New Med. Causes POTS?

So this medicine I was given I decided against hearing nothing bad from my pharmacist to look it up myself.  One of it’s main symptoms, is pots!  They actually say, may cause Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome!  It also can turn your sweat brown, red or black, and stain fabrics!!!  In extreme cases it’s caused Melanoma.  Can cause scary drops in blood pressure, make breathing worse, etc. for some of the other main symptoms … no. LOL.  I called my doctor the next morning and asked instead of being on Codopra, if she’d send me one for Mirapex which my mom is on.  It can cause the fluctuating with blood pressure and heart rate, but not badly, and only for the beginning while you get used to it.  So far, all I’ve had from it is drowsiness which could be from the weather getting warmer here which always gets my POTS going.  I did ask on a POTS forum if anyone else had taken Codopra before, and one girl who’s dad has POTS as well as Parkasins does, and he had had no problems with it, but honestly I didn’t want to take the chance after what I had read.

My Social Service Worker gave me a great tip with my Personal Support Worker.  She said to make a list, of exactly what rooms I wanted swept, exactly what furniture to dust, etc.  in case she was just forgetting what I told her, or feeling like she could get away with it.  So I did, and she did EVERYthing on the list.  All the sweeping, windows, mirrors, furniture I wanted dusted, the dishes, etc.  It was great   Such a reliever.  Now I just have to get past the weird first while where you don’t know what the hell to say to each other lol.  But I am so happy it is working out so far, bc I hate dealing with trying to boss someone around who’s not my employee or having to talk to their boss.

I am now reading, The King’s Speech.  Which is really good so far!  A big part of the book, which was written for the movie, was helped out hugely by the grandson of the Elocutionist.  I thought that was really interesting, so you feel as though you are really reading the past family life of just an ordinary man, and the King, who was in big part still only a Duke, to see him on more of a personal level, and see his weak side through the letters they sent to each other.  I really like it.   I want to watch the movie after I am done reading this.

I need to get my taxes done, bring the receipts that I was too tired out from the new med.s to do yesterday to ODSP (Ontario Disability & Support Program) from the move, go grocery shopping, hopefully see my dad on Saturday if I’m well enough for the drive, and get my Zeus some new food.  I’ve decided for now to boycott Walmart after them being such dicks to me when I went to get my chair (had to carry it all by myself, etc.) and try a new grocery store that just opened up.  The only real perk to Walmart is that I can get any light bulbs, cat litter, and little extras like that, that aren’t as easy to find at other places.  Oh well!  Better than being treated like dirt!

I am still waiting to hear back from the Cardiologist about my next appointment.  I will probably give him a shout tomorrow to see if he’s back yet, or still at conferences.

Will write more soon!

Ash,

PS These are my temp. photos of my place, just to show some of the stuff.  Once I get EVERY thing done, and who knows when the hell that will be lol, I’ll take better ones to show

All Moved Into the New Place!

I did NOT intend to be gone so long, but I’ve been having a real issue with my old phone company, and getting them to shut off my phone… it’s still hooked up too! lol.

I woke up the morning of my move… with the flu!  I’ve had the flu shot, and so had Amanda and Nick, but something they both got, and then my mom, I eventually caught too even though I was being so good about hermitting away!  I was able to do the move still and actually help a bit, but by night time I was in bed and up all night sick lol.  I didn’t sleep for the first few nights I was there bc of being sick, but it went away quickly and never got too horrible.

My fibro has been amazing… knock on wood.  Actually Zeb from The Manly Potsy’s said he heard something about rice flaring up pain… and I figured why not give it a shot?  I always eat rice, so I haven’t had it, and no major pain like I was!  So I’m considering next week trying it again and seeing if the pain comes back or not.

My POTS has been doing way better since being moved too.  Not superb, still have to use a stool to do dishes and a seat in the shower, but I was able to dust and do the windows I kid you not for the first time in almost 2 years!!  It felt great to not have to have someone else do it for me!  And the dishes I mentioned… first time in months!  Yes I have a PSW I’m not a dirty slob lol.  I’ve even been shoveling my stoop outside my apartment.  Nothing for the average person since it only takes about 10 minutes, but AMAZING for me!  I’ve had more good days in the short two weeks I’ve been here, then I had in the last 2 years at my last apartment.

It’s nice and bright and lots of natural light gets in.  So much nicer than a basement!  I loved my last apartment.  It was great.  Had tons of storage and was big!  But it was too much for me to take care of, and was becoming depressing and hard to breathe since the mold came out!  Ew!  It just feels so much healthier here!

I’m still having my rough days of my eyes randomly rolling to the back of my head… but I’m kind of used to it now LOL.  I think the worst of my symptoms is the nausea for sure and over heating!  So I am definitely talking to the Cardiologist about putting my on something so I don’t constantly feel like I’m going to yack.

Today, I had my PSW over who smoked out the entire front of the apartment cooking lol.  We had to open the windows and have fans blasting, and I even left that area bc it was choking me like crazy!  I was still coughing through my dentist appointment later that morning.  First I sat in the dentist chair into a puddle of water lol, then almost got banged by the light in the head, then my poor dentist smacked her head off it, and when she was meaning to spray water in my mouth while she was working, accidentally sprayed it at herself and we all got into a huge laughing fit and had to calm down before we could go on lol.  I had a lot of work done in and around my gums, and she whitened my teeth too so they look nice and clean!  I have to be on this prescription mouth wash that staves off infection and my mouth was crazy sore once the freezing wore off, but I’m feeling pretty good now.  Still swollen but at least I can smile with my whole mouth instead of just half rofl.

I got back and the guy was hooking up my phone, internet and cable, and the guys from the Brick showed with my new couch   I’ll post a picture later, but it’s a light stone/ beige color and really comfy   I just finished spraying the last coat of stain resistance crap on it.

My dad is coming up this weekend, and he’ll get to see the apartment   I’m really excited for him and my step mom Lois to see it.  I think he’ll like it too

Anyway, it’s late and I have a lot to do tomorrow, so I need to be up early.  Will take pictures of the apartment as I finish more rooms.  I still need to hang curtains, paintings, etc.

Ash,

PS Got approved for my moving stuff from disability!  Wahoo!

I Finally Know Yeah!

I now know for sure when I am moving! WOOHOO!  hehe.  I move this coming Friday!  I’m so excited to get into my nice, new, HEALTHY, apartment

Tomorrow is Family Day in Canada… what’s funny is very few Canadians even remember it let a lone celebrate.  Apparently it’s only a couple years old though.  Any Canadians out there celebrate this?  I don’t think we have…  This year for good old Family Day, my mom, sis, and grams are coming over and we’re moving a bunch of the boxes, and bags of bedding, clothing, etc. over to the apartment.  It will be nice to have stuff that can be put away and set up done, so I don’t have to worry about it after the move.

I made my little list of stuff to get help getting from disability.  I don’t know if it will be accepted, but I sure hope so!  I asked for a bar stool I found, with a back rest, so I can get my legs up, to use for doing dishes in the kitchen, a coat stand bc the only closet is off the bedroom, a couch I found at the Brick, and a reg. light vacuum that comes apart into a hand vacuum to use for furniture, and sucking up gross spiders… the bastards! lol, and a book shelf for in the living room.  I have a big one already, but it doesn’t hold all my stuff between my books and movies!  There’s not a LOT of storage space like I’ve been spoiled to have here, so the less I have to pack away into the one closet, the better!

The dentist went good!  The girl dentist, who normally works at their other office is sooo quicker than my normal dentist!  I really like her personality too!  She tried filling some of my cavities without freezing… and OMG lol it was painful!!!  She ended up having to freeze two for me and the rest I pushed myself through the pain.  With the epinephrine and me being in pain, it shot my adrenalin through the roof!  I felt fine, but I was mad shakey and really dizzy at first.  My mouth was swollen and pained, but nothing too bad!  I could still eat and drink fine afterward.  She agreed with me, when I go back to get the rest done (yes I still have more to go eek! lol damn heart issues) she’s definitely just going to freeze me up like crazy bc that’s better than putting me through that again.

Today I’ve been just working around the apartment packing more stuff, and now am out of boxes when I could be packing more!  I think what I’ll do, is after tomorrow bring the boxes back with me here and just repack what I have left in some of those.  It will be easier to recycle them here anyway bc we don’t have bins and stuff at the new place.

Not much else has been happening bc I’ve been in so much pain.  Ever since I was upped on the Bisoprolol, it feels like my body is trying to cave in on itself.  I think maybe it has affected my Fibromyalgia and the nerve damage in my Crohn’s bc my stomach isn’t being affected except that I’m getting horrible stomach pain like when I first got sick without all the other gross issues lol.  I call it my Freddy Kruger fingers stomach pain lol.  The crazy chest pain I was having is a lot better though.  Even when you know it’s POTS, it’s still scary to have it none the less, and it was lasting for almost 2 weeks!  Freaked me out, but now it’s just little bits of pain every once in a while not none stop

Tuesday, I go in to see the Neurologist.  I’m excited, but not wanting to be too hopeful.  I hear he usually only does studies on potsy’s at MacMaster Uni. so I don’t know if he will do much if anything for me, while I have a Cardiologist.  I’m hoping if anything, he will do more autonomic testing on me… but not too sure.  Will be interesting to see though what all he knows!

Alright, will write soon, but maybe not right away after the appointment with the move coming up.  Will see what kind of time I have in between, otherwise, will write from my new place

Later Gaters!

Ash,

ZzzzZZZZzzzzz

I cannot believe how pooped out I am today!  I am literally dragging my butt everywhere it seems lol.

 

Zeus is more than ready to move too I think!

I’ve been dealing with ODSP (Ontario Disability) getting all the proper information to them about the move for March 1st.  I was very stressed before not knowing if they would fund movers for me or not.  You’re allotted so much money for moving every two years, but they’re so picky about the prices for things, I didn’t know if they’d approve anything I sent them.  Thankfully thanks to my social service worker, Susan, I now have movers through the housing department at her work, who are doing this for me for free!  I couldn’t believe they offered to do this for me.  Not only that, but they will help clean up this apartment once I’m all moved out.

Like I mentioned before, I had been feeling pretty good and getting things packed.  Amanda and Nick came over and she packed like six boxes of movies and books, and bags and bags of clothes, coats, bedding, etc.  I felt horrible, but after they left I packed about four more boxes!  Now I am spent.  I feel like complete garbage and have nothing left of me now.

Susan’s student Aariha … I think it is, came by yesterday and ran me over to the dentist to sign some forms for them to get a hold of my cardiologist, and I got  home and could barely sit up to eat my lunch.  I think my Crohn’s is giving me a bit of a kick and that’s why I’m feeling a little worse for wear.  Indigestion and more pain than usual in my stomach, and lots of back and knee pain too along with the chest and heart palpitations.  So much for thinking for 3 whole days that Bisoprolol is working lol.  The medicine from my G.I.’s is definitely working bc it was no where near as bad as it normally gets, but definitely did affect me.

I will most definitely be moving before March 1st.  They’re basically waiting, bc the owner is redoing the bathroom floor, and putting in new washers and dryers in the building, and then I can move whenever I want!  Which I think is a great thing now, bc my sister found mold growing outside my apartment in the hallway!  Disgusting!  No wonder I’ve felt so badly since living here!

The other night (I found this pretty amusing) the drunk guy, who I have to be honest, I thought had turrets LOL not a funny thing to have, but funny I thought this, when in reality it’s just his drunken slur.  Anyway, he was out in the hallway around 3am.  I had woken up around 1am and couldn’t sleep so I was watching Iron Man.  I went to the peep hole at my door and saw him swaying all over the place half making crying noises, half angry noises and he was banging on a door to get it… this is the same apartment who set a turkey on fire, evacuating the entire building, but they refused to come out of their apartment until the fire department made them lol.  This is also the same man who was banging on the laundry room door to get in a week before instead of his own apartment!  I didn’t think anything of it, and I just ignored him and went back to my movie.  I hear him go outside and bc my bathroom light was on from when I got up, he started smashing it!!!  Not an easy window to get at either, bc it’s partially under ground, so he had to literally get on his hands and knees and lean in, and punched it like a wild man!  I grabbed the phone bc I was afraid I’d have to call the cops, but he soon stopped and came back in and passed out on the floor outside his apartment crying lol.

Besides all that craziness, things are going great!  I just need my health to give me a little nice boost of energy to keep going until this move is over.

I go to the dentist next week for my cavities and teeth cleaning EEEEEKKKK!  And then to my family doctor.  Then next month, I see the Neurologist/ Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome specialist!!!!!  I can’t wait to work with him!  I will also at some point in February be seeing my Cardiologist.  I heard from his secretary yesterday and I am good to go with the dentist without any worries.

Take Care

Ash,

 

Insomnia Monday… No Wait Wednesday lol

Okay I’m totally out of it.. and as the title shows on NO sleep.  I apologize in advance to my horrible writing mistakes in this post bc even though there is a spell checker, I’m notorious for putting wrong words spelt right in the wrong spot… now you’re feeling as confused as I am aren’t you? Good… I’m not alone then.

So I had 3 great days.  The 3 best days I’ve had in about 5 years.  I felt good, had some boxes and some Christmas crazy going on in the apartment and I just went nuts packing stuff.  My place feels hollow now and very echoy… sadly my neighbors sex life has seemed to become more echoy as well *shudders*

Susan my Social Service Worker, has a new student Aristha or something and every time I say it, I’m saying a totally different name lol.  She’s older, which I like.  And she and Susan came by today for me to meet her.  Aristha or whatever she is, is coming by tomorrow for her first session with me.  Zeus made it very clear she digusts him and wouldn’t let her go near him without flailing and running off to the tub to scream his usual grumpy rant.  Mind you bc I didn’t sleep… that means he didn’t either.

I got rid of a whole whack load of more stuff on the Free Cycle site.  Google it bitches, bc you can get and give away free stuff in your city.  Such a great idea, bc it saves so many items from going to the dump, and helps many people who don’t have a lot of money.  I’ve gotten some stupid items that turned out to be more of a pain, and I’ve gotten great things too like my bread maker which I love!  Definitely recommend it.  The only thing I’m waiting to give away now is my couch.

I’ve been reading a LOT lately.  I finished up the new CSI digi novel which was amazing!  Also read Bitch in the Kitch and the first of the series… cannot remember its name and I lent it to my step mom to borrow.  It’s about all the interesting facts to do with food with a lot of sarcasm and swearing thrown in… perfection.  Changed my whole ideal on eating and cooking too!  Bitch in the Kitch is actually one of the cookbooks so you’d want to read the first book obviously before buying it.  So funny too.  I’ve also finished one of the free novels I got with my Kobo.. The Preacher’s something or other.  Good but wouldn’t bother to recommend it to anyone.  And am now reading everything Edgar Allen Poe has ever written lol.  I love his short stories especially!  Oh!  And read the play, The Importance of Being Ernest… omg I LOVE it!  I wish it was longer, and that I could see it performed live!

Anyway, besides that I’ve been on the phone like a fat kid clings to the refrigerator and I hate it lol.  I hate the telephone!  So many little things disability needs done.  Proving that I’m moving bc of health conditions, proving I am approved and actually moving to the new apartment… weirdos.  And getting quotes sent over to them for movers.  What do they care so long as I give them a receipt?  Which they’ll need too lol.

Also been on the phone starting my month of doctors appointment bookings!  Had a horrible time getting a hold of anyone of Christmas and the week after.  My family doctor for my knee and fibromyalgia, and my sleep study.. Susan is taking me as well to see what all my tests have said since my numb brain won’t remember everything.  Then I have to run to the dentist on Monday with the student social service worker (the same program I’m in) and sign a consent for my needle poking dentist to get a hold of my Cardiologist.  Since he NEVER phones me back! Grrrrr.    As well the Crohn’s Disease dudes to make my check up appointment… yes it’s been almost a month on these new pills.  They are now helping greatly with the heart burn and acid burn in the stomach, BUT I still have nerve damage pain that doesn’t seem to go away no matter what they give me… except Amytripline which I can’t take thanx to Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.

So a lot of my facebook, etc. friends have noticed me being absent a lot.  A big part of it was just all the holiday business and being with family a lot.  And now my computer which has always been a piece of crap is getting even worse!  To write an email on facebook, I literally have to wait a good 20 minutes after I’ve finished typing it, for the computer to actually input it onto the screen!  It’s insane!  Surprisingly, knock on wood, this program so far isn’t being effected, but hotmail, facebook and yahoo mail seems to be very hard to manouver around without a lot of swearing and giving up to go sit on the couch and try it again later.

I hope you’re all well and not still pooped out from the holidays!  We all seem to slowly but surely coming back to our normal crappy selves lol.  Xo!

Ash,

I’m Moving!

I finally got all the Christmas photos from everyone, but my sis so I can show some on here!

Great news though!  I went to look at the apartment I’d been waiting to see, and it’s so nice!  Flat gray carpet in the living room, old hardwood floors in the bedroom, and tile everywhere else.  There’s two big windows in the front, and one in the bedroom.  VERY small, but enough room for everything I’m keeping.  The only difference will be I’m taking my love seat, instead of the couch.

The kitchen in bigger than the one I have now, so tons of room to roll around in my walker or wheel chair.  There’s no dining room, but room in the living room to the side for my table still.  I will have to get a coat rack bc there’s no closet when you first come in.

Off the bedroom, there is a big walk in closet which will be great for storage too, and the bathroom has shelving for my towels, etc. plus another shelving area for my toiletries, etc.  The walk in shower is actually a really nice big one, so there’s definitely room for my shower chair in there.  It sucks there’s no bath, but I don’t mind since POTS makes it hard to take baths anyway.

In the front yard there’s flower beds with trees and plants, plus room for me to set out a little tables and my lawn chairs.  None of the other apartments are back there either, so it works out.  Plus now there probably is a laundry room right off my apartment.  I just have to walk around back to get to it which isn’t far.  It’s less than a half a block to the nearest bus stop, which is actually the bus I take from my place here, so I know the times.  Garbage is the same day, I just have to pay for my tags, which is cool for the little amount of garbage I have each week.

I’ll be moving in March 1st.  Since I’ve been here over two years, disability will help me pay for movers.  Susan, my Social Service Worker, wants me to get movers that will pack and unpack my things, but I don’t think I’ll be doing that.  I am definitely going to need help getting stuff off top shelves down, but if I sit and pace myself, I think I can do it.  I do have to start getting rid of stuff soon though.  Thankfully Amanda is taking a lot of it!

On the 26th, Boxing Day, Amanda and I went to spend our gift certificates.  I spent mine at Walmart, on a new memory foam pillow, and some lipstick and mascara.

Anyway, just wanted to update.  I hope you all have a great New Years!

Ash,