Sitting here in the wee hours of the morning
“Why didn’t I get anything done today?”
And then … I remember….
Category: Out of Spoons
Small Moments of Joy
I tend to complain on Twitter in the form of haiku, and unintentionally ended up with a mix of poems about a small moment of joy or a lingering moment of pain.
Endless Cycle
If I didn’t have allergies, I wouldn’t be so sick all the time.
If I wasn’t sick all the time, I wouldn’t have to sleep half my day away.
If I didn’t have to sleep half my day away, I could get more work done.
Floating Away
February was a really strange month for me. Pollen season started at about the same time I had to begin doubling the dose of a new medication. The old mobile home next door was in the process of being taken apart so it could be removed. Things got a bit surreal for most of this month.
New medication
Double dosage starts today
Watch me float away
February 5, 2016
Way too windy out
Pollen count too high this week
I am struggling
February 15, 2016
I Stumped a Specialist
Today, I went back to my rheumatologist for a three month checkup. We agreed that I should not continue to take the medication he prescribed that was causing me harm (because it has gluten in it). He did not want to prescribe other medication (because the rest of what he prescribes is for cases much more severe than mine).
He looked at my x-rays and said that there was no evidence of any joint damage in my hands, feet, or chest. This indicates that I don’t have rheumatoid arthritis at all.
Allergic Person’s Lament
So many things I want to work on today
So many pollen particles in the air
I’ll end up asleep
One Thing at a Time
Every month, I gather up the health-related haiku I wrote on Twitter and put it into a blog post. It becomes a “snapshot” of what my health was like. If I’m going to complain about my health, I may as well find a creative way to express it.
So Much for That
Recently, I was diagnosed with “probable Rheumatoid Arthritis” and given a prescription for medication that was supposed to help with inflammation.
After having some really nasty side effects, I started doing some investigation. Sulfasalazine contains an ingredient called “pregelatinized starch”. The starch can come from corn, wheat, potato, or tapioca – and there is absolutely no way to check to see which one is is from.
Based on my symptoms, I am absolutely certain it came from wheat. I’m highly allergic to wheat (and rye, and barley) and my body cannot process gluten.
So, my medication that was supposed to help me become healthier made me sick as hell – and I have stopped taking it.
And now, I’m wondering why my rheumatologist didn’t seem to want to know anything at all about my food allergies. This could have been prevented!
Official Diagnosis
So, today I have my very first appointment with a rheumatologist. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, it took a year (and a referral from primary care doctor) to get in.
The rheumatologist was a very nice guy. He listened to me describe my symptoms. He asked for more details. He wrote things down. It was clear that he believed me – right from the start.
For Those Who Think Being Poor Makes for an Easy Life
In October of 2015, I stopped qualifying for Medicaid. (Medi-Cal in California).
Nobody bothered to let me know about this obviously important change.
I ended up seeing a doctor, to set up as a new patient, while uninsured.
Of course, there was no way for me to know that I was uninsured.
Continue Reading “For Those Who Think Being Poor Makes for an Easy Life”