Crick on the Run

My neck is feeling so much better this morning. Still slightly stiff but is well on the mend. Thank goodness! It gave me such a bad headache yesterday too. I had my Mom pop my back and there were 3 places between my shoulder blades that were out, as well as at the top of my back, and one place at the bottom. Ahhh, felt good.

RA isn't too bad, just the normal stuff. UC is OK, and so is BS.

Still There

The crick in my neck is still there. Being stubborn! My shoulder blades are grinding as well, so I may have my Mom pop my back for me! I'm still taking the muscle relaxants to help too.

Usual aches and pains... nothing really bad. UC has been OK, and so has BS.

Crick

Got a crick in my neck, have had it since yesterday afternoon. I was hoping it would go away, but it isn't so I just took a couple of muscle relaxants so that should help. I'm also a little achy and sore but no more than usual. The shower this morning helped.

UC is doing OK, and BS is good too.

About the Same

No changes from yesterday. I slept well again, but feel like I could have slept for a couple hours longer. Ah well... aches and pains are the same, not bad enough for a pain pill though. It is slightly rainy and not too cold so that is helping, I'm sure.

Not Bad...

All the rest I got the past two days has done wonders for my body. It is half liking me again. Not too painful today, just the usual aches. UC settled down too, and BS seems to be OK. Not much to report. Slight headache though, so I think I'll take 1/2 a pain pill to zap it.

Same Old...

Tired, achy and blah today. I just need some more rest after all the holiday stuff. UC is doing OK, although it was quite frequent yesterday. Not bad though. BS has been OK too - despite eating a little more than I have been.

I'm Up...

I had such a bad headache yesterday. Took 4 pain pills throughout the day and took a 2.5 hour nap trying to get rid of it. It is finally gone now, except for a small hint of it. I'm pretty achy too, my hips, knees, and feet aren't liking me at all. I've just taken a pain pill to prevent it all from ruining my day. I'm not doing anything much, and will rest most of the day but don't want to be miserable.

UC is doing fine, and so is my BS. It was much more level yesterday since I ate the 5 smaller meals. I didn't have the 6th (bedtime snack) which is OK - I can do that as I feel I need to.

Ugh!

Feeling very tired and very sore today. Probably over did things yesterday. Well, no probably about it... I'll get some rest later, after I get my cleaning finished.

UC is grumbling a bit this morning but not too bad. BS was a little off yesterday, since I didn't have my afternoon snack and ate a bigger dinner than I have been eating.

Stuffy

Feeling very stuffy, and sneezy since last night. I hope it isn't a cold. I've taken an Allegra D and it is helping. Otherwise, usual aches and pains... nothing too bad which is good, because I have a lot to do today.

UC is doing better, and BS is fine.

Today's Report

Not feeling too achy this morning, despite the small storm that passed through and how cold it is. My feet and knees are the worst.

UC wasn't really happy when I first got up, but hopefully it will settle down. Probably still has some stimulants and yucky stuff in my system.

The smaller and more frequent meals are still helping my blood sugar stay more level.

The Day After

I'm feeling better than I was yesterday. I felt like crap though, so tired, crampy and just wanted to crawl up in a ball and sleep. Then had some emotional blow ups with my PITA sister so that sure didn't do me any good - it was making me feel sicker. I talked to some friends and cried a lot, and took 2 xanax and went to bed early which helped.

I'm not to crampy this morning and I don't know how the UC is going to be yet. I didn't eat much yesterday at all, since I felt a little nauseated.

The nurse called me back yesterday morning, and said she'd forgotten to set up an appt with the doctor's assistant for a follow up and the biopsy results so that is scheduled on Jan 11. I could have gotten in sooner, but wanted to stick with Nate, the guy I usually see.

Scope

The colonoscopy went well. I didn't have any polyps this time, but had some additional scarring. He removed that, and did some biopsies all through the colon. He didn't see anything suspicious, but the biopsies are routine, since my chances of cancer increase 5 times by having ulcerative colitis. So, he wants to keep the meds the same, and the diet. He'll just need to see me next year for the same unless I have trouble. He took some blood for tests, as well as the CBC that Dr B wanted.

Having some RA pain, but not too bad. I'm cold, achy and really groggy so I'm going back to bed.

Not too bad...

Considering how bad I hurt last night, and how tired I was! I'm not in too much pain, which is a good thing, because I'm on a clear liquid diet and can't take pain pills - or I'll get sick. Don't want that on top of preparing for the colonoscopy that is tomorrow. No way.

I'm going to rest, and take things easy. My ankles are a little swollen from being on my feet so much yesterday, more my left - which is normal. So I'll prop my feet up and relax.

UC isn't too bad today, and BS is OK so far. I can drink lemonade, and clear fruit juices if my sugar drops today. I'm the first patient in tomorrow too, so won't have to wait for hours to eat anything. Should be done and home by 9am.

Tired

I'm very tired this morning, and very achy. I've got a lot to do today, so that figures. I'll do as much as I can, and will try not to over do it.

UC is a little better this morning, and BS was OK yesterday. I at 5 smaller meals and it did seem to help keep me feeling even. I walked quite a bit when I went shopping, and of course while I was cleaning so I didn't try the exercise bike yesterday. Maybe later today, but I'll be doing a lot of walking at the grocery store, and then while I'm baking today.

Arrrgh

Woke up very achy and sore. My hands, left elbow and shoulder, feet, knees, hips. UGH. I am feeling some better as I'm moving around. I must have just not moved much during the night. I did sleep for 9 hours and only got up once, which was a nice change!

UC is being a pain again today. I don't know what is up with it, but it better not get worse! I guess I'll find out on Monday!

Panic Call

My RA doc's nurse just called me in a panic. My blood levels have dropped 8 points from last month. I told her I thought it was from the blood draw 2 weeks ago, which was about - 180 ml. That is a lot of blood! Dr B wants me to get more blood drawn on Monday (I'll have Dr L take some while I'm at his office) to see what it is. They want to make sure that I'm not bleeding internally or something isn't going on with my bone marrow again. She was relieved to hear how much they took though, as a possible explanation. She'll let Dr B know. Good to know they keep an eye on me!

Diabetic Doc Appt

I ended up switching doctors today. They'd scheduled me with a new doctor (to the practice) to get me in sooner, and my doc was supposed to "pop in." Well, he never did - but that's OK, because I like Dr H. better. She explains things well, and I thought she was more personable.

I do have reactive hypoglycemia. She wanted to put me on a medication that would block carb absorbtion, but it won't play well with my ulcerative colitis, so that's out. She thinks I'll be fine without a dietician for now too. She's happy that I drink soymilk (high in protein) and she approved of the snacks I eat. She wants me to eat 5-6 small meals a day instead of 3. That will be hard getting used to - but I'll manage. I also need to exercise as I can - which is the tricky part because of the RA pain. But she said even 5-10 minutes on my exercise bike, and/or a 5 minute walk several times a day would make a huge difference. I might be able to do that.

So, I'll implement the changes and see her again in March.

As I was leaving, I ran into my internist in the hall. He said, "Wow, you're look good!" LOL! Made me smile... I guess opposed to walking death, I am looking better. ;-)

Same

Dr B is keeping everything the same for now. I'm pretty stable, and the aches and pains are just normal (which I knew). He also wants the report, from my gastro doc when I have my colonoscopy on Monday. Which should be a given, but I'll tell them again. I see the diabetic doc this morning, to find out what they figured out with that all day blood draw 2 weeks ago. They're actually having me see a new doc in the practice and my doc will pop in. If they want me to just see the new doc, that's fine. Whatever... ;-) I'm sure she's competent.

The usual aches, pains, and tiredness - and the fluish symptoms today (which follow the Remacade). Not too bad though. I'm just used to it all. UC is being a pain still - not sure what is going on there. Guess we'll find out Monday! I'm excited, can you tell?! ;)

Remacade Day

Thank goodness for Remacade day!!! It always makes me feel a lot better... and I'm needing it today! Achy all over, but still painful in knees and feet. Hips got a little better but not much. UC is being a pain again too - not sure what is up with that, I haven't eaten anything bad. Stress maybe... and I've noticed a trend of it getting worse too a week before the Remacade. I did ask the nurse last month if this is normal, and it is. Even with patients who are on the 6 to 8 week treatments, a week before it starts wearing off. So why aren't they doing it every 3, 5 or 7 weeks?! Good question...

90

I feel like my body is 90 this morning. I'm so achy and sore. Stairs are not my friends, and even getting out of my car was a struggle. Time for a pain pill! Mostly my knees and feet again, and now hips are getting a little worse. I'm very tired too, feel like I could have slept another 10 hours.

UC has been OK.

Not Bad Day II

I didn't ever get really sore yesterday, and am not too bad today either. My knees and feet are still hurting, but not the over all body aches like I was having before. UC has settled down too. Just a bad day Saturday.

Not Bad

Not feeling too bad this morning. The rest yesterday helped, although I began to hurt more as the day went on and ended up taking a couple of pain pills. Both knees hurt, as well as my feet.

UC was a royal pain all day, but has calmed down.

Wild Day

I had a really painful day yesterday, I was in pain anyway but did a 5 hour shopping marathon so last night I was really miserable. I got about 9 hours of sleep though, and feel SO much better. I'm still hurting some, but not nearly what I thought I would. :-D I'll take things easy the next couple of days.

UC is really being bad this morning! I hope it calms down.

Moan and Groan

I slept really well last night, but woke up sooooo stiff and sore I could hardly move. It's getting some better with me moving around, but I can see me needing a pain pill if it doesn't get better. UC is a bit upset today, after eating things I shouldn't yesterday... I just don't learn... but I need to be bad once in a while!!

Dueling Doctors

I'm going in for my yearly colonoscopy on Dec 20. Yeah, sing the song, "Karen's taking it up the butt, doo-dah, doo-dah" Dr L is the gastro doc. They told me when I made the appt, to check with my internist to see if he wanted me to go off of the coumadin (blood thinner) 5 days prior - which is normal practice if the patient is stable enough to go off of it.

So, being the good patient I am, I called my internist today and asked if I could go off of it for 5 days. I get a call back from his nurse and they say "Call Dr L and ask if he wants you to." Umm... yeah... OK...

Last year, the answer from the internist was "don't stop taking the coumadin" I had no problems at all, and they even removed some pollops. So, I call Dr L's office and they say that it is up to the internist - even when I said that he said it was up to Dr L. ?! OK... so now what?! Should I keep taking it, split the difference and not take it for 2.5 days, or stop for the 5 days which is normal practice? Decisions, decisions...

Some Better

Feeling better emotionally, but still a bit fragile. I'm pretty achy, and my right knee is really giving me grief. I can tell it is the week before my Remacade treatment, things always seems to get a little worse. Tired too, despite the extra sleep I got yesterday, but I did sleep like the dead last night.

Blah!

I feel like crap. I hurt pretty much everywhere and just feel exhausted, physically and emotionally... taking a sick day.

Improving

I'm really improving being back on the prednisone. Not nearly as painful as I have been. UC is doing better too. I slept really well last night, but still feel drained - but that's really normal for me. Just life. ;-)

Bad Day

Yesterday turned out to be a really bad day with that headache - the morning anyway! I tossed my cookies not long after I posted, and then the headache got so much worse. I ate some crackers, took another pain pill and slept for about 45 minutes. It was enough to get me feeling good enough to go to the eye doc. I got home, and took another pain pill, finished cleaning, and then slept for 2 hours. That pretty much took care of it.

I'd forgotten that they gave me heparin on Thursday, to prevent clots - even though I'm already on coumadin, and that gives me headaches. So between that and the blood sugar going up and down so much, I'm guessing that is what caused it.

Aches aren't too bad today, the prednisone is starting to do it's thing!! UC is even a little better too. :)

Rebound

2 hours after I ate last night, I checked my blood sugar and it was up to 150! I felt like crap, and was so thirsty. I know that's not really high, but it is twice what it normally is. I've got a whopper of a headache this morning, and I think it is all realated to that and not eating yesterday. I did have a headache yesterday, but not this severe. Hopefully it will go away soon, after the pain pill kicks in and I finish my breakfast.

Still somewhat sore this morning but not nearly as bad as I have been. So, that big dose of prednisone must have helped.

Blood Test Day

I got to the doc's office, and they checked me in, and put a shunt in my arm. They had to draw two vials of blood each hour! One to test the insulin levels, and another for something else I can't remember. Then they did the sugar level quick test. I didn't know it was going to be that much involved. I dropped to about 40 at 12:30, then the 1:30 was about 59, then the next was 67, then 71 so it rebounded, but not too high, which is what "normal" people do. Still don't know why I'm dropping so low, but he'll review the labs and I'll follow up with him in 2 weeks.

I also got the results from my thyroid ultra sound. No nodules were there, so I don't know what he was feeling. I'll talk to him more about that in 2 weeks too. It definitely is enlarged and has been for some time, so it is probably the autoimmune stuff.

I'm really tired, but not feeling as crappy as I thought I would. I also can go back on the prednisone. Since I'm hurting, they said I can take 20 mg tonight and then resume my regular daily dose.

Exhausted

I'm utterly exhausted, so I'm staying home from work this morning and getting some sleep! Aches and pains are about the same. UC was really bad for about 2 hours yesterday morning.