Ok, I have taken a Norco, I'm real calm.
You know, this medication definitely has a euphoric effect to it after the pain killing kicks in. I haven't taken one in about a week, as I'm trying to make sure I don't end up with a much bigger problem of addiction at the end of all this. But it definitely enhances the usual happiness I feel at the end of the day when I spend time at home with my daughter, my kitties, and my husband. It's like putting a magnifying glass on my usual "happy" level and turning it up. My daughter always makes me smile and laugh, but when I'm "under the influence," I almost want to break down in tears. I want to share it with everyone. I make a lot of Facebook posts when I'm on the Norco.
The best one tonight? I took a bite of my Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream and nearly fell over with delight. I haven't eaten that kind of ice cream in a long time. Now, I probably would have super enjoyed it anyway because of what my diet has been forced to do lately, but I know that the extra "kick" I felt was due to the Norco.
I had 2 days of colon prep before my colonoscopy a week ago. This time, the cleanse was successful - probably in no small part from the huge amount of laxatives I took three days before, the start of the prep two days before with the liquid diet, and my diligence to just choke down the rest of that drink. I went in to the appointment totally prepared and calm. I was even joking with the nurse who helped me out - it's amazing how different the experience is when you know that to expect, and that you're actually ready!
My gastroenterologist came to see me before they totally drugged me out, and she let me know that my MRI results showed a "long fistulous track." When I think back to my lower-right quadrant abdominal pain that plagued me in late 2014 (see November 2014 posting for details), I now know that it had to be the beginning of this. I have since read my abdominal MRI report and, while not as easy to understand as the brain MRIs now that I am familiar with the terminology, it seems evident that the end of my small intestines has a hole that leads into a pocket of fluid, and down into the dome of my bladder. The entire top of my bladder is inflamed. There is just NO WAY this all started from this past December when I had some abdominal pain for a week - while that might have been the tail end, I can't think that the great pain I had November 2014 is a coincidence. They never found anything, and I think the ultrasound tech was really concerned during that test because she saw something she couldn't understand.
I'm not stupid. I'm a doctor! HIDE YOUR CONFUSED FACE BETTER, PEOPLE!
Otherwise, I am living with things ok. The biggest trouble is what happens after the colon cleanses - I have to be on a liquid diet for a few days, which makes my bladder feel back to normal! Unfortunately as soon as I introduce solid food again, all my bladder symptoms start back up. It really hurts to urinate again; not at the start of the stream, but at the end, like the contraction is painful against all the inflammation. Debris in the urine, and cloudiness, like before my colonoscopy failure a few weeks ago. Today I had sharp and dull pain along the area where I know the fistula is now (coincidence that its the same spot as a few years ago? I think not!) I'm virtually incontinent when I feel an urge to go - when I actually make it to the restroom, my body just stops wanting to hold it, so I have to get my pants off NOW NOW NOW! So embarrassing. Thank God for pads!
So, on to another day! Love to all,
MSloan
Showing posts with label urinary problem. Show all posts
Showing posts with label urinary problem. Show all posts
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Friday, January 19, 2018
Uncomfortable Tests and How To Get Through Them
Good morning to all, and Happy 2018!
Well, no news is good news for the most part. I haven't had too many things to talk about in regards to the MS department since my last post, which should be a good sign. The unfortunate news is that now - something else has gone wrong!
Besides the classic MS symptoms that come and go (my L'hermitte's sign, the cramping toes, the fuzzy brain and fatigue), I have been generally well. That is, until mid-December, when I had terrible stomach cramping. My stomach would bellow and growl so loudly that my coworker could hear them across the office - I was certain I had some kind of obstruction, if it wasn't for the fact that at least my bowels were moving. I have always felt a sneaking suspicion that I had some kind of inflammatory bowel condition (as I read they commonly accompany MS), so I figured it was something that would have to be addressed eventually.
At the same time, my husband thought the mole on my back looked suspicious (I disagreed...it has been there my whole life!) But to placate him, I made an appointment for a general physical. I thought I would still be symptomatic with stomach pain by the time I came in - but it had subsided about four days prior to my appointment. I asked about getting my foot looked at to finally get my bunion removed, got a flu shot, and asked for my birth control and anti-depressant prescriptions to be refilled. All in all, it was a pretty uneventful visit the week before Christmas. She ordered me basic labwork and I went on my merry way.
When I went in the next day for bloodwork, I didn't expect anything to pop up or look funny. I always have slightly (as in, a few points) strange labs for a couple of figures, but nothing that has ever raised a red flag. But this time I noticed that my platelet count (which normally hovers around 400-425, a little high but nothing big) had jumped to 570. Whoa! I felt fine, so I thought maybe it was just leftover from a stomach bug or whatever was bothering me a few weeks before. She also noticed that my cholesterol numbers were all over the place, and my triglycerides were high. Okay, okay, I know I haven't been very good at exercising lately. But could these things be tied together?
I largely ignored the labs, and my doctors told me they wanted to retest in 3 months but weren't terribly concerned. My neurologist was unhappy with my Vitamin D levels (granted, they were very low) so now I had to take more Vit D. Easy enough.
I remembered reading that MS could give you issues with your bladder, and I had a history of UTIs that had no symptoms. So I did an at-home AZO stick test, and found that I had a high level of white blood cells in my urine. "That's odd," I thought, though the nitrate stick was fine, so I couldn't have an active UTI. I told my doctor that I wanted her to order a full urinalysis and I would take it when I got back from my business trip in a week.
Well, here we were on said business trip - in Las Vegas. Which means I was not at home. My 20-month-old daughter was roaming the streets with my husband while I was in classes, and I noticed on the second day we were there that I had to go to the bathroom after every class.
UH OH, says every woman I know.
I drank water and drank water some more. I paid close attention to every sensation - dammit, I feel like I have to pee again. Oh no, now it's starting to hurt. I was hating myself for even thinking about having a UTI, because now I was certain I had cursed myself, and I hadn't had one in years! I moaned to my husband and we spent a lot of time walking back and forth to the Walgreens across the street. They should have given me a job, I was in there so much! I loaded up on Pyridium (the 'numbing' stuff that turns your pee bright orange) and cranberry juice, Cystex, and AZO strips. By 10 PM, I was passing small red blood clots. And that's when I had the thought - "You know, this isn't a burning...it's a soreness. And now I'm passing blood clots. It doesn't smell funny. Could I have....Kidney Stones?!"
To be continued.....
Well, no news is good news for the most part. I haven't had too many things to talk about in regards to the MS department since my last post, which should be a good sign. The unfortunate news is that now - something else has gone wrong!
Besides the classic MS symptoms that come and go (my L'hermitte's sign, the cramping toes, the fuzzy brain and fatigue), I have been generally well. That is, until mid-December, when I had terrible stomach cramping. My stomach would bellow and growl so loudly that my coworker could hear them across the office - I was certain I had some kind of obstruction, if it wasn't for the fact that at least my bowels were moving. I have always felt a sneaking suspicion that I had some kind of inflammatory bowel condition (as I read they commonly accompany MS), so I figured it was something that would have to be addressed eventually.
At the same time, my husband thought the mole on my back looked suspicious (I disagreed...it has been there my whole life!) But to placate him, I made an appointment for a general physical. I thought I would still be symptomatic with stomach pain by the time I came in - but it had subsided about four days prior to my appointment. I asked about getting my foot looked at to finally get my bunion removed, got a flu shot, and asked for my birth control and anti-depressant prescriptions to be refilled. All in all, it was a pretty uneventful visit the week before Christmas. She ordered me basic labwork and I went on my merry way.
When I went in the next day for bloodwork, I didn't expect anything to pop up or look funny. I always have slightly (as in, a few points) strange labs for a couple of figures, but nothing that has ever raised a red flag. But this time I noticed that my platelet count (which normally hovers around 400-425, a little high but nothing big) had jumped to 570. Whoa! I felt fine, so I thought maybe it was just leftover from a stomach bug or whatever was bothering me a few weeks before. She also noticed that my cholesterol numbers were all over the place, and my triglycerides were high. Okay, okay, I know I haven't been very good at exercising lately. But could these things be tied together?
I largely ignored the labs, and my doctors told me they wanted to retest in 3 months but weren't terribly concerned. My neurologist was unhappy with my Vitamin D levels (granted, they were very low) so now I had to take more Vit D. Easy enough.
I remembered reading that MS could give you issues with your bladder, and I had a history of UTIs that had no symptoms. So I did an at-home AZO stick test, and found that I had a high level of white blood cells in my urine. "That's odd," I thought, though the nitrate stick was fine, so I couldn't have an active UTI. I told my doctor that I wanted her to order a full urinalysis and I would take it when I got back from my business trip in a week.
Well, here we were on said business trip - in Las Vegas. Which means I was not at home. My 20-month-old daughter was roaming the streets with my husband while I was in classes, and I noticed on the second day we were there that I had to go to the bathroom after every class.
UH OH, says every woman I know.
I drank water and drank water some more. I paid close attention to every sensation - dammit, I feel like I have to pee again. Oh no, now it's starting to hurt. I was hating myself for even thinking about having a UTI, because now I was certain I had cursed myself, and I hadn't had one in years! I moaned to my husband and we spent a lot of time walking back and forth to the Walgreens across the street. They should have given me a job, I was in there so much! I loaded up on Pyridium (the 'numbing' stuff that turns your pee bright orange) and cranberry juice, Cystex, and AZO strips. By 10 PM, I was passing small red blood clots. And that's when I had the thought - "You know, this isn't a burning...it's a soreness. And now I'm passing blood clots. It doesn't smell funny. Could I have....Kidney Stones?!"
To be continued.....
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