Thursday, January 31, 2008

Bone Scan

My doctor wants me to have a bone scan.
Now, I had one when I was seeing a rheumatologist about 11 years ago, and I lit up like a Christmas tree. A bone scan is where they inject you with a radioactive dye and then take x-rays. Areas of quick bone regrowth light up, and they can see where you have any problems. 11 years ago, I had 'hot spots' (as they're known) in: my hands and wrists, my shoulders, my hips and sacroiliac joints, my ankles and feet, and my lower legs (the doctor who reviewed the scans said they indicated previous injury... what the?).
My doctor now suggested that the pain in my hips and sacros might actually be referred from my back, so he wants to check it out. My words were "I don't want anything wrong with my back, let's not investigate any further."
I've maintained for a long time that all my ailments are just one big systemic condition - FMS does not quite cover it, so I'll call it 'The Hurties'.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Blasted Whipper Snipper

I attempted to start the whipper snipper yesterday, with a view to getting the edges done in our back yard. 'Attempted' being the operative word.
Now I can barely type, my right hand is puffy and blue, by arm is sore to my elbow and my shoulder feels like it has been ripped out of its socket. DH did the edges tonight.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Clapping?

We went and saw Bon Jovi on Tuesday night. I screamed so much I thought I would have lost my voice the next day (but didn't), but what did happen was that my hands are sooooo sore from clapping! My wrists especially. And my legs, feet, ankles and hips are sore from where I was 'dancing' in my seat. Plus as we didn't get to bed until after midnight, I am still out of it two days later - very tired and sore. I had always dreamed Jon Bon Jovi would leave me exhausted and aching, but not exactly this way LOL.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Back Again

Woke up this morning in excruciating pain, but it seems to have dissipated a little... Going to see Bon Jovi tonight so I hope I am pain-free by then!

Monday, January 21, 2008

Home Again

Well we made it home okay, and even though our bed is not as comfortable as some of the ones we slept on while we were on holidays, at least I woke up relatively pain free (apart from my heel). My ankle is not puffy (but we have not been walking much over the last few days) and my hips are pretty good at the moment. But I still can't walk on my left foot with the heel pain.
Oh, and with all the walking, the arthritis in my left foot has made my toes numb, particularly the one next to the big toe. And the pain in one little toe! My goodness!

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Ankle

I have been waking up every morning with my left ankle the size of a golf ball. I can't put weight on it, and when I shower I have to basically stand on my right foot. X-rays have showed nothing is wrong, but there is something there because it looks like a puffy marshmallow.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Still There

The pain is still there - but now, not only do I have pain in my left side, but my right side also. I will have to make an appointment with the doc when I get home and see what's going on in my hips. It's most likely the bursitis, not the fibromyalgia, that is causing the pain, but if the cortisone injection didn't work, then I don't know what to do.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Not Too Bad

We're on holidays at the moment, and can I just say, my hip is okay! Not great - I have done a bit of driving and I can feel it then - but on the whole, it is pretty good. Having said that, I am not doing a lot of walking (mainly just sitting and eating LOL) so I have yet to try it out again after the post Boxing Day Shop. But at the moment the pain is bearable.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Depression

Depression is an extremely common disorder and affects millions of people everyday. It not only affects the lives of the sufferers but their friends, family, and coworkers as well. Depression presents itself as a lowered state of mood varying from a mild sadness to extreme feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or hopelessness. Individuals may withdraw from normal activities and lose interest in their favorite pastimes. They can also experience headaches, changes in sleep, inability to concentrate or make a decision, changes in eating habits, decreased sexual drive, and anxiety. Everyone has been “depressed” at least one point in his or her lives, however, to be diagnosed with depression, symptoms must be present for a minimum of two weeks.

The cause of depression will determine the treatment. There are three main causes of depression: genetics, developmental problems, and psychosocial stresses. Although antidepressants and other medication can be effectively used to treat most types of depression, those caused by psychosocial stresses (such as divorce, unemployment, death of a loved one) are best treated by therapy and the passage of time.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Post Natal Depression

Post Natal depression is also known as postpartum depression. It is one of the clinical forms of depression that occurs in women after childbirth. Women generally exhibit a period of low mood. This particular type of depression can be severe to mild, the most severe problem that it can cause is post natal psychosis (in rare cases).It is very common type of depression and occurs in one out of 8 to10 women after delivering a child. It generally occurs two or three weeks post delivery, and generally disappears after few months, however in rare cases might persist for longer.Following are the common symptoms of post natal depression exhibited by the sufferer:The most common symptoms are feelings of low, crying without any reason, sadness and mood changes.Sleeping problems such as disruptive sleep, difficulties in getting off to sleep (not because of a child to look after).Loss of energy or fatigue.Diminished interest in daily pleasure activity.AnxietyProblems in concentrating.Sufferer might loose or gain weight due to poor appetite.Suicidal thoughts.Restlessness and tiredness almost whole day.Irregularity in periods.Chest pain, headache and stomach ache.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Severe Anxiety

Everyone has experienced anxiety on some level. It is only when it interferes with your daily life does it become a problem that may need treatment. There are so many forms of anxiety that medical diagnosis is needed in order to identify causal factors. Severe anxiety can be due to trauma, psychosocial stresses (such as divorce or death of a loved one), developmental disorder, or as a symptom of an underlying condition. Anxiety is often a downward spiral because one attack usually leads to a hyperawareness or fear of reoccurring attacks, which in turn increases the risk and severity of future attacks. If not treated it may lead to the development of some phobias.

There are two components to anxiety, psychological (mental) and somatic (physical). Psychological symptoms of anxiety include fear, inability to concentrate, and apprehension. Increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, hyperventilating, tremors, and sweating are examples of the somatic symptoms sufferers may experience. The best treatment for anxiety depends on the causes. Treatment may include one or all of the following, drug therapy, counseling, treating underlying medical condition, and relaxation techniques. Because anxiety is a progressive condition and may be caused by other life threatening medical disorders, it is important to seek treatment as soon as possible.