I Really HATE Being Sick!

http://suellenjillroley.blogspot.com/2010/08/backing-away-from-ptr.html

Some things are looking up while others have gone right into the toilet.

The things that have improved:

1) I have lost 5 pounds in the last month
2) I am getting more exercise
3) I am eating a lot healthier than I was
4) My INR (a measure of how fast or slow my blood clots) is up where it needs to be
5) I have been released to use my exercise bike and/or start walking which will help with continued weight loss and continued lowered blood sugars
6) My blood sugars are back down at non-diabetic levels (with medication).
7) I have no more pain in my chest
8) I went grocery shopping last week and for the first time in probably 30 years I didn't get any frozen dinners or anything else that needs microwaved.
9) Shortly after I returned from the hospital, my name was drawn for the Oregon Health Plan so most if not all of my medical bills and prescriptions will be paid for by the state of Oregon
10) I have a lot more energy now and can complete more than one thing per day

The things that have gone into the toilet:

1) my blood pressure was elevated in the hospital and has remained elevated since I returned home. The first time they took my blood pressure at the hospital they wouldn't even tell me how high it was because it was so bad.  It has dropped since then but not enough, so I am now on yet another medication; this pill is to reduce my blood pressure. They increased the dosage from 10 mg to 20 mg today.

2) My cholesterol is elevated but they don't want to treat it right now because I also have elevated levels of a certain enzyme in my liver.  The medications that are used to treat high cholesterol have a known history of causing liver problems.  So Wednesday morning at some godawful hour (8:00 am to be exact about it) I have to go have an abdominal ultrasound to see what is wrong with my liver. Of course I have to fast (no food AND no water or other beverages for 10 hours) before the ultrasound.

3) I have rampaging insomnia. I've only had 2 nights of sleeping at night since I started the blood pressure medicine.  I sleep all day, and because I usually sleep right through lunch I don't eat enough to even maintain this weight (the actual weight btw is none of anybody else's business ROFLMAO!!)

4) I need to start pricking my finger and testing my blood twice a day. YUCK!!

5) I need to start monitoring my blood pressure at home.  At least my father or stepmother had a portable blood pressure monitor so I won't have to buy one.

6) I went from taking no pills at all to taking seven pills a day every day. I take two Metformin (one with breakfast, one with dinner) for the diabetes, one iron pill (with breakfast) for my anemia, one Citalopram (with breakfast) for my depression, one Warfarin (at 5:00 pm, with or without food), and two Lisinopril (with dinner, although it can be taken with or without food) for my high blood pressure.

7) Getting my diabetes medications and testing supplies has been a real hassle. The health insurance first wouldn't approve the testing supplies -- Walmart never called me to tell me that they had finally been approved; I finally went in a week later and got them -- and then there was an issue with the Metformin refill since I just brought the bottle in (they want a prescription on tamper-proof paper).

8) I am still on oxygen, although at my next doctors appointment they plan to test me walking using room air, so I might be able to stop using the oxygen.  The oxygen is a pain because it dries out the inside of my nose and then the inside of my nose forms scabs like crazy