Monday, May 16, 2016

Do things ever get better?

This post is more for record keeping than a question really.

2006 is when stuff hit the fan. Everything went smoothly and I was almost ok after the first 2 weeks. And then bam, vertigo and balance issues. Was it the accidental double steroid dosage? Was it those weird lying down exercises? Was it the post surgery constipation that the hospital did not treat and let me go home with? Was it just waiting to happen? who knows. But life as I knew it came crashing down.

About 2 years, several doc visits, concluding that the nerves were still healing and the visits were only making me more depressed, so healing at home at my own pace and accepting the changes, later, I was walking around more. Doing some things. Even trying to drive a short drive. Eyes were doing better. Being able to read or work on a computer for more than a few mins and so on.

Another year and half of healing and then it was time for a checkup MRI. and bam, PTSD and panic disorder and agoraphobia. I was crippled for that whole year in 2010. A bit of therapy (with a bad therapist coz that was the only option near home), better therapy with hubbs and my own self, things were functional in another year.

Blog work, book work, new house move, family visits, made up the next 2 years. My balance on average days was better. I could sit on quite some supportive chairs and go for long drives.

And then bam allergies or sinus inflammation. 2012 I had my first 2 month long (who knows what, maybe sinusitis), episode that affected my balance so much that I couldnt be in the kitchen, couldnt sleep much and forget driving out. Sitting the car suddenly became imspossible (angle of seat?, allergens in car? who knows. But it gives me crazy sinus pressure to be in the car esp when it is not moving). Loads of natural remedies and corticosteroid sprays which gave even worse headaches. Then it got better by itself.

Now 3 years of repeat sinus issues every winter and nothing seems to work. This year bam, spring allergies. Allergy tests show I have no pollen allergies, just a mild dust mite, which we already handle at home. So non allergic rhinitis or something to do with the pressure changes. But that applies to winter, what about spring? Why is the high tree and grass pollen crapping my sinuses out?

The sinus inflammation makes balancing myself much more difficult. Balancing on a chair, balancing while walking. Everything more difficult. And it affects my eyes a lot, so eye work gets limited as well. So basically things are generally worse than avg days before. Car trips are not fun anymore on those days.

Oh also this year, I have more trouble sleeping. I have to wake up completely some days and then try to fall asleep again. Lot more random heart rate bumps at night peri-menopause or just allergies causing balance to go bad? who knows.

So many unanswered questions. The things with docs is, I don't want to see them. Coz its an endless cycle of trying to find answers, many specialists, many tests and no diagnosis or no meds that work. So I don't even bother (its super difficult to get to all those appointments with the  limited driving days)
If I can find solutions with the least number of tests and least number of visits and least number of specialists or people seen. With this health care system = impossible.

If you are wondering about my general health (to help me diagnose the new symptoms), It is generally ok. A bit low on Iron (runs in the family), low on vit-d (runs in the pacific northwest). I supplement for b-12, iron and D.

On the other good side, some pointers from a new therapist I found this year and I am getting a bit more comfortable with reducing the dependence on hubbs, so he travels. Yay for that. Now to figure out how not to get low about another set of shiz this year. 

2 comments:

  1. I don't usually write comments but your chronic health struggles reminded me of what we are going through with my DD, a teenager. Different chronic disease/conditions but the healthcare and care provider struggles sound familiar.

    Unfortunately, there are no easy answers nor support. All I can say is that there are others in the same boat and to wish you the best.

    It looks like you are OK at the moment but my one suggestion and that too given with great caution is to explore alternative medicines in case you need to in future. We have tried naturopathic doctors with very minimal success - you can end up spending a lot of money since it is not covered by insurances and have no significant results but at the same time we all need hope. A lot of books are available on alternative medical approaches in public libraries and I don't know much of your condition but may be worth researching on your own.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I don't usually write comments but your chronic health struggles reminded me of what we are going through with my DD, a teenager. Different chronic disease/conditions but the healthcare and care provider struggles sound familiar.

    Unfortunately, there are no easy answers nor support. All I can say is that there are others in the same boat and to wish you the best.

    It looks like you are OK at the moment but my one suggestion and that too given with great caution is to explore alternative medicines in case you need to in future. We have tried naturopathic doctors with very minimal success - you can end up spending a lot of money since it is not covered by insurances and have no significant results but at the same time we all need hope. A lot of books are available on alternative medical approaches in public libraries and I don't know much of your condition but may be worth researching on your own.

    ReplyDelete