Sick Body
Hey there,
So I haven't posted yet this week because I haven't been feeling great so I have been relaxing and just focusing on that.
When I went to see the doctor before the new year my doctor increased the dosage of one of my immune-suppressing drugs. I go to see the doctor every four months just for check ups and he has been increasing that medicine pretty consistently because my blood levels (which are checked at least once a month) are showing too low on that level. I am glad he is checking those so closely and trying to make sure I am the healthiest I can be. The downside to that is that often dosage changes even in medications you have been on for long periods of time can still cause your body to react and feel the side effects as if you were just starting it. That has been me the last week. Pretty much every side effect of this medicine I have been feeling often at various points of the day. That is one of the main ways I know when it is medications and not getting sick. When one moment you feel fine and then the next you feel nauseous and then a moment later not only is the nausea gone but another side effect, like a headache, has popped up in it's place. I would say the main way I can tell it is medicine side effects is hard to explain. All I can say is you just feel drugged - more drugged than normal.
Anyway that is why I haven't posted.
And since I have started this about health things let's continue. Sometimes I don't think to post about things that are just part of my everyday. I am trying to remember those things and post about them. Though not an everyday thing something that I often forget it not something everyone just deals with is monthly blood tests. I went this past Saturday and as I have said before I don't enjoy going when it is cold out. I have to go early and I don't enjoy that but that never changes so I deal with it. But I was thinking this Saturday that maybe I have never mentioned why I go on the weekend. I go on Saturday mornings and get up early on a day I wouldn't normally have to get up early because I never know how my body will react. It hasn't been horrible in a long time since my hemoglobin is much better. I haven't left the lab feeling like I am going to pass out in years. But it does sometimes still wear me out making me want to climb back in bed. Though truthfully having a needle in your arm will make you want to do that anyway. And because I can only have blood drawn from one arm the veins in that arm are full of scar tissue. Sadly no matter what you do you never know if there is scar tissue where the needle is headed or not. Which often means that the lad tech has to move the needle a little no matter what to get blood to flow. That is painful but necessary and also makes me want to climb back in bed. Another fun thing that can happen is that my arm can later and at times all day feel like there is still a needle in there. Obviously the needle was only in for a short time but my nerves can have a hard time settling down. All this makes me want to chill out and not do anything the rest of the day. Since it is hard to find motivation for work when all those things come together being able to do nothing the rest of the day is the way to go. So early Saturday morning blood tests are the way to go for me.
For me being sick is a daily thing and that can be hard. But after all these years I have learned a lot about not only my body but my spirit and what both can handle. Sometimes I can face a full day head on and others all I can do is get out of bed and be a zombie in front of the TV. Both kinds of days and all the days in between are bonus days from God. I'm thankful for them and thankful that God continues to teach me how to listen to this body that I live in.
So I haven't posted yet this week because I haven't been feeling great so I have been relaxing and just focusing on that.
When I went to see the doctor before the new year my doctor increased the dosage of one of my immune-suppressing drugs. I go to see the doctor every four months just for check ups and he has been increasing that medicine pretty consistently because my blood levels (which are checked at least once a month) are showing too low on that level. I am glad he is checking those so closely and trying to make sure I am the healthiest I can be. The downside to that is that often dosage changes even in medications you have been on for long periods of time can still cause your body to react and feel the side effects as if you were just starting it. That has been me the last week. Pretty much every side effect of this medicine I have been feeling often at various points of the day. That is one of the main ways I know when it is medications and not getting sick. When one moment you feel fine and then the next you feel nauseous and then a moment later not only is the nausea gone but another side effect, like a headache, has popped up in it's place. I would say the main way I can tell it is medicine side effects is hard to explain. All I can say is you just feel drugged - more drugged than normal.
Anyway that is why I haven't posted.
And since I have started this about health things let's continue. Sometimes I don't think to post about things that are just part of my everyday. I am trying to remember those things and post about them. Though not an everyday thing something that I often forget it not something everyone just deals with is monthly blood tests. I went this past Saturday and as I have said before I don't enjoy going when it is cold out. I have to go early and I don't enjoy that but that never changes so I deal with it. But I was thinking this Saturday that maybe I have never mentioned why I go on the weekend. I go on Saturday mornings and get up early on a day I wouldn't normally have to get up early because I never know how my body will react. It hasn't been horrible in a long time since my hemoglobin is much better. I haven't left the lab feeling like I am going to pass out in years. But it does sometimes still wear me out making me want to climb back in bed. Though truthfully having a needle in your arm will make you want to do that anyway. And because I can only have blood drawn from one arm the veins in that arm are full of scar tissue. Sadly no matter what you do you never know if there is scar tissue where the needle is headed or not. Which often means that the lad tech has to move the needle a little no matter what to get blood to flow. That is painful but necessary and also makes me want to climb back in bed. Another fun thing that can happen is that my arm can later and at times all day feel like there is still a needle in there. Obviously the needle was only in for a short time but my nerves can have a hard time settling down. All this makes me want to chill out and not do anything the rest of the day. Since it is hard to find motivation for work when all those things come together being able to do nothing the rest of the day is the way to go. So early Saturday morning blood tests are the way to go for me.
For me being sick is a daily thing and that can be hard. But after all these years I have learned a lot about not only my body but my spirit and what both can handle. Sometimes I can face a full day head on and others all I can do is get out of bed and be a zombie in front of the TV. Both kinds of days and all the days in between are bonus days from God. I'm thankful for them and thankful that God continues to teach me how to listen to this body that I live in.
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