Ok ok ok, my pcp was right. Aldomet totally did not work. I went up to like 160/110!!!!! HOLY CRAP. I tried adding a 3rd dose in and it didn't work. I tried adding a 4th dose in and that didn't work. I tried doubling the dose and that didn't work. So then I didn't take it all. SAME EXACT FREAKING PRESSURES. It was as if I had been taking a sugar pill. After about a month of this, I went back to my pcp. It was 152/104. She said that those pressures are completely unacceptable. We discussed several different meds (atenol, labetalol, procardia). All are class c meds. So she said since they are all class c meds. We know that procardia doesn't work for you and gives you bad headaches. If we have to pick a class c med to go with, pick one that works. So I blissfully am back on the Ziac. She is going to call my obgyn yesterday or today and talk with him and let know she changed me back. I did research and couldn't find any adverse information on Ziac and pregnancy. We discussed the possibility of IUGR. But my girls had enormous placentas. So we think that with careful watching we may be ok. One thing wierd she asked me was did I ever see the nurse practioners over there and I said never. She said never? I said no, I always see Dr. E. I never ever see the nurse practioners. Told her when I was pregnant they could not see me and did not want to see me. So I always see the dr. She said hmmm. Ok. I think in the 3 years I have been going there, I saw midwives/nurse practioners 4 times (this includes a high risk pregnancy and the aftermath of endometriosis). I saw the midwife at 5 weeks and 9 weeks when I started there. They transferred me to Dr. E. Then I saw a midwife at 17 weeks and 32 weeks when he was on vacation or at a conference. I saw Dr. E every two weeks from 10 weeks to 26 weeks. Then I saw him every week from 26 weeks to 35 weeks when I delivered. I also saw him at 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 6 weeks, 3 mos post partum. Then I was in the office every couple of months for the endometriosis and the then I saw him several times for both laps. So not sure why she thought I would be seeing the nurse practioners??? I have never spoken about seeing the nurse practioners, only the doc. He's the one that I am comfortable with (well as comfortable as you can get for obgyn). Hmmm wierd.
It was very disheartening that the Aldomet didn't work. However, I knew it wouldn't. She said that her own obgyn said ziac was ok. Makes me realize that drs are human too. Sometimes I forget that. She said that when she forgets to take the ziac that it makes her feel like crap so she could only imagine how the Aldomet had been making me feel . I feel much better knowing that my bp is back under control. This will give the placenta the best possible chance.
I'm just going to stay on it until my obgyn says different. Then we'll have to discuss it. As far as the rest of the stuff. I stopped Loestrin on Thursday night last week. Lots of pain over the weekend. Slept on a heating pad all weekend. Took lortab and motrin. ugh. Af started on Monday. Very surprised that it has been light. It was always very heavy. I hope it ends soon. We decided to wait till next month to try. If I go by this, ovulation would be halloween weekend. Well I already have one baby's birthday in June. Figuring 35-36 week delivery. So we are trying for an August baby. We'll skip this month. Gives me a chance to figure out where the heck my cycle is. Pray that it works!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Friday, October 12, 2007
Not a lot of news. ..
Well today was a bad week. I had so much pain over the weekend from just an exam! I get so irritated with health care blogs and ER nurses and DRs talk about people that come in (people with endo) just seeking drugs. I don't get it. I never got a high off of it. In fact they make want to puke and I have to take reglan with it. However, Tuesday morning I broke through on the Loestrin. By that afternoon, I swear I felt like I was in labor again. I actually had to breathe through the waves of pain. Paying attention to it. I think the specialist is right and I do have adenomyosis. Thankfully, I had some pain medication and used it. It worked well enough so I could function and not feel like I was in labor. The bleeding ended on Wedsnesday. I was going to finish the loestrin tonight, but dh will be gone when I am predicted to ovulate if everything goes perfectly. So I am delaying it by 4 days, so he can be here. Keep your fingers crossed that I don't "O" early! Other news, I bought 40 ovulation predictor and 10 early pregnancy tests yesterday. It's becoming a reality.
On one hand I want to run away screaming and on the other hand I want to take the bull by the horns and hit it head on. I am very disappointed with the aldomet. It just isn't working. It's like taking a sugar pill. My bp has gone up from 105-115/60-75 to 135-150/110!!!!!! Way too high. I even added a third dose of it. It didn't work at all. I tried going without for two days, no change in the bp. So next week I am going to put in a call to my pcp. I am hoping she will call my obgyn and let him know it isn't working. I would feel much better knowing that I had a lower bp on ziac than to let it go this high. I'm just not comfortable with it.
The refinance is going very very slowly. I am kind of po'd with the mortgage officer. I shouldn't have to call him a million times to get things done. He has only called me back ONCE when he said he was going to. I know he is busy but so am I. In addition, I told him to lock in the rate TWO WEEKS ago. He didn't and says he doesn't recall that conversation. Plus he put in that our discover card should be paid off with the refinance. He said that with a cash out refinance, that we could go to Hawaii on that money. Well that was not exactly true. One, the lawyer gets to send a check to the creditors, fine. Two, I wanted our home improvement loan and a different card with a high interest rate consolidated into the loan. So far I got the closer to agree to changing what was going to be paid off. I was so po'd when I found that out because I had asked him specifically about that. In addition, when I filled out the paperwork, I indicated I had a retirement account. However, I never had put a balance for it. Truth is, I have no idea what the balance is. However, my paystub shows the balance of what I have paid into it. Then it shows what my employer has paid into it. We don't get statements because it is self funded. It is tracked on our paychecks. Well he added those together and put it on our application! Then the bank wanted to see statements. Well we don't get statements. Supposedly they were going to accept this. If I didn't have money and so much time invested into it already I would yank it back. It's too late now. I just want to close it as soon as possible. So I have to call the bank AGAIN on Monday and find out if the retirement is ok. See if they will release what was needed for approval and give us final approval. Once that is done we can close. It will take the bank three days to close. Then we have to wait another FOUR days to fund. This should not have taken this long to do. They have been given everything the next day. I want to close as quickly as we can as fast as possible. If we close by Friday I'll be elated. I was led to believe we would have closed already. The paperwork to remove the commitment stuff and to give final approval has been with the underwriter since TUESDAY. Come on, examine, look at it, and move on!!!!!
The lawyer is still getting their stuff but assures me it will be completed by Monday or Tuesday.
Ok, so enough about that for now. The good thing is I have already received a request for how my experience has been. I plan to tell them ALL about it!
Now for a funny with my adorable 2 year old, S. She still loves her binky. I am not inclined to make her give it up when she just turned 2. I tried to take it away from her and she tried sucking on her fingers. Last night, I grabbed a beloved binky from the silverware drawer and noticed it had a small hole. This can not be good. I thought well I don't want to hunt one down, let's see if she takes it.
So we go upstairs and I go to rock her. As we are rocking, S says mama binky BROKE. I said your binky is broke? Yes S binky broke. Do you want mama to take it? No S NEEDS binky! How did your binky get broke. As plain as day, S says MAMA DID IT. Ahhhhhh. I lost it after that. It was hysterical. Yes this child of mine is as stubborn as I am. She went to sleep sucking on a broken binky. Any ideas????
On one hand I want to run away screaming and on the other hand I want to take the bull by the horns and hit it head on. I am very disappointed with the aldomet. It just isn't working. It's like taking a sugar pill. My bp has gone up from 105-115/60-75 to 135-150/110!!!!!! Way too high. I even added a third dose of it. It didn't work at all. I tried going without for two days, no change in the bp. So next week I am going to put in a call to my pcp. I am hoping she will call my obgyn and let him know it isn't working. I would feel much better knowing that I had a lower bp on ziac than to let it go this high. I'm just not comfortable with it.
The refinance is going very very slowly. I am kind of po'd with the mortgage officer. I shouldn't have to call him a million times to get things done. He has only called me back ONCE when he said he was going to. I know he is busy but so am I. In addition, I told him to lock in the rate TWO WEEKS ago. He didn't and says he doesn't recall that conversation. Plus he put in that our discover card should be paid off with the refinance. He said that with a cash out refinance, that we could go to Hawaii on that money. Well that was not exactly true. One, the lawyer gets to send a check to the creditors, fine. Two, I wanted our home improvement loan and a different card with a high interest rate consolidated into the loan. So far I got the closer to agree to changing what was going to be paid off. I was so po'd when I found that out because I had asked him specifically about that. In addition, when I filled out the paperwork, I indicated I had a retirement account. However, I never had put a balance for it. Truth is, I have no idea what the balance is. However, my paystub shows the balance of what I have paid into it. Then it shows what my employer has paid into it. We don't get statements because it is self funded. It is tracked on our paychecks. Well he added those together and put it on our application! Then the bank wanted to see statements. Well we don't get statements. Supposedly they were going to accept this. If I didn't have money and so much time invested into it already I would yank it back. It's too late now. I just want to close it as soon as possible. So I have to call the bank AGAIN on Monday and find out if the retirement is ok. See if they will release what was needed for approval and give us final approval. Once that is done we can close. It will take the bank three days to close. Then we have to wait another FOUR days to fund. This should not have taken this long to do. They have been given everything the next day. I want to close as quickly as we can as fast as possible. If we close by Friday I'll be elated. I was led to believe we would have closed already. The paperwork to remove the commitment stuff and to give final approval has been with the underwriter since TUESDAY. Come on, examine, look at it, and move on!!!!!
The lawyer is still getting their stuff but assures me it will be completed by Monday or Tuesday.
Ok, so enough about that for now. The good thing is I have already received a request for how my experience has been. I plan to tell them ALL about it!
Now for a funny with my adorable 2 year old, S. She still loves her binky. I am not inclined to make her give it up when she just turned 2. I tried to take it away from her and she tried sucking on her fingers. Last night, I grabbed a beloved binky from the silverware drawer and noticed it had a small hole. This can not be good. I thought well I don't want to hunt one down, let's see if she takes it.
So we go upstairs and I go to rock her. As we are rocking, S says mama binky BROKE. I said your binky is broke? Yes S binky broke. Do you want mama to take it? No S NEEDS binky! How did your binky get broke. As plain as day, S says MAMA DID IT. Ahhhhhh. I lost it after that. It was hysterical. Yes this child of mine is as stubborn as I am. She went to sleep sucking on a broken binky. Any ideas????
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Appt with the endometriosis/pelvic pain specialist
Well he was just full of all kinds of news for me. Some of it good, some of it bad. First the office staff were very nice. The offices were well decorated and clean. I like that. I hate going to an office that isn't clean. That is a reason for me to change. If you can't put some money into making your office space and exam rooms clean and comfortable, I don't want to be your patient. They saw me fairly quickly. The dr came in quick. He seemed nice. Spoke very quietly and calmly. Those kind of voices drive me crazy because I am a pretty loud person. I can't be quiet. It would be difficult for me to speak in a quiet voice.
My obgyn told me that my lap was negative and that he didn't see anything. Well I got the operative report and it says something very different. I am very upset with my ob for not telling me this information. I'll have to make sure that when I am pregnant that I follow up on all of my lab tests and stuff carefully. Anyway, my lap operative report stated that he saw some old scarring lateral to the adexna bilaterally most likely due to old endometriosis. This is a big change from my last lap in October 06 when he told me he saw thin filmy adhesions on the left adexna that he took down. He saw NO endometriosis at that point.
Specialist's take. I have endometriosis and possibly adenomyosis based on the lap operative reports and signs and symptoms. Like 99% sure. He said that 90% of adhesions that someone has that are for no reason are due to endometriosis. The fact that my obgyn put in the operative report that he saw scarring seals it. He said I am treating you for endometriosis. This is what it is. He asked me about the prometrium that I am on. I was told it was for breakthrough bleeding and pain. The specialist said it was counterproductive for breakthrough bleeding so that didn't sound correct. However, if my obgyn put me on it for endometriosis it was an excellent decison. ????? I told him that I intend to get pregnant within the next couple of months. He of course said it was a very bad idea. In fact, he gave me a 100% chance of having pre-eclampsia and said maybe we'll probably be seeing you at XXXXXX (meaning our local Children's hospital/NICU). He kept reiterating it was a bad idea. Yeah, been told that before. I don't believe my chances for pe are 100%. They are more likely 25-50% based on the research I have done. I do believe that my chance for PIH is 100%. My chance for bedrest is 100%. To have full blown PE, it is not 100%. He said I was 2 for 2. Great doc. Thanks. However, I see him for endometriosis.
The exam was pretty embarassing. No GOWN. WTH? I had to undress from the waist down (If I had known there would be no gown, I would have worn a really long shirt!). First he checked for a hernia. None found. Then he had me bend in all kinds of directions. Then I had to lay down and he felt my stomach while lifting my leg. That is where he found it. Apparently, I have two myofascial trigger pain points. Which is another indication of endometriosis. He marked my stomach with a marker for the trigger points. Then he did a pelvic exam. He checked my bladder, no pain. He checked the left ovary. No pain. He hit those two areas on the right, and BAM pain. In fact, my appt was Friday and I hurt all day Friday and all day on Saturday from it!!!! So the option for now because I want to get pregnant is to inject a local anesthetic into those trigger points. However, I couldn't get it done that day because I didn't have someone drive me (I wish they had told me this!). He said there was a risk of a vaso something reaction (BP bottoms out, etc). So I have an appt on Nov 12th for this. Another thing that he wanted to do but can't because I want to get pregnant is to check for adenomyosis. There are two ways to check for this. 1) is a hysterectomy. Not going to happen for me anytime soon. 2) is a MRI and then you go on norethindone (progesterone) only. He also suggested a month of Lupron which I balked at. He said well don't believe everything you read on the internet. This is the part that I did not like. My aunt used Lupron and has permanent side effects to this day from it. Yes I did read on the internet. However, I am a pretty informed person. I don't make snap decisions without checking them out. In fact, if I bring something up to my pcp, she listens to me and asks why I want to do this or that? She has told me that most of her patients read one little thing and hits on it. However, she knows that I will go and look at all the information and make an informed decision. It ticked me off that he made an assumption on me that he had no business making. See docs, you should find out why your patients are hesitant on a particular treatment, etc and NOT make assumptions. I still don't think I will do lupron. He said that 90% of his patients loved it. Only 10% had problems, but that is why he does it for only a month. Knowing my luck I would be in that 10%. The problem with lupron is it is a bandaid. It doesn't make the endo go away, ever. Once you stop it, your symptoms WILL come back. I just can't see me doing it. I just can't. If it was something that would cure endo, I would consider it. However it is a bandaid to a problem that needs to be fixed. Like my ob said about the depo-provera shot, you can't undo a shot. You can always stop taking a pill. The specialist said that the women that are on Lupron want to stay on it forever, but insurance won't let them. I also wondered about the bone loss associated with Lupron but didn't bring it up. That is another reason you can't stay on it forever. Lupron puts you in menopause. I just don't think I would tolerate it well. As for now a lap is out. YEAH. Although I know you can't leave endo in there. Eventually it will have to come out. So it is just a matter of time. He said that if I was not pregnant in 6 months, he would be willing to do one. So I'm not sure. My reviews are mixed. I was upset that he told me pregnancy was NOT a good idea. Join the club. You treat me for endo, not pregnancy doc and I didn't ask his opinion about that. He did say that the good news is if I got pregnant, endo would be in remission. YEAH and it makes his job easier. I was upset that he automatically made assumptions about me that he shouldn't have. However, he did hit on the pain right away. He was able to replicate it in the office within 5 minutes. He does know what he is talking about. I do have questions for him regarding this adenomyosis diagnosis. I do have questions about these myofacial trigger points. It may be that I just need to get to know him better. So we'll see. He did say he would do the injections if I was pregnant by the 12th. Which could be a very possible thing.
My obgyn told me that my lap was negative and that he didn't see anything. Well I got the operative report and it says something very different. I am very upset with my ob for not telling me this information. I'll have to make sure that when I am pregnant that I follow up on all of my lab tests and stuff carefully. Anyway, my lap operative report stated that he saw some old scarring lateral to the adexna bilaterally most likely due to old endometriosis. This is a big change from my last lap in October 06 when he told me he saw thin filmy adhesions on the left adexna that he took down. He saw NO endometriosis at that point.
Specialist's take. I have endometriosis and possibly adenomyosis based on the lap operative reports and signs and symptoms. Like 99% sure. He said that 90% of adhesions that someone has that are for no reason are due to endometriosis. The fact that my obgyn put in the operative report that he saw scarring seals it. He said I am treating you for endometriosis. This is what it is. He asked me about the prometrium that I am on. I was told it was for breakthrough bleeding and pain. The specialist said it was counterproductive for breakthrough bleeding so that didn't sound correct. However, if my obgyn put me on it for endometriosis it was an excellent decison. ????? I told him that I intend to get pregnant within the next couple of months. He of course said it was a very bad idea. In fact, he gave me a 100% chance of having pre-eclampsia and said maybe we'll probably be seeing you at XXXXXX (meaning our local Children's hospital/NICU). He kept reiterating it was a bad idea. Yeah, been told that before. I don't believe my chances for pe are 100%. They are more likely 25-50% based on the research I have done. I do believe that my chance for PIH is 100%. My chance for bedrest is 100%. To have full blown PE, it is not 100%. He said I was 2 for 2. Great doc. Thanks. However, I see him for endometriosis.
The exam was pretty embarassing. No GOWN. WTH? I had to undress from the waist down (If I had known there would be no gown, I would have worn a really long shirt!). First he checked for a hernia. None found. Then he had me bend in all kinds of directions. Then I had to lay down and he felt my stomach while lifting my leg. That is where he found it. Apparently, I have two myofascial trigger pain points. Which is another indication of endometriosis. He marked my stomach with a marker for the trigger points. Then he did a pelvic exam. He checked my bladder, no pain. He checked the left ovary. No pain. He hit those two areas on the right, and BAM pain. In fact, my appt was Friday and I hurt all day Friday and all day on Saturday from it!!!! So the option for now because I want to get pregnant is to inject a local anesthetic into those trigger points. However, I couldn't get it done that day because I didn't have someone drive me (I wish they had told me this!). He said there was a risk of a vaso something reaction (BP bottoms out, etc). So I have an appt on Nov 12th for this. Another thing that he wanted to do but can't because I want to get pregnant is to check for adenomyosis. There are two ways to check for this. 1) is a hysterectomy. Not going to happen for me anytime soon. 2) is a MRI and then you go on norethindone (progesterone) only. He also suggested a month of Lupron which I balked at. He said well don't believe everything you read on the internet. This is the part that I did not like. My aunt used Lupron and has permanent side effects to this day from it. Yes I did read on the internet. However, I am a pretty informed person. I don't make snap decisions without checking them out. In fact, if I bring something up to my pcp, she listens to me and asks why I want to do this or that? She has told me that most of her patients read one little thing and hits on it. However, she knows that I will go and look at all the information and make an informed decision. It ticked me off that he made an assumption on me that he had no business making. See docs, you should find out why your patients are hesitant on a particular treatment, etc and NOT make assumptions. I still don't think I will do lupron. He said that 90% of his patients loved it. Only 10% had problems, but that is why he does it for only a month. Knowing my luck I would be in that 10%. The problem with lupron is it is a bandaid. It doesn't make the endo go away, ever. Once you stop it, your symptoms WILL come back. I just can't see me doing it. I just can't. If it was something that would cure endo, I would consider it. However it is a bandaid to a problem that needs to be fixed. Like my ob said about the depo-provera shot, you can't undo a shot. You can always stop taking a pill. The specialist said that the women that are on Lupron want to stay on it forever, but insurance won't let them. I also wondered about the bone loss associated with Lupron but didn't bring it up. That is another reason you can't stay on it forever. Lupron puts you in menopause. I just don't think I would tolerate it well. As for now a lap is out. YEAH. Although I know you can't leave endo in there. Eventually it will have to come out. So it is just a matter of time. He said that if I was not pregnant in 6 months, he would be willing to do one. So I'm not sure. My reviews are mixed. I was upset that he told me pregnancy was NOT a good idea. Join the club. You treat me for endo, not pregnancy doc and I didn't ask his opinion about that. He did say that the good news is if I got pregnant, endo would be in remission. YEAH and it makes his job easier. I was upset that he automatically made assumptions about me that he shouldn't have. However, he did hit on the pain right away. He was able to replicate it in the office within 5 minutes. He does know what he is talking about. I do have questions for him regarding this adenomyosis diagnosis. I do have questions about these myofacial trigger points. It may be that I just need to get to know him better. So we'll see. He did say he would do the injections if I was pregnant by the 12th. Which could be a very possible thing.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Lab tests are in!
They are fabulous!
Especially the 24 hr urine. Less than 6MG, whooo hoooooooooo! I was kinda worried about this one!
AST - 13 - low
ALT - 31 - normal
Uric Acid - 6.7 (cutoff is 6), it's a little high. Hmmmm. The nurse says it is still ok but something to watch when I am pregnant.
They will get the operative report ready for me to take to the specialist on Friday.
I'm feeling good about those results!!!!
So we have the all clear! WHOO HOO. I just realized that I have 11 days of Loestrin left. OMG. I didn't even realize when I started the pack, it would be my last pack. Please pray that the endo stays away and I have nice easy periods (Ok, wishful thinking I know, but a girl can ask right?)
Especially the 24 hr urine. Less than 6MG, whooo hoooooooooo! I was kinda worried about this one!
AST - 13 - low
ALT - 31 - normal
Uric Acid - 6.7 (cutoff is 6), it's a little high. Hmmmm. The nurse says it is still ok but something to watch when I am pregnant.
They will get the operative report ready for me to take to the specialist on Friday.
I'm feeling good about those results!!!!
So we have the all clear! WHOO HOO. I just realized that I have 11 days of Loestrin left. OMG. I didn't even realize when I started the pack, it would be my last pack. Please pray that the endo stays away and I have nice easy periods (Ok, wishful thinking I know, but a girl can ask right?)
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