3 days = 3 appointments

Migraines. Asthma. Epilepsy. 

This week has well and truly been taken over by medical appointments.

Monday was an appointment with my general doctor. The reason I booked it is because my migraines have kicked up a gear in frequency again with no obvious reason. My usual medicine for them (Naratriptan) isn't working as effectively as when I first started taking it to ease the pain of a migraine once it has begun. This has a knock on effect as not only does that mean I feel the full force of the migraine but as they also make me physically sick I'm at risk of not keeping my Epilepsy medicines down resulting in more seizures. The doctor I saw is new to the surgery and was really lovely. She suggested I try the medicine Rizatriptan. Not only is this medicine powerful and hopefully good at its job but it's also a dissolvable tablet that you put on your tongue as opposed to one you swallow. Which means I will be able to tolerate it even if I vomit. I'm to see how these go over the next month or so then go back and see her to either get a repeat prescription of them or try something else. She also suggested that I might have to consider using a prophylaxis medicine in the near future if things don't improve. That is something I'll have to think long and hard about as it would mean taking daily medication along with my current regime of medicines which means and increase in side effects etc. 

Tuesday I was called in the surgery to visit the nurse for a review. This is just to look over the medicines I'm on and how my illnesses are currently "behaving". We discussed various matters around Seizures, Migraines and Asthma. All was fine until she asked me to do a peak flow test. This is where they use a tube type thing to measure a persons ability to breathe out air. Very basically the reading reflects how constricted the airways are. Mine was half of the number on the lower end of the "normal" values scale. I've had Asthma for as long as I can remember but have been having a particular trouble with my lungs since an infection over this last Christmas. I was put on steroids for a while to help me gain some half decent breathing back again and I finished them about 2 months ago. Monday afternoon though I was at the scene of a house fire (I'm a drama magnet.. I can't leave the house without some emergency or other happening - all residents where fine thankfully part of the house were destroyed though!) anyway that meant cycling/running to the scene very quickly up hill and then standing in smoke checking everyone was ok. Needless to say my lungs were on fire and I desperately needed my inhaler. Anyway with the peak flow reading as low as the one I gave there was no choice but to put me back on steroids again for the time being. 

Today I was at the hospital for an appointment in Urology. This one is a little embarrassing to write about to be honest but hey it's a part of me so...

Since being in ITU (intensive care unit) last year I have had a problem with my waterworks down below. Doctors are unsure as to wether my problem is due to nerve damage or possibly a side effect of medicine. Long story short whilst in ITU I was obviously catheterised for days and also had pretty severe seizures during the time. A few days after I was back on a regular medical ward I started experiencing horrible pain in my abdomen and had to have the catheter out and replaced a few times due to blockages. Eventually I had a scan of my bladder and swelling was detected. Now, how it was caused is a mystery but we're thinking either wrong insertion or seizing with it in has dislodged it and caused damage. Since then I just simply cannot pee properly! It's like I can't register when I'm too full and need to empty my bladder. I have to make myself go to the toilet and try to pee but for some reason my system isn't emptying anywhere near as much as I'm taking in. Skip forward months and plenty of tests and I'm now at the point where the pain from retaining so much urine is causing huge discomfort and gradual damage to my bladder and kidneys so the only option is to self-catheterise. I had a good long chat with the nurses at the clinic and they carefully explained how the catheters work and what I have to do. I had to give it go at the hospital to make sure I know how to use them properly and empty my bladder before I left. I was holding over a litre of fluid when they scanned me! After my 'practice' session I was successful and when they rescanned me had next to nothing in there thankfully which in turn made me far less bloated and much more comfortable. The catheters are surprisingly discreet so I can carry some around in my bag etc which is good. Plus they are delivered to me door, whoop! 

Just another chapter in the life of Jade X