My MRI showed "some narrowing" that "might be causing symptoms".
My rheumatologist would like to get me evaluated by a neurologist.
I'm not really surprised that it is not a herniated disk or something like that. If it were, the shooting pains would be a bit less wide-spread, more specific to the segments of the spine that were involved. I've gotten shooting pains in all fingers, not just 2/3 of them, all toes, arms, legs, torso, you name it.
I was still hoping for something more conclusive, though.
In the mean time, I learn that the Lyme ELISA was negative, but the western blot was positive. My follow up appointment isn't even until December 10th with that practice.
If you thought it was hard to find a good doctor when it comes to thyroid disease... nothing compared to this whole mess regarding Lyme disease.
There is a lot of controversy about this Lyme disease. I'm going to have to do some more reading.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
MRI
I had trouble getting the MRI scan of my cervical spine; The first time I went in, the tech refused to run the MRI on account of the ear surgeries I'd had.
I was a bit peeved, but he was really in the right. My father had had ear surgery for the same problem, with the same doctor, and does actually have some metal in his head. All these years- I've missed out on the opportunity to joke about him receiving signals from aliens.
At any rate, my ear stapes-replacements, or whatever they might be called, are MRI compatible.
I went in for the MRI this morning. I'm pretty sure they intended to run some music, but they either forgot to turn it on, or the earphones were not working.
I'd hear some knocking, would I? How about car horns and machine gun fire.
It was not that bad though, once the first minute passed, and I become more certain that no bits of metal were going to come bursting out of me.
I await the results of the MRI with interest. Will this be another test that shows nothing, or, will something interesting be revealed?
I was a bit peeved, but he was really in the right. My father had had ear surgery for the same problem, with the same doctor, and does actually have some metal in his head. All these years- I've missed out on the opportunity to joke about him receiving signals from aliens.
At any rate, my ear stapes-replacements, or whatever they might be called, are MRI compatible.
I went in for the MRI this morning. I'm pretty sure they intended to run some music, but they either forgot to turn it on, or the earphones were not working.
I'd hear some knocking, would I? How about car horns and machine gun fire.
It was not that bad though, once the first minute passed, and I become more certain that no bits of metal were going to come bursting out of me.
I await the results of the MRI with interest. Will this be another test that shows nothing, or, will something interesting be revealed?
Friday, October 30, 2009
Long time no post
Still alive and kicking. Well, not kicking. Alive and sitting. ;-)
I'm doing fairly well.
To remind you, I've had problems with aching, fatigue, joint pains, weakness, and such for years. But after I got the flu two years ago, these symptoms were magnified quite a bit. The first few months were terrible. But I've slowly improved.
With the other problems dropping back off to pre-flu levels, one thing that I've come to notice more and more is: shooting pains. These pains are short, sharp, sometimes pulsing... arms, legs, torso...
These shooting pains were not around prior to the flu.
So what are they?
I have no idea.
I have finally gone to a rhuematologist that wants to get an MRI of my neck. Apparently such problems could be caused by some sort of neck injury, or narrowing of the neck... something about the nerves in the spine...
::baffled::
I'm also getting tested for lyme. I don't remember any rash, but if I did get infected with lyme disease bacteria, it would have been 10 years ago. I'm not known for a supurb memory :-p
I shall be back to update you on the test results, I promise.
I'm doing fairly well.
To remind you, I've had problems with aching, fatigue, joint pains, weakness, and such for years. But after I got the flu two years ago, these symptoms were magnified quite a bit. The first few months were terrible. But I've slowly improved.
With the other problems dropping back off to pre-flu levels, one thing that I've come to notice more and more is: shooting pains. These pains are short, sharp, sometimes pulsing... arms, legs, torso...
These shooting pains were not around prior to the flu.
So what are they?
I have no idea.
I have finally gone to a rhuematologist that wants to get an MRI of my neck. Apparently such problems could be caused by some sort of neck injury, or narrowing of the neck... something about the nerves in the spine...
::baffled::
I'm also getting tested for lyme. I don't remember any rash, but if I did get infected with lyme disease bacteria, it would have been 10 years ago. I'm not known for a supurb memory :-p
I shall be back to update you on the test results, I promise.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Lumpless
Long time no post... lets get to it. As far as I can tell, this post is unrelated to my thyroiditis.
I can see it now in the photographs, so obvious now that I look. One side of my face has always been puffier, and, my smile was less energetic on that side.
Undoubtedly this is related to the parotid (salivary gland) tumor I just got sliced out on that side. Nothing cancerous; Just a benign pleomorphic adenoma. Already I have much less "TMJ pain" on that side.
You see, my main complaint of pain was of course on that side, in that area. The tumor itself did not hurt. And it was a rare situation. I have to be in the middle of chewing AND faced with amusement. If I am amused- before I even smile much at all- muscles around my jaw hing and/or the back of my cheeks tighten. Combined with whatever position my jaw was in, this caused a LOT of pain. But it was a rare situation, despite the fact that doctors seemed to assume that this meant I had pain when chewing at any old time. The key, however, was the chewing AND the muscle tightening.
Of course the involved muscles were the ones going around where my lump was.
At any rate, my lump was removed over two weeks ago. It was only at the base of the parotid gland, so I only lost a small bit of that. The swelling from the surgery has gone down, but that cheek still looks a little puffier than the other, as it was before the surgery. I'm hoping that the inflammation will subside, now that the aggravating factor is removed.
I am lucky that this was dealt with- I'd previously mentioned the lump to a doctor, and to a dentist, to no end. I had this lump for at least 6 years.
I can see it now in the photographs, so obvious now that I look. One side of my face has always been puffier, and, my smile was less energetic on that side.
Undoubtedly this is related to the parotid (salivary gland) tumor I just got sliced out on that side. Nothing cancerous; Just a benign pleomorphic adenoma. Already I have much less "TMJ pain" on that side.
You see, my main complaint of pain was of course on that side, in that area. The tumor itself did not hurt. And it was a rare situation. I have to be in the middle of chewing AND faced with amusement. If I am amused- before I even smile much at all- muscles around my jaw hing and/or the back of my cheeks tighten. Combined with whatever position my jaw was in, this caused a LOT of pain. But it was a rare situation, despite the fact that doctors seemed to assume that this meant I had pain when chewing at any old time. The key, however, was the chewing AND the muscle tightening.
Of course the involved muscles were the ones going around where my lump was.
At any rate, my lump was removed over two weeks ago. It was only at the base of the parotid gland, so I only lost a small bit of that. The swelling from the surgery has gone down, but that cheek still looks a little puffier than the other, as it was before the surgery. I'm hoping that the inflammation will subside, now that the aggravating factor is removed.
I am lucky that this was dealt with- I'd previously mentioned the lump to a doctor, and to a dentist, to no end. I had this lump for at least 6 years.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Grandmother
Autoimmune diseases run in families. Not necessarily the same autoimmune disease- rather, a propensity for a autoimmune disease.
My grandmother had lupus & probably scleroderma. She lived on a farm with her husband, and raised 4 children.
She died before I was born, so I only know what my mother has told me.
My grandmother also had joint pains and fatigue. My mother would stay home from school to help her out. My mother wasn't too happy with that as a kid, but... dealing with her own mother was an experience that proved invaluable to me her daughter; My mother was a family member who had known someone else with an invisible and difficult illness. Sometimes I would be in denial, and she would still be looking for answers. While it was I that needed the will to do the research- it was she that lent me needed support.
My mother tells me that her mother wasn't really nice in her later years. I imagine the pain, fatigue, and stress, can have that effect on a person. She was diagnosed with lupus, but my mother seems to remember that Scleroderma was added on later, due to a thickening/shiny skin symptom my grandmother was having.
My grandmother was diagnosed, this I know. But how long did it take her to get diagnosed? It also doesn't sound like they were able to afford much medical care for her. Did she get any help? What treatments were even available?
I have seen a couple photos on my grandmother. She looks like me. Skinnier, but similar facial structure, dark hair. I sometimes think about her, and how difficult things must have been for her.
Note: I have Hashimoto's, not lupus, but also have some aches and pains.
My grandmother had lupus & probably scleroderma. She lived on a farm with her husband, and raised 4 children.
She died before I was born, so I only know what my mother has told me.
My grandmother also had joint pains and fatigue. My mother would stay home from school to help her out. My mother wasn't too happy with that as a kid, but... dealing with her own mother was an experience that proved invaluable to me her daughter; My mother was a family member who had known someone else with an invisible and difficult illness. Sometimes I would be in denial, and she would still be looking for answers. While it was I that needed the will to do the research- it was she that lent me needed support.
My mother tells me that her mother wasn't really nice in her later years. I imagine the pain, fatigue, and stress, can have that effect on a person. She was diagnosed with lupus, but my mother seems to remember that Scleroderma was added on later, due to a thickening/shiny skin symptom my grandmother was having.
My grandmother was diagnosed, this I know. But how long did it take her to get diagnosed? It also doesn't sound like they were able to afford much medical care for her. Did she get any help? What treatments were even available?
I have seen a couple photos on my grandmother. She looks like me. Skinnier, but similar facial structure, dark hair. I sometimes think about her, and how difficult things must have been for her.
Note: I have Hashimoto's, not lupus, but also have some aches and pains.
Monday, January 5, 2009
The Brain Fog
One of the top Hashimotos thyroid disease symptoms. It's hard to describe this symptom. Especially given that it often would present with short term memory issues.
I hear that many other conditions also cause this.
Straight from Wikipedia:
Brain fog or mental clouding is a general sensation of unusually poor mental function, associated with confusion, forgetfulness and detachment. A number of medical or psychiatric conditions and treatments can cause such symptoms, including:
I was once a "straight A" student. I was able to read the textbooks without problem, and memorize them.
Now, I'm not so great at the memorization.
Worse than the memory trouble, was when I would find myself simply not being able to study.
Studying shouldn't have been such a problem- nothing I hadn't done repeatedly in the past. Noting the unusual difficulty, I would make sure I was well fed, well rested, unstressed. I would prepare myself for my study sessions in all ways possible. It wouldn't really make much difference. If the brain fog was upon me, it was pretty much a futile endeavor.
Even with all measures taken, I simply could not study. I remember nearly weeping over a textbook after I'd been attempting to study all evening without making any progress whatsover. I was that frustrated.
One of the most difficult things has been accepting that I cannot achieve academically the way I used to. It doesn't matter what I do- not happening.
What exactly was the problem, you might ask, because I'm being kind of vague here. What do I mean by "could not study?". Well I wondered that too.
I could not for the life of me understand what the problem was. The most obvious question was, had I spontaneously developed an ADD problem, that would randomly come and go? That didn't seem to be the case. But for some reason, sometimes, my brain would not work. I'd be... in a fog. A few times I thought maybe coffee would sharpen me up... which did not work at all. It'd be very awake... and still confused.
This whole thing was maddening- why was a twenty-something losing her cognitive abilities? Was I a mental case? I still seemed relatively sane, despite the my occasionally fuzziness.
It was if there was a delay in my brain's messages around itself. Normally, you'd have lots of little thoughts every minute. Imagine them clogged up and never making it across your brain. Stalled thoughts that never make from where they are generated to where they are registered and acknowledged.
The brain emails were getting lost and delayed.
The neural pathway were snowed in.
Memory boxes were jammed and refused to open.
After a while, I might just have to give up and lay down, stare at the ceiling or something. That seemed all I was useful for doing.
Now, a few weeks ago, right before finals, I noticed that I was able to open up my textbook and just ... read it. I read for just about 4 hours, even, and seemed to not have any problems. I still can't really memorize the way I used to. I can't write up notes and flashcards without my hands hurting too much. But even this improvement, was a relief.
I hear that many other conditions also cause this.
Straight from Wikipedia:
Brain fog or mental clouding is a general sensation of unusually poor mental function, associated with confusion, forgetfulness and detachment. A number of medical or psychiatric conditions and treatments can cause such symptoms, including:
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Heavy metal poisoning and in particular mercury poisoning
- Hypothyroidism
I was once a "straight A" student. I was able to read the textbooks without problem, and memorize them.
Now, I'm not so great at the memorization.
Worse than the memory trouble, was when I would find myself simply not being able to study.
Studying shouldn't have been such a problem- nothing I hadn't done repeatedly in the past. Noting the unusual difficulty, I would make sure I was well fed, well rested, unstressed. I would prepare myself for my study sessions in all ways possible. It wouldn't really make much difference. If the brain fog was upon me, it was pretty much a futile endeavor.
Even with all measures taken, I simply could not study. I remember nearly weeping over a textbook after I'd been attempting to study all evening without making any progress whatsover. I was that frustrated.
One of the most difficult things has been accepting that I cannot achieve academically the way I used to. It doesn't matter what I do- not happening.
What exactly was the problem, you might ask, because I'm being kind of vague here. What do I mean by "could not study?". Well I wondered that too.
I could not for the life of me understand what the problem was. The most obvious question was, had I spontaneously developed an ADD problem, that would randomly come and go? That didn't seem to be the case. But for some reason, sometimes, my brain would not work. I'd be... in a fog. A few times I thought maybe coffee would sharpen me up... which did not work at all. It'd be very awake... and still confused.
This whole thing was maddening- why was a twenty-something losing her cognitive abilities? Was I a mental case? I still seemed relatively sane, despite the my occasionally fuzziness.
It was if there was a delay in my brain's messages around itself. Normally, you'd have lots of little thoughts every minute. Imagine them clogged up and never making it across your brain. Stalled thoughts that never make from where they are generated to where they are registered and acknowledged.
The brain emails were getting lost and delayed.
The neural pathway were snowed in.
Memory boxes were jammed and refused to open.
After a while, I might just have to give up and lay down, stare at the ceiling or something. That seemed all I was useful for doing.
Now, a few weeks ago, right before finals, I noticed that I was able to open up my textbook and just ... read it. I read for just about 4 hours, even, and seemed to not have any problems. I still can't really memorize the way I used to. I can't write up notes and flashcards without my hands hurting too much. But even this improvement, was a relief.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Wishing you a good 2009
I for one, have not a single New Years resolution. All year long, I am working to do as much as I can, get as much done as possible, improve in what areas I can.
What else would I resolve to do?
I am a bit optimistic about 2009, at least. While I am still less than thrilled with a longer 10 year view, well, one year at I time. Make that one month at a time. I used to make plans and have long term goals. No longer, I'm afraid. All those plans met a slow death anyways- so I might as well just wait and see what actually happens. I now practice the "not thinking about x issue" method of stress relief. It actually is kinda working for me. This method was easier when the brain fog was around more often, though. ;)
In the long run, I'm pretty much just hoping that each year I will continue to enjoy housing, food, clothes, health insurance, and of course, an internet connection; I will continue to enjoy these in 2009, so let the year roll forward.
What else would I resolve to do?
I am a bit optimistic about 2009, at least. While I am still less than thrilled with a longer 10 year view, well, one year at I time. Make that one month at a time. I used to make plans and have long term goals. No longer, I'm afraid. All those plans met a slow death anyways- so I might as well just wait and see what actually happens. I now practice the "not thinking about x issue" method of stress relief. It actually is kinda working for me. This method was easier when the brain fog was around more often, though. ;)
In the long run, I'm pretty much just hoping that each year I will continue to enjoy housing, food, clothes, health insurance, and of course, an internet connection; I will continue to enjoy these in 2009, so let the year roll forward.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
From ScienceDirect.com
Increased occurrence of weaknesses in attention testing in patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis compared to patients with other thyroid illnesses:
Click here to read more
Their results "point to subtle brain dysfunction in a subgroup of patients with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis even in euthyroid state."
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