Oh Happy Day!
It was a long day of appointments yesterday, but it was well worth it because good news came on all fronts. Since there are three areas of concern (clots, CF, and joints) I'll tackle one at a time...
On Monday I sent my clot doc another email because the pain had been increasing and she agreed to schedule an ultrasound for that same day. Luckily my right side is clot-free and, while my left side does have a clot, it is not obstructing (completely blocking) my vein like it was back in February. The ultrasound report was given to me by a different doctor, so I still haven't heard from the clot doc and am unclear as to whether or not we'll change the dose of my blood thinner.
My CF appointment went better than expected and I couldn't be happier. I was amazed to see that my PFTs have jumped up 6% and were the best they've been since last December; just before everything went downhill. My blood work from last week was fine and while there's still one culture pending, the other does not show anything new or alarming. I am still not feeling one hundred percent (my lungs are still rattling and I'm still getting very short of breath) but the appointment was proof that the new med combination is working and that by the time I finish taking them I should feel as good as new. I dodged the "IV bullet" and exhaled a huge sigh of relief...whew!
The appointment with my rheumatologist was fairly uneventful. I ended the prednisone on Sunday and was taken by surprise when Monday and Tuesday came with an intense amount of pain. Out of nowhere most of my muscles and every bone in my body ached. I was worried that it was a return of my arthritic symptoms, but felt so relieved when my rheumatologist said that it's just the effects of prednisone withdrawal and that each day it should get a little better, and so far it has.
By day's end as the dark rain clouds rolled in, I felt as though my own little dark cloud of impending doom and been swept away, allowing me see the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe it was all the running around we did yesterday or maybe it was my new peace of mind, but I slept better last night than I have in weeks. Things are lookin' up!
On Monday I sent my clot doc another email because the pain had been increasing and she agreed to schedule an ultrasound for that same day. Luckily my right side is clot-free and, while my left side does have a clot, it is not obstructing (completely blocking) my vein like it was back in February. The ultrasound report was given to me by a different doctor, so I still haven't heard from the clot doc and am unclear as to whether or not we'll change the dose of my blood thinner.
My CF appointment went better than expected and I couldn't be happier. I was amazed to see that my PFTs have jumped up 6% and were the best they've been since last December; just before everything went downhill. My blood work from last week was fine and while there's still one culture pending, the other does not show anything new or alarming. I am still not feeling one hundred percent (my lungs are still rattling and I'm still getting very short of breath) but the appointment was proof that the new med combination is working and that by the time I finish taking them I should feel as good as new. I dodged the "IV bullet" and exhaled a huge sigh of relief...whew!
The appointment with my rheumatologist was fairly uneventful. I ended the prednisone on Sunday and was taken by surprise when Monday and Tuesday came with an intense amount of pain. Out of nowhere most of my muscles and every bone in my body ached. I was worried that it was a return of my arthritic symptoms, but felt so relieved when my rheumatologist said that it's just the effects of prednisone withdrawal and that each day it should get a little better, and so far it has.
By day's end as the dark rain clouds rolled in, I felt as though my own little dark cloud of impending doom and been swept away, allowing me see the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe it was all the running around we did yesterday or maybe it was my new peace of mind, but I slept better last night than I have in weeks. Things are lookin' up!
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