Wendi Update

Everyone has been asking how all my medical stuff is going, so I thought I'd share the latest in my quest for answers... (for anyone out of the loop, feel free to scroll down to the January 18th post, and work your way back to present day to get the scoop).

Right now I have good days and bad days...and sometimes good days can turn into bad ones VERY quickly without notice. Overall...I am noticing some improvements in the symptoms, but just when I get my hopes up that it's getting better...I get hit with a whammy that makes me realize...I am NOT better. I am more frustrated than anyone could ever know!!!!

Last Thursday I went to the Endocrinologist. He drew a bunch of blood from me, and results should come back in today. He told me I have something called Hashimoto's Disease. "Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder in which your immune system inappropriately attacks your thyroid gland, causing damage to your thyroid cells and upsetting the balance of chemical reactions in your body. The inflammation caused by Hashimoto's disease, also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, often leads to an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). Hashimoto's disease is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States." I will remain on the same thyroid med that I am currently on until the blood work numbers come back.

Monday I went to see a Neurologist. The Neurologist is sending me for an MRI of the brain. I am going tomorrow. He says it does look like I could have indeed had a small stroke (TIA), during all this. If I were to guess, I would say it probably was the night I was carted away in the ambulance. He said one side of my face is slightly droopier than the other, there is some numbness in my feet, and I have been quite klutzy lately dropping stuff constantly...also I've been getting occular migraines, not to mention all the visual/dizzy stuff on top of all the heart stuff (tachycardia). I do have a history of seizures too, so after the MRI, he will most likely be doing an EEG as well. As he was checking me over, he looked at the inside of my arms, and said he wants to do blood work, because I have some signs of a possible auto-immune disease. Funny, because the Endocrinologist just told me about the Hashimotos Disease, which is an auto-immune disease...Hmmmm. So I am going to be getting a bunch of blood work done in the next few days.

I went to the Ophthalmologist yesterday, and my vision is actually 20/20...so that is good...but they said when the brain endures trauma, it can react in different ways...DUH!!!!!

I've been wearing a heart monitor 24 hours a day for 2 weeks now, and have one more week to go. Next Tuesday, I go back to the Cardiologist to discuss the results. Can you say HOLY CO-PAYMENTS BATMAN!!!!!

Anyway, the Cardiologist, Neurologist, and Endocrinologist will all be working together like a team to try and figure all this out. In the meantime, I am still not supposed to drive. Poor kids are still stuck in the house. I'd have a play date or something, but just really don't think I have the energy yet to deal with entertaining people. Hopefully in the coming days/weeks the snow will clear..and it will warm up enough to play in the backyard at least. Until then, I am at Stu's mercy to cart me around wherever I need to go.

I really just want my LIFE back...and my Independence!!! I want to be my old energetic and peppy self again!!!! And I want my kids to be able to do all the things we are used to doing outside of the home!!!!

Thank you to everyone for your support during all of this. It really means a lot to know people care.