The Update on Me

Now for an update on me. Those who want no unpleasantness can check out early. I won't blame you.
The stomach is as bad, the choking from the lazy epiglottis is worsening; last Monday I choked while handing a guest her receipt and scared us both to death. I can't speak if my head isn't tilted a certain way or I choke, at night I wake up choking and grabbing for water, some food will go straight down but others, the epiglottis does not close right and I choke where ever I happen to be. I am positive that having the endoscopy and widening damaged the already weak epiglottis because the first night it was done I choked and literally aspirated so badly I nearly had to race to the hospital. My lungs absorbed much fluid all at once. Completely terrifying.

The degenerating discs in my neck they also discovered now pinch the nerves that go down both arms and I awake all night in extreme pain at the elbow, down the arm to the wrist and the finger tips go numb with needles and pins surging off an on. Nights are long. I just heard that wrapping or bracing the arms at night does help so I will give it a shot. I am up to anything.

The worst trial of just those mentioned is the legs. They  began to act up several weeks ago. I thought it was a temporary dehydration like in January, but it got worse.  About 3 wks ago I woke up and couldn't lift my legs to get out of bed  #1 they felt like each leg weighed 24 # and #2 the cramping in my thighs, calfs and ankles had me screaming for help. Alas, none came but I eventually hit and rubbed the tight muscles into breaking enough to let me literally tumble to the floor.

I was supposed to work that day but couldn't walk. I was dead from the thighs down and would not have even been able to feel the gas pedal let alone stand for 3 hrs so had to call in sick. Luckily, my doctor who is usually booked weeks ahead had a cancellation for that day, last Friday Aug.17th.He later told me they would have worked me in as my situation was serious. Gees.All I wanted was a good report and a couple strong muscle pills..... not so fast.

I have a seriously pinched nerve at the LS5, Sciatica Nerve that is so pinched by the bulging discs that I am in real danger of it pinching off and killing the nerve. At that location, should this happen I will immediately lose all aspects of continence (look it up, I can't type it) and ordered to literally race to the ER for emergency surgery so the condition does not become permanent.

Doc told me to fill the very aggressive regimen of Prednisone (16 days, 4 pills per day) and take it the moment I got it filled while at the pharmacy. If it doesn't work I need an MRI to access the severity and decide on a spinal tap that drains the fluid around the nerve or perform surgery.

For now, I walk like I am 90, shuffling my feet, driving a store cart, moaning and crying on the couch, bed, chair, walking and pacing but smiling and laughing around the grand kids. Please send some happy thoughts my way. let the Prednisone work. I may not be able to take the Methotrexate while on it and that will cause my Lymphoma Skin Cancer to break out into cheetah spots and more pain and outward sores and rashes.  There, that is all I want to share, it is too much but since there is more, I don't feel too awful in sharing this.

Thanks for being here for me whoever you are. You are needed and loved in silence.
Maybe at one point, God will say I've gone through enough. If not, I will take a deep breath and say bring it on, I will smile and stand upright.