My Doctor Appointment

So I've been talking about how my right elbow (the one I broke back in 2004) has been giving me a lot of trouble, and that my arthritis doc felt it was time to have the elbow replaced. Well, I finally was able to get in and see the orthopedic surgeon who did the surgery the first time. He is an amazing doctor and the only way I would ever consider getting any surgery done on my joints would be if he were to do it.

Funny part was, when the doctor first came in the room, I didn't think it was the same guy! 5 years ago, the last time I saw him, he was a pretty big guy, but he has had to have lost about 150-200. He looks great, it was just a shock when your expecting the guy you knew before to come walking in.

Anyway, he took a look at the elbow and the x-rays and said that doing a replacement due to arthritis or due to trauma is two different things. If it were just because my arthritis was acting up, the replacement would last longer, but because it has to be replaced due to trauma, it won't last as long, and he really doesn't want to see me go through that at 29. I told him that over the years I have learned to adapt to losing half the movement in the arm, and it doesn't bother me the way it is, except for the pain, popping, and clicking that has been going on the past few months. So he said he is going to do an outpatient procedure, were he will remove the radial head of the elbow, that is the bottom part of the elbow, think of where your elbow points. He thinks that will get rid of the pain and give me another 5 years with the elbow the way it is before we really have to consider replacement.

I then decided to ask him about knee replacements. I really wasn't, because frankly I have resigned myself to the fact that I was never going to walk again, and I've been ok with that. At this point it has been 4 years since I've last walked. Plus, my arthritis doctor said that with my osteoporosis, that doing a knee replacement might shatter my legs, and finding a doctor to do both knees at the same time, and at my age, will be difficult. So I asked the surgeon first about the possibility of my legs shattering during surgery and he said no, then asked if I ever had a bone density test and why I wasn't on meds for osteoporosis. I told him I've never had a doctor mention bone density or meds, so he is sending me in for the test (you stick your foot in a machine and it measures your bone density), and after that he will put me on some meds to make my bones stronger. He also said he could do the replacements. He asked if my ankles and hips were ok, and I told him my hips are fine, but my ankles always hurt me when I walk, a lot of that to do not only with the arthritis, but my weight. So he told me that last year he did the same surgery on a women who was 62, hadn't walked in 4 years, and was heavier then I was, and now she is doing great, walking on a treadmill everyday. I told him that frankly, I just would love to have the ability to walk around my house, and even go out by myself and be able to put my chair on the lift that's on the car, and then get out and go somewhere by myself. I still will need the chair to do any shopping or long walking, but being able to stand at the sink and wash my dishes would be great.

So I am going to get x-rays done of my knees, and we'll go from there. He said be prepared for some hospital time, and then in patient rehab before I'll be allowed to go home. Sometimes I've heard of people having to be at a rehab facility for a few months, but I think it will be worth it. First and foremost, I need to lose weight, and when you can get up and move, it is very hard to lose it. Being able to walk again will allow me to use some exercise machines and get my body moving. I want to be able to actually give my husband a hug standing up, and maybe even dance with him, since we've never gotten to do that. And for the future, I want to be able to take my kid to the park and push them on the swings and really play with them, not watch from the sidelines.

So all in all, the appointment went well. I haven't had a chance to blog about it until now because I have been so busy with my new job of processing rebates. It is a lot of work, and time consuming, and I will have to process a lot of rebates in order to make some good money, but I am willing to put in the time and effort to do it to help my family.

Good news, and not so good news

As I've talked about before, Phil and I have been wanting to get a business starting, with him being an Independent Licensed Contractor. Well, we got past the hurdle of getting him licensed, only problem now is that the home improvement store he wants to work through is not hiring any new contractors at this time. They said with the economy as it is, they aren't getting a lot of sales for new door and window installations, which is what he will be doing. It's not to say they won't be hiring in the near future, but for right now we had to find something else for him to do work wise. I found a job for him a few weeks ago, an apartment company who was looking for a maintenance technician. The apartment company is fairly well known around here, so I knew it was a good company for him to apply too. He got a call back right away, they were impressed with his resume and wanted him to get in with the recruiter for an interview. So he went today and got the job! He is making good money, will have full medical, dental, and vision benefits after 30 days (which is great for me because I need to have more oral surgery done, and get either new glasses or contacts), and they are also going to pay for him to take classes this month to become HVAC certified (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning). These classes usually cost hundreds of dollars and to be certified for that is going to mean that a lot of job opportunities will be open up to him, and will work well for his licensing. After he passes those classes, in 30 days he will then be making $5 more an hour, and get a promotion. He goes tomorrow to walk through the property and meet the managers and other maintenance staff, then he should start on Monday. He will be working very early morning hours, so he will be home early in the afternoons, and working 50 hours a week, and every 3 weeks he will be on call 24 hours a day.

This really has taken a lot of stress off of us, because it was hard to hear we wouldn't be able to start our business right away, and harder that no one else seemed to be hiring, and if they were the pay was so low we were basically working for free because all of the money went into gas. So now we are going to be able to start getting back on our feet financially, and it looks like I may not have to go out and get a job either, which with being in the chair and only allowed to make a certain amount to still get my social security, it is hard to find anything.

As for me, I had two doctor visits today. First was to my OB/GYN to get my Depo birth control shot. I get the shot every three months and I love it. You don't have to worry about having that time of the month, and it has really helped with my arthritis because I would get mini-flares about a week before my cycle was supposed to start, and now it is not an issue.

I then went to my Rhuematologist, I had blood work done a few weeks ago, and I had to go in to get my results. I also had to tell him about the trouble I am having with my right elbow. In 2002 I shattered my elbow in three places while at work, and I have 2 plates and 14 screws holding it together. I have very limited movement in it, I can bend it up and down, but I can't touch my shoulder, and I can't put my palm up. They told me that within five years, I would need an elbow replacement. So far it has held up amazingly well, until a few weeks ago, when it has started locking up on me, popping, cracking when I bend it, and even now as I type it is popping somewhat and giving me some discomfort. So he wants me to get x-rays done tomorrow, and even though he didn't say definitely, it sounds like I am going to have to give in and get the elbow replacement. Of course, I am not happy about this at all, and very nervous about it, but realistically it is the best thing to do, because I will get more movement out of it, and range of motion, and won't have to worry about it again in the long run. So we'll see what the x-rays show. He also said my liver and kidney function is back to normal after the terrible bout of kidney infections I had, so good to hear, but my other numbers were off the charts, all the numbers the check to see how my arthritis is doing. He asked if I had been getting flares and I said yes, and he said I will keep getting them with my numbers so high. Like, one level they check should be at a 6.5, and mine was at a 65!!! So he put me back on the Enbrel, which is an injectable medication, I give myself a shot of it once a week. I have been on this medicine before, with wonderful results. Only problem is that for a month supply, it will cost you $2000! And Medicare of course, won't cover it. But not to worry, because he said that Enbrel has been sending him limited quantities of the medication for his patients, so I can get it from him, and they will just charge medicare, so that way I can get the medicine I need. So I took my first shot today, and he said this medicine will help get my levels back to normal and stop the flares.

So some good news, and some not so good news today. I still have a lot of thinking to do about the elbow replacement, and I will want to have a consult with the orthopedic surgeon who operated on my elbow to begin with, because he did such an amazing job, and I feel comfortable with him. I'll see what he says, and what the surgery will entail. It's just such a huge surgery, and who wants to go through all that, plus the physical therapy. But maybe in the long run, it will be the best thing.

Doctor Time

I had an appointment this afternoon with my new primary care physcian, to have him look over the medical records the hospital sent over regarding my kidney infection, and to get checked to see how I am doing. I was nervous going into the appointment, I had never met him before and was hoping he was not only a nice doctor with a good bedside manner, but also one who was going to be knowledgeable and help me with my situation.

The doctor's office was very nice and clean, which was good, and the reception staff was friendly, which I took as a good sign. After filling out the new patient paperwork, I was taken back into the room right away and the doctor came in soon after that. He was dressed very professionally, in a black suit, nice shoes, hair done nice. He was very nice, and took the time to really read through my medical records, and input my information into his computer himself, instead of having a nurse to do. He asked me questions and answered mine, and wasn't in a rush to get the appointment over with.

In regards to my kidney infection, he put me back on the antibiotics that I was on when I came home from the hospital. I've been having a little more pain then usually in my right side starting on Sunday, and he said that it seems this infection may still be there a bit. He had me do a urine test and said it takes two days for him to get the results back, and he'd rather me be on meds and then have me stop them because the infection is gone, rather then have me really sick and back in the hospital before getting the results back. I really appreciated that, because I do not want to go through what I went through before, and I really would like to have this year be free of hosptial stays. He also gave me orders to go get a catscan so he can see the differences between the one I had in the hospital when I was sick, and now. Then I go back next Thursday to get the results. He said I probably got this infection because I passed a stone, and the residual effects of passing the stone irritated the kidney and caused the infection. He did say that I probably am not going to have a problem with stones in the future, which is very good.

So overall the appointment went really well and I was so glad that he is a good doctor and is taking the time to run the neccesary tests to make sure I am ok. I feel confident that I am getting the treatment I need and can finally be on the mend.