Friday Nov. 20, 2009: #4 Supartz shot

Almost done with the shots! I had #4 this past Tuesday (Nov. 17). One to go. Can't tell if they did anything. My knee doesn't feel worse and the shots aren't nearly as painful in this knee as they were in my other knee, so maybe there is hope that they'll help.
I also had a hematologist appointment on Wednesday (Nov. 18). My count was 72,000. Nothing new. The big news was that I got in and out of there by 9:30, which was the time my appointment was scheduled to start! That was a big change although it probably won't happen again!

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!

Thursday March 12, 2009

I saw Lenita yesterday, a non-practicing physician, who told me she is sure I had a spinal, after looking at my papers. I had an appointment this morning with the hematologist (platelet count was 91,000) and mentioned the spinal for the PKR and he said it was typical hospital behavior! I also asked if I could make my appointments every 6 months to which he replied he'd compromise and see how 4 months between goes. So I don't have to go back until July instead of June.

Thursday March 5, 2009

Still waiting for my medical records to arrive. No mail at all yesterday probably because Jonathan parked the black Jeep too near the mail box for the mail truck to pull up close enough. So I am hoping today will be the day.
I am pretty sure I'm not working next week at all. Going to check again later. I am. however, working Friday and Saturday of the following week, having found them on the self-serve stuff of the Macy's site again.
Despite the bash of my knee into the dishwasher door the other day, I didn't get a bruise. Maybe some slight discoloration but definitely not a bruise. I think my platelet count will be lower next week than it's been judging by the number of little bruises I've managed to get. But I could be wrong. A week from today I have an appointment with the hematologist and I guess I'll find out. New knee is still doing well for the most part. Only at night do I get some pain for some reason along the side of the Oxford implant, but nothing terrible. Yea!

Th. Sept. 4, 2008: Happy Birthday to Me!

You say it's your birthday!
It's my birthday too, yea!

And my platelet count was 113,000 at the hematologist! Hooray! I had been told I needed a count of 50,000 without treatment for the surgery but today, he reread a paper that said a count of 70,000 without treatment, which would have been prednisone or WinRho! So the platelet dance did its magic! Yea!

Tomorrow is the ortho. pre-op and I've typed up a list of questions for that~!

Sept. 3, 2008: Big Big Ouchies

My right knee has decided to have a life of its own and has gotten really really bad since I stopped the Celebrex-only 2 days ago! I went to the eye doctor this afternoon after working 5 hours (with an hour at home in between), it was hard to concentrate on the eye test. YEsterday was the pre-op at the primary where the EKG caused difficulties with interference showing up in the tracings. Waiting now to hear from them. TOmorrow brings the hematologist appointment in mid-afternoon as well as my birthday.
Hopefully tomorrow will be better and if I don't hear from Dr. MAki's office, at least I'll be getting the results of a platelet count at the hematology office.

July 16, 2008: Part Deux

Got a call from the surgery scheduler. They hadn't gotten the allergy test results so after I spoke to her, I called to get them faxed over there. In the meantime, I now have a surgery date: Wednesday Sept. 17 at 7:30AM. He does surgery at the Health South Surgical CEnter (outpatient stuff) the week of Sept. 7, which is when I wanted it, so I had to go for the week afterwards. I've now scheduled my pre-op with Dr. Maki (changed my annual check up appointment with her into a pre-op appointment) on Sept. 2. On Sept. 4, my birthday, I see Dr. Schweitzer for a pre-op with him at 10AM and see Dr. Abrams the hematologist at 11:30, for a platelet count. Dr. Abrams had wanted to see me a week before the surgery but since he'll be out of the office that week, I had to make it for the week before. He'll do a platelet count and determine if I need any treatment, which I doubt I will, since Dr. Schweitzer said a count of 50000 or more would be fine. And since my count is always higher than that, it shouldn't be a problem. I won't tell work about the surgery until closer to the date.
Feeling nervous and excited at the same time.

June 23, 2008: Hematologist appointment

I had a 9AM appointment with my hematologist today and I didn't leave the hospital until 10:30! I mainly waited and waited. When I finally got to go into the patients' area, I was sent to an infusion room as all the regular rooms (the non-oncology) I go to were occupied. So the nurse drew my blood, went through everything there. Once she was done, she opened the curtain and there was a lady in the next chair getting chemotherapy. She and I talked a little. She has pancreatic cancer. Then I finally was moved to a regular one where I had time to read about 5 magazines before the doctor came in. He is fine with the 50,000 count that the knee replacement suggested was the minimum safe count. I told him about the spinal and he agreed about not having it (he said he wouldn't have it) and said I should sleep through it. Count was 72,000 (I think)--in the 70s which he said was my norm so there was no problem with that, and he reiterated I am Rh+ positive so I could have WinRho if I needed to boost the count. I have to go back 1 week before the surgery for a count and from the count, he'll decide whether or not to treat me, if necessary, and if necessary, with what. That would be decided then.