Miracles do happen it seems.....either that or my PCP did really listen to how desperate my ADL(activities of daily living)situation was(I was actually considering checking myself into an assisted living facility). After they gave me an appointment 7 Months out, I was put on the Wait List for Neurology and miraculously an appointment opened up on Wednesday and I saw a text about it Tuesday evening. Either someone canceled at the last minute(but I can't think why someone would cancel/reschedule a Neurology appt!)or somehow they figured out how seriously impaired I had become and they squeezed me in.
So I got a good going over with a new Neurologist, a med student(it's a teaching hospital after all)and then the head Dr. came in too after the Neurologist went to consult with him. I got tested(I failed the touch your nose with your pointer finger, then touch the doc's pointer finger test as well as hold your hands out i front of you and keep them from trembling test.)
For now I've been diagnosed with Essential Tremors and put on an epileptic anti-seizure medication.(This or a Beta-Blocker(which I have adverse reactions to)is standard treatment for this disorder.)
Now we start working on getting the dosage right. I'm on 25 mg(half a pill)for the first 4 days to get me use to it. Then I go on the full 50mg dose and wait a few days and if that doesn't take care of the tremors we start upping the dosage.
They are also scheduling me for an MRI to check that I don't have something worse going on(like Parkinson's or lesions on my brain)since my tremor condition seemed to worsen at a quick clip and could be part of something else developing in my head plus I have family history on both sides of neurological conditions.
I'd be happy with "just" Essential Tremors thankyouverymuch! There is no cure for this condition and it can get worse and most probably will. Kim's hubby who passed had this condition so I've seen first hand how it can affect your life. I don't know yet(didn't ask)how bad or how high they can push the med for it but we'll cross that bridge when and if we get there.
I see the Orthopedist early in August so we are moving ahead with the knee replacement here. But I am also moving ahead with the elite joint surgeon program available through our insurance too. I had picked a surgeon near Columbus OH but then they told me he insists on an in person pre-op appointment and won't do that through telemedicine. That means trekking 995 miles to OH TWICE-once for an in-person appt. and then again for the actual pre-op testing/surgery/beginnings of PT afterwards. And what if I go to OH and go through that initial visit and fly home and the surgeon says he won't take my case? All that effort was for nothing and I have to start all over again in that program. ugh
So I switched to a different surgeon in the same practice who will do the initial pre-op stuff via telemedicine. They are suppose to get back to me next week to schedule that particular appt. so we can get that ball rolling.
Basically whichever surgeon can schedule me for the knee surgery sooner gets to do it. 8-) Either way I'll be in Physical Therapy afterwards for many, many months.
And next week I get to have more fun.....2 days of PT for my back bookending my 10 year Colonoscopy. Goody! I don't mind that procedure but the day before prep? That's the b*tch! But at this point I eat so little anyway I won't mind and barely notice going a day without eating. Now drinking that nasty prep stuff and staying close to a bathroom all day is another story. lol
This year is genuinely what I've been calling it, the "Year of the Shit Show"(and next week will be an actual shit show on Wednesday).
I just want to thank everyone who has reached out with prayers, concerns, etc. for me this past week. I was in a very dark place mentally before getting into see a Neurologist. Between that and family drama plus Hubs brother passed away up in PA on July 13th, things have been nothing approaching "normal" with us.
Sluggy-who can sort of type today but writing is still beyond her skill set
