#Spoonie: Side effect of the medication or my illness?

The funniest thing about taking medication is trying to figure out what is symptom or side effect. Which medication is worsening symptom such as dizziness or blurry vision.

One of my medications causes yellowing of skin, urine and stool. While I have two out of three of those due to my meds... yellowing of the skin for another of my medication is a serious side effect. 

I'm currently on an antibiotic that causes seizures if consume alcohol. Can't even swish mouth wash until I'm finished with it. Short post all the energy I have for it today. 

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#Spoonies: Surgery Progress...so far.. if it can be called that.

So...

Yesterday's surgery phone calls started optimistic and quickly crumbled within an hour.

Didn't get voicemail but actual people for financials and appointment setter. Except voice mail again for the person who is supposedly the one to tell me how much the surgery is going to cost when everything is said and done.

Found somewhere that I can email. Suggested for billing and other but finding out the cost of my surgery is technically...billing , right? I decided it was. Hopefully, someone somewhere answers my question.

I looked up the cost of the surgery and I've completely underestimated what it will be where I'm at. I don't understand why the estimate for our capitol seems lower than where I'm at. I've increased the donation amount on my youcaring account. I appreciate any and all shares of it.

Every school year I make between 2k-3k and I'm just frustrated at how the heck am I going to get this done and over. So, any shares of it would be amazing because this is at the moment the only thing that I can think of. Unless I can sell a body part.






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#Spoonie Update: Gallbladder

 Other medical topic posts I've written can be found at this tag: Spoonie. 
Link to my youcaring account to help pay my surgery costs is here. 

Surgeon Meet and Greet:

My boyfriend used his check this week to help me get to the surgeon. Which means we couldn't buy groceries. But, thankfully,  we didn't have bills to pay this week.

If you follow me on Twitter I update frequently about my medical issues quicker than here.

Based on the HIDA Scan results and a conversation with my primary care physician I knew I had to have surgery.

But I held on to the idea of not having surgery because scans and things can be wrong sometimes, y'know?

Waiting Games:

We were at the facility for an hour. My sister came with me and I asked her to go into the room because I tend to forget half of everything. The hour? Most of it was simply waiting for things to happen. 

Filled out paperwork. There was a page where it wanted me to circle everything that I have had or have...and explain WHY I had them. I stared at the page then took it to the office lady, "If I explain on this paper....you won't be able to read anything on it. There'd be too much stuff."

My sister recorded the interaction I had with the surgeon. It took 2:29 minutes and he was gone. And, the first part of that two minutes is sitting quietly waiting for him to appear/talk to us. TWO MINUTES y'all of interacting with this surgeon and I had to pay $336 for this visit.

Financial Lady Interaction.. or .. well, lack of interaction:

Then, the woman who was supposed to talk to me about financing this surgery.. she was out to lunch. She was supposed to call me back yesterday to start payment arrangements. NO call yesterday so I'm going to have to call them and work that out.

The Good then the Bad:

He talks about the good things that are supposed to be involved with your gallbladder. He started the conversation this way so I thought I was not going to need surgery. Maybe the scan and results were wrong after all and I don't need the surgery?

He started talking about common abnormality rate of gallbladders. I was, "OK, mine's probably at the number he keeps tossing out. This doesn't sound bad."

Him: Your abnormality rate is 20%. You need to have the surgery and remove it. Do you have any questions?
Me:  So, the pain I'm experiencing due to my gallbladder will stop?
Him: Yes, but none of the pain due to your arthritis will stop. Only the pain related to your gallbladder. If that's the only question... he says as he's walking out the door.

This man did not even let me sit there and process the information. I know it's not FULLY life changing information but damn. That visit I found out your gallbladder can burst just like your appendix. Like, okay, I know things can go bad with your organs BUT I wasn't prepared for this extra information.

Anyway, this is my surgeon. 

He sits with you for a little under 2 minutes and then leaves before you can form an idea of questions you'd like to ask. I'm super not excited about working with this man. But I don't have health insurance and this seems to be my only route to get it removed.

As he leaves my sister jumps out of her seat: 

We need to know the possibilities of reaction due to the medication you take! We needed to know if there's negative impact on you due to your Rheumatoid Arthritis.

I was, "You should have asked while he was in here!" laughing because we thought we would have more time to process/create questions. We weren't expecting this to end so quickly! So, told her I can ask all of these when we get there.

#Spoonie Update: #WTF is this week?

This is about April 22nd-28th but everything that's gone on still will melt into this week.

My week I've started dealing with stronger symptoms due to my gallbladder not working. If you can please donate to help me make an appointment as fast as possible. Here. Or use the cash app both work. I am a substitute teacher so I'll no longer have work at the end of June.

We're trying to save up for it but I also have to pay for medicine and my other medical visits. Ugh.

Anyway, that's normal stressing and needing assistance with medical. That's been my life since I was around twenty-three. At least now my problems have a name and a solution for the most part.
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Monday, learned my boyfriend's grandpa is in an induced coma. He went into the ER 16 days ago because of intestine's twisted...but it doesn't look like he's going to get out of there alive. It's hard to fully grasp because before he went in...we were talking with him in the living room??

My Dad broke his foot due to him not securing the scaffolding he was on. My dad is the safety monitor on a job site...he knows 100% more than anyone else what he needs to do before operating things.

So, he's semi-off work sending things back and forth to his job. He works construction so a working foot is needed to continue to work. 

Wednesday I was panicking so intensely that I caused a flare up. I woke Thursday unable to go up to go to my sister's house so she could drop me off at the job fair at 3 PM. My boyfriend said he can do it so long as he doesn't get off work late.

I get to the fair and well, most of the elementary principals were already gone. So, I was able to speak with a few of the principals left and left my name, stating interest at two schools that weren't there.

It went well with the principals I was able to speak with.

My boyfriend had received a phone call from his friend from work at 12:30 AM. So, when we woke up at 5 AM, he sent his friend a text asking him why he was up so late.

He received a text back that his friend had passed away. So, boyfriend called asking what did they mean by that. He thought it was his friend pulling a joke or a typo. But no, his sister answered his phone explaining that he had died on the way to the hospital at 11 PM, Thursday. She tried to call an hour after to let him know but couldn't get a hold of him.

We received this information on the way to work. To listen to his sister talk, the tone in her voice. .. was hollow in autopilot and it hurt to hear. I could not imagine.

So, my boyfriend had to break the news to his job that he had died. His boss didn't believe him. Which is understandable and having to listen to him process the information.

His friend was leaving the job -- he planned on catching a new job and wait for the police academy to open. He's been prepping for years going to night school to become a police officer.

It was a long hard day for me. I've experienced death in my family a lot. But these deaths usually are known to be happening soon due to illness.

The last sudden death was my Sunday school teacher, her husband murdered her around 2010? I think. I'm not sure. I just remember the loud sob coming from the back room from my mom.

3 AM Saturday I began vomiting and didn't stop until 8:30 ish.  Today, my ribs and stomach are hurting. I'm struggling with the basics like breathing or moving properly. I work tomorrow and I have a job interview on Tuesday... I can't afford for health problems to get in the way dammit!

Friday is his funeral and... everything still wow.