It's been a long few months. I've mostly been out for medical reasons and I even had my first and second hospital stays. So a bit of a convoluted explanation about what's been up.
I had mentioned two years ago that I had some pain in my side and at first the doctors thought the problem was my gallbladder and it should be removed but later decided that my gallbladder was fine. Well, this summer my side was hurting again but only if pressure was put on it and I also wasn't eating very well. There were quite a few foods I couldn't even think of eating without feeling nauseous, although I did regret that hamburgers were on that list of foods I didn't want to touch. I had touched base earlier that summer with my primary doctor and mentioned the pain in my side and she thought it could be my gallbladder and asked if I wanted to get it checked out. I declined at that time because it wasn't really bothering me. Unfortunately when I was at another doctor's office to get the ringworm my cat so generously shared with me checked out I threw up in her wastebasket. I agreed to go get checked out because it's not every day that I manage to have two nurses and a doctor all worried, although they did thank me for at least keeping my mess contained. Anyway, tests came back, and the doctor was confident that I had gallstones and my gallbladder needed to come out. Oddly enough, I think everyone else was more worried about this news than I was. I think it's because I had come to terms with removing my gallbladder two years ago. I will admit that I was skeptical about if it really would come out because I had been down this path before. Anyway, saw the surgeon and surgery was scheduled for about two weeks later on September 15.
That was the rather ordinary news. As the date for surgery came closer I noticed that I was having trouble breathing at night if I shifted a certain way. Eventually I couldn't lie down without gasping for air, so my mom insisted I go to the emergency room on September 10. What they found was some swelling around my heart and a bit around my lungs. I was admitted to the hospital and at first they thought it was pneumonia but the other doctors quickly ruled that out and brought in my rheumatologist who keeps tabs on my Wegener's. But since my breathing became better after getting painkillers, I think it became less important than making sure I was ready for surgery on the 15th. That mostly meant keeping a watch on my vitals, vitamins, etc. My potassium, which I have had trouble with all summer, was rather low so they gave me some by IV, which stung like hell. Anyway, the surgery was rather anti-climatic. Went well, no problems, healed well, and since it was laprascopic, only had a few small cuts, of which only one really stung and of course it was that cut that the cat would insist on stepping on whenever he wants a cuddle.
I went home the 17th, but I was only home a few days when I began having trouble with my breathing again so I went back to the emergency room where they ran the same tests again and found the swelling around my heart and lungs once more. So I got more painkillers. Anyway, my rheumatologist told me that they suspect that my Wegener's was returning and rather than attack my sinuses and joints like it had before, this time it was after organs. So back on high dosages of predinsone and a new drug, called cytoxin.
But things have been pretty good since than. I did have to withdraw from school for the semester because I had missed so much class because of my illness but it's probably just as well, since I don't think I would have been able to deal with classes since I was on a large dose of predinsone. Basically the predinsone causes mood swings, lack of focus, ravenous hunger, among other things. I've basically haven't felt up to writing anything, or reading anything that requires too much attention, or really much of anything. I have been playing a little bit of WoW, mostly just logging on for raiding. My guild has progressed to heroics and killed about half of the bosses. I would really like to get Archimonde before legions. I know there's plenty of time, but I wonder if I should be looking for a group that would take me. I do worry about finding a group because my monk is a tank and I don't really know how to dps or heal with her, which could make getting into a pug group rather difficult. But I'm sure I could do it since I feel more focused since my prednisone dosages has been cut down quite a bit since September. I think I was on 60 when I left the hospital and I'm currently on 20. It's still quite a bit but I'm excited about having it cut back.
