Sunday, November 29, 2009

Arrived

I got back to school around 4:15 today. I still have so much work to do as I of course got nothing done while I was at home. I have about 3 weeks until I'm on winter break and I can't wait! But I have a lot to get done before then. Papers and tests and then of course there are finals. Hopefully I can stay healthy during this time. I'm not having a great time with my stomach. I woke up feeling very sick again today. Maybe I will call tomorrow and get an appointment with my doctor sooner.

A lot more work to get done tonight. Wish me luck!

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Belated Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone out there's Thanksgiving was as great as mine! I contributed mac and cheese, bread pudding mashed potatoes and homemade cranberry sauce. We also had turkey, ham, turnips, green beans, stuffing, rolls, sweet potato pie and almond cake. It was fantastic. It was great being home and seeing family.

I came in Tuesday morning and missed a bunch of classes. But that was OK because on Wednesday, when I would have been free to leave, there was a 45 mile back up on the highway I use to get home. I was able to drive home on Tuesday with no problem at all and made good time.

Yesterday I went out to eat with my dad and some family friends at Bugaboo Creek. We also saw the movie Precious which was AMAZING. Go see it, It was my first time at Bugaboo Creek. I was jolted awake at 3:30 this morning with horrible stomach cramps. I don't know if it is food poisoning because my stomach has been disagreeing with everything for a while now and it might be a progression on that, so I really need to get my stomach checked out. I have had a barium swallow, upper endoscopy and two colonoscopies because my intestines have bled before without any cause. No bleeding today, but I have been pretty miserable. I may mention Celiac's next time because my stomach really, really does not like me sometimes.

Now I have a lot of work to catch up on. I am supposed to go to a fashion show tonight, so I will see if I am up to that. I can't find my cell phone so I have not been able to get the details on it.

Back to school tomorrow, but it was great being home.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

All By Myself

So my roommate left for the weekend (without telling me so i spent a few hours wondering what happened to her because she has never left the room for more than 3 hours at a time...) so I have the room to myself for the FIRST TIME EVER. So happy about that and I am going to lounge around and do...homework. I have a paper due Monday night and a whole bunch of other stuff to get caught up on.

I had an EKG on Friday that turned out to be normal, so that is good. However, I was put on the medicine Amitriptaline for migraine prevention. When my doctor mentioned it I said I had considered it previously but it caused weight gain. I have just lost 50 lbs and do not want anything to give them back to me. He assured me up and down that this medicine did not have that side effect. So I started it and then did some research on it and that was a BIG side effect. So I do not think I will take it anymore. I will try the verapamil again.

I also called in a refill of my migraine abortive on Wednesday and went to pick it up today at the pharmacy and the pharmacy said the prescription was never called it. Grrrr.... I woke up with a migraine today and took my last pill. Luckily it worked but my scalp is hurting in my pre-migraine way. But I have to wait until Monday to see what happened with my prescription.

No news on the blood tests fo my liver yet, but hopefully next week.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Pin Cushion

So I saw my doctor today for a follow up to headaches I have been having. He also had the results of the blood tests I had done a couple weeks ago at my rheumatologist's office. The good news was that my ANA was negative and the anti-DNA antibodies were "low". I forgot to ask about my sed rate and c-reactive proteins. The bad news was that some of my liver function tests were off, my urinalysis was not up to par and my calcium is high. So I have to go repeat those in the next few days. I'm getting tired of being a pin cushion.

I have explained before that I have something called Gilbert's syndrome which raises my bilirubin levels but causes no other real problems. This does not explain the results of my other liver function tests. That is what has me the most worried. I do not want anything happening to such an important organ. I have had high calcium before, but my parathyroid hormones are OK, so I do not know why that keeps happening. And I have also had weird urinalysis results before.

In better news, I think I did really well on my recent communications and neuroendocrinology exams. Spanish is up in the air. I am not good at oral exams and I realized some mistakes I made on the written exam. I think I did alright on the graded homework, though, and we have another one due Friday. Also, my world cinema and Shakespeare professors postponed the due dates of their papers until after Thanksgiving break and I am very thankful for that.

I have a history paper due on Monday and that is the only major thing I have due before I get to go home for Thanksgiving!

I registered for classes already for next semester. I am going to be taking 19 credits, so thats 6 3 credit courses and a one credit course. I will be taking Spanish 2, Psychological Problems in Contemporary Lit for my psychology major, The Ecology of Plagues to get rid of my last biological science requirement, New Media, Media Programming and Writing about Communications for my comm major and I am taking an Resident Assistant/Apartment Living Assistant class because I will be applying for both of those positions. I will also be having the same job with the same hours.

It will be a busy semester again, but I think I can handle it.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

A Lot Better

I'm doing a lot better with my cold. However I am still congested a little bit and have a slight cough. I'm pretty sure I need to get a humidifier for my room. This is gross, but, whenever I blow my nose mass amounts of blood comes out. I'm thinking the air is just dry, but I have an appointment with my doctor on Tuesday so I will check it over with him.

I have a lot of work coming up before Thanksgiving break. I have an oral Spanish test on Monday, a neuroendocrinology test on Tuesday and both a history and cinema paper due soon. Its going to be pretty busy.

I went to an event at a neighboring college last night. It was a celebration of the Harlem Rennaissance. It was really interesting, although I thought the planning could have been a little better. They served "soul food", which was nothing like my grandma's home cooking, but it was pretty decent. What can I really expect from a college campus? The performers were really good. They were all done by students at the college. There was spoken word, dance, singing, art presentations, short films, etc. I couldn't stay the whole time, but what I saw was really nice.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Slight Problem with the H1N1 Vaccine

So I recieved an email today that the H1N1 vaccine is now available to those in high risk categories. I fall into the group so I thought it was perfect. It is being offered from 10-2 in an area on campus not easily accessible, so I would have to figure out a time to go down there and get it without missinf class or work. But I figure I can do that. I went to print out the screening sheet and there was a question on there about ever having Guillain-Barre syndrome. Uh-oh. I read further and it said that people who have had this condition may not be able to receive the vaccine. Uh-oh. I have had something that seemed a lot like Guillain-Barre syndrome although they do not know what was really going on. So am I ineligible for this vaccine? I have to call my doctor early tomorrow to figure it out.

I was/am on the fence about getting the vaccine. And I certainly do not want to go through anything like Guillain-Barre again. I could not walk and I was almost stuck on a ventilator in the ICU. However, that could happen if I get the flu too. So I'm even less sure about what to do now.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Blech

Came down with a fever on Monday and went to University Health Services. No flu, but I am still pretty sick. Unfortunately, I think I got my roommate sick too. I have a stuffy, runny nose, quite a horrendous headache, a cough that has made me pull more muscles than I knew existed and a lingering fever. Suffice it to say I am pretty miserable. But the fever is not high enough for the flu, so its just a bad cold with an ear infection coming along for the ride.

I did not go to classes on Monday, but I wen to them yesterday. Today was a day off because of Verteran's Day, so I will see how I feel in the morning. Hopefully I am better. I was all packed to go home on Monday but decided to stick it out. So I have been trying to get rest and movies in.

When I called out of work on Monday I found out my boss really does have the flu. But she did not come in, thank goodness. Hopefully she will be doing better by the time I go in on Friday.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

At Least I Was Home

Well, I am sick. I posted a few months ago about getting a combination of bronchitis, sinus infection, ear infection and strep throat all at once and I'm pretty sure that brewing again. I havent been feeling all the great for a while, but it finally hit me pretty hard on Friday. I took the bus home and about 15 minutes away from campus it broke down making me extremely late, cold and unhappy.

I considered staying home until this passes, but I decided to go back to school and go home if it gets worse. My primary care doctor is up here and if I get sicker at home my only option is the emergency room (because my insurance does not pay for urgent care...stupid). So I'm going to ride it out. I do not plan on going to class tomorrow unless I am better, so I think I will probably hang around and watch movies. But I am going to do my homework so I do not fall behind.

I dount this is the flu because my temperature is only slighty elevated. If, though, it shoots up then I will reevaluate my plan. So for now its cold medincine and tea. Hope I feel better soon. Its so inconvenient being sick.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Going Home!

I have decided to go home this weekend. I haven't been home in over 2 months! I am being inducted into an honor society on Sunday and I want to get my hair done before the ceremony. I chemically straighten my hair, so it is a bit special. The area where I go to school does not have any salons near it that can properly take care of it, so I have to go home. I am going to be taking the bus home because my dad and aunts are going to be driving up on Sunday, so there is no point in me driving when I can drive back up with them on Sunday!

In other news, I have had a sore throat since yesterday and my stomach is not cooperating with me. It will be nice to get off of campus for a while and get better at home. I have committed myself to a party Friday night, but Saturday my dad has a "date" and I will spend my time on the couch watching movies!

Now I can't wait until Friday ay 3:45 when I board the bus home!

Monday, November 2, 2009

Inconsiderate?

I have posted before about my feelings on swine flu (and if I could figure out how to quote myself I would link it, help?). While I am not overly concerned, I know it could be dangerous for me and I do not want it. I went into work today, said hello to the office assistant in before me then went to say hello to my boss. She just kind of nodded at me and then when I turned to go back into the assistant cubicle said that probably had the swine flu and was trying to avoid contact. WHAT?????

I immediately came clean and said that I am immunocompromised and the flu could be very bad for me. Everywhere you go on campus you see signs saying STAY AT HOME if you have flu symptoms. Why didn't she heed this advice? She also said she plans on going to the events this week but staying away from people. I had to have close contact with her a few times today. She skipped a meeting, though, and I went in her place (which I did enjoy). I texted my dad as soon as I found out and he told me to get out of there, but I need the money. And how was I supposed to pull that off?

I am thinking about sending an email to the other two assistants to tell them to please, please, please Lysol the office before they leave and do everything they can to keep it clean. I could not believe that she would come in while she was so sick and stay there after I told her in no uncertain terms that she could make me very sick.

I am calling my rheumatologist tomorrow to ask what I should do in the event that I do come down with the flu.

I am pretty mad. And I hope that she doesn't go to the events and potentially infect other people who might have a serious problem if they get the flu.

I will be watching for any symptoms the next couple of days. My plan now if I get sick is to try to get home, whether I am able to drive myself, or have to have my aunt or father come pick me up. My father wants me to go to the hospital if I get flu symptoms, but I plan on just going home and riding it out unless it gets severe. There is no use clogging up the ER if I can stand it at home since there is nothing they can do for me anyway unless I become very sick. But, I will get my doctor's advice tomorrow.