Showing posts with label osteoporosis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label osteoporosis. Show all posts

Monday, March 22, 2010

Living life on the other side of the looking-glass ... With immense pain, catastrophic osteoporosis, and abnormally high testosterone


Nothing is clear in my life these days... not my thoughts, not the cause of my conditions, nor the future course of it.

After...
Four months
Hours spent in every known scanning device
Litres of blood and urine drawn and tested

Here is what we know: Diddly/squat.

OK, we know a little more than that. As my first x-rays at the walk-in clinic back in early November suggested, I do indeed have osteoporosis. VERY severe osteoporosis. So severe that the doctor wrote for the best and most expensive osteoP drug on the market- Forteo- and insurance approved it right away.

We know one other thing: My testosterone levels are significantly higher than normal... so much so that the doctor asked if I'd been shooting up 'roids and testosterone like an MLB home-run king.

Yeh... right... were I taking additional testosterone, I'd look like sasquatch, and sound like a foghorn.

We don't know what caused the osteoporosis.

Nor do we know why I am still in such inexplicable unbelievable pain on a daily basis.

My surgeon has determined that my gamma nail has set properly tho, so he's signed off on my care... we're looking under all stones to find a doctor who will either treat my pain or help find its cause.

So far that's been difficult, which is why you don't see much of me online, and won't until this is addressed.

The pain- more than the pain meds- leaves me in a fog/haze most of the time. I'm often disoriented in regards to space and time... I trip over things not there, run into things... and remember, before all this, my reflexes were so acute that I did all sorts of crazy things balancing on the bongo board.

Along with the pain is usually very severe muscle spasms. They are primarily in the areas of the body most affected by the osteoporosis but not exclusively.

The pain and spasms started before my femur fractured... so either they and the osteoporosis share a common cause, or they're just comorbid.

I just can't words for the pain... but perhaps this will suffice to convey how severe it is... I often find myself wondering if phantom pain could possibly be worse than what I'm experiencing on a daily basis... I wonder if I'd not have done better to have the leg amputated? Consider that... consider what a lover of the outdoors I am, how vigorous and vital I am, that the pain is such that amputation seems like the greener grass.

There are lots of good things happening in life... most especially that Tess and I have spent more time outside together in the last 5 weeks than in the previous 5 years... its an answer to many prayers.

Thanks for the comments and caring and praying... I so wish I were able to be online interacting with you, but interacting with this maelstrom which is working its way through my body takes all I've got... and then some...

The photo is one I took of my reflection in the creek which runs along one side of our property... seemed like a more apropos image than the wheel chair one. I did some FX to it... maybe I'll do a post about them someday...


Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Health (or lack thereof) update / Butterfly (dog) Kisses video


I'm starting to think that if I wait to talk about what's going on until I understand it... it might be 2020.

I have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, but why it happened and what to do about it are still pending.

The sad situation which led to my first "Word Picture" reached its conclusion... I have more such pictures to post, but I owe someone else one first.

Pain continues to run amok... I'm still taking great pictures, delighting in the company of friends, family, the pups, but... Every time I have a thought worth posting, the pain and exhaustion have washed it away by the time the computer boots up.

So I'm afraid I'm still AWOL. As before, if you're in the area or have other means to contact me, that's fine... I can interact with people and take visitors, I just can't hold or express a coherent thought.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Endocrinologist 1/27/10 & another reason I may not be online much

Yesterday's visit to the endocrinologist went very well... much as I had hoped and expected. Tess and I were struck by how all the things we discussed and tests he ordered were the things we'd both been wanting to explore since...oh...Nov 10th or so (a week BEFORE my leg went out, for those of you keeping track.)

So, got those and one more scan- a Dexa scan- then we reconvene in three weeks.

(Incidentally, in the course of this, the calcium levels came up / out- by themselves, they're good... as expected... .)

Next Tuesday, I see my orthopedic surgeon to explore resumption of full weight bearing and the details of my future course of activity, what sort of pain levels should persist, how long, etc.

So I'll be plenty busy dealing with all these doctors' visits... almost feel like I need a medical secretary just to keep track of it all!

I have started making inquiries to gain the information I'll need such that once we know what's going on with my body, WE can make a good decision about future vocational / educational issues. (Radiology was suggested by a well informed person close to the situation, and has much to commend it.)


However...


Another event happened yesterday which will doubtless affect how much time I spend online... where I'll be when, etc... for some time to come.

If you know us well, you know one of my family's hometowns is a bit to the north of Indy. A situation has arisen with the health of a person there which is quite alarming and has hit all concerned quite hard. As it plays out, it will take more of the family's time, attention, focus, energy, emotional resources.

I believe that's just enough information for those who know us well enough to know what I'm talking about.

That's all I care to say on the matter in this ueber-public place.



General trajectory of pain, range of motion, etc is good. If I overdo, my body tells me, so... live and learn.

Tess and I are getting outside together more... she shot a couple of good videos of me which I hope to upload soon under the title "Not disabled- logistically challenged."

Good thoughts and wishes to/for all out there!