn't really move much until last Wednesday and I know it'll be a process of building strength again.<br /><br />It was great to get a shower today without all of the paraphernalia that I had to wear in the hospital. I had to cover the port and PICC with plastic and it was just a difficult process. Today I was able to really scrub my hair. You should have seen all of the hair at the bottom of the shower! I feel like a cancer patient. I mean really...I've never shed so much hair. I don't know if it's because my scalp is also peeling and it's loosening the hair or if the small doses of Methotrexate that I took actually did this to me. Lucky for me I have a lot of hair but if I get any bald spots I'm going into seclusion! That will just be the straw that breaks the camels back! Vanity....it's a sin but seriously...I will not go out of the house looking like I'm on chemo. And I will not buy a wig!<br /><br />Just because I'm out of the hospital doesn't mean that I won't be blogging on this blog any more. I've got a long road of recovery ahead of me and I'm sure there will be more stories to tell.<br /><br />For now, I'm home and there really is "No place like home."<br /></span>Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-80197516939889389692010-02-28T16:56:00.000-08:002010-02-28T17:31:02.514-08:00The Good, The Bad and The Ugly....but hey...I'm getting O.U.T.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizc3OHxxjKY49QGJyyX8HDSvUJUBwBrMj4o8TUfBuukSJK3HwpphEBaG3X082eRlQCe8cx35fTxOjWQCZADGPwXluFuoQMnBgY8o_a8b2ikCVaqOQPwz5PsOQ_OboXF1BVBBDx9QIUX80e/s1600-h/The_Good__The_Bad___The_Ugly_wTitle.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 203px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizc3OHxxjKY49QGJyyX8HDSvUJUBwBrMj4o8TUfBuukSJK3HwpphEBaG3X082eRlQCe8cx35fTxOjWQCZADGPwXluFuoQMnBgY8o_a8b2ikCVaqOQPwz5PsOQ_OboXF1BVBBDx9QIUX80e/s320/The_Good__The_Bad___The_Ugly_wTitle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443468454027044914" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:courier new;">My creatine is down to 3 something today. The renal doc on call this weekend came in to tell me that tomorrow they're taking out the port for dialysis and I can go home!!! I know all things are subject to change but I am SO ready to get out of here.<br /><br />One thing I'm looking forward to is filling out the survey that the hospital will mail to me. We'll start with "The Good".<br /><br />On the positive side....<br /><br />1. My physician care has been superior with the exception of the doctor who was in the ER who admitted me. He's kind of a jerk and from what I gather doesn't have much respect from the rest of the physicians I've been dealing with.<br /><br />2. Excellent care in dialysis.<br /><br />3. A very comfortable air bed.<br /><br />4. Attentive and caring nurses and patient care techs. One little thing though...men PCT's just don't make me feel too comfortable. I'd rather have a woman...just me.<br /><br />5. A decent selection of free movies and TV viewing.<br /><br />6. A cot for my loved ones.<br /><br />7. Pretty decent food...except for cholesterol free eggs. Why bother even eating an egg if it has to taste like that? D.I.S.G.U.S.T.I.N.G. I just don't see how that little bit of egg yolk could have hurt me.<br /><br />8. Getting my chest x-rayed right in my bed. That was a treat.<br /><br />9. The nurse who put in the PICC line. Super good, super fast and right on the money.<br /><br />Now for "The Bad".<br /><br />I have a few suggestions to improve patient care.<br /><br />Here are some of the highlights...<br /><br />1. Do not wake people up at 5:30 a.m. to weigh them...especially since they're laying in a bed that will weigh them without disturbing them! Just push the freakin' button and weigh the person. Oh and do you really need to take away my pillows that weigh about 8 ounces? Is my weight that critical?<br /><br />2. When you send someone in to take my blood why don't you have them just do the blood pressure, temperature, oxygen level, blood glucose and weight at the same time? Do I really need to have a different person come in to do each thing? It's like a parade of people in here beginning at 5:30 or 6 a.m. every day.<br /><br />3. How about changing the sheets every day?<br /><br />4. Whoever put in the toilet paper dispensers has obviously NEVER had to sit on any of your toilets and tried to get to the toilet paper. Reaching to your right and behind you is NOT a convenient place for the toilet paper. This is a pet peeve of mine since I used to put up these dispensers when I sold janitorial supplies.<br /><br />5. Also...if you're measuring my urine output and you see that I'm making more urine...you need to empty the thing regularly. I do not want my urine overflowing while I'm using the facilities. EW!<br /><br />And for "The UGLY".<br /><br />1. This hospital was originally built in 1972. I am in the oldest section. The flooring in the bathroom is separating from the wall and is molded. Shouldn't a hospital bathroom be clean and pretty?<br /><br />2. The toilet, well the whole bathroom, is not handicapped accessible. The first time I tried to sit on it I thought I was going to end up on the floor. Then I couldn't get off of it. They brought me a commode to put over the toilet but the bathroom is the size of a postage stamp so it's cramped in there.<br /><br />3. Not a walk in shower...it's a regular bathtub and very small. The shower head hits you right on your chest.<br /><br />4. The transition from the hard tile to carpet is about 12 inches from my room and every cart, bed, tray that comes down the hall has to be pushed across this threshold at such a high rate of speed and makes such a huge crashing noise that you think something has overturned every time they come down the hall.<br /><br />Overall I have been VERY satisfied with my 2 week stint here in the hospital.<br /><br />I was just asking my mom how much she thought this would all cost. She's thinking $300k. We shall see. I already have a stack of statements from the first 2 hospital visits that are about 2 inches thick...that is NOT a joke either.<br /><br />If you have any guesses for the bill feel free to post your best guess.<br /><br /></span></span>Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1866655010857811584.post-23619142426463035332010-02-27T18:36:00.000-08:002010-02-27T19:12:01.473-08:00I'm being held prisoner<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhk8DThb3063l14jDiKFGlP0T-1VOgM0kt07Yv8BuBP8BnMkQl8HefABNI7dKIcv4XBJQ-wgK8iROuJ42plT0qIZbV0p6P737cvu4EINavsNg6hZakpMSvG_AM1rdF82JUhVHg7UjE7Qh/s1600-h/Anne+Taintor+Vintage.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 261px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhk8DThb3063l14jDiKFGlP0T-1VOgM0kt07Yv8BuBP8BnMkQl8HefABNI7dKIcv4XBJQ-wgK8iROuJ42plT0qIZbV0p6P737cvu4EINavsNg6hZakpMSvG_AM1rdF82JUhVHg7UjE7Qh/s320/Anne+Taintor+Vintage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443120174882589602" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: courier new;">Today's been a LONG day. I have been so bored. I am feeling much better and I am feeling ready to go home. I just want O.U.T.!!<br /><br />My creatine level is still at a 4 but at least it's not going up. The renal docs say that I will probably have the dialysis port removed on Monday and then I can go home! That would be swell!<br /><br />My rheumatologist, Dr. Kazi, came by today. I was totally impressed that he came to see me on a Saturday. He was off today but pulled up my chart from home and thought he should come and see me so he did. I like him a lot. Here is a link to his website...click <a href="http://www.arthritisconsultationcenter.com/about/salahuddin-kazi.php">HERE </a><br /><br />Erik hadn't met him before and even Erik thinks Dr. Kazi is "charming".<br /><br />Anyway...Dr. Kazi said that he thinks I am going to come out of the auto immune thing without any further problems. He's tapering me off the Prednisone and thinks once I'm done I won't need any further treatment. He also said that he wouldn't say that I'm out of the woods as far as the possibility of developing lymphoma. That will only happen if the next CT scan shows that my spleen and lymph nodes have gone down. I will have another CT scan in a couple of weeks and we'll compare that scan to the one I had back in December. I am confident that I do not have, nor will I develop lymphoma. I am grateful that he is my doctor. I like him a lot. It will be worth the drive to Dallas from my house to see this man.<br /><br />I will be so glad to have this episode behind me. Yesterday I realized that I will have spent half the month in the hospital. That's just crazy if you ask me.<br /><br />For the past couple of days I've been venturing off my floor and going down to the gift shop. Last night I wanted a banana so I went to the cafeteria. There I was in all my glory, lovely oversized hospital gown, black robe and flakes of dead skin all through my hair! I am sure the people in the line behind me were wondering why I was downstairs spending .64 cents on a banana...which I had to put on my debit card because I have no cash with me.<br /><br />I've been showering daily but the hair part is much more difficult because of the PICC line and the dialysis port. It's such an ordeal to wash my hair because the line and port need to be waterproofed with some sticky tape and my skin is so sensitive that I can't tolerate any more tape. This afternoon Erik helped me wash my hair and although it's by no means "flake free" it doesn't look the Abominable Snow Man is living on my scalp any more.<br /><br />Hopefully I'll be "paroled" on Monday. I'll keep you posted.<br /><br /><br /></span></span>Renniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08595870101952757885noreply@blogger.com0