Physical therapy testing tomorrow.

[Archives1]

So tomorrow is the big day. I hope to have more answers as to what I can expect for the future. Since changing when I take my medicine per my doctor things have gotten worse.. even now as I am ready to go to work I am fearfully of accidents while there or on the way.. I will do the best I can and I am leaving early because my appointment is in the morning and over an hour from home but it's like three hours from work to there so. Wish me luck because if the last two days are any indication of how I will be I may be at work for an hour.

 

[Archives1]

Hi FLGuy, You are on the right track and it may take a while for you to get used to it, re: the med schedule and the travel time. But stick with it. Since changing when you take your meds you say you are fearful of having accidents while there or on the way. Have you actually had any accidents since or is it just a strong urge feeling that you might? If there's a doubt in your mind, by all means do tell the therapist when you get there. I'm sure this won't be the first time she has heard that, so please speak up!
If you have actually had accidents, do tell your doctor posthaste. And do mention it if you just have that feeling that you are about to have an accident. Either way, your doctor should know about it!

 

[Archives1]

Well dang... Talk about dizzy.. First day back to work with the new meds I am on only lasted about one hour. Heart rate was between 155-170 for the hole time and I had to sit down and breath slowly to get it under control, so home I am again. I already talked to my doctor and physical therapist about it and they want me on it to make the testing tomorrow better so. I will bring up the issue again tomorrow.. Worst thing is that I had two bladder accidents within that time as well so I only really work for about 30 minutes before calling it.

No point in doing that again as I have FMLA and short term disability so Tomorrow I have my therapy and will be staying home after because it is a long appointment and drive so no time to sleep.. Hope to get things figured out so I can work some because staying home alone sucks.

 

[Archives1]

Oh boy! I know how that can be staying home alone and all of that. Not a whole lot of fun, is it? But I think you'll be wise to stay at home once you get back from the therapist. Just rest up, sleep a bit and maybe check out your camera and plan what you're going to be taking pictures of next. In other words just relax and do something you enjoy!
I think what is happening is you're changing your routine and some physical upheavals can be expected. With me, sometimes something like that does get me in the stomach and lower. Not a good feeling, as you're used to one routine and now you're doing something else and your body has to get used to that. But a heart rate as high as 155 to 170 is a sign to take things easy. Just breathe deeply and try to relax and think about something pleasant. And you are doing the right thing by telling your therapist tomorrow. But please tell the doctor what you're feeling as soon as possible. They do want to know if you feel something is not normal.
I don't know if you've had Ativan before but it can take the edge off, as it were. I was given it a long time ago and it does help with anxiety so you may want to ask your doctor if it's right for you. I think you have anxiety and I've been known to have anxiety issues myself.
I hope your appointment tomorrow goes well and that you continue to get answers and to work on your plan.

 

[Archives1]

Yeah, staying home alone is not the best. Like anything else it has its pros and cons, but overall, I’m not a fan. @ThatFLGuy Do you have a pet? They can really help lower your blood pressure and heart rate. I wouldn’t have survived the past five years without my cat.

 

[Archives1]

Hi FLGuy, You are on the right track and it may take a while for you to get used to it, re: the med schedule and the travel time. But stick with it. Since changing when you take your meds you say you are fearful of having accidents while there or on the way. Have you actually had any accidents since or is it just a strong urge feeling that you might? If there's a doubt in your mind, by all means do tell the therapist when you get there. I'm sure this won't be the first time she has heard that, so please speak up!
If you have actually had accidents, do tell your doctor posthaste. And do mention it if you just have that feeling that you are about to have an accident. Either way, your doctor should know about it!

So..The thing is that I have been having accidents, both bladder and bowel. I had two on the way to my appointment and stopped and changed halfway...and then when I got there.

My Physical therapist is aware and I will be bringing my new PCP up to speed on Friday when I see him.

The big thing is that I am stressed out about some things right now.

First is that my main medical insurance is trying to get information from me to see when this all started. I had my mom read the form and she seems to think that it is to make sure that this did not happen at work. Still it is kind of off because it seems like they are trying to get questions answered that would push me toward SSD.

Second it that my short term disability has to be extended into long term or I will have to go back to work with all that is going on to be able to pay bills...my Rep seems to think that I have a case for long term through them but that would only cover so long but would establish a SSD claim with their help..(IE They would act as my application representative)

Lastly... I have become shut in.. It I am not shopping for food or going to doctors visits I am home. (This is two fold, I have to stay away from people so I don't get covid...and I am stressed because I have had a lot of accidents while out and about.)

@Snow.... No I have no pets...Not allowed at my apartment, Man do I wish. I have been keeping my sanity by playing video games and working on video editing a bit. (Something else I love.. Not a lot right now because I need to clean up my space and bending and picking stuff up makes stuff worse so...Another thing I have to talk to my doctor and physical therapist about.)


All in all since December 2018 my life has went crazy. Way to young to have acute diverticulitis with abscesses and a perforation in my bowel... Then surgery...And now all these side effects.. I went from okay with having accidents at night to being in a diaper or pull-up 24/7 with no end in sight...

Even if it was just my bladder, it is too much to deal with where I work all the time...and to expensive.. Like $6-$8 per day just for day time pull-ups and another $2.5 per night.

And I just cannot make it a full night at work.. I work 3..12 hour shifts so if I miss one day that is $200 out of my check pre tax... That is a big blow...

I had my bills down to $900 pre month before all of this.. Now it is like $1200 to be okay, eat, and pay bills.


All in all thing are not going well and with covid it just sucks.. Luck I have call of duty to keep me happy and a lot of youtube to learn video editing.

I guess it could be worse...


Side note*** My Mom has been looking at all of my symptoms and seems to think that I have a few things that point to MS.. Don't know enough about it but I will be looking into it..

 

[Archives1]

I feel really sad for you. This would be horrible for anyone at any age but it’s particularly terrible for you at your age. I do agree with your mom that you have a lot of symptoms of MS. I would bring that up to your PCP so you can be tested for it. Sometimes MS can be diagnosed with bloodwork. Other times they have to do a brain MRI, and/or a spinal tap.

I’m glad you have some hobbies to help keep you occupied. This (COVID) really is a crappy time. It’s hard that we don’t know if/when it will end.

I’ve had to sign those insurance papers before. What they’re trying to do is get off the hook from paying, and blame it on your job so your job will have to pay your bills instead. This isn’t your job’s fault at all. So yes, your health insurance has to pay!

I hear you about the cost of protection. This morning I woke up way too early and was laying in bed thinking about why I never go on vacation any more. A big part of it is because of the cost of protection.

I’m sorry your apartment doesn’t allow pets. That used to be my situation, too.

 

[Archives1]

Hi FLGuy This freekin' Covid has really put the kibosh on doing just about anything but you're doing the right thing by staying as far from the mainstream as possible. It's a lot easier to try to prevent getting it than it would be to recover from it. I'm sorry that you feel like a shut-in but I think a lot of people feel that way these days. If I were to be granted a special power it would be to tell everybody when this situation is going to end and that everything is going to be all right. But unfortunately I don't have that power as much as I like to give good news.
I agree with Snow in that you may be well-advised to ask your doctor if MS could be a factor in what's going on with you. One clue is bowel and bladder accidents do happen with MS because the nerves controlling those functions sustain damage to the myelin sheath that surrounds nerves. Picture a frayed electric cord. If someone takes a knife and damages the outer covering of the cord then that interferes with the nerve's ability to transmit its message from the brain to the affected body part. I think it's worth checking into!
Since bending down and picking up things is not easy I do have an idea for something that will help. You can get it at a medical supply store or probably even order it online from Amazon or a company that sells durable medical supplies. It's a grabber. I have one at home and it's about 24 inches long. There is a trigger grip at one end and a cable connects it to a movable claw (for lack of a better word) at the other. You don't have to bend down or squat to pick things up. I hate bending down or squatting! I find it very useful for reaching hard to reach places and things.
Hope you have a good visit with your new PCP on Friday. So just hang in there until then and you know where we are!