Thursday August 27,2009

I realized I forgot to post an update on my Tuesday rheumy appointment. Nothing very exciting. She was surprised to hear about the hip. She got the report on the hip cortisone shot but not the MRI report that went with it so Tuesday afternoon, I called the ortho office to have them fax it over to the rheumy office. She told me to take the Darvocet if my hip hurts so much that Tylenol doesn't help. Since it makes me feel odd, I'll have to save it for bedtime. She also told me when I mentioned that the ortho mentioned Supartz into the hip that it is really only done at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. Although off-label, they can get it approved there by insurance companies. And she said that shoulder shots are now on label, insurance is reluctant to pay for them.

Yesterday I drove up to Kent to see my friend Laura there and managed to leave/drop my MedicAlert bracelet somewhere between there and home. I did odds and ends when I got home and then discovered that it was missing. Fortunately this morning, she sent me an email saying she had found it and will be sending it to me.

Feeling a bit sniffly today. I hope it goes away. I am wearing my sneakers today and it seems to be okay (so far).

Monday Aug. 24, 2009: BP

I went back to my PCP today for a follow up on my BP. She liked the document I made. Readings were half good, half bad (lower number was over 80 half the time----it should be less than 80) so she said we should try drugs. So I got a prescription for lisonopril, 10 MG. I may have misspelled that. But at least it is one of the 90 pills for $9.99 from Stop and Shop. Henry takes it as well, but in a larger dose. She may reduce the dose for me to 5 if necessary. I guess I have to say good bye to Sudafed! Oh well. I also got a refill for the antibotics I have to take prior to any dentist appointments for the rest of my life!
Tomorrow I go to the rheumy office in the morning and the dentist in the afternoon. Sure sounds like a swell day..... not!

Thursday August 13, 2009: Back from vacation

4 days away from Connecticut was lovely. This is the first vacation in 2 years where part of it hasn't been spent by either my husband or me recuperating from some kind of surgery. My bruise is looking much better but my ankle and foot have gotten swollen as the bruise has move down my leg. This evening, after I spent 2.5 hours with my leg elevated while watching TV, I discovered that, as predicted by both doctors who say it, it has started to reach my toes. The picture with this post was taken before the bruise got there. My ankles (both) are kind of sore too from all the walking on sand that we did. Thank goodness I brought my Crocs because my sneakers weren't comfortable due to the swelling in the right foot.

Friday August 7, 2009 Hmmm

Previous post published a little oddly! I am aware of it! Can't figure out exactly how to fix it so if anyone is actually reading this, please read the post anyway and ignore the layout issues!

Friday August 7, 2009: Platelet count results

Yesterday I forgot to post that I got the results of Monday's platelet count at my regular doctor's office. It was 95,000, low for normal people, fine for me. Not horribly low but within my usual range. My potassium level was also normal. The calf really hurt last night and this morning, feeling like the muscle was stuck in a contracture (or whatever the noun actually is). But this morning, I took a hot bath which loosened things enough to be able to go to Costco and Stop and Shop and get things in preparation for our trip on Monday. And when I was home, I spent that night, for the most part, with my leg propped up, elevated. The picture posted is from yesterday. Today it looks slightly better but I didn't take a picture of it today. Maybe tomorrow!

Wednesday August 5, 2009: Ortho visit for the hip

I had my follow up appointment with the ortho today for my hip shot. The hip is looking good. He was very happy the shot worked. No renewal of PT prescription=just finish one of the two more sessions scheduled as PT guy has to close out my case. He mentioned hip resurfacing if necessary, if it really starts bothering me but doesn't need a total hip replacement. It replaces part of the joint, not the full thing, He warned me the huge bruise could spread to my toes (it's almost there already). Now supposedly, I don't need to go back to the ortho office (except for the PT in the same building tomorrow) until January. I hope that actually happens!

As far as the hip resurfacing goes, it sounds good to me, although, obviously, I hope it doesn't become necessary. It can be done when your hip need something but it's not so bad that it needs a total replacement, and it leaves things in tact so that if you do need a hip replacement down the line, it can be done. Sort of like my partial knee replacement which can, when necessary, be made into a total knee replacement. It's also minimally invasive, like the PKR versus the TKR.

Monday Aug. 3, 2009: The bruise

I called the regular doctor's office this morning and got myself an appointment for the afternoon. PT people were shocked at the bruise! I remembered to tell them I have my appointment on Wednesday with the ortho.. Meanwhile, this afternoon, primary doctor was surprised at the size of the bruise. Agreed stopping Mobic was a good idea (for now at least). Blood was drawn for a platelet count and a potassium check (because of the tightening muscle). BP was really high there-higher than I ever have seen it, 162 over something. So she said before prescribing medicine for that (it had been high usually for the last 1.5 years), I should get a home BP monitor and take readings 3 a day for 3 weeks and then bring it to look at. I thought we already had one but when I got home, Henry said it was not working so I had to get another. I've taken my BP now twice, once at 4:30: 121/76 and then at 8PM after running down 5-6 stairs from up here in my office to downstairs in the living room, and it was 123/78. That's a whole lot lower than at the doctor's! I go back on August 24 with the monitor.

Sunday Aug. 2: Blah

I worked for 4 hours for the most part without a problem. My calf muscle did tighten up once. When I got home, however, I discovered my right ankle is swollen. I've iced it and elevated the leg. It looks like the bruise is moving down that way. I'm planning to call my regular doctor tomorrow morning to see if I can get an appointment for the afternoon as I'm planning (also) to go to PT in the morning. It's the last one before I see the ortho on Wednesday morning. Since I have only 1 small bruise (on my arm where the door hit me on the way through it), I don't think my platelet count is the problem. To be on the safe (but uncomfortable side), I didn't take my Mobic/Meloxicam tonight.

Saturday August 1, 2009: The Bruise

I took a picture of the bruise on my calf today. The darkest area is where I rubbed the most trying to get the tightness out.