Erin & Kristie,
Thanks for the kind thoughts and understanding. I can deal with the frustration for a while, but it's really piling up now. Hopefully I will get the blood results back today.
Kristie, I know you are going through the same kind of frustration with tests and results. I sure hope your MS neuro can help you out with that since that's your earliest appointment.
Erin - I LOVE dogs, what kinds do you have? I have a 7 mo. old chocolate lab my husband got me for Christmas.
Last year, a couple of weeks before his accident I lost my beloved Heidi dog after 13 years with her- she was a german shorthair that I had whelped and picked from the litter. She was my guardian angel - could've been a service dog. She always knew when I was having trouble, sometimes before I did, and she would stick to me like glue.
She saved me from going into crisis once. Kept nudging me until I got mad and my adrenalin kicked in. That's when I realized I was barely breathing so I signaled someone to get me a Mestinon real quick. She didn't leave my side until I started breathing right again - she was so awesome!
I didn't start grieving her until toward the end of the year because of Steve's (my hubby) injuries, so he decided it was time to get me another dog to love. It was a good move.
Belladonna has been good therapy for me. The only problem is with her being a puppy (BIG PUPPY) she still takes a lot of work to teach her not to bite, tear up shoes, jump on counters, bite (did I mention that already? - it warrants two mentions at least!). But she's been very intertaining and is starting to come around just to give me loves. She likes to crawl up in my lap to chew her toys, but she's gotten so big
!
She's actually very smart and is learning pretty easily - the key is the treats
! Quite the chow hound. It's just this nibbling thing I don't seem to be able to break her of yet.
I hope I can get San Antonio way some day. That would be a lot of fun! I also want to get up to Oregon - Kristie, your area is so pretty!
You're both welcome anytime in Denver too. We have a guest room all set up!
Hey, since I'm kinda 1/2 way in the middle of you two, maybe we could set something up to all meet here someday! We have 3 acres and a motor home one family could stay in.
Anyway, I'll be alright one way or another. My mom won't come up right now because she isn't feeling well and doesn't want to chance giving me anything more to deal with. Besides, I think she just can't handle seeing me like this. She was with us during my first crash in 1997 and saw me about like this and I think it was just too much for her. She's what she calls an "emotional coward".
I decided I'm going to go to the doctor with Steve Tuesday and whether he likes it or not, I'm going to let the doctor know my observations. Maybe he can make Steve understand how damaging stress and depression can be for him. I'm gonna try to get an appt. for myself around the same time to have them culture this rash I have to see if it is related to shingles. It's been suggested on another forum that if the shingles virus has gone systemic on me it could cause some of these other symptoms I have.
I did have shingles, I know I have a blood test that was positive for the virus in my blood, and this rash LOOKS like shingles, just without the normal excrutiating pain. That's why the doc and dermatologist didn't think shingles, but they weren't sure just exactly what it was - there again, why didn't they culture it months ago when I first asked for that? UUGH!
Anyway, I appreciate the commiserating with me! I'm so glad I found this site and have met wonderful people like you that will listen(read?) and can understand. My family is great, but they have all always looked to me for answers and strength and can't handle it when I'm the one doing the crying, so I try not to let it out on them. I have to be guarded with co-workers for obvious reasons. My best friend lives in Amarillo and she's great to talk to, but she is a big-wig with girl scouts and travels all around the region down there so she's not always available. Sometimes you just gotta get it out! And I appreciate you all letting me do that.
Love to both of you! Please take care and I hope this is a good week for all - Erin you've got IVIG going on right? Hope it gives you the big boost!