More Medical Updates

Well, the past few weeks have not been fun. We’ve all seen the new primary care doctors, and I’ve now gotten 4 new medications to add to my list.

I have suffered with CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) for about 4 years now. They put me through all the tests to eliminate every other diagnosis before settling on that. One of the symptoms, however, is pain. Often, the pain is actually Fibromyalgia, which tends to run hand in hand with CFS. I had the pain even before the cancer and the chemo. During treatments, and various hospital stays, my oncologists mentioned that they really thought I have Fibromyalgia, and I should follow up with my regular doctor. It never went very far. The pain is still there, but amplified, like all my other ailments. Finally, this new doctor diagnosed me with it, and gave me the medication, Lyrica. I started on the half dose, and am now up to the full dose. I am noticing a difference already. Although the pain is still there, it is more bearable. They have found that I am also vitamin D deficient, which they say is probably adding to the pain. (Sometimes this deficiency is mistaken for Fibromyalgia, and might have been the answer to the problem, but in my case I had the pain before the deficiency.) So…I now need to also take a high dose of prescription vitamins.

Another problem since going through all the cancer stuff was that my asthma has been getting out of control. Before the cancer, I got an attack maybe once a month or less. Lately? About 4 times a week, at least! Added to my meds? Two new ones: Singulair and Advair. Again, big difference! I have not used my inhailer even once since starting them!

My white blood count was low…they are now going to be monitoring that closely. (*sigh* Meaning I’m probably at a higher than normal infection risk.) Geez, I thought that was supposed to go away after the chemo!

The only problem there doesn’t seem an answer to? My ankle pain. I had to start wearing an ankle brace, because it feels like my ankle gives out multiple times a day. When this happens, the pain is so severe that I usually cannot walk for a while. The ankle brace helps some to stablize the foot. Even when the ankle does not give out, there’s pain every time I step on it. When did this all start? In  November, believe it or not! After my hospitalization in November, I came home (the infection, and two mini surgeries happened during my stay.) Two days after my release, I feel down the stairs. It was stupid, I forgot to wear my glasses and tried to use the rest room in the middle of the night. When I fell, I injured my ankle. Thinking it was a sprain, I wrapped it in an ace bandage and just tried to be careful. It has not healed. At times, it feels worse than when I first sprained it.  The doctor is not sure at this point what to do, and suggested I wear the brace all the time to prevent further damage…and that it is possible it may be a permanent injury. I think maybe I need to see a foot specialist. But, not now. Too many doctors are already driving me crazy! 🙂

I still have to see the new gyn. onc., who is at a nearby hospital. And he will hopefully refer me to a doctor to remove my adrenal mass. I look forward to the day I can put at least that part behind me!