Crohn's Thursday #crohns #ibd #colitis #diabetes #heartdisease

 Thursday Update: First off, I can't believe I have an update already. However, I did take 1/2 of #whateverthenameofthatpillwas last night and again this morning. My heart rate is now a resting 108 which is a damn site better than it was yesterday. One thing I'm going to do is find out if I'm missing some vitamin or something that is affecting my heart. If any crohnies know, please pass me the information.

Obviously, I realize that 108 is still high, but I'm alive and kicking here and looking forward to the future. The drug #ireallyhavetorememberthename makes me kinda dizzy and loopy--tired I guess. I'm not happy with the side effects, but what the heck, they will pass.

Wednesday Update:


No stress test for this old heart today. Nope, we won't even discuss how high my heart rate and blood pressure were this morning. It's almost unthinkable.

Why, I wonder, does it shame me?

I have no idea how many times I woke up last night. I was so grateful the alarm went off this morning that I hopped out of bed and into the shower, heart pounding, blood pressure rising. I just wanted to get this cardiologist visit over.

Seems l like every time I see a doc there's more problems to add to the ones I already have. Oh, and the stomach problems last week?

Well, the PC doc put me on Januvia for the diabetes and the med does not mix well with Crohn's. Not even a little tiny bit. Let me tell you those esophageal spasms are horrendous. So, now I'm off all meds for diabetes AND the doc I've been working with LEFT THE PRACTICE, so I have to start all over with someone else next next week.

*shakes head*

It never ends, does it?

Back to this the cardiologist...

I honestly don't remember my pulse except that it was above 110 (resting) and my blood pressure was in excess of 160/100. The nurse, such a sweet young thing, asked if I wanted her to take it again after the exam was over. I declined, just wanting to get the hell out of Dodge. For those of you that don't remember, Dodge was a city in the old west that everyone wanted out of--most of them anyway.

After giving my medical history:

Sibling: check for diabetes, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure hyperlipidemia, amongst other things.
Sibling: check for diabetes, heart issues, high blood pressure--Afib, don't know what else.
Daughter: UC
Son: Diverticulitis
Me: Diabetes, high blood pressure, Crohn's, Hashimoto's Disease... Shall I go on?

Damn, you'd think I was an old lady or something. OK, so I'm 58, but that's still young to have so much wrong. I'm whining, I know. Well, at least I don't have to do chemo. Oh, wait,  already did that. Good news is my liver has recovered!

*pulls up her boot straps*

My conversation with the doctor went something like this: 

"I've always had a fast heart rate."

Silence

"Buttttttttttttttt I have Crohn's. I'm so limited in what I can eat.

Crickets chirping

"I'm having a panic attack."

*eyebrow raise*

Seriously though, he was a great doc and thorough as well. Did you know you can have autoimmune diabetes? Betcha didn't. It was just discovered in the 90s. Up to 20% of people diagnosed with type two diabetes really have autoimmune diabetes. The treatment is slightly different, but that difference can change the plan.

My next step is to check  my c-peptides. If those are low then it's autoimmune diabetes, if high, insulin resistance. I'm also going to get my TPO antibodies tested to make sure my thyroid is Hashimoto's disease and not something more sinister.

Then we got on the subject of all the genetic malware that was inserted into me when I was born. He thought some great up and coming young geneticist would love to get their hands on my family.

Er, no.

He did an EKG and aside from my heart trying to beat its way out of my chest (an electrical problem) and a few other anomalies he thought were due to high blood pressure, everything looked fine, and I can come back next week for a stress test and a scan on my carotid artery which sounded a little sluggish.

Whoopee!

/sarc

And I'm starting some new blood pressure/slow your heart rate down I can't remember the name because I dropped the Rx off at the pharmacy-meds tonight so I can have my stress test done next Wednesday. (luv'n the run on sentence)

As for my Crohn's?

Note to Self: BE CAREFUL AND READ THE CONTRAINDICATIONS ON MEDICATION BEFORE YOU STICK IT IN YOUR MOUTH!

Now back to work....

(((hugs)))

Louann

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