Tale of Brenda's Health Care Path...
Hello my fellow readers, it's Trevor to share our August tale. Brenda has had an active summer, with her yearly examinations. We are going to touch on that and a lot more, during this tale.
On September 8th, 2 weeks from today, Brenda will be celebrating her 10th Craniversary or celebration of life, since her craniotomy. Tomorrow will be 10 years, that she found out that she had been living with a meningioma, for at least 20 years. She had no idea, it was even a brain tumor at that time, because of the confusing terminology. Imagine, if you were told that you had a mass, lesion or meningioma, that was the size of a walnut. WELL, we all know how that turned out folks, don't we? BOL Wanted to mention that her BIG 10 is getting close.
Brenda's mother was sitting right beside her on the edge of the bed, when they received the news. It was a Tuesday, August 26, 2008. Nothing from this point on, would ever be the same again. Every year since then, Brenda has reflected on this date with much introspection. So much has happened, since that pivotal day of September 8, 2008.
What hasn't changed is the fact that Brenda continues to live with a chronic disease. This leads us back to our title, touching on the summer of Brenda's health care path.
It started in early June, with a visit to her GYN professional. Nothing was found to be concerning, except for the fact that Brenda's weight has gradually been increasing since becoming post menopausal. FYI; we are going to be sharing more details, so you get the bigger picture of what one has to do, to keep on top of medical issues. To be sure nothing was developing, Brenda was able to have an US. She begged not to have a vaginal one. They can be extremely uncomfortable, as she has had one in the past. It all depended on if they could see her one ovary that remained. She had a nonmalignant ovarian cyst, removed with one of her ovaries attached in 1984. They were able to see the one remaining, so no vaginal US. Yippee!! No cysts were found, so that could be checked off, as a possibility.
Next was her annual visit with her PCP or primary care physician. Brenda has the utmost respect and admiration for her PCP. He has been her doctor for over 9 years, so they've been through a lot together. It truly is a partnership. She mentioned her concerns about her weight gain and that she had already had a test to rule out any tumors or cysts. The reason we mention this is because when Brenda had her nonmalignant ovarian cyst discovered, it was growing at a rate, that was equivalent to a 3 month pregnancy. It was actually pushing and causing extreme back pain. She was found to have a bulging disc at L5 S1 on a CT scan of the lumbar spine, before the cyst was actually found on a pelvic US. She was also diagnosed with degenerative arthritis of her spine, long before her RA was discovered.
Getting back to her examination. Brenda listed her concerns and they talked about each one. Her acid reflux had returned after all these years and was put on a different proton inhibitor this time. It seems to be working. If no improvement after 3 months, then an EGD would be a possibility. Brenda had one of those in 2004, when 2 small stomach ulcers were found. She was not experiencing the same symptoms, so he was willing to give that a try.
She ended up having a great conversation with him. You see, they have been through similar situations. He recently lost a family member. He was Brenda's mother's doctor as well. He was the one who told her she was dying. Brenda wouldn't have wanted it any other way. He told Brenda something, that made her think differently about living with a chronic illness. Yes, for the most part it it is invisible. He told her that when he sees Brenda, he doesn't want to say; "Oh it's the RA, but rather, there is Brenda, who is so much more than that." Boy, did that knock Brenda for a loop. It goes to show how caring he is.
Brenda was thinking that perhaps her thyroid could be involved, he did not think so. He was however, the one who diagnosed her as being hypothyroid, after having had her brain tumor removed. It was one of those things that happened to her body, with another autoimmune disease thrown into the mix. She had been borderline for years, as it is a familial disease. It finally became active after that experience. Her medication had been changed a few years ago, but her numbers were in normal range, so that was also checked off as a possibility.
Her blood pressure had been high again, another familial disease. Diabetes is always a concern, as her late father and one of her sisters has it. That test was good as well. Her blood pressure medication was changed again, to try and regulate it better. Brenda quit caffeine for a couple of reasons in February, one being the return of the acid reflux and also her blood pressure being so high. It really didn't solve any of those problems, but she is still off drinks that contain caffeine. She was concerned in the beginning about her migraines returning, but that did not happen. Those left after going through menopause and getting off of medication for her endometriosis, which was obviously not a problem anymore, over 7 years ago. Her RA however, started becoming more active. It turns out the medication taken for her endometriosis, actually helped quiet down RA symptoms, as there is a strong correlation between the 2. Another reason, Brenda believes it's all connected somehow.
We really got off the track here, but wanted to share, that Brenda has been through a lot in her life. It's not just RA, when you live with RA.
Her physician did not scold her for not exercising enough, as he knows how much she walks. He even made a point of saying, "That is over a mile a day." Brenda knows that the extra weight does not help her joints, but she also knows she is possibly avoiding a stroke or heart attack, by doing her walking.
Her Sed Rate was the lowest it's been in a couple of years. That helps Brenda keep track of the activity of her disease. Vitamin D level was good. That also helps with keeping the pain levels down. It's never completely gone for Brenda, but much better than it was, when she found out that she was definitely lacking in that area. It was less than 20. It's now 51. Brenda has to be careful not to get it too high, because of the fact that she takes a biologic, she needs to protect her liver and kidneys. FYI; anything we share here is not to be taken as medical advice. Always talk to your physician, before trying anything. That means even when you are considering a supplement. Brenda takes nothing without her health care team's blessing.
Brenda had been experiencing something that was scary to her and that had been some of her dreams. When your physician says; " I believe you." that is priceless. He also told Brenda that she is not a textbook case. BOL He hit that one on the head. He also changed one of her medications. Turned out that it was her blood pressure medication and not long after that, it got recalled for possibly causing cancer. She received a letter from her insurance company, but Brenda was way ahead of that, as she already knew of the situation and had gotten off of that stuff, even before the recall.
Next was Brenda's six month visit with her rheumatologist. She told her that she was doing better, than when she first started seeing her. That was in part to Brenda being able to get her Sed Rate down. She gave her the go ahead to have the new shingles vaccine, as it's not live. More on that later.
Next specialists were the dermatologist and ophthalmologist. Brenda's yearly skin check came off without a hitch this time. Brenda had basal cell carcinoma on her right nasal ala, where she had the MOHS procedure, along with a skin graft from her forehead done, 4 years ago. She has to have yearly skin checks, to make sure nothing returns.
Brenda sees her ophthalmologist yearly, for her cataract check, watching for retinal tears, another familial problem and potential glaucoma down the road. All was well there too. Pressures were good, no sign of retinal tears and cataracts are still at a grade 1 or a little higher.
Last week Brenda had her first dose of the the new shingles vaccine. It's not live, so Brenda did not have to take a medication holiday from her biologic. With the original vaccine, you would have to.
The following is what happened to Brenda and she by no means, is telling you not to have this vaccine. Shingles is nasty stuff. Brenda has had them 5 times, so she was willing to go ahead to try and protect herself from further outbreaks.
Brenda was told that her arm may hurt after. That was true. The rash did not appear until 3 days later, and it was quite painful. She did what she had to do. Again, talk to your physician, with any questions. She basically felt rotten for several days after. She had a slight headache, which she hardly ever gets, no desire to eat and stomach was upset. You need to weigh the pros and cons. Brenda doesn't want shingles again, so she was willing to go through this. She is going to do the 2nd dose in 2 to 6 months, depending upon when it's available. It's quite popular, so it's hard to get in some areas.
So that wraps up our tale for this time. Two weeks from today, we are going to be celebrating. It's also Sunshine Saturday, with your host Snickers the Lion. It should be a roaring great day indeed. BOL
Brenda wanted to share with our readers, what she got for her BIG 10. It's even been the talk on ParkerPup's Posse, that it looks like me. BOL
~T Man~
On September 8th, 2 weeks from today, Brenda will be celebrating her 10th Craniversary or celebration of life, since her craniotomy. Tomorrow will be 10 years, that she found out that she had been living with a meningioma, for at least 20 years. She had no idea, it was even a brain tumor at that time, because of the confusing terminology. Imagine, if you were told that you had a mass, lesion or meningioma, that was the size of a walnut. WELL, we all know how that turned out folks, don't we? BOL Wanted to mention that her BIG 10 is getting close.
Brenda's mother was sitting right beside her on the edge of the bed, when they received the news. It was a Tuesday, August 26, 2008. Nothing from this point on, would ever be the same again. Every year since then, Brenda has reflected on this date with much introspection. So much has happened, since that pivotal day of September 8, 2008.
What hasn't changed is the fact that Brenda continues to live with a chronic disease. This leads us back to our title, touching on the summer of Brenda's health care path.
It started in early June, with a visit to her GYN professional. Nothing was found to be concerning, except for the fact that Brenda's weight has gradually been increasing since becoming post menopausal. FYI; we are going to be sharing more details, so you get the bigger picture of what one has to do, to keep on top of medical issues. To be sure nothing was developing, Brenda was able to have an US. She begged not to have a vaginal one. They can be extremely uncomfortable, as she has had one in the past. It all depended on if they could see her one ovary that remained. She had a nonmalignant ovarian cyst, removed with one of her ovaries attached in 1984. They were able to see the one remaining, so no vaginal US. Yippee!! No cysts were found, so that could be checked off, as a possibility.
Next was her annual visit with her PCP or primary care physician. Brenda has the utmost respect and admiration for her PCP. He has been her doctor for over 9 years, so they've been through a lot together. It truly is a partnership. She mentioned her concerns about her weight gain and that she had already had a test to rule out any tumors or cysts. The reason we mention this is because when Brenda had her nonmalignant ovarian cyst discovered, it was growing at a rate, that was equivalent to a 3 month pregnancy. It was actually pushing and causing extreme back pain. She was found to have a bulging disc at L5 S1 on a CT scan of the lumbar spine, before the cyst was actually found on a pelvic US. She was also diagnosed with degenerative arthritis of her spine, long before her RA was discovered.
Getting back to her examination. Brenda listed her concerns and they talked about each one. Her acid reflux had returned after all these years and was put on a different proton inhibitor this time. It seems to be working. If no improvement after 3 months, then an EGD would be a possibility. Brenda had one of those in 2004, when 2 small stomach ulcers were found. She was not experiencing the same symptoms, so he was willing to give that a try.
She ended up having a great conversation with him. You see, they have been through similar situations. He recently lost a family member. He was Brenda's mother's doctor as well. He was the one who told her she was dying. Brenda wouldn't have wanted it any other way. He told Brenda something, that made her think differently about living with a chronic illness. Yes, for the most part it it is invisible. He told her that when he sees Brenda, he doesn't want to say; "Oh it's the RA, but rather, there is Brenda, who is so much more than that." Boy, did that knock Brenda for a loop. It goes to show how caring he is.
Brenda was thinking that perhaps her thyroid could be involved, he did not think so. He was however, the one who diagnosed her as being hypothyroid, after having had her brain tumor removed. It was one of those things that happened to her body, with another autoimmune disease thrown into the mix. She had been borderline for years, as it is a familial disease. It finally became active after that experience. Her medication had been changed a few years ago, but her numbers were in normal range, so that was also checked off as a possibility.
Her blood pressure had been high again, another familial disease. Diabetes is always a concern, as her late father and one of her sisters has it. That test was good as well. Her blood pressure medication was changed again, to try and regulate it better. Brenda quit caffeine for a couple of reasons in February, one being the return of the acid reflux and also her blood pressure being so high. It really didn't solve any of those problems, but she is still off drinks that contain caffeine. She was concerned in the beginning about her migraines returning, but that did not happen. Those left after going through menopause and getting off of medication for her endometriosis, which was obviously not a problem anymore, over 7 years ago. Her RA however, started becoming more active. It turns out the medication taken for her endometriosis, actually helped quiet down RA symptoms, as there is a strong correlation between the 2. Another reason, Brenda believes it's all connected somehow.
We really got off the track here, but wanted to share, that Brenda has been through a lot in her life. It's not just RA, when you live with RA.
Her physician did not scold her for not exercising enough, as he knows how much she walks. He even made a point of saying, "That is over a mile a day." Brenda knows that the extra weight does not help her joints, but she also knows she is possibly avoiding a stroke or heart attack, by doing her walking.
Her Sed Rate was the lowest it's been in a couple of years. That helps Brenda keep track of the activity of her disease. Vitamin D level was good. That also helps with keeping the pain levels down. It's never completely gone for Brenda, but much better than it was, when she found out that she was definitely lacking in that area. It was less than 20. It's now 51. Brenda has to be careful not to get it too high, because of the fact that she takes a biologic, she needs to protect her liver and kidneys. FYI; anything we share here is not to be taken as medical advice. Always talk to your physician, before trying anything. That means even when you are considering a supplement. Brenda takes nothing without her health care team's blessing.
Brenda had been experiencing something that was scary to her and that had been some of her dreams. When your physician says; " I believe you." that is priceless. He also told Brenda that she is not a textbook case. BOL He hit that one on the head. He also changed one of her medications. Turned out that it was her blood pressure medication and not long after that, it got recalled for possibly causing cancer. She received a letter from her insurance company, but Brenda was way ahead of that, as she already knew of the situation and had gotten off of that stuff, even before the recall.
Next was Brenda's six month visit with her rheumatologist. She told her that she was doing better, than when she first started seeing her. That was in part to Brenda being able to get her Sed Rate down. She gave her the go ahead to have the new shingles vaccine, as it's not live. More on that later.
Next specialists were the dermatologist and ophthalmologist. Brenda's yearly skin check came off without a hitch this time. Brenda had basal cell carcinoma on her right nasal ala, where she had the MOHS procedure, along with a skin graft from her forehead done, 4 years ago. She has to have yearly skin checks, to make sure nothing returns.
Brenda sees her ophthalmologist yearly, for her cataract check, watching for retinal tears, another familial problem and potential glaucoma down the road. All was well there too. Pressures were good, no sign of retinal tears and cataracts are still at a grade 1 or a little higher.
Last week Brenda had her first dose of the the new shingles vaccine. It's not live, so Brenda did not have to take a medication holiday from her biologic. With the original vaccine, you would have to.
The following is what happened to Brenda and she by no means, is telling you not to have this vaccine. Shingles is nasty stuff. Brenda has had them 5 times, so she was willing to go ahead to try and protect herself from further outbreaks.
Brenda was told that her arm may hurt after. That was true. The rash did not appear until 3 days later, and it was quite painful. She did what she had to do. Again, talk to your physician, with any questions. She basically felt rotten for several days after. She had a slight headache, which she hardly ever gets, no desire to eat and stomach was upset. You need to weigh the pros and cons. Brenda doesn't want shingles again, so she was willing to go through this. She is going to do the 2nd dose in 2 to 6 months, depending upon when it's available. It's quite popular, so it's hard to get in some areas.
So that wraps up our tale for this time. Two weeks from today, we are going to be celebrating. It's also Sunshine Saturday, with your host Snickers the Lion. It should be a roaring great day indeed. BOL
Brenda wanted to share with our readers, what she got for her BIG 10. It's even been the talk on ParkerPup's Posse, that it looks like me. BOL
~T Man~
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| Brenda's BIG 10 celebration gift |
Finally had a chance to read this. You’ve gone through so much sister I don’t know how I would’ve reacted to all of this. Looking forward to another visit on Saturday with you your favorite, older sister, love and prayers.
ReplyDeleteI've always said, if it can help one person, then it would be worth it. Thanks for reading and I look forward to our phone chats on Saturday afternoons. 💞
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