Tag Archives: health issues

Continuing To Try To Stay Safe (or Making Sure I Don’t Panic Too Much or Too Little)

Posted on December 22, 2021 | Comments Off on Continuing To Try To Stay Safe (or Making Sure I Don’t Panic Too Much or Too Little)

For so long, I think all of us were being hopeful that we were coming to the end of the pandemic. People were getting vaccinated. Some were getting boosters. Case numbers were going down and so were hospitalizations. I really was starting to feel a bit safer even though I was still taking a lot of precautions and didn’t go too many places. There were still people getting sick, but it seemed to mainly be those that were not vaccinated. And if someone who was vaccinated got sick, they were not having that many symptoms and rarely went to the hospital.

But we had been warned that things might be bad again this winter as more people are indoors and there is the chance of having a higher risk for both Covid and the flu. But what we didn’t expect was also having a new variant that seems to be the most contagious yet.

I’m trying to not overreact, but this is feeling very similar to what things were like in March 2020. I know it’s not the same because we have treatment options we didn’t have then and people are not being hospitalized or dying at the same rate they were before, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t making me feel a bit panicked. But I am trying to take what I have learned in the past year and a half to make sure I stay safe.

Most of the things I started to do in March 2020 haven’t changed since then. I still limit where I go and try to avoid crowded places. And I still wear a mask when I’m around others indoors. I don’t always wear a mask when I’m outdoors, but if there are a lot of people near me that I don’t know I do wear one. And since I always keep a mask in my purse and car, it’s easy to always have one with me.

But with this variant, I know that there is a chance that I could still catch it. I’ve had a few friends get sick in the past week, and all of them have been vaccinated and wear masks in public. Most of them have had very mild symptoms and have recovered quickly. One friend had more symptoms and I was worried about them for a bit, but they seem to be getting better now. But I know that even a mild case can have long-term side effects, so I know things might not be over for them yet. But I do hope that they all have easy recoveries and they don’t have issues later.

Seeing friends of mine get sick when they do similar precautions to what I do really worries me. I have been thinking about what other things I can do to keep myself safe or think about any things that I plan on doing to see if I need to do them or if I can wait. I am trying to order things online if I can, but some things are only in stores. Right now I have plans to get my hair done, but if things seem really bad when it’s closer to my appointment, I might see if I can reschedule. But I picked a time that shouldn’t be as crowded and it’s somewhere that everyone wears masks and there is no need to take them off, like at a restaurant.

I saw a joke online that said something like everyone more scared than me is crazy and everyone less scared than me has their head in the sand. And in a way, I do feel like this. I wonder if I’m panicking too much or not enough. I worry that I am not doing everything I should because I’m tired of living during a pandemic. I know everyone wants life to feel normal again, whatever that means. I just don’t want to have to think about the risks of getting sick every time I decide to do something outside my house. But at the same time, I know I’m taking more risks than I did over a year ago and I wonder if I’m doing the right thing.

I don’t know if anyone knows what is the right way to live now and what is being too risky. I know being vaccinated and wearing masks are key and I’m doing that. But beyond that, I just have to do what choices I can live with if I do end up getting sick in the future.

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Default ThumbnailThoughts About The Reopening (or Feeling Safe And Scared At Once) Default ThumbnailMaking And Cancelling Plans (or I Know We Are All Trying To Stay Safe) Default ThumbnailPlease Wear A Mask And Stay Home If You Can (or This Shouldn’t Be Political) Default ThumbnailRequiring Masks Again (or This Doesn’t Change Too Much For Me) Default ThumbnailFeeling A Bit Less Stressed At The Dentist (or Just Having Normal Panic) Default ThumbnailGetting Another COVID Test (or Making Sure I’m Safe To See My Family)

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Doubling Up With Panic Attacks (or I’m Really Getting Tired Of This)

Posted on December 3, 2021 | Comments Off on Doubling Up With Panic Attacks (or I’m Really Getting Tired Of This)

Having a panic attack at the dentist is pretty much a guarantee for me. This has happened for the majority of my life and I don’t see it ending any time soon. I can manage my panic attacks better now than I could before, but they still happen and still affect me. So when I was going in for a dentist appointment this week, I knew I was going to have an attack and just tried my best to stay calm when I could.

But going to the appointment caused me to have an unexpected panic attack. I’m typically a very prompt person. Often, I arrive at places too early and I just sit and wait in my car until the right time. I overestimate how long it will take to get somewhere, but I would rather be early than late. And for appointments, I know if you arrive late they can sometimes refuse to see you. So I really try to be on time. My dentist isn’t too far from where I live, but I also know the areas I have to drive through can have some weird traffic holdups. So I gave myself double the time it normally takes to get there, so I figured I would arrive early.

I don’t know what was going on with traffic, but it was just not moving while I was driving. I was terrified I would get to my appointment and they would turn me away, which would be awful because that would mean I would have the nerves leading up to another appointment date. I tried to call in to explain what was happening, but they must have been busy at the office because it went to voicemail. I was already struggling with panic feelings about an appointment, but now I was dealing with panic feelings about being late too.

I guess it was a good thing I gave myself double the time to get there because I only ended up being 1 minute late, so it worked out ok. But I was still so stressed and my heart was racing about getting there on time. And as soon as I arrived, my regular panic that I get at the dentist kicked into high gear.

I’m lucky that my dentists understand that I just don’t do well there, so they do try their best. But the hygienist they have was taking longer than I’m used to with her work. And she noticed my panic and kept stopping so I could have a break. I told her that taking a break doesn’t help me since I just need to get through the appointment, but she kept checking in with me. My dentist did check in too and let the hygienist know that I do best when we can get through it quickly (but also thoroughly so I don’t have issues later).

Fortunately, after that things picked up in my appointment and they moved quickly. I had one moment with a really bad panic attack when my dentist was inspecting a spot on one tooth. Even though she had already told me there were no cavities or issues, I was so worried that she discovered something after telling me that. I really tried to keep my breathing under control, but I was starting to really freak out. I’m glad it ended up being nothing (basically it was a weird shadow), but it was still a pretty bad moment for me.

I left the appointment with the usual good news that everything is good with my teeth and my next appointment would be another normal cleaning. I’m still going every 4 months since that seems to be the best setup for me, but a least they aren’t extreme appointments. But having these panic attacks really bothers me. I know it’s weird to be upset over something that I may not be able to control, but I feel that way. I’m usually emotionally and physically exhausted after an appointment. I wish I could just magically be ok and not panic even a little bit, but I don’t think that is likely to happen in my future.

So I just have to tolerate these every 4 months and hope for the best. And next time, hopefully I won’t have the extra panic with traffic making it worse.

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A Just Ok Doctor Follow Up (or These May Be A Part Of My Routine For A Little While Longer)

Posted on November 30, 2021 | Comments Off on A Just Ok Doctor Follow Up (or These May Be A Part Of My Routine For A Little While Longer)

Even though I have multiple ongoing health issues, seeing my doctors on a pretty regular basis wasn’t a part of my life until earlier this year. Most of my health issues are things that only require one or two doctor appointments a year. But earlier this year I started seeing my dermatologist regularly for a few different issues I was trying to get under control.

The main thing I’ve been working on with my doctor is my autoimmune condition. I go back and forth with calling it autoimmune or inflammatory, because it can be classified either way. But no matter what it is, it’s annoying and can be very painful. And this year, I’ve been trying new ways to try to get it under control and possibly in remission.

I have tried a few different medications this year, but there’s one that I’ve been on for most of the year. But you can’t be on it forever, so at my last appointment, I had to stop the medication and just try one other one I’ve been on. So when I went in for another follow-up appointment last week, it was to see how I’m doing and continue working on a plan for helping me.

Unfortunately, my condition has flared up significantly since my last appointment. It’s not as bad as it was before I started working with my doctor, but it was worse than last time. I told my doctor that if before starting medications I was at a 10 and at my last appointment I was at a 1, I was probably at a 4 or 5 right now. And I also am dealing with a bit of stress right now, and stress can make everything worse. I’m still doing better than I was from the start, but it’s frustrating to have such a setback.

But I was reminded that my body is also getting used to coming off a medication I was taking for about 10 months, and there can be a bit of a reaction to that. So that did make me feel better.

And my doctor and I did discuss next steps. There are a few treatments that were discussed before that he doesn’t think would be a smart choice for me anymore (including one that would put me in an immunocompromised state). We discussed one medication I was on before and I didn’t like the side effects, and he understood why I wouldn’t want to try it again. And then he discussed surgery with me.

Surgery doesn’t necessarily make my condition go away, but it would treat the parts of my body that are affected by it and it can be a permanent fix. Because the places on my body where I have flares would essentially be turned into scar tissue, I wouldn’t have the ability to have the same issues. But this is not an easy surgery. There would be weeks of recovery and allowing my body to heal very large wounds. I know this could have the best results for me, but I’m hesitant to do it since it wouldn’t stop everything. It would just make the spots that are the worst on my body no longer be like that.

But there is no need for me to rush to decide anything about surgery. I will have another follow-up appointment in about a month and a half to see how I’m doing. And maybe there will be other treatment options we discuss then or maybe my doctor will recommend I at least have an initial appointment with the surgeon who could operate on me. I’m not sure what the next steps will be, but just like I’ve been doing this year, I’m just going to continue to try to work on this and get my body and my autoimmune condition in a better place.

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Finally Feeling Normal Again (or These Side Effects Surprised Me)

Posted on November 17, 2021 | Comments Off on Finally Feeling Normal Again (or These Side Effects Surprised Me)

It’s pretty common for me to have side effects from vaccines. I don’t know why I’m so reactive to them, but it’s something I’m used to and prepared for most of the time. I know that there is a good chance I will feel sick for a day or two after a flu shot, so I plan my flu shot around when I know I will be ok having a few days without too much to do. I don’t always have a reaction, but it happens enough that I’d rather be prepared for it than me be unprepared and have to push through.

When I got my first 2 Covid vaccines, I had some side effects. But compared to what some of my friends had, I felt like mine were pretty mild. I had a sore arm for a while, which was annoying but not that much of an issue. After my first shot, I ended up sleeping away most of the day. But that could have been due to my appointment being early in the morning or possibly coming down from an adrenaline high since I had been waiting for that vaccine to happen. After my second shot, I had a sore arm again and a bit of a headache. But I really didn’t have much more than that.

So when I was trying to time out my booster shot, I thought I did a good job picking a time where I would have a day to rest but I wasn’t planning on needing much more than that. The day I got it done was a day I didn’t have to work, so if I was tired after it I could rest the rest of the day. And the day I got my booster, I really felt fine. I had my usual issues with getting a shot, but I didn’t feel off or tired. Later that evening, I was a bit more tired, but I also know I wasn’t getting enough sleep so it could have been that too.

The next morning, I was feeling a bit off, but things didn’t seem to hit me until I was in the middle of my workout. It was like one moment I was just a bit off and the next moment I was so exhausted and my entire body was aching. I pushed through that workout and I figured I would feel ok soon. I tried to continue on with my day and either I ignored how I was feeling or I tried to pretend I was fine. I honestly don’t remember.

I do remember wanting to go to bed at 9pm that night and how I had chills. But I also knew the next day I’d be seeing my family, so I tried to stay positive. I think I must have had a fever when I went to bed because I woke up in the middle of the night and it felt like I had a fever break. But I never took my temperature so I will never know for sure. And I was feeling a bit better when I drove up to be with my family, but I wasn’t 100% myself. I was still feeling lethargic and I had a lot of body aches. But I hadn’t seen most of my family in almost 2 years, so I wanted to push through however I could.

I know I wasn’t as cheerful or social as I usually am, but my family understood when I explained I had just had my booster shot. It was unfortunate timing, but I couldn’t do anything about it at that time so I tried to not focus on it.

I spent the day after I was with my family resting a bit more, and I finally was feeling better by Monday. As I write this on Tuesday, my arm is still sore but that’s about it for side effects. And I know that might take a few more days to go away, but at least that is the most manageable of my side effects.

I guess I was just a bit too confident after how I felt after my first two shots. I really thought the booster would be just as easy. But I should have prepared the way I do for most shots and not assumed I’d be ok. But even with the side effects and how they affected my time with my family, I don’t regret getting the booster shot. I want to keep myself healthy and those around me healthy as well. And making sure I am fully vaccinated and getting boosters as needed is the best way for me to do it.

But now I will try to remember that I had this type of reaction if there is another booster in the future so I’m not as surprised as I was this time.

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Finally Getting My Booster (or Feeling A Little Safer)

Posted on November 12, 2021 | Comments Off on Finally Getting My Booster (or Feeling A Little Safer)

I’ve been eligible for my Covid booster for a little bit. It’s been debatable when I became eligible because things have changed and I didn’t look into it too much right away. But I knew that I would want to do the booster shot since I still am considered at a higher risk for getting sick.

But I didn’t rush to schedule my booster shot right away. I had a few things happening and I didn’t want to risk having some bad side effects. And I didn’t feel the same rush to get it done as I did with the original shot. When I got my first vaccine, I was trying to find how to book an appointment as soon as possible. And I’m so glad I did it then because things were getting really stressful for me and getting the vaccine was one way I could try to keep myself safe. Even after being vaccinated, I haven’t done a lot of things differently when it comes to staying safe. I still stay home a lot and don’t go out. I wear a mask when I’m out. I am around more people than before, especially because I go to my workouts, but I’m really limiting my interactions with other people. And maybe because I’m not going out a lot, I didn’t feel like I had to get my booster shot immediately. I know that there is a chance the original vaccine was keeping me safe, but I knew I couldn’t chance it. So I got my booster shot scheduled for this week.

I was able to do this vaccine at Kaiser again (I know I could have done it at CVS or another drugstore, but it was easy to schedule it through my insurance). But it was a bit different from my other 2 vaccination appointments. It was at a different office, but they also had the registration different from my other appointments. I had an appointment and then had to go and check-in. After checking in, I had to go to a line where everyone was waiting their turn. There wasn’t a place to sit down, we were just lined up outside the building. And there were only 6 vaccination chairs in the room (I think at my other appointment, there were at least 20). So the line moved pretty slowly. From the time I checked in to the time I was finally in a chair was over 30 minutes. I was already nervous since I don’t do well with needles, but I was also in a lot of pain from standing in line for so long (I debated sitting on the ground, but it didn’t seem like the smartest idea). But at least once I was seated, things went quickly.

I had to do the usual confirmation of my name and what I was there for. And they confirmed what vaccine I previously had. I was given the option to change which brand I had for my booster shot, but I went with the same one as before since I knew what my reaction would likely be from it. The booster dose isn’t as much as the regular dose, so I’m hoping I won’t have too many side effects.

And as I almost always do, I had a moment I blacked out when getting my shot. It’s more of an annoyance than anything these days because I do need to warn people I’m a faint risk. I try to explain it’s not a big deal but I know I need to tell them. But they always worry I’m going to pass out and hit my head or something.  But at least this time I was only out for a few seconds before I felt normal again. They did monitor me a bit closer than most people because I said I was a faint risk, but I spent that time playing games on my phone and getting some work done. And after my waiting period was over, I was on my way back home.

I know that I’m lucky that I had the ability to get a booster shot when it’s not available for everyone. And there are some people who haven’t had a chance to be vaccinated at all yet. But I try not to feel guilty about this. I know I’m at a higher risk for getting sick, and if I protect myself that means that I hopefully won’t take up space in a hospital bed if I do get Covid. And that hospital bed could go to someone who needs it, whether they need it due to Covid or for something else that would require medical attention.

I really wish we were past this pandemic. We have been given tools to make it end, but not everyone is doing what we need. So I have to do what I can for now and I just have to hope it will be enough to keep me and those around me safe.

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I Guess This Is The End Of This Journey (or 5 Years Later)

Posted on November 4, 2021 | Comments Off on I Guess This Is The End Of This Journey (or 5 Years Later)

A little over 5 years ago, I had what I believed was the worst gallbladder attack of my life. I was sure that’s what I had since it had a lot of the same symptoms as the other attacks I’ve had. But this one was lasting hours and not going away when in the past it would maybe only last an hour or two. I was up all night in pain and went to the hospital that morning sure that they were going to wheel me into the OR to have my gallbladder removed. But it turned out it wasn’t a gallbladder attack (it’s still not really known what happened to me), but that day at the hospital we discovered what was believed to be a cyst on my liver.

After more medical testing, we learned that I had 3 tumors and my journey from needing surgery to being a medical miracle started. Honestly, nothing has been what I expected and I’ve tried to roll with the punches as much as I could. But it’s been tough. A friend of mine described the feeling I dealt with perfectly, body betrayal. I felt betrayed when I found out I had tumors because I had no clue that something so crazy was happening in my body. And I felt betrayed when they shrank because again I had no clue this was happening. Of course, I was grateful they shrank and I could avoid surgery, but the disconnect I had with my body was a struggle.

And for the past few years, I’ve had MRIs to check my liver and make sure that my tumors weren’t growing. I’m very lucky that they actually continued to shrink. And at my last MRI, you could only see 1 of the 3 original tumors. And that tumor was 10% of its original size. I was supposed to have an MRI last year and if my tumors were still the same that would be the last one. Because of the pandemic, I didn’t go last year (which was ok with my liver surgeon). And this year, when I was at my annual well-woman appointment, I mentioned to my doctor that this year I’d do one more MRI and maybe that would be the last. Fortunately, she was able to order the MRI for me so that was a lot easier to schedule. And this past weekend, I had my MRI.

I didn’t realize this at the time, but this MRI was 5 years to the day from the original MRI (when we discovered that it wasn’t a cyst but a tumor). I’ve had enough MRIs at this point to know the routine. I also know that usually there is a bit of a wait, so I come prepared with a book and other things to keep me busy. But I don’t know if it’s because this was on a weekend or if things are still slower than normal, but for this MRI I didn’t even go to the waiting room! As soon as I was done checking in, I was brought back to the MRI room. Just like every other MRI, it wasn’t that fun. I also had double claustrophobia because of the MRI tube and wearing a mask. I managed to not have a horrible panic attack, but I had a couple of little ones during the scan. I just tried to take deep breaths (when I didn’t have to hold my breath) and I tilted my head back to be able to look into the room behind me.

From the time I checked in until I was heading out was only about an hour. This was by far the fastest MRI I had. I didn’t even get a fun pre-MRI photo like I normally do. But I took one after it was done so I could add it to my collection of photos.

I normally have a follow-up with my liver surgeon after my MRI to go over the results. I might have the follow-up over the phone this time, but I also might not have the usual follow-up since a different doctor ordered the test. But I did already get my results back.

I know it’s a lot of doctor-speak, but basically this says that there is only 1 tumor visible in my life and it’s 1cm. This is exactly what it looked like 2 years ago and what I know my liver surgeon was hoping for. He told me it would be very unlikely for the last tumor to be completely gone since it was so large to begin with. But staying the same for 2 years is really the best outcome. I also had a few other things in my results (I still have gallstones and there is a small benign cyst on my kidney), but for the most part, everything else is either completely normal or exactly what it’s been like for a while.

This is a bit anti-climatic, but I guess this is probably the end of my journey with my liver tumor. If I have a follow-up call with my surgeon, I guess he will probably confirm that. But he did say the last time I saw him that as long as my tumors aren’t bigger than they were before, I won’t need another MRI. Of course, there are a few things that can happen in the future that could change this (if I use anything with synthetic hormones, I probably will need to be monitored again). But unless that comes up or if I have any odd symptoms, I will probably just live the rest of my life with this small tumor left in my liver hanging out.

The last 5 years have been crazy with my liver tumors. I’m just glad that it seems like this is finally a part of my past and I don’t have to be too worried about them anymore.

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More Health Work (or An Afternoon Of Dealing With Needles)

Posted on October 27, 2021 | Comments Off on More Health Work (or An Afternoon Of Dealing With Needles)

I’ve been slowly catching up on the health things I didn’t do last year when things were a lot scarier with the pandemic. It’s a process to catch up, but I think I finally am seeing the end of what I need to do. And some of the things that were on my catch-up list were things that I put off for a bit so I could combine appointments. I especially wanted to do that when it came to doing blood work.

I knew I would need to have my blood drawn now so I could get my liver MRI (they have to check kidney function before an MRI since I have to be able to process the contrast they use without issues). But when I went in for my regular check-up recently, my doctor mentioned that I hadn’t done just the regular check-up blood work in several years. In fact, the last time I did it was right before my liver tumors were found. The blood work showed something wrong with my liver and I was about to do another blood draw when the tumors were found and we realized that was the reason. So along with some of the specific blood work I needed, she added in all the regular tests too.

I put off doing my blood draw until I knew I needed to do my kidney function test. There’s no point in me doing those on different days. And I also figured I might as well get my flu shot and torture myself with more needles (I couldn’t get my Covid booster at that time, or I might have done that too). And I did it on a day that I knew I’d have lots of time since I never know how I will react to needles. I’ve been doing better lately, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t faint in the future.

Fortunately, when I went, the hospital was pretty empty so I didn’t have to wait a long time to get my blood drawn. Unfortunately, between all the blood work I needed to have done, I needed 6 vials to be drawn. That’s just a long time to make sure I don’t faint. I got very lightheaded and I was worried a few times I was about to pass out, but I made it through. But I must have looked horrible because the doctor who did my blood draw didn’t want me to leave right away and asked if I needed to be seen by anyone. I knew I’d be fine (plus if I had doctors come to look at me, it was probably going to be expensive and take several hours). But I waited about 10 minutes before I left so he knew I’d be ok.

After that, I had to go to urgent care to get my flu shot because the tent they do flu shots in was already closed that day (I didn’t think about it having reduced hours on the weekend). But that was pretty quick too since they were able to get me into a room within a few minutes. That went a bit better than the blood work and I didn’t have any moments I felt like I was going to faint. I just had to deal with the reaction I usually get from flu shots (just feeling a bit run down and a sore arm, but it’s worth it).

Spending my day doing work with needles isn’t my ideal way to spend a day off, but I needed to do this. And I’m glad I did because almost all my blood work has improved since the last time I got it done! There are a few things that are a little out of the ideal range, but they were out of the range in the past and I’m much closer to normal now. There’s nothing in my blood work showing I’m at a higher risk for anything. I know some people might assume I’m pre-diabetic or have high cholesterol, but both are in the normal range and everything seems to show that I am healthy! Even though I was pretty certain that would be the case, it’s nice to have real concrete proof of that too.

Now I just have 2 more things involving needles that I know I need to do: get the IV for my MRI and get my booster shot. And I hope both of those go as smoothly as this all did.

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Getting Ready For A Booster (or I’m So Glad Vaccines Are Starting To Be Required)

Posted on October 22, 2021 | Comments Off on Getting Ready For A Booster (or I’m So Glad Vaccines Are Starting To Be Required)

When I finally got my COVID vaccine about 8 months ago, it was honestly such a huge relief. I knew that it didn’t mean the pandemic was over, but it would allow me to have just a little less fear over having a severe case. As much as I hate shots, I couldn’t wait to get this done and I was even looking forward to it. I knew that the original 2 shots might not be enough and that I might need a booster, but at that time I wasn’t too worried about it. I really thought that maybe enough people would be vaccinated that the risk factor would be down significantly by the time boosters were needed.

I may never understand those who refuse to get vaccinated (unless their doctor has told them it is too dangerous to get it). But because the pandemic has continued, booster shots have started to be available. I am in one of the groups that can be vaccinated due to being high-risk and I’ve been eligible for a booster for a little bit now. I’m not really putting it off due to fear, but because I wanted to make sure I didn’t have to worry about work or other conflicts I haven’t gotten it just yet. But I’m working on scheduling a time for my booster soon and I’m glad that I will have even more protection, especially since we are getting into flu season.

And possibly even more than getting a booster, I’m excited that vaccine requirements are starting to become a thing here in LA. My gym is going to start requiring them in 2 weeks. I know there will be people who cannot work out because of the requirement, but those who can’t be vaccinated due to medical reasons understand that. I know there are other people saying this is discrimination and illegal, but if someone chooses to not be vaccinated a business can choose not to serve them. It’s the same idea with masks. I have never understood the accusations that it’s illegal to require masks when businesses have required shoes for as long as I know. Or how they have banned smoking inside. Choosing what you would like to do may have consequences and it’s always been like that.

There are still places I haven’t returned to just because I’m a bit nervous being out in groups if I don’t have to. Once I know that they are requiring vaccines too, I think I’ll start to see what I want to bring back into my life. Having over a year and a half without some of my routines has made me reevaluate what I regularly do. But it also has made me realize how important some things are and how I want to continue to make them a regular part of my life.

To see more and more places understand why requiring vaccines can help their clients makes me so happy. I have never really been fearful working out since returning, but knowing that everyone there will be vaccinated will be just one more thing to make me feel a bit more comfortable. And I know that as soon as I get my booster shot I will feel that way too.

I’ve said this so many times since everything shut down in March 2020, but I do feel like this is another step to normalcy. I know that every time I say this, something else happens so I hope that maybe this time it’s different. But even if it’s doesn’t change the entire world with the pandemic, but maybe at least within my section of the world I feel a bit safer than I do now. And maybe soon other places will be the same and we can finally be past the time where we are all hyper-vigilant with this virus.

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A Fast And Easy Doctor Appointment (or A Simple Follow-Up)

Posted on October 14, 2021 | Comments Off on A Fast And Easy Doctor Appointment (or A Simple Follow-Up)

I think most people know that when they schedule a doctor’s appointment that there is a good chance it will run late. I do try to book the first appointment of the day or the first appointment after lunch since that is usually the best chance for things to be on time. But with my work schedule now, I can’t really do that as much. So I have been booking them toward the end of the day to limit how much work I have to miss.

This time, it was for another follow-up with my dermatologist. I have had these on a pretty frequent basis this year, and it’s mainly to monitor progress with a few different issues. I have something on my foot that my doctor tried to freeze off and we are seeing how to get my autoimmune condition to be in remission or to just be less severe. For my foot, it’s a simple check-up with seeing if I need another treatment. With my autoimmune condition, it’s a bit more complicated. I’ve tried a few different medications this year, and the first choice one is something you can’t take forever. So I knew going into this appointment that I was going to have to stop that medication. And because I was doing follow-ups on two things and was going to discuss a medication plan going forward, I assumed this would be a longer appointment.

But I was so wrong. I arrived 15 minutes before my appointment to check in, and I was taken back within minutes of arriving! And I didn’t even have much of a chance to put things down before the doctor came in! Normally, I have to change into a gown, but this time I didn’t which was fine since there would have been no time to do that anyway.

And even though we were doing two different follow-ups, it was actually very simple. For my foot, it was an easy decision to do another treatment. And that only takes about a minute or two. And for my autoimmune condition, since I already knew that we were ending one medication it was just a reminder that I should stop taking it now and only continue the other medication I’ve been taking for it. He did check my skin and agreed that things were looking better, so there was no need to discuss much more than that. Over the past few appointments, we have discussed surgical options (which is still something I am considering) and what medications or other methods to try to get me into remission. But this time, the plan is simple. I’m going to stay on the one medication I’m taking for my autoimmune condition and we are going to see how it goes.

And because I have to be back for another follow-up in 6 weeks for my foot, we can reevaluate things then and if I seem to be getting worse I can figure out a new plan with my doctor. I am hopeful that I won’t get worse because the medication I’m on now was only something I started at my last appointment and I’ve had significant improvement since starting it. So I think it’s from this medication and not the one I’ve been taking for a while.

Even without having much of a game plan going forward or any changes right now, I’m happy with these next steps because I want to see what happens. I don’t love being on a ton of medications and removing one from my day is a good thing. And maybe I won’t need to add something else back in.

This was a pretty easy follow-up with minimal stuff needed. The longest part was the treatment on my foot, but fortunately, I’m used to them so I can tolerate the pain and not need breaks. And before I knew it, I was ready to leave my appointment and by some miracle, I made it home in time to work a little extra time so I didn’t miss out on any pay that day! I think that makes this appointment a total win for me!

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Planning For The Future In A Few Ways (or Connecting One Monthly Challenge To Another)

Posted on October 1, 2021 | Comments Off on Planning For The Future In A Few Ways (or Connecting One Monthly Challenge To Another)

Last month, I made my monthly challenge all about not overthinking the future. And that ended up being the perfect challenge since I found out right after I set my challenge about my landlord selling my place. I did have some freakouts about having to move, but I was able to keep myself calm. And in a weird way, focusing on looking for a condo was a good distraction from other things that might have made me overthink the future more. So while I did have something that made me work on my monthly challenge, it might have been a bit easier than expected since all my focus went to that one thing.

But I’m still glad I did it because I know this is something I need to continuously do and practice. And I want to keep working on it so it’s more instinctual for me and not something I have to really think about when working on it.

And while my challenge for last month was all about not overthinking the future, my challenge this month is almost the opposite with planning for the future more. That’s not the reason why I did it, but it’s connected in a weird way.

The general idea for my challenge this month is to plan for the future, but that doesn’t exactly explain it. I guess it’s also a bit of a reset in a way, but again, that doesn’t explain it. But I have 2 main ideas within this challenge that I’m trying to accomplish in my reset/future planning.

The first is that I want to really work on cleaning my current place. I know I have a lot of stuff that I wouldn’t want to move when I move, so I want to work on clearing things over time. I also don’t want to worry about not having trash space as I throw things out, and I only have a single trash can. So my challenge is to work on cleaning out things like my desk (which has been a recurring project), my clothing, and stuff I have stored. I know I have so much stuff that is just there because I don’t think about it being there. So being more mindful about it all will help.

And the other part of the future planning I want to work on is related to my health. I don’t have a specific goal connected to my health, but I want to make it more of a focus. I want to work on eating more fruits and vegetables and being better about eating real meals and not snacking. Maybe I’ll do some meal planning or prepping, but I’m not too specific on what I want to do other than to put more of a focus into my life. I need to do this and I’ve been almost craving to work on this (but it’s not always my only or strongest craving, which is the problem).

I know this isn’t the most specific goal, but I think I’m also doing another flexible goal because I know October will be a bit crazy for me. Besides the usual craziness, I will also have condo hunting as well as the SAG-AFTRA Convention! So I don’t want to add something else to my calendar that I might not be able to focus on that much. But hopefully whatever focus I can put on this challenge this month, I will have another positive outcome and feel really happy about what I did.

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