I starting doing some significant "butt-dragging" after Memorial Day. We spent most of June assuming it was the progression of the PH since I have been fighting this beast for 6 years now. But, in July we contacted my endocrine doctor to see if she had any insight. She came to the conclusion that much of the tiredness and body aches could be related to the Addison's disease (that, quite frankly, I'd forgotten about...even though I take supplemental steroids and thyroid every day). She suggested I try a round of increasing my steroids and see if that helps. About a week later I was actually starting to see some improvement when a (not so) funny thing happened on our way to a funeral. Nick, Kara and I drove down to Lincoln to attend a very good family friend's funeral. I was sitting in the back seat and was too stupid to buckle my seat belt. Nick did not see this drainage ditch/speed bump and we hit it going at a pretty good clip. I flew off the seat, hit my head on the ceiling and jammed my back on the landing. I went into complete back spasm with a pain level of about a 15 on the 1-10 scale. Luckily I had a doctor and a med student in the car with me. It was obvious that it was just muscle spasms so we went to a Walgreens and got some muscle relaxers, a heating pad and headed back to Omaha. If I needed to go to the hospital I was going to go my MY hospital where all of my doctor's practice.
After about a week of heating pads, ice packs and lots of drugs I was starting to feel better. Then...
Haver came up to "give me some love" which means he rubs his face and his body against my legs, very similar to what a cat does. The difference though between a cat doing this and Haver doing this is that Haver weighs 135 pounds! Consequently, as I was trying to get away from him without hurting my back again, he nailed the back out of my knee causing some kind of painful damage that resulted in immediate swelling. After a couple of days of icing the knee, it was starting to feel better. Then...
A week ago Monday, I was returning to bed after a midnight bathroom break when I lost my balance (God only knows WHY) and fell backward into my dresser gouging my back and my backside with a couple of the drawer knobs. I am still not able to sit down like a "normal" person and the backside wound is still oozing, but, the back wound is almost completely healed.
So, how has your summer been?
I so greatly, greatly appreciate so many of you coming back to this blog to see if there was anything happening. I also really, really appreciate all of the people who sent emails and left messages on this site. I would really like to give out cash prizes to all of you who tried to claim "your prize!"
I have been doing lots of sleeping over the last several months. Sometimes I think it's because I'm really tired and then there are those times that I just wish if I sleep long enough I'll wake up all healed and happy and there will be rainbows and flowers all around!...Did I tell you I've been taking lots of drugs???
So, I need to get switched, drugged and into bed. My dear sweet beloved husband has been a rock through this whole mess this summer and has been mixing my medicine almost every night. I'm a very lucky woman.
Well, thanks for checking in.
Thanks for hanging in there with me.
Thanks for reading.
I think I'll leave you with the wise words of Jeane, Kara's mom. After this latest disaster, she told me, "Annette, I have two words for you...BUBBLE WRAP!" She's like the Dalai Lama or something.
Fat Dog Drinking
Not as Fat Dog Drinking
Annette
