The last few months have felt like a blur to me when it comes to Doctor’s appointments. It seems like the healthier I get, the more test and doctor’s appointments they keep sending me to. I’ve felt like a pin cushion lately, going from one specialist to another. I have felt so overwhelmed by this, that I decided to write it down for my journal to keep a record of all of this (crap) oops I mean stuff I've been going through. Now that I can see on paper what I've been through lately, it helps explain my crabbiness and frustration in not getting hardly anything else done. Here’s a re-cap of the last three months of doctor’s appointments I've been going to. Sorry - this will probably be a boring post for most of you!
July 18th – Wednesday – Went to Dr. Darley, an ENT – Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist for my vertigo. He performed the Epley Maneuver (click here to see past post about this). He said that my vertigo (dizziness) was caused by crystals that had gotten loose and were free floating in my vertical canals.
July 25th – Wednesday –
1:30 - Dr. Darley – performed Epley Maneuver again. (Didn’t help the first time).
1:30 - Dr. Darley – performed Epley Maneuver again. (Didn’t help the first time).
3:00 - I receive Avastin every three weeks. Every 6 weeks I either see Dr. Wallentine or his Physician’s Assistant – Joan. This time I saw Dr. Wallentine (my Oncologist Dr.) Every 6 weeks I also get my blood drawn for the CA-125 Test which is a tumor marker. This time my CA-125 was 22. (Normal is 0-35). He referred me to Dr. Groves a Neurologist for my neuropathy, joint pain and vertigo.
August 15th - Wednesday –– Avastin – (No Doctor this time). The reason I get Avastin every 3 weeks is because I am on a clinical trial and they are trying to see if Avastin will help keep the cancer at bay for a little longer before returning, like Ovarian cancer usually does.
Sept. 7th – Friday – Avastin – saw Joan (Dr. Wallentine’s Physician’s Assistant). This time my CA-125 was 13.5 – Yeah!
Sept. 11th – Tuesday – Neurologist – Dr. Groves (referred to by Dr. Wallentine for Neuropathy and Vertigo.) Dr. Groves referred me to the following doctors:
a. MRI on Brain – to check inner ear problems; back for pain
b. Physical Therapist for Vertigo – Alan Nybo
c. Sleep Disorder – Dr. Staheli
d. Glucose Tolerance Test – 2 hours
Sept. 18th – Tuesday –
2:00 p.m. - MRI on my Brain and my back
a. MRI came back with no problem on the brain, disk problem between L4 & L5
2:00 p.m. - MRI on my Brain and my back
a. MRI came back with no problem on the brain, disk problem between L4 & L5
4:00 – Dr. Staheli – Sleep Study Specialist - Evaluated my responses and deemed it necessary for me to take the overnight sleep apnea test.
Sept. 25th – Tuesday – Avastin – (No doctor this time)
Sept. 19th – Wednesday – One Year Anniversary of my Cancer Diagnosis
Oct. 4th – Thursday – 9:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
Overnight Sleep Apnea Test. They wired me up like a Christmas Tree. I had wires all over my head, eyes, chin, chest, waist and legs. (See terrible picture). They woke me up at 1:00 to put on C-PAP – (Continueous Positive Airway Pressure Mask). I asked them if I had stopped breathing and they said they couldn’t tell me anything, other than say that I fulfilled all the requirements to use a C-PAP.
Oct. 9 – Tuesday –
8:30-10:30 – Two hour Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT)
10:45 – Two hour Vertigo evaluation from Alan Nybo - A physical therapist. He put goggles on my eyes and videotaped my eye movement when I turned my head back and forth. He said that I had a very unique problem. My crystals in the inner ear were not free floating in the vertical canals, but they were stuck in the horizontal canal. It is very rare and hard to fix! He prescribed me to flip my head back and forth 10-15 times – 3 times a day. He isn’t sure if that will work. He said it is like having bread crumbs stuck on the edge of a dish towel and the only way to get it out is to flick the dish towel. He wants to see me back in two weeks.
8:30-10:30 – Two hour Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT)
10:45 – Two hour Vertigo evaluation from Alan Nybo - A physical therapist. He put goggles on my eyes and videotaped my eye movement when I turned my head back and forth. He said that I had a very unique problem. My crystals in the inner ear were not free floating in the vertical canals, but they were stuck in the horizontal canal. It is very rare and hard to fix! He prescribed me to flip my head back and forth 10-15 times – 3 times a day. He isn’t sure if that will work. He said it is like having bread crumbs stuck on the edge of a dish towel and the only way to get it out is to flick the dish towel. He wants to see me back in two weeks.
Oct. 12th – Friday - 5 Dr. Appointments
7:30 - C.T. Scan - went fine - will know the results at my Doctor's appointment this next Wednesday. - I get these CT Scans every three months to see if there is any new cancer growth.
10:00 - Mammogram - I get these twice a year, because I tested positive for the BRCA Cancer Gene (which states I have a 87% of getting Breast Cancer before I turn 70. The radiologist looked at my scans and said everything looks great.
11:00 - Flu Shot - at my Cancer Dr's. I got this last year and it helped me not get the things going around.
11:20 - Sleep Study Final Evaluation - Bottom line is that I do have Sleep Apnea and will need to sleep with a C-PAP machine that pushing air into my nose and keeps my mouth shut. This will stop me from snoring, and waking up so much. I should have a better night's sleep and so should Craig. He is excited to be able to sleep better too! I need to meet with Inter Mountain Health Medical Supply next week.
1:00 - Dr. Jones - Family Practice Doctor to find out why my blood sugar count was so high after having the Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT). He reviewed the numbers, 65-109 is normal and mine was 139. The Neurologist who had scheduled this test also scheduled a A1-C Blood test that was actually more accurate and it conflicted with the (GTT). So Dr. Jones feels like the GTT is a false positive and he is going to retest it in a month.
10:00 - Mammogram - I get these twice a year, because I tested positive for the BRCA Cancer Gene (which states I have a 87% of getting Breast Cancer before I turn 70. The radiologist looked at my scans and said everything looks great.
11:00 - Flu Shot - at my Cancer Dr's. I got this last year and it helped me not get the things going around.
11:20 - Sleep Study Final Evaluation - Bottom line is that I do have Sleep Apnea and will need to sleep with a C-PAP machine that pushing air into my nose and keeps my mouth shut. This will stop me from snoring, and waking up so much. I should have a better night's sleep and so should Craig. He is excited to be able to sleep better too! I need to meet with Inter Mountain Health Medical Supply next week.
1:00 - Dr. Jones - Family Practice Doctor to find out why my blood sugar count was so high after having the Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT). He reviewed the numbers, 65-109 is normal and mine was 139. The Neurologist who had scheduled this test also scheduled a A1-C Blood test that was actually more accurate and it conflicted with the (GTT). So Dr. Jones feels like the GTT is a false positive and he is going to retest it in a month.
Oct. 17th – Wednesday –
10:00 - Hearing Test - Mr. Swenson - Found out that I have moderate to severe hearing loss in both ears. He suggested I get hearing aids in both ears! Too bad we don't have any money for that right now. Thank goodness that I can hear most of what I need to. It's the high pitches that are harder to hear.
11:30 - Avastin and meet with Dr. Wallentine. Found out the results of last Friday's CT Scan were excellent. N.E.D. (No Evidence of Disease)! They also took my CA-125 Test and it was down to a 13.2 - the best it's ever been. Yeah!
2:00 - Met with Inter Mountain Health Care to be fit for the C-PAP Machine. Tonight is my first night to wear it. We will see how it goes. I'm trying to have a good attitude about it.
10:00 - Hearing Test - Mr. Swenson - Found out that I have moderate to severe hearing loss in both ears. He suggested I get hearing aids in both ears! Too bad we don't have any money for that right now. Thank goodness that I can hear most of what I need to. It's the high pitches that are harder to hear.
11:30 - Avastin and meet with Dr. Wallentine. Found out the results of last Friday's CT Scan were excellent. N.E.D. (No Evidence of Disease)! They also took my CA-125 Test and it was down to a 13.2 - the best it's ever been. Yeah!
2:00 - Met with Inter Mountain Health Care to be fit for the C-PAP Machine. Tonight is my first night to wear it. We will see how it goes. I'm trying to have a good attitude about it.
Just looking at this schedule gives me a head ache! No wonder I'm exhaused! The only good thing about going to all these doctors is that we have met our deductible and our out of pocket expenses and so most all of these last few weeks have been covered 100%! Even though I sound like I am complaining, I thank my Heavenly Father DAILY for my good health, for modern medicine and for Insurance! Life could be so much worse. :-)
those cpap machines really do work! My mother-in-law and my husband have sleep apnea and both have used one of those machines with great results.
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