Random Tid Bits

1. I have a coworker that says he hates The Beatles music, yet he whistles The Beatles tunes often. Maybe he doesn't know that Joe Cocker's greatest hit was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
   
   Do you have a favorite Beatle? I used to like John because he brought so much creativity to the band, and different sounds to their music. Then I found out that John basically abandoned his son Julian when The Beatles started, and Yoko Ono came into the picture. My interest moved on to Paul. Paul visited Julian often (I have a soft spot when it comes to kids), when his own father didn't visit him. I kind of feel like Paul is pretty cocky. My interest moved to the quiet George. I do like Octopus's Garden and Yellow Submarine, which Ringo was the lead vocal on those songs, he was never a main player in the band, so certainly not my top pick as a favorite. 


My Octopus' Garden



2. I feel for Travis this week and next. His 2 bosses and 1 co-worker are in Mexico. They are all related and there's a family wedding there. Anyhow he's supposed to be the main guy in charge. Ekkk! On top of it all my parents said they were going on a trip last week, but last week turned into this week. They were like, "I think we'll be gone about a week." They didn't seem for certain. They usually help watch the boys a few days a week. This week and next are when his co-workers will be gone. I will have had my Aspirin Desensitization Wed, Thurs, and Fri. I'm pre writing this on Tues. We were hoping my parents could help take and/or pick up Isaak from Basketball Camp Wed, Thurs, and Fri. Thankfully my older sister has offered to help. Travis' plate is overflowing with manning a lab, finishing his art residency, and being a chauffeur for Isaak. I hate that I'm not able to help. 


3. I have no idea what to expect with this Aspirin Desensitization. Will my lungs freak out? Will I be a snotty, blubbery mess? Maybe it will be dripped so slowly into me that nothing much will happen. We shall see. 


4. Because I'll be at the Allergy and Asthma Clinic for 3 days I've gotten 3 email reminders and 3 phone call reminders. I talked to the ENT office because I double booked appointments for Fri. I told them that I may not need to be at the Allergy and Asthma Clinic on Fri. They said the Aspirin Desensitization will take 2 to 3 days. I asked if I should reschedule my ENT appt? They said, "No." Well now I've gotten a phone call and an email asking to confirm my ENT appt. that I don't know if I can be at. 


5.  I've been trying oh so hard to get rid of a cyst on my forehead. I now had a big red dot from the Apple Cider Vinegar. It seems to be rising to the surface more. I just hate the big red dot. 

Check Your Boobies

I'm the Queen of doctor's appointments lately. 

I had an ENT follow up last week to get my nose splints out. That seemed to go fairly smoothly. I did have to talk with Mica when he said, "Hey Trent!" to my doctor. He read his name on the sign when we walked in. I said, "Mica he's Doctor Quinlan."

I guess I don't blame Mica. His guy pediatrician Doctor Francis Harrison says, "Mica come over to see Doc Frankie." He's even said, "Open up for Franny." So his pediatrician is a bit less formal. That's ok. I love Doctor Harrison! He's the best! He's called me back personally when typically a nurse would call, he's stopped off at the hospital when Isaak was there on his way to vacation, he's called to talk to Travis when only I'm around to see him, he's the first to deal with med students, he has his med students research anything out of the normal, he's given my sister his cell phone because of my nephew Emerson's problems, and he's done home visits.

Mica and I had a talk about doctor's, and how they've worked so hard for their title. If they give the ok to call them by their first name, you can do that. Otherwise it's Doctor insert last name.

After work yesterday I went to get my allergy shots. I kept thinking later in the evening, Man I got some mosquito bites on my arm. It didn't dawn on me until later that it was the arm I got the 2 allergy shots in.

Then today I had my OB appointment. I wanted to change the appointment, but she couldn't get me in until Feb. I so wish my allergy/asthma doctor, or my OB doctor were my primary doctor. The only doctor I do not care for is the primary one. He has very little bedside manner, he didn't tell me about my polyps when I went in and told him I see something back there that won't come out, he tells me about his personal life, he's not proactive and rubs me the wrong way. The only reason I've kept him this long is because he's so close to work. I'll be switching him out. My OB doctor gave me some names. She's so much more in tuned with my needs, and asks me about more than just my OB stuff. My only complaint with her is that I have to make an appointment a year in advance to see her.

Here's how the Check Your Boobies talk went:

Doctor: Have you ever thought about getting a mammogram?

Me: Ya because I had a student in her 20s get breast cancer, a guy I went to high school had it last year, my son's Kindergarten teacher got breast cancer, it was by her armpit, so it was hard to detect, and it's not just an older person thing.

Doctor: Some sources say to start getting them at age 40, while other sources say age 50. Your breast tissue is lumpy, so I think you should get one just to be on the safe side. Lumpy doesn't mean anything bad, it's just that there may be something under what I'm feeling. 

Me: Ok sign me up.

So I went upstairs to get my first Mammogram. They'll only call me if anything is wrong. It didn't really hurt, but was a little uncomfortable. Compared to what I've been through lately it wasn't even uncomfortable. It was a breeze.

The biggest awkward thing was when I went to leave. I said, "Thank you for squeezing me in!" because they were busy. Of course Mammograms squeeze your boobies, so I didn't think about what I said until after I said it. It probably wasn't the best choice of words, or maybe it was the perfect choice of words. 

Nose Job! Yikes!

I had my ENT appointment yesterday. The doctor was running behind, per usual. I'm not saying usual with this particular doctor. Just usual with doctors in general. I rushed over there, was nervous about finding it, then had to wait.

It wasn't really a great day for feeling good. It's been raining for 4 days straight. Mica said, "Mom I think you get headaches from the barometric pressure. I've often wondered that. Dang that kid is so smart at times. He's a classic book smart kid, but needs step by step instructions to make his bed.

I figure I should get some selfies before I get my nose job soon. I won't really fix my nose in any way other than to make it straight, and get those polyps out. I haven't noticed in awhile how messed up my deviated septum is because the other side was swollen with polyps. Now that the polyps have gone down my nose looks really off. Day with rain my eyes are horrible!

Off to the side of my face I have a chicken pox scar. Kids always ask what that is because no one really gets chicken pox anymore with the vaccine that's available.

Nurse's First Question:

"Have you had a CT scan lately?"

Me:

"No." The last one I had was 11 1/2 years ago when I was prego with Mica. He was breech, I was low on fluid, my birth canal was tilted funny, so they wanted to see if there was room to have him if they got him turned around. There was room, but they couldn't get him to turn. Never try to have a doctor turn a baby from the outside. Opt for the C-section. There's my advice for the day. It hurt worse than the epidural, or post C-section + it puts stress on the baby. What was I thinking?

Anyhow I didn't tell the nurse all of that. I'm pretty sure 11 1/2 years ago isn't a recent CT scan, nor does it have anything to do with my nose.

CT Scan: 

I was thinking, Oh God this is going to be a hassle + expensive. I'm sure that later part is still true. Hassle not so much. They had a scanner right there in the office.

See all the grey. There's suppose to be white spots in there. Yep polyps have taken over where I can't see them. :(

Check out my nose! It gets even more crooked inside!

Eye Sight Loss Scare:

All the grey by my eye is polyps. Yep if he digs in to get them out, and hits my eye I'll have seeing problems afterwards.

Meningitis Scare:

Do you see the thin line of white? That's bone. Below that is all polyps. If he hits that bone I could get Meningitis. He asked me if I knew what Meningitis is? Umm yep! Isaak had that at 2 months of age! I know how scary it can be. It can cause hearing loss, and brain damage. Not to mention high fevers, high white blood cell count, and pressure on the brain. Fun stuff! Not! Sometime ignorance is bliss.

Polyps central.

My messed up nose!

It has to be sawed, and put back together like a jigsaw puzzle.

I know they have to tell you everything. Travis wants to know everything. He wants to look it up, study it. He's already read all about Septoplasty - Deviated Septum Surgery. He's watched YouTube videos on it. Me on the other hand, I usually like to research the heck out of things. I'm not feeling it with this. It makes me more worried. I'm not saying I can't handle the information. Put it on the table. I'm not about to go look up what he's going to hack away. 

He'll do a CT Scan, while the surgery goes on. That way he can see what he's doing.

He wants my allergies to be up to par because I can't blow my nose for 3 weeks after having this done. I'll miss 2 weeks of work, but will not be recovered for months. Yay! Not!

I'm thinking mid to end of June. Then I won't miss class, I'll have recovery time, I can also be home with the kids and spring allergy season will be over. I'll have to talk to Dr. Shakir - my allergy asthma doctor. 

I was doing great with all this slammed down information. Then a muscle car almost hit me on the way home - all black with bright green wheels was driving pretty fast on the express way. 

Then I started crying after talking to my parents. I could barely get out what to say to my youngest sister mainly because I just talked to my concerned parents. I pulled it together when I talked to my older sister and aunt. They were more, "Oh Alissa you'll feel so much better after this surgery! They have to tell you everything." 

Not quite the nose job I want to have. I really don't even mind my nose. Sure it's crooked, but it's my nose. I've grown to love it through the years. If it's so crooked it's restricting me from breathing it needs to be fixed.

I'm pretty sure the boys are freaked out with all the talk of this stuff. Isaak is usually filled with empathy. He said, "Mom I wish I had a different Mom that didn't have allergies. Then maybe I wouldn't have them. I would have skin problems either." Thanks son. He is a bit right. Kids do say what's on their minds. It really didn't hurt my feelings per say. I agree with him. Allergies, asthma and all this nose stuff sucks!

#Allergy, #Asthma, and #Polyps Oh My

I mentioned I had my big allergy asthma appointment on Monday. I scheduled the appointment at the end of the day, so I wouldn't miss work. I kept them way past their work day, and feel bad for it. They closed at 6:30, but I was there with me from 5:30 to 7:30. Saying the boys and Travis were hungry by the end of my appointment is an understatement. We never eat that late!

History

I haven't been to an Allergist Asthma Specialist, since about 2003 or so. I got shots for about a year. Then their office moved way far away.

My Dad talked about his allergies acclimating themselves - meaning that he got shots for certain things, became less allergic to those certain things, and more allergic to other things.

Before that I got allergy shots when I was a kid from about the age of 4 to about the age of 10. My Mom used to give them to me. She was an RN for years. I was annoyed as an adult because all the sudden I couldn't have my Mom give me my shots. They made me go in the clinic to get them, then wait 20 minutes afterwards to see if I had a reaction. I get it. They didn't want a law suit if someone died from a reaction. At the same time diabetics give themselves shots. They too could have a reaction.

Feeling annoyed about my Dad's allergies acclimating themselves, spending money on shots, gas money on driving, my Mom not able to give me my shots I quit.

Fast Forward to Two Months Ago

I got sick with an upper respiratory infection something. I went to my primary doctor. He gave me some antibiotics, and an inhaler for my asthma. I've been hoarding inhalers in case I need them.

I kept get an asthma attack each and every night. It wouldn't stop. The inhaler gave me relief, but I was puffing one every night. I was so done with it. That lead me to make the appointment to go to the clinic.

Allergist Asthma Specialist

I have a new doctor: Ebrahim Shakir. I love him. Travis said, "Am I going to have to watch you with him?" Ha! No. He is informative, supportive, concerned, and handsome. My husband is handsome as well. :)

He looked in my nose and said, "Has anyone ever told you you have polyps in your nose." I'm like, "No. I thought that was snot." He said, "They are the biggest polyps I've ever seen. I'm going to send you to an ENT. One that I'd only send my own family to. I'm going to treat you with ibuprofen, and allergy meds." I said, "I can't take ibuprofen. I'm allergic to it." He said, "What? What does it do?" I said, "Well I start sneezing, then my lungs close up." He said, "WOW! Well that changes things. You're at high risk for getting polyps because you can't take ibuprofen to reduce swelling for you asthma and allergies." I said, "Well this would explain why I haven't been able to smell anything for a few years."

Medicine:

I'm on 2 inhalers, Zyrtec in the morning, Singular (off brand) at night, a nasal wash at night followed up with Flonase. That is only until I can visit the ENT doctor to discuss surgery to remove the polyps and more than likely fix my deviated septum I've had since birth.

Testing:

I failed the first breathing test. They gave me a breathing treatment, while they testing me for my allergies. I'm 70% down in my breathing for the little branches in the picture. I'm 20% down in the bigger branches. Basically I'm not able to breathe properly. I don't smoke, I'm not around smoke, I don't own any pets, I don't have carpet, and I wash our bedding regularly.

10 minutes of this...

Dr. Shakir questioned if I should do the back prick test at all. He didn't want to throw me into an asthma attack. They decided to do it anyhow. One good thing...I'm not allergic to milk like I thought I was all these years.

...while this was going on.

28, 29 30, and 31 are all grasses.

Luckily it doesn't really hurt to get the back prick test done. It just tickled. My back is really ticklish. It didn't even itch that bad. Maybe I'm just used to itching. Ha! I had my breathing treatment going on, and my kids in the room to take my mind off the itching. 

This is after the test is done, my back is wiped down, and calamine lotion is put on it:

Dr. Shakir says I'm a special case. As if I didn't know that all ready. ;) After I meet with the ENT doctor, I meet again with Dr. Shakir. He has 2 plans of action I could do: 1. I can't remember exactly. 2. Allergy shots. I explained my frustrations with them. He said he could send them to a clinic close to me. 

Right now I'm tired, even when I'm sitting up. I would think steroids would get me moving! I kept falling asleep at 8 last night. Maybe I'm catching up for lost sleep. I also feel like I have small bees buzzing in my head. 

Later in March I see my ENT doctor. I was hoping it was earlier, but nope that's when they could get me in.