Medical Blues

"D" here and anyone who may pursue Double Talk would immediately recognize my dwindling absence as a contributor since June. For years I have suffered from complicated medical conditions-fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis, migraines, degenerative disk disease, sleep apnea., obesity. But for years, realizing I couldn't be active in many of the old pursuits of my life, I scaled back maintaining home traditions,, learning news ways to do old tasks, pursuing writing, and rekindling an interest in watercolor painting.

But new symptoms began creeping up: blackouts, falls, foggiheadedness, loss of time, sleep states where I would use objects I held in inappropriate ways. Was it narcolepsy? Was it seizures? Was it both? Was it my inability to use my CPAP machine (For medical novices, this machine is used for sleep apnea and keeps you breathing at night.and your sleep uninterrupted.), because of severe nasal sinus infections. In actuality the CPAP hadn't been very helpful for a few months before the chronic nasal issues.

My neurologist, concerned ordered a battery of tests, but before anything could be scheduled, I became sick with a most peculiar illness. Afternoon chills, were followed by a fever, followed by terrible joint/muscle and pain and breathing in and I thought I was experiencing an RA flare. The fever broke around nine in the evening. The next morning, except for fatigue and joint pain I was fine. The whole cycle repeated with a fever of 102.3 degrees and pain in the upper right back when I inspire. (High for someone who's normal is 97.6-) I'm sort of convinced this is related to my RA, so I call my rheumatologist. He is concerned that being inmune compromised I have pneumonia. He sends me to the local ER even though he doesn't admit there with instructions to call him immediately. I take his number. Also, he wanted the ER staff to contact my primary physician, who had admitting authority.
My next installment will take us into the belly of one beast.