Time waster(s)

There is a teacher in my class whose schtick is ask "questions" about Sci-Fi concepts as if they are real phenomenon.

*sigh*


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Another Update

I had my CAD follow-up appointment this past Tuesday.

First off, we had them check my phosphate test results. It was 2.8 which is within the health levels.

We talked about all the CAD options:

1) Surprise surprise. My records from Phoenix had not been sent yet, so no knowledge as to six weeks or months for my follow on CT scan and type. Also how long I should be on thinners. Rest of my life? Type?

2) Blood thinners will affect my deployability, but the Air Force docs can't work the Army database. Once all records are in hand I will pursue my profile and limitations.


School starts Monday. I have been off the opana (oxymorpone) for two days now and other meds have kept the headaches at bay.

More in a few weeks if/when my records arrive.


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Status Update

How long have I been out of the hospital?

Friday I went to a follow-up appointment for my low phosphate levels and had a blood test. No feedback yet but it will call Monday (or ask Tuesday) what my reading was.

I have not felt tingly or weak like it did when my levels were low. So that is good.

This Tuesday I have a follow-up for my carotid dissection (CAD). Hopefully they have the written report and follow-up instructions from Phoenix. We are still not sure if they wanted a CT at 6 weeks or 6 months. We heard different from the doctor and the admin nurse in Phoenix.

My headaches seem to be lessening daily and can be managed with Tramadol, Tylenol or a combo. I also still take Opana, a time-release oxy-morphone, but it runs out in a few days. I am hoping I will not need it as it keeps me from driving. My first summer class starts in a week and it would be nice to drive myself as I am about four weeks behind on my podcast listening. :). The headaches don't seem to be lingering in the background as much as before. Maybe I am just getting accustomed to the issue.

My torqued tongue is still causing me speech issues. Again, this is supposed to reduce as the CAD clot reduces. If not, I may have to look into some speech therapy. I will ask about that on Tuesday.

My assignment officer is starting the paperwork to get me assigned to Colorado following graduation! I have a few admin things to clean up (curse you AKO) and those orders should push through.

Thanks again to everyone that wrote to me and helped out me or my family!




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iPad Arrived

And apparently a day early.

Thanks again to everyone who sent gent well gifts and helped out.


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iWow! iThanks.

My brother has done a kind thing and fronted an effort to get me a Get Well Gift.

My good friend Anthony and a good friend of my brothers, Nabeel, both contacted my brother with the idea to take up a collection and get my an iPad 2!

Thanks to everyone that contributed:

• My brother (and his awesome wife and princesses)
• My parents (who timed their arrival perfectly)
• Anthony (who should have had more AL support)
• Nabeel (not a deputy)
• My cousin Amy (with Kerry and the G-Man)
• Greg (a.k.a the Dr. Funk to my Monkey)
• My brother-in-law-in-law Misha
• My brother's in-laws Natalia and Boris
• My late grandmother (who threatened to eat my brains!)

I am looking forward to getting it within the next few weeks (back ordered).

You all are so cool!  Much better than flowers (and will last a lot longer as well).

Also thanks to:

• My parents for watching all the boys for so long
• My Sis-in-Law Sue for sending a Subway giftcard.  That is a family favorite (RJ wants to get a job there!)
• Our neighbor Melissa who made some food and helps when she says she will help

Out.

I have been discharged but there was never a diagnosis.

Docs want me to get another phosphate level check in a week to make sure I am stabilized.

And...back in the hospital

Seems that I am a medical mystery again.

So far they don't think this is related to the Carotid Dissection or any of the procedures I had done in Phoenix.

Yesterday morning around 4am I woke up feeling generally crappy.  Kind of like the overall "blah" you feel when you have the flu.  From 4-8am I tossed and turned and never got very good sleep.  I still didn't have much of an appetite (I had not been terribly hungry the night before, but had eaten a little).  I tried eating some cereal but my mouth was really dry and I felt too crappy to eat.  At about 9:30 my hands and feet started feeling tingly with some loss of sensation.  That was very worrisome so Mary got me in the car and we headed off to the ER.

All the way there my thoughts were, of course, on a dislodged clot or some kind of problem with the sealant they put in my femoral artery for the angiogram.  This freaked me out and added some hyperventilation to the tingling which just exacerbated it.  By the time we got to the ER my legs were numb, my arms were numb and I had lost all use of my hands.  They were all cramped up.  I was also feeling numbness creeping up my abdomen and around the sides of my head.

The ER nurse asked me questions about my recent medical history which severed that purpose and also got my breathing regular.  Once in the ER bed the feeling to limbs had returned and my tingling had reduced.  I felt, cold, shaky, very weak and still very crappy.

Several vials of blood were taken and the early results showed I had very low phosphate levels which would have caused the tingling and flu-like crappy feeling.

They started a electrolyte IV and I had an phosphate pill.  I also got a little food in, but I was still without much appetite.

Several hours in the ER and I was moved to a regular hospital bed for more tests and monitoring.  By evening my levels had returned to normal but no other test results or examination of meds and history were explaining why my levels dropped.  A kidney doctor (Nephrologist) was scheduled to come see me as well.

I slept well through the night only waking up during the four times when (1) midnight when they came in to check my heart monitor which required ripping a contact pad off and replacing it; (2) routine vitals check; (3) blood draw at 4am and; (4) another heart monitor pad removal and replacement.

I continued to snooze till breakfast at 8:30am and was glad that some of my appetite had returned.

My father showed up to hang out with me at about 9:15am.

The Nephrologist showed up around 10 and ran through a plethora of questions.  Still no idea why my levels might have dropped.  The kidney blood tests and thyroid blood tests all checked out.  She is going to look over some more tests and see if she can draw any other conclusions.

I am now off the IV drip so they can see how my electrolyte levels persist on regular diet and evacuation.

After meds, shower, food and rest I am feeling more like my (post dissection) self.

So much fun!

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Month of May:

30+ blood draws
25 days of headaches
12 days in Phoenix, AZ
10+ doctors on varying parts of my case(s)
9 medications
8 Hampton Inn Belgium Waffles :)
7 self-administered shots
6 nights in the hospital
5 IVs
4 United Airlines flights
3 different hospitals
3 CT scans
2 different states
1 MRI/MRA
1 carotid dissection
1 unexplained electrolyte plummet