Thats right… for those of us who are over weight and on cpap… you CAN get off that thing if you lose the weight!!! (granted, I will probably still need oxygen, but a little tube is better than the big mask!!) and yes, that is coming from someone who’s job is to put people ON CPAP!! I figure one day I will need to go back on it… but for now… No cpap!! My restless leg was not active at this point… (that comes and goes btw) and the one thing that WAS confirmed through this is that I DO have Fibromyalgia. It wasn’t as bad as some of my patients, but there was definitely Alpha-Delta sleep going on!

Ken decided to tell me when I was in the middle of one of my fits that he thinks I’m bipolar. (he figured I was already upset) What he didn’t expect tho was for me to tell him that it would probably help if I would actually TAKE my medication. I got it filled right before Christmas, (the new Rx since my old one made my throat swell shut the beginning of December) but what he didn’t know was that I only took enough to get me through the anger fits I have when I miss my meds. I wanted to have my sleep study done OFF meds, cuz I now know how much antidepressants can not only effect REM, but also eye movement in general. I was in REM within the first 60 minutes of my study. Something I have not done previously!! (last year I never went INTO REM at all!!)

Things will get leveled out and the rest of the weight will come off. If only the doctors can figure out why all of a sudden I have started retaining fluid again. I haven’t had the problem for about 3 years and all of a sudden, I gain 5lbs over night (when sleeping… so sometimes it’s over day ;))… not a good thing… especially when I take a little pill and pee the pounds away!! I haven’t had my glucophage since the beginning of December either… and yes, I weaned off that… so obviously we have the answer and i never converted over… just had that one really bad episode.

I did have a really bad episode the night of Ken’s Christmas party. I accidentally double dosed my blood pressure medication… Not a good thing btw. I had come to work and within and hour had to call my boss to come in cuz I was so SICK!! The next morning I figured out what was going on. The next Tuesday I was in the ER with chest pain and Shortness of Breath (SOB) and if it hadn’t been me going through it, I probably would have figured out that if it was my heart the pain wouldn’t have gone away with just oxygen. That was the week I started adding my meds back in 1 at a time… and Saturday my throat swelled, not quite shut but almost. We are thinking it is a filler they use in generics. Not positive, but if not, I am allergic to almost EVERY single antidepressant out there!!! (and I had an allergic reaction to tetracycline in November as well).

New season of The Biggest Loser started tonight. 2 of the people are Tongan. I went to the website and they are from Mesa. I figure my SIL at least knows them if not being related to them (unless they are Morman… my brother said they don’t know many of the Morman Tongan’s) I emailed them the link… so guess we will find out. Either way, I will cheer for them. Makes me feel a whole lot better this season though… cuz here I am at -60 lbs and the last season I had 3 of the contestants STARTING weight within 3 lbs of Me!! I also don’t spend 4-6 hours a day working out, so my weight doesn’t come off nearly as fast! But at least it is still coming off!! I got a pair of size 14 jeans for Christmas… and they are actually comfortable to wear… not tight… and the other pair I got just before Christmas is actually loose in the waist. Granted, when I measured myself on New Years day, my waist was the same size as it was in March. Can’t figure that one out since I lost over 2 inches just about each other place I measured. This is the first time I have had my neck under 16 inches in I don’t know how long!!! Now to get my arms that way!!!

Ok, the computer just blinked… didn’t crash, but not taking any chances… have a great 2009. I am planning on there being a lot less of me by 2010!!!

I bought a pair of size 14 jeans yesterday. And unlike what my niece told me when I bought the stretch jeans… these are not… so they aren’t cheating. Ken did inform me that I have a mushroom top on these jeans, but I think that will be taken care of in the next couple of weeks. I even bought a pair of boots. It was so nice being able to wear something other than crocs. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my crocs, but it is nice to have options and have it NOT hurt my foot. I know it will get better in a few months. Now to get that last 17 lbs gone so that I am in Onderland!! (yes, the 17 will put me under!!) I actually got to my PRE-PG weight. I haven’t been here in 11 years!!! I am going to just keep chugging along!!!

And hopefully now I will be able to post more often. So, as of Thursday… Weight 216.6 (which after the cruise, I was 223, only gaining 1 lb while we were gone!!)

Having had my foot surgery, which I have talked about practically NON-Stop on Twitter, and over at Crayons, I was really worried about gaining weight. I was impressed that I only gained about 3 lbs on vacation this summer. Yesterday afternoon I got on the scale and have actually lost since vacation. Not back down to the -46 (219), but holding at -44 (221) (cuz I had gotten to -41 (225) before vacation, so I have lost all of vacation and almost the rest I put on) but the cool part is, I have not gained since quitting Karate.

I so love this show, because it does motivate me. Granted, right now, I can’t get up and do the stuff like I want to do, but the stitches are supposed to come out on Monday, and then hopefully I can at least start using the Wii Fit again.

I haven’t posted here since we got that either… but Man, that little thing can get a good sweat going. You have to actually get up and do it though. K really frustrates me because she figured out that you can do the running program while sitting in the chair and just moving your hand. Granted, I have the better score because I actually RUN, and don’t just wiggle my hand, but still, she sits there and then it opens new programs. The fit learns with you. The more you do, the more programs and advances you can open. If I could go in and edit all her stuff without deleting her Mii, I would.

Anyway, I found out that my class reunion is in May, they are doing my class and 2 others together, so mine is a year late, my brother a year early and class of 84 right on time. I think it will be cool having 3 classes together, since we went to school together!! I told dh that if I am in Onederland by Christmas, that we are going. (I can’t believe how many people I have to explain Onederland too btw… anyone who’s weight is in the 200’s probably knows EXACTLY what I am talking about!!).

I was able to buy a size 14 this summer and went to a Large in my shirts (that is down from a 20 in pants and XL in shirts since last August) Even if I am not losing pounds at this point, I am losing inches!!!! I just want to feel good. Right now it is so frustrating, because my toe DOESN’T hurt, but yet I can’t do anything. Granted, when I do something like the yard, then it does hurt, but still.  

The other cool part is, I got a new phone, so I can do entries from my phone now instead of always having to get to the computer, so hopefully, I will be able to do that more often!!!!

There is obviously a reason I am retaining fluids… and it time for someone to figure this out. According to all the other doctors, there is nothing wrong with my heart… so why do I retain fluid then? The general reason for someone to retain fluid is because they are in congestive heart failure (which is a weird name, cuz it is actually fluid on the lungs…) or a disorder causing swelling in the limbs… but as far as I know, I don’t have any of that. Hopefully I will get some answers.

On Monday (next week) I go and see rheumatology, and hopefully I will get the rest of the answers. K has an appointment at the same time… tomorrow I have therapy… I haven’t seen my therapist since all this happened with K and stuff, so that should be good… and then I have a filling in the afternoon… should be a fun time before I get to go out for dinner tomorrow night. I do plan to go to kickboxing though… get out some of my  ”frustration” and I am not even referring to any of this stuff

Oh, and I got a bunch of fun stuff for the side bar… although the sad thing is seeing the recent visitor box sitting there empty!!!  but you can now click the link and have my updates sent to your reader or I think you can set it up to get an email when I update!!

  Wikipedia - Ehlers-Danlos
Hypermobility
The Brighton ScoreI know he gets mad at me looking at this stuff, but it explains so much. According to this scoring system, I have 1 major and 3 minors, which confirms hypermobility.
This is the ED site that talks about how a halter Monitor doesn’t usually pick up anything… this would be me And my sister!

Ken is convinced that I could look up anything and find out that I have the same symptoms. The true test would be what a doctor says.Oh, and I am going to make a list of the different things I have had that are also apprearing to be part of this…

Living with hypermobility - rheumatologyJoint & bone

I know that is driving Ken crazy as well, but this is a place I can track things that aren’t necessarily on my med sheet I take to the doctors, example: 

  
1. I had Costochondritis in my 20’s… something I don’t always remember.

 

2. Thoracic outlet Syndrome

 

3. TMJ or should we say TMD I have had this for as long as I can remember. The dentist will use a bite block for me now so I don’t have the problems when I have to hold my mouth open so long.

 

4. Planter faciitis (it was diagnosed when we lived in Cheyenne, so that was only a 6 month period of time for me to narrow it down too… it was 1990.

 

5. Bursitis

   Man, I remember I was just out of high school, my friends were trying to teach me how to serve a volleyball overhand, and I woke up crying the next day. The doctor said I had bursitis and to this day, if you touch my shoulder in the right spot, you can send me right through the roof!

6. My ‘tennis elbow’ or as I am finding it is called Cubital Tunnel Syndrome basically it is carpal tunnel of the elbow. But the Thoracic Outlet is also a compression issue.

 

7. Joints making clicking noises. Man, I do that every time I bend or turn weird.

   

Knowledge is Power and God is in control!!

And what is really cool… my Rheumatologist just called me back and he is very familiar with EDS! He asked if someone thought I had it. I said, well, actually, they think my dd has it, and the more I am reading about it, the more I see me in it… and I told her about the hypermobility… and how I have 14 of the 23 things listed as symptoms. 

My lab tests also showed that I am NOT allergic to Latex. I am not sure I believe that. I will put on the gloves at work again and see what happens. I wonder if I have any around here that I can put on over the weekend? I see the allergist on Monday. I also have a REALLY delayed reaction to stuff, which makes me wonder if they tested stuff once or more than once? The last time I wore latex gloves, my hand broke out that afternoon, and I broke out in hives the NEXT day! Other good part is my Cholesterol is better. The only number out of wack now is the Good Cholesterol and it improved by 6… so I am closer than I was before.

Oh, and I also got my culture from Friday. My PCP basically looked at me like I was insane when I told her that I wanted her to run a culture and see if I had MRSA. I was sure that I was the reason Ken had it. She was sure that the antibiotic I had just finished was the one that they use to treat it. Well, let’s just say, not only do I have MRSA, but it is resistant to the ‘big guns’ that I had just finished. Not that I want to be sick, but sometimes it is just knowing I am not crazy. I just wish I would feel better now. She didn’t treat me because I am not symptomatic, but I still don’t feel good and my face still hurts!!!

I did loose weight this week. Down to 219.4…. which is down another decade…. and almost to my PRE-PG weight. Granted the kid is 10 now… but still Only 19 lbs to OnderLand!!! 

Got to love it when she looks in my nose and said, ‘Oh, there is a lot of crud in there!!!’ I filled her in about all my other appointments while I was there as well. (and on the fact Ken is having surgery and they are talking about surgery on K’s knees too!) She gave me my new Rx, and I stopped and got yeast infection meds on my way to GET the Rx… I said if they are that strong, I am not even going to wait til it is bad… and then last night I got some Activia. (if nothing else, their light has less calories and carbs than any of the other light yogurt I read last night!!)

K is over her stuff, just having an emotional week… and Ken was doing better until yesterday, but the good thing is, his pre-op appointment was yesterday, so the ENT actually got to see how bad it gets for him (and was nice enough to spray him good and open things up!!) Surgery is next week and I think once he gets past the initial pain and stuff, he is going to be able to breathe so much better! 

Today should also be weigh in day… and as I was sitting here feeling the horrible nastiness that is going on in the lower abdomen, I realized I forgot to weigh before I ate this morning… the biggest problem with a delay is that I set the TV to come on at 5:30 am and I wake up when it comes on and don’t go back to sleep, so I made coffee and breakfast by 6 AM!!) I will still jump on after I get in the shower… and I know I finally had gotten off 4 of the 5.6 lbs I had gained while sick. I swear I think I am the only person who actually GAINS when she is sick. My friend Jeani was sick over the weekend and lost 6 POUNDS on SATURDAY. I would be so happy… and she ate and still lost!!! She has lost so much, she can’t afford to lose any more. Maybe I need the mouth infection she got back at the beginning of the year…. she lost over 20+ lbs in like the 2 weeks she had it without trying (granted she had been trying before she got it) With my luck, I would gain the 20+

Oh, and HELP!!! a quick computer geek question for someone who is reading here and not at Crayons…. I upgraded WordPress (and have the new upgrade sitting here, I just need upgrade to the host and don’t want to deal right now)… anyway, I have to MANUALLY put in all paragraph breaks… am I missing a button that I need to have checked or something??? Is it just a MAC thing?? (although I am pretty sure I had to do it on the piece of S*@# in the basement). Any help would be appreciated, cuz this is getting old!!! Especially since if I save and come back in to edit, I have to put them all back in all over again!!!!

I have been referred back to the Pulmonologist, which whom I already have an appointment a week from tomorrow. She didn’t even touch the pulse ox either. The part there that I found interesting was that my heart rate range was from 44 - 180. She commented that the pulse ox isn’t real reliable for that. I said, no, but that I had told the cardiologist my heart would race and the event monitor never picked anything up. It sounds like the pulse ox did!!! (by the way, a pulse ox is a monitor that monitors your oxygen level. I forget that not everyone is a Respiratory Therapist and knows the lingo ;)) My resting O2  (oxygen) level before I went to sleep was only 93%, which is not too low, but not real great either. You want it to be above 90%, and being at 7K feet, I expect it to run closer to 90%. I did have to giggle though, cuz my therapist said she had the results and she didn’t know how to read them, and I said, but I do. I am waiting til I see Dr. P, but from what I saw, I won’t be going on O2, unless they take me off cpap. I dropped a couple of times below 90%, but nothing to worry about. Now when I go up to Divide next month and Woodland Park in April, that will be a different story… as I will be at 9.5K feet

Speaking of therapy, our therapist is leaving the practice. So now we need to pray about what direction we want to go. K has a really good bond with her, so it is a matter of do we want to start over or do we want to follow her. Yah, there are hard feelings going on in that office. I do know that the new office is a lot closer to our end of town, so I am going to look into that. I have them almost all paid up current, so money wouldn’t be an issue either. Personally, the therapist has been more on top of K’s diagnosis than the doctor. I am not sure which way we are going. If it is up to me, I know what I will do, but there are more than 1 factor. Ken is on the same page as me though, so that is good! 

I went to the ENT yesterday. They did a hearing test, and apparently I have had a decrease in my hearing since they did my last test (about a year ago). Significant enough that they are doing more testing. I told him that I am just tired of telling K that I can’t hear her or making her turn to face me so I can understand what she is saying! Guess we will see what the next test has to say! 

Ken also saw the ENT. We have had him to so many doctors. I finally told Dr. R. ‘he has tried everything!’ And then listed all the different nasal sprays he has tried. We told him about the sinus rinses… and the fact he did the netti pot and the bottle… neither helped. He looked in Ken’s nose and said that 1. he has a deviated septum (guess we know where K got it from) and 2. His turbinates are too big. So, he is having surgery in March!!!