Well, two doctor's appointments later, I am feeling quite optimistic and happy!
Yesterday we met with the neurologist and he is expecting a full recovery for me! Woohoo! Never have those words been more beautiful. I put them in the same category as summer, dark chocolate, vacation, music, singing, outdoors, and adventure :)
He drew me a few pictures to really diagram what happened and what he expects to happen. He also changed my pain medications and muscle relaxers, in hopes that they will help and to take me off of one narcotic, which could lead to other problems. He guessed that we are out-of-the-woods, so to speak, as far as a stroke, with a 5% possibility of stroke. He says I'll need to stay on coumadin for 9 months, so that puts us to Novemeber, folks. It will be a very happy Thanksgiving, indeed. I'll go back to him in three months, but will communicate with him prior to then.
When we walked out of his office Jim immediately said, "He is a beast." Jim doesn't give out those compliments lightly. So, you can be that he really is :)
This morning I went to the family doctor, who Jim also thinks is incredible. Side note: Jim went to Honduras with my family doctor and his family last year. He got to see him in many different settings and is just so impressed with how he interacts with patients, other colleagues, medical students, and his own family. Jim basically wants to BE this doctor. And I think he's pretty great, too.
Okay, back to the update.... they checked my INR and it was 2.0!!!!! Yay! This means that I am barely within the range I should be in, but I'm there! And this also means that I don't need to prepare myself for horrible, painful shots of Lovenox every 12 hours! Good, good news.
He also checked my hemoglobin levels to make sure that I am not at risk for anemia and I'm not, yet. We'll continue checking those levels whenever I go in for a visit.
So, those are the wonderful updates. Yup, I'm thrilled. I still have a headache and neck pain, but hopefully the new medications will work their magic. It's still going to be a slow, low-key recovery, but there's an end in sight and a healthy, good prediction comes with it.
We filled out my paperwork for the school system today and he says I can return for full-day work starting on Monday (3/5). By then perhaps the pain will be "under control." The fact is that I may have to live with some for a while. I think I'll tiptoe into work and do some planning and some visiting and prep before then, but that's the deal.
Thank you for your continued support and love! It's time to go lie down now :)
Yesterday we met with the neurologist and he is expecting a full recovery for me! Woohoo! Never have those words been more beautiful. I put them in the same category as summer, dark chocolate, vacation, music, singing, outdoors, and adventure :)
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| Hiking up Mt. Aspiring in Alaska, 2011 Full recovery means I may do this again!? |
He drew me a few pictures to really diagram what happened and what he expects to happen. He also changed my pain medications and muscle relaxers, in hopes that they will help and to take me off of one narcotic, which could lead to other problems. He guessed that we are out-of-the-woods, so to speak, as far as a stroke, with a 5% possibility of stroke. He says I'll need to stay on coumadin for 9 months, so that puts us to Novemeber, folks. It will be a very happy Thanksgiving, indeed. I'll go back to him in three months, but will communicate with him prior to then.
When we walked out of his office Jim immediately said, "He is a beast." Jim doesn't give out those compliments lightly. So, you can be that he really is :)
This morning I went to the family doctor, who Jim also thinks is incredible. Side note: Jim went to Honduras with my family doctor and his family last year. He got to see him in many different settings and is just so impressed with how he interacts with patients, other colleagues, medical students, and his own family. Jim basically wants to BE this doctor. And I think he's pretty great, too.
Okay, back to the update.... they checked my INR and it was 2.0!!!!! Yay! This means that I am barely within the range I should be in, but I'm there! And this also means that I don't need to prepare myself for horrible, painful shots of Lovenox every 12 hours! Good, good news.
He also checked my hemoglobin levels to make sure that I am not at risk for anemia and I'm not, yet. We'll continue checking those levels whenever I go in for a visit.
So, those are the wonderful updates. Yup, I'm thrilled. I still have a headache and neck pain, but hopefully the new medications will work their magic. It's still going to be a slow, low-key recovery, but there's an end in sight and a healthy, good prediction comes with it.
We filled out my paperwork for the school system today and he says I can return for full-day work starting on Monday (3/5). By then perhaps the pain will be "under control." The fact is that I may have to live with some for a while. I think I'll tiptoe into work and do some planning and some visiting and prep before then, but that's the deal.
Thank you for your continued support and love! It's time to go lie down now :)
So glad to hear you're on the up and up!
ReplyDeleteYAY! So glad you have such a positive update! I had to reread the "He is a beast" part... but if you say it's a compliment, then I'll believe you!
ReplyDeleteHooray! So glad to hear the good news! Take care of yourself during the journey to full recovery, restored good health, and many adventures!
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful news! I understand how scary it can be for an outdoorsy-person to think about limiting physical activity and adventure. Very happy to think that you'll be able to recover and get rid of the pain. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Esther!
ReplyDeleteJules- you crack me up. I suppose I hadn't thought about "beast" as something that would be negative, but I guess it could be. But I meant it in the best definition of the word AND that's one of Jim's biggest compliments :)
Vicki- I meant every word I said in that card. Thank you for your ever-flowing support!
Shayne- Yes, you are someone who would totally understand. I really mean it about getting to meet you... let's try!
Kathe, A couple of weeks ago in "The Week" magazine, there was an article about a tourist to this country who was denied entry when he said that he's going to "Destroy New York", meaning that he was going to party hard, (I guess). They had a little contest on what other words could be taken badly. All I remember is the one that said, "I can't wait to crash in New York". (Meaning sleep). I thought of those things when I read the "Beast" comment too. I never heard it before :)
ReplyDeleteSo glad I saved this for my final online activity tonight. Be even better news when you report ehadaches have subsided -- can't wait to read your take on headaches when combined with 6th-graders-- But, of course, yours are angels!
ReplyDeleteall the best,
katherine
Actually, I LOVE this... so, it's more like a 77+ than a 1+! :)
ReplyDelete