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I’m Asking Santa for New Feet

13 Sep

Yes, that’s my request.  It seems that my toes and feet take the brunt of everything.  I’ve been nursing this blister…which continues to exist thanks to my productive 8 mile run today).  My husband always seems to find my feet with his shoes, my kids drop things on my feet without thinking, and of course lately have been stepping on the blister.  In the last 24 hours I’ve done my right foot in.


Yesterday afternoon as I picked up my youngest son for his nap, he hung onto the pull out drawer our tupperware is in, pulling it off the track and dropping it perfectly square in the middle of my right foot.  It brought tears to my eyes.  Cramped up my foot.  Had me surpressing words my children should not hear.  It’s swollen and very bruised…probably about the size of a lime in diameter.  I didn’t run last night as it hurt just to stand on it.  This morning it felt much better, but looked much worse.  As I’ve broken my feet three times before between the two feet (yes, three times), I know what it feels like to have a broken foot.  I’ve run on broken feet, so I also know what it feels like to run on a broken foot.  This doesn’t feel broken.  Luckily.


After my run and something to eat, I set to work tackling my to-do list around the house while my husband managed the two children…and eventually took them to his parent’s house so he could work on some of his projects.  While they were gone I scurried around cramming in as much cleaning as I could.  I tackled some lingering projects like cleaning the junk drawer and the mudroom pantry that I can’t do with the kids as they’d get into SO much trouble it wouldn’t be worth the effort.  I also finally cleaned the highchair.  It’s been sitting waiting for a thorough cleaning before we pack it away in the basement for weeks now.  I just haven’t found the time to drag it outside, pull it apart, wash it down, then pour hot water over the crannies I can get to…and anyone who has cleaned a highchair knows what I’m talking about. Food goes places no cloth can reach.  As I was taking the tray off I went to set it on our stone wall and it fumbled and fell…right on the toe of my right foot.  Insult to injury.  Literally.  It bled…and bled…and bled.  I cleaned the highchair with an ice pack on my toe being pushed down by my “good” foot.  It continued to bleed.  It’s now bruised, and I’ll probably lose the nail…can you tell…that’s happened before.


Long story short.  I have more trouble with my feet than is humanly necessary.  My Mom suggested tonight I wear shoes all of the time.  I’m thinking that is pretty smart.  Maybe at least slippers.  Right now I’m glad I had a good run today and that I’m off tomorrow.  One more day of rest for the blister…and now the swollen foot and bruised toe.  Is someone trying to send me a message???

 
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A Bruise

12 Sep

The blister hasn’t left town yet.  I did manage to get my run in on Thursday and didn’t make it too much worse.  I was about to get suited up for my run this afternoon when my youngest pulled out a kitchen drawer…and the front corner fell smack on top of my bare foot.  Opposite foot as the blister.  And it swelled.  And bruised.  And it’s very pretty and painful right now.  Thus, no run this evening.  Instead, I limped upstairs, put him down for a nap, and crawled into my bed to get the foot up.  Tomorrow is my long run (8 miles) for the week…next Sunday is a 10 mile.  Building to 12 before the big race, then I’ll back off a little the week before.


My back is still worse than it was prior to the injection.  I see my pain management doctor on Monday morning, so here’s hoping there’s something else in her back ‘o tricks.

 
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Blisters

07 Sep

Yes, although I coat my toes with vaseline, I still manage to get the occasional blister.  Usually not run-ending.  Clip the toenails, give it day…or two…and they usually reabsorb.  Not the latest one.


The inside of my big toe on my left foot got a nice blister.  Still not sure how as my toenail on the second toe was short.  It arrived on Wednesday, and on Thursday I had my next spinal injection (it went well, thank you).  So, I had to take Thursday off – per my doctor.  I rested on Thursday, had my day off on Friday, and decided to deflate the blister on Friday morning…hoping, of course, that it would be just fine for the weekend runs.  I sterlized my needle, pricked a hole, drained and covered the remaining blister with a good bandaid.


Come Saturday afternoon where I had my 5 mile run.  I easily handled the run – relatively good time and didn’t notice until the end that my blister might have resurfaced.  It did.  I began to fear the 9 mile run I had on Sunday.  I was going to run in the morning before the heat and humidity set in (yeah, it never came…).  I worried a bit, and figured the best thing to do would be to add some padding, so I rifled through the many year old first aid box at my parent’s cabin up in the woods.  I pieces together some sterile gauze which I wadded up and stuck with two bandaids between my first two toes.  Then I gooped on the vaseline to the bandaid I then applied over the existing blister.  I also plastered my remaining toes with vaseline and put on my socks.  I thought the worst thing would be a popped blister…or I’d have to stop the run to remove the padding.  Worst didn’t come.


I got to my 4+ mile mark, and although I could “feel” the padding, it wasn’t uncomfortable.  I continued.  About mile 8 I began to realize that I might just be a bit crazy to consider the 13.1 miles as that was about 5 on top of what I had run…and I was having a hard time.  Then I reminded myself I had run quite a few hills, that I had another month of training, and that I was running with some seriously uncomfortable toes.  By the time I finished I thought I could probably have run a bit more…not that I would have wanted to.  I also realize that I ran the entire thing.  No walking.  Well, other than when I dropped my water bottle.


The news on the toe: blister is worse, but not popped.  Still not sure how it’s going to reabsorb given I have to run the next three days.  Think I’ll be picking up some pads or something with holes in them to use when running.  These next three runs are the shorter ones (Sunday is my long run), but there’s still more than a brisk walk involved.  I feel it just walking around the house…I’m sure it will bug me running.  Wish blisters would just reaborb over night!


The word on my back…still using those Flector patches, and the injection did make things worse for about 48 hours, but it’s getting better.  I feel worse than I did a week ago, but better than I did on Friday.  Here’s hoping!

 
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How Important is a Good Bra?

26 Aug

Yes, I looking for a good bra.  Not only a good, supportive yet sexy bra for my day to day needs now that I’ve packed up the nursing slings, but I am desperate to find a sports bra that doesn’t wind up leaving me screaming in my post-run shower.  It seems like every sports bra I have tried at one time or another chafes, rubs, and ultimately leaves me raw.  Whether it’s the straps that come down from the shoulders rubbing against my chest leaving marks that define the boundaries of the bra, or the lovely under-the-boobs chafing I’ve now got going on.  Yes.  On my boobs.  I had to apply neosporin and a large wound sized bandaid to each boob the other night in hopes I could get them to heal more quickly.


I’ve tried doubling up with Champion sports bras, buying those pricey hooked back bras from LL Bean, as well as a handful of the UnderArmor ones from Dick’s Sporting Goods (which, by the way, they took back after seeing my chest lines).  Nothing seems to work.  I thought I had found the solution with a new Nike sports bra, but alas, this one did the above mentioned lower damage on Sunday.


My big problem (no pun intended, but it makes sense) is that I’m normally a D or DD, so the average sports bra just doesn’t have enough support for a runner. Might be fine for gardening, but not for anything more strenuous.  I’m also at the inbetween stage where I’m decreasing in size as I just finished nursing my now nearly 13 month old, so I’m not the size I will be in a few months (aka, I don’t want to spend a roll only to toss aside the bra because it doesn’t fit in a few months).  However, I need something that it’s going to mame me everytime I run a few miles…let alone the 13.1 miles I signed up for a week before my sister-in-law’s wedding.  I was hoping to wear a dress that didn’t include a high front and/or sleeves.


What should a woman do?  I’ve been applying mass amounts of Vaseline not only to my toes, but also along the edges of my sports bra.  Maybe I should buy stock…or check out BJ’s largest jar.  Would welcome any suggestions!

 
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Twelve Weeks and Counting

20 Aug

I saw my pain management specialist of Monday – finally, as she extended her maternity leave bumping my appointment several weeks.  Since I last saw her, my pain has changed a bit.  Rather than being pain down the left side of my neck, along my shoulder, and down my arm to my elbow, about half of the time it’s a cramping, knot-like feeling just below my left shoulder blade.  Nothing too painful to go about my daily life, but definitely an uncomfortable feeling that I’d just prefer not to have.  It is worse when I’m stressed and when it’s raining (believe it or not).


Well in advance of the appointment I had decided that if this pain was going to be with me the rest of my life, I could (and should) live with it.  I saw my rheumatologist about two months ago and she tried to help me out by putting me on an overnight dosage of a muscle relaxant…which just served to prompt my 11 month old to stop nursing.  That was too soon, and as the medication wasn’t making me feel that much better, I discontinued it even prior to filling the prescription.  In addition, my rheumatologist wanted me to get back in the groove of exercising.  She said it would help me sleep better and is obviously important for staying healthy…not to mention helping with this dreaded residual baby weight.


The pain management specialist I saw had also encouraged me to resume normal activities (including running, which I love) once the pain was gone.  Although it wasn’t gone, I was feeling the itch…and push…to get back out there.  So, one Saturday while my husband was with my kids, I laced up my sneakers and hit the trails (we have great rails-to-trails).  The run made me feel better than I’ve felt in nearly a year.  So I went again on Sunday.  And again a few more times during the week (with my youngest in the jogger – my oldest was at summer camp).  The cramping pain in my shoulder hasn’t gone away, but it’s not worse.


During a dinner out with some of my Mom friends many, many months back, one of the Moms suggested that the runners in the group run the half marathon together in October.  At the time, October was far enough away that I comically quipped, “sure, as long as my back is okay.”  Well, as the months have passed by and nearly eight weeks back into a running groove I’m making my plans for that half marathon.  I’m technically 8 weeks away from the date, and wow, does that sound close.  I spent several evenings at the local bookstores back in June reading through all the running and “Even YOU Can Run a Marathon” books I could find on the shelves trying to piece together what it might take training wise to get my body ready for the race.  Back in high school and college I ran for sports and to keep in shape, and I even was talked into running the second leg of the 4×800 in college because someone was unable to run it.  As a thrower, my focus wasn’t my time, but I managed to pull a good enough time in the race that the other three relay runners were able to pull out a win (over three others).  That is the only race (other than the grade school timed miles) where my time actually counted.


I’ve always thought it would be interesting to run a formal race, like the half marathon, just to proove to myself I can do it.  In high school I did run about 8 miles at once, and my typical “run” prior to my second child was between 4 and 5 miles at a time.  I’m not the type of person who runs 2 miles and heads back in for the day.  I enjoy running and the time to myself to clear my head and destress.  As such, getting back into the habit of running over the past eight weeks has been wonderful for my mental and emotional health.  Not to mention helping rid another 10 lbs of the baby weight.


After culling through books and websites about running marathons and half marathons, I pieced together a training schedule that I think works nicely for me and my current abilities.  I’ve heard from friends that you technically only need to run three times a week to prepare for the race.  However, I would like to run more, and I think in terms of beefing up my stamina, I need to run more.  It’s been about a year and a half since I ran more than a handful of times.  I’m not going for a better time or looking to increase my speed, so I only incorporated one mild “speed” day into my schedule.  That’s Tuesdays, then Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday are my shorter long runs (right now between 3 and 6 miles depending on the day), and Sunday is my long run (right now I’m gearing for 8 miles this week).  I’m four weeks into the formal training program, and after talking with my pain management doctor on Monday, she agrees that as long as the pain doesn’t get any worse that there’s no reason I can’t continue to train.


Since I’m now done nursing my son, I can take the great medications the pain management doctor has wanted to get me on since the beginning of our time together.  After I explained how my pain has changed and what it is currently like, she prescribed a Flector patch that I change every 12 hours (and wear for the next 30 days) that administers a constant and directed dose of anti-inflammatories to the affected area.  As the area moves, I move the patch.  She said after 48 hours I would start to notice a difference, and I kind of have…which is great.  Not fixed, but not as tight.  Additionally, I’m scheduled for my third epidural injection on September 3rd.  I won’t be able to run that day, but otherwise, I can easily stick to my training schedule.


My major accomplishment was running a 5k on Sunday.  My town had their annual 5k race with 414 participants (183 females), and I not only made my goal of being under 30 minutes for the 3.1 miles, but I came in 5th in my age group (30-39), and 63rd overall among females.  Not too bad.  My time was 28:20, which equates to a 9:08 pace.  Still room for improvement, but I’m hoping to be around the 10:00 pace for the marathon.  Here’s hoping for few hills and a much cooler and less humid race day!

 
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Denied Life Insurance

19 Aug

Yeah.  Catch your attention?


That’s what I’m dealing with right now.  I applied for life insurance and was basically denied by a well known company because 1) they are uneducated (and refuse to get educated) about Sjogren’s Syndrome, 2) they are concerned I’m seeing a rheumatologist every 3 months, 3) I’m taking an immuno-suppressant (that is also classified as an anti-malarial and an anti-inflammatory…), 4) they think Sjogren’s is basically a death sentence.


 Nice, huh?  I just compiled an overview of my diagnosis, what I’m taking, why I’m taking it, and a quick history (with links) on Sjogren’s for our insurance agent.  The same guy who when told my husband’s weight said he’d sail through at the preferred rate (didn’t).  When he was told my weight and medical history also said that he didn’t see any problems…even with the 30+ lbs I was still carrying around post baby.  And here I now am denied (but they got me coverage with the same company through the back door as a reinsurer…go figure).  I am quite angry because not only of their lack of information about autoimmune diseases (that affect 20% of the US population), but that they outright deny anyone who has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease within the past three years.  Even though I was diagnosed nearly two decades earlier than a normal patient…and have nearly two decades lead time to get on top of this disease…and am taking a medication that should stave off the development of any additional symptoms or complications…they are still ignorant.  Just doesn’t seem right.  Does it?

 
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Back in the Saddle

28 Jun

Okay, I’ve been away.  Not literally, just been swamped with other things, and generally by the time I can type at night, I can’t.  Read on to see why.


An update on where I am:


My neck and back are still bothering me.  After months of seeing a chiropractor (which helped greatly!), I was still getting better then having set backs.  Frustrated, I was finally referred to a neurosurgeon who had me see a sports medicine guru who ran a nerve test that determined my bulging and protruding neck discs had not yet compromised my nerves.  He also had me see a pain management doctor who started me on a series of up to six spinal injections of an anti-inflammatory Depo-Medrol.  Same medication my rheumatologist had prescribed in December that got me on the road to recovery…only to have a set back in February.


I’ve received two injections thuse far.  First one…pain got MUCH worse, then mellowed out a bit, but never went away (there is a chance it will get worse before it gets better). Second injection started working after about a week and a half (it’s supposed to work within 3-5 days, and lasts for up to 21). I saw my pain management doctor after having 5 days of no pain.  We discussed returning to activity (like vacuuming, running, lifting, etc.) and she said to take it slow, but that if I was pain free now, chances were I’d remain that way.  YEAH.  Yippee.  Let’s go celebrate. Wait, the whole family gets a cold.  Then what happens…5 days got by and the pain is back.  So I give her a call…she says to revert back to the Tylenol every 6-8 hours and ice 15-20 minutes three times a day.  I give it the old college try.  Nope. Nothing. Nada.  Have to wait until mid-July when I see her for a follow-up…as she’s out on maternity leave.


About two weeks ago I had a quarterly visit with my rheumatologist, and as usual, she asked if I had any new symptoms.  Yes I do.  EXTREME fatigue.  Like don’t want to get out of bed until noon (although I’m up before 7 each day) and could fall asleep sitting upright on the couch watching the boys by about 3pm (although I don’t).  Then I get my second wind, pull together dinner, baths, bedtime, and then it’s 830pm and I’m wide awake.  I crawl into bed between 10:30 and 11ish each night only to sit and roll, and wait to fall asleep.  So when she asked if I was sleeping okay, I told her that I’m also up a few times a night to fetch a crying baby and get him back to sleep, help a 3 year old get in/out of his pjs as he sleepily informs me he has to pee, or help him build a tent out of his covers so he can nest up and fall asleep.  My husband sleeps through everything, including me punching him asking him to get out of bed and help.  I also mentioned that I was still suffering a bit from the neck/back pain.  That launches a conversation about why I can’t take anything (nursing) and what I’ve been doing (waiting).


She informs me that there’s a very low dose muscle relaxant that she gives, “her old bitties” that she thinks might help me get a good nights’ sleep…and hopefully function better during the daytime.  We also discussed the fact that I should not nap (even if I can) during the daytime and that I need plenty of exercise.  Hold on, I’m still on limited activity.  Yup, no exercise.  Figures why I still have 30lbs of baby weight to go…and lucky me, just had that insurance health exam.  Hard to explain that I’m this heavy because I’m a new Mom as my nearly 1 year old is crawling at mock speed through the house!


Back to the meds…I called the pediatrician after leaving her office and was informed that if I take one tablet after I nurse for the night, it should be nearly out of my system at first light.  It has a relatively short half life.  Good for the fact that I’m nursing…however, short half life means it also doesn’t stay in my system (AKA help me) that long.  Typically you take 4 pills a day.  I’m taking just one.  Okay, I give it a go.  After just about a week I notice my youngest has nearly stopped nursing…pushing away, making faces, doing everything to avoid me.  I think it’s because he’s weaning or wants his cool new sippy cup…so I pull out some freezer milk and fill it up. He downs that…so I got to pump…not much milk.  For two days…not much milk.  Hmm.  I called the pediatrician back, and after some discussion (about formula, pumping, and trying to keep him nursing), I decide to stop taking the pills that really haven’t made me feel any better.  Within 24 hours he’s nursing like a pro again.  Yup, must have been the medication…not the cool new sippy cup.


So, here I am, not bent over in pain, but definitely not 100%.  I have good days, and not so good days.  I finally gave up yesterday and said, “screw it” and went for a run.  I felt the best I’ve felt in months (and I mean months) today.  Lots of energy, little pain, etc.  So I ran again today.  I’m sitting here with just some minor discomfort.  We’ll see how it continues.


Meanwhile, the pain has seemingly moved to my hands.  They cramp.  And cramp.  And cramp.  After I write (which we knew a little while back), but now after typing.  Three paragraphs ago I noticed it start.  Now it’s making me want to wrap things up quickly.  I raised this as my other “new symptom” and it of course prompted about 3 pints worth of a blood draw to check me for thyroid problems, vitamin B12 problems, and a slew of other things…which I’ll find out about on July 7th…if I can get a sitter.  Nothing like trying to talk about this with a crying child and one who has to touch everything, open every draw, and stand on me saying, “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mom, Mom, Mommy, Ma, Mommy, Mom…”

 
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Dental Cleaning

01 Oct

I had my appointment for a cleaning (just a few weeks late given the birth of my second son) this past Monday.  Feels great to have those squeaky clean teeth…until your next meal.  Prior to getting pregnant the second time I had requested that they update my x-rays as I knew there would be about a year or so before I could technically have them again.  I made the appointment, they took the x-rays, and at my next cleaning I was pregnant.  That’s when they told me that the x-rays they take every 3-5 years needed to be updated.  Huh?


Yup, the x-rays they took at the specially scheduled x-ray appointment that I went out of my way to make were just the normal bitewings they take each year.  Someone didn’t read my chart properly…and who was I to question how many x-rays they should take.  The procedure seems to change every appointment.


So this time, they said it had been over 6 years since my last full panel and they’d recommend I take the extra 10 minutes to update things.  Good thing.  Although I have nearly perfect teeth (the hygenist always compliments me on what a nice mouth I have), the few “spots” they’ve been monitoring have increased so they’re going to have me back in to seal those areas before anything more serious develops.  Ah, Sjogren’s.


In addition to fixing these two areas, they’re also going to fix the front tooth (well, second over on the top) that I chipped.  Both the hygenist and dentist got a kick out of how I answered their separate questions concerning whether I knew what I had done to chip the tooth…kissing my husband.  Yup, that’s a good memory.  Go in for the kiss and misjudge proximity.  Funny thing is, my husband doesn’t remember this, but I can tell you where we both were at the time…probably because the next words out of my mouth were, “my Dad is going to kill me.”  My parents spent a fair amount on a perfect smile (aka I had a bit of dental work to get the teeth straight), so chipping a tooth was almost a slap in the face.


Anyways, good visit and I’ll get these things taken care of before they become anything more than just a spot.  Now if I could only heal my elephant skin.  Given I wash my hands about 3 times an hour between diapers and the potty training 2 1/2 year old it makes it tricky to get the cream on, let alone get it to work.

 
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Hi-Def Dreams

01 Mar

Yes, it’s that time of the pregnancy…those wacky, mind-altering, make you wake-up-and-cry dreams have become a regular part of my nighttime routine.  Nothing like waking up on the verge of tears because your dreamed your husband cheated on you, or you were being tracked down by a killer, or how about that wonderful dream where you save all of your holiday shopping until the last minute?  I had that one too…and I only had 30 minutes to shop in one sold-out store…but at least I got the employee discount.  I can even tell you who I was shopping for and what they got.  Yes, that vivid.


The best are those dreams where you dream you have to go to the bathroom…and you wake up and actually have to pee.  Amazing how the mind works.  However, in my last dream involving bathrooms, I became the member of some strange cult while on a business trip with my husband.  I was even pregnant in the dream.  And I not only found the bathrooms in my dreams…but woke up, went to the bathroom, returned to bed…and yes, kept dreaming the same dream.


I’ve had two different dreams about the baby specifically…the first one included the ultrasound technician pronouncing with joy, “it’s a girl!”  The one I had last night I was pregnant, but for some reason was able to become a substitute field hockey player for the local high school team.  Yes, pregnant.  I haven’t played field hockey since 1994…in college.  I left the hockey field and on my way home, went into labor.  Given I had a scheduled c-section with my son, how would I even know what “going into labor” felt like?  Well, I did in my dream, and rushed to the hospital with my husband…where a doctor I’ve never met helped deliver my son…yes…son…I saw very clearly he was a boy.  I say “helped deliver” as my husband actually dove in to get the baby…and my section wasn’t a bikini section, but up under my chest right under my ribs.


It gets better.  They let me off the operating table before they deliver the placenta because we had to move our car.  Yes, move the car.  So I come back from the garage with my husband to check back in, and I pass out at the emergency room door…and they rush me back in to surgery.  That’s where I wake up.


Talk about confusing.  I try and figure out the meaning behind the dreams, or at least try and rationalize them.  I know that the whole rush for holiday presents probably means I’m stressed and trying to do more than I should.  I get the bathroom part…I have to go to the bathroom.  But the rest, what should I make of that?  I know part of the most recent dream is that I’m fearful of going into labor before my scheduled c-section…but that’s months away.  Now I know why I’m so tired all of the time, my mind is racing a million miles a minute while I’m sleeping!

 
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Measure Twice, Cut Once

29 Feb

I kind of had the type of day on Monday.  Last week following my appointment with my primary OB practice, I realized there were a few things I needed to talk with one of their receptionist about.


The first one being that my bi-weekly appointments with their practice were currently scheduled a day apart from my appointments with the high risk group.  Seemed a bit like overkill one week, and draught the next, so I moved my appointments with my primary practice one week later so I’ll only be seen once a week – every odd week by my primary practice, and every even week by the high risk group.


The second was to inquire whether or not the group ever received the ultrasound report from my high risk group.  It seems that when I met with my primary practice, they hadn’t received the latest ultrasound report from the week before (I had my ultrasound on the 13th, and my primary appointment on the 18th).  The doctor I saw on the 18th had asked me to follow up with the high risk group to ensure that they had sent it over.  I had called the high risk practice prior to calling the primary practice and they assured me that it was sent over on the day of my appointment (rule in their office), and that they always send it to the main office in Hartford.  In explaining to the woman on the phone from my primary practice what had occurred and inquiring whether or not they did receive the report, she replied that it was, “right there in my file,” and she didn’t understand how the doctor could have missed it.  Okay, cross that one off the list.


Finally, I had asked to have the last two ultrasound reports (including the first trimester screening results) as well as the doctor’s notes from my appointment on the 18th forwarded to my rheumatologist as I would be seeing her for a check-up on the 25th.  I was kindly told I needed to sign a release, and after agreeing, she said she’d stick it in the mail.  This way I’d get it on Wednesday and be able to fax it back so that they had plenty of time to forward the reports.  I hadn’t requested they fax the release to me as our fax line is the same as the phone line and it’s a bit of a hassle for me to keep running up and down the basement stairs (where our fax is) each time the phone rings to switch it over to the fax.  Stupid me.


Fast forward.  Monday morning I realized that I had never received the release, so (call twice, forward once) I called the primary practice back and explained that I hadn’t received my release and I needed the files sent prior to my 1:45pm appointment that day.  The woman I spoke with this time was a bit shocked that I had never received the release, and of course, I asked her to stick another one in the fax – I was willing to deal with the inconvenience.


It came through, I filled out the form in detail even providing the dates of the ultrasounds and appointments.  Within minutes of sending it back the woman I originally spoke with called to say that they could send the doctor’s notes from the 18th, but that they never received copies of the ultrasounds – either one.  Strange as the first ultrasound was tied to my first trimester screening and I had gone over those results with a doctor from my primary practice at a previous appointment.  Additionally baffling as last week the office had both ultrasound reports.  I explained this to the woman on the phone, and her reply was that she, “saw nothing.”  I further explained that all reports are sent to the Hartford office – would there be any reason someone else would have this information…the answer, no.


Arg.  I asked her to call the high risk group and get what she needed, and she said it would probably be faster for me to call (arg, arg) and they could just fax it to both places at the same time…ensuring that my rheumatologist had the information for my appointment that afternoon.


Gotta love the laugh I got from the kind woman (who I talked with last week about the “missing ultrasound”) when I explained that it was now missing again.  Her response was that they have this experience on a fairly regular basis with that group.  Something I’ll definitely raise with the next doctor I see in a week and a half.  She did fax both doctors both ultrasound reports, and by the time I was at my rheumatology appointment, the physician had all the information she needed.  Only took several calls, and a lot of proactivity on my part.  What kind of gets me is that I was basically chewed out by the practice that’s “misplacing” my reports for not having had my rheumatologist forward my diagnosis report…but now it’s completely fine for them to not follow through on my requests.


Good news is that the appointment with the rheumatologist went very smoothly, no noticeable changes in my status (other than the weight gain from the pregnancy).  I did talk with her a bit about the dry skin, and have to be more diligent about dishpan hands and applying cream every time I wash my hands…which these days is like once or twice an hour between diapers and my own bathroom trips.  As I had blood drawn right before my appointment (as a follow-up to my first trimester screening), my rheumatologist wrote me a slip to combine with my next pregnancy-related blood draw…so I won’t have to feel like a pin cushion.  Her words, not mine.  Thought that was nice.  Regarding my dosage for Plaquenil, I’m going to keep taking 200mg every other day until the pregnancy fatigue dies down, then I can go up to 200mg a day.  I’ll be back to see her in another 2 months.  Hopefully my RA will remain minimal and by then the dry skin will have improved.  Not sure I can expect any improvements from my OB practice.

 
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