This morning, the blood vampires took 15 vails of my blood. Tuesday I saw an Endocrinologist to figure out the possible reasons why I keep lose weight and irregular menstrual cycle.  She ordered blood tests to check my:

• Vitamin B12  

• Methylmalonic Acid:  This can help diagnose an early or mild vitamin b12 deficient. MMA is a substance produced in very small amounts in the body. It is necessary for metabolism and energy production.

• Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy: Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium and maintain strong bones throughout your entire life.This test is the best way to monitor vitamin D levels. People who suffer from diseases  that affects the intestines such as,  Celiac Disease and Chrons Disease,  are prone to having a Vitamin D deficiency. 

• Prolactin: This is produced by the pituitary gland in the brain.Symptoms of prolactinoma in women include; unexplained headaches, visual impairment, galactorrhea, or lactation outside of childbirth or nursing, pain or discomfort during sex, abnormal growth of body and facial hair, abnormal acne. 

• Lh+FSH (FSH): Test for follicle-stimulating hormone, a hormone associated with reproduction and the development of eggs in women and sperm in men. The test may be used with other hormone tests such as luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, estradiol, and/or progesterone to help: Determine the cause of infertility, diagnose conditions associated with dysfunctions of the ovaries aid in the diagnosis of pituitary or hypothalamus disorders, which can affect FSH production. In women, FSH levels are also useful in the investigation of menstrual irregularities, predicting onset or confirmation of menopause.

• Estradiol: It plays a role in; growth of the womb, fallopian tubes, and vagina, breast development, changes of the outer genitals, distribution of body fat. This test can check: 1. How well your ovaries, placenta, or adrenal glands work. 2. Signs of ovarian tumor. 3.  If male or female body characteristics are not developing normally. 4. If your periods have stopped.

• CBC- Complete Blood Count

• Testosterone: Testosterone is the main sex hormone in men. Although it is considered to be a “male” sex hormone, it is present in the blood of both males and females. Testosterone test may be used to help evaluate conditions such as: Delayed puberty in boys. Decreased sex drive in men and women. Erectile dysfunction in men, infertility in men and women. Hypothalamus or pituitary disorders, hirsutism and virilization in girls and women.

• Dhea-sulfate: evaluate adrenal gland function, help diagnose tumors in the outer layer of the adrenal gland and adrenal cancer.

• 17-Hydroxyprogesterone, Quantitative:  measures the amount of 17-OH progesterone. This is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands and sex glands.

• Acth, Plasma- measures the level of adrenocorticotropic hormone in the blood. It’s a hormone released from the pituitary gland in the brain. The main function of ACTH is to regulate the steroid hormone cortisol. Cortisol is released by the adrenal gland. It regulates blood pressure and blood sugar. This can help find the causes of certain hormone problems.

• Cortisol, Am:  Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands. Whenever you experience something your body perceives as a threat, like a large dog barking at you, a chemical known as ACTH is released in your brain. This triggers your adrenal glands to release cortisol and adrenalin. It is the main hormone involved in stress and the fight-or-flight response. This is a natural and protective response. There are certain diseases, which affect the amount of cortisol your adrenal gland produces. This test is used in the diagnosis of these diseases and as a way to assess the functioning of the adrenal and pituitary glands. Addison’s disease and Cushings disease.

• TSH:  a thyroid-stimulating hormones is used to check for thyroid gland problems. TSH is produced when the hypothalamus releases a substance called thyrotropin-releasing hormone. TRH then triggers the pituitary gland to release TSH.

• T3:  a free or total triiodothyronine test is used to assess thyroid function. Used to diagnose hyperthyroidism and may be ordered to help monitor treatment of a person with known thyroid disease.

• T4:  is a hormone that plays a role in several body functions, including growth and metabolism. This helps in diagnosing hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), hypopituitarism (underactive pituitary gland), thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (occasional muscle weakness caused by high levels of thyroid hormone).

• CMP: Comprehensive metabolic panel is a blood test that measures your sugar (glucose) level, electrolyte and fluid balance, kidney function, and liver function.

• Ferritin: is a protein that stores iron, releasing it when your body needs it.  The greatest concentrations of ferritin are typically in the cells of the liver (known as hepatocytes) and immune system (known as reticuloendothelial cells). 

• Celiac Disease Comprehensive Panel

These are all the things my doctor is checking. I will keep you posted on results. She diagnosed me with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Pituitary and  Adrenal Failure. 

Almost Killed a Nurse

My stomach is getting worse. After my appendix was removed a couple of months later I started having problems around my lower stomach area. It now has spread all over my stomach, but the worse area is the sides and lower part of my stomach.  

Once school ended I decided I should get it looked at. I went to my Gastro doctor where I live. It has been ten years since my last Endoscopy and Colonoscopy. To my surprise, she didn't even want to do the basic testing to figure out what is going on. She decided to send me to the University of Michigan Hospital's Gastro department. I was hot because she kept saying things like, "Graduating from college adds a lot of stress to your life." Basically, she told me its just stress and IBS. IBS is a catch-all. It is when a doctor doesn't want to deal with figuring out what is going on or has no clue what is going on they will diagnose it as IBS.  I wasn't happy at all.
        Saturday I drove from Grand Rapids, Michigan to the University of Michigan. I had a horrid nurse experience.  Please pardon my language. She poked me 8 times and I finally said, "I want someone else." She then goes on saying "If you don't have me do it then you won't be getting your CT Scan today." I replied crying and pissed off at the same time. I said to her, "I am not leaving this F**ing spot and I am getting this F** x-ray done right now. I didn't suffer for two days with the steroid prep for and drank the nasty shit to have to come back and do it all over again because you f**ing suck as a nurse and who won't call in someone else to do. If you leave this eighth needle in my arm and its not fully in the vein, which it isn't, and the contrast causes damages to my arm I will sue your ass. Not the hospital. YOU." She then pulls out the eighth needle, which was hanging out of my arm bleeding all over the place, and goes to get someone else. The CT Scan nurse cames in and gets in one try. Asshole nurse you should have called her in sooner after the third try when I asked you nicely. I am not a person that has a temper. I feel like I am such an evil person for getting so upset, but when you have Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy it can be scary especially when I started feeling the RSD pain spreading into my arms. 

Have you ever had a bad nurse experience? Let me know make a comment. 

Pain Medication Attitude

I feel like I am a coward and mental because I take pain medications. 
I especially feel this way when I talk to people about my pain and they quickly reply by saying "my sister (or someone they know) had back pain and her doctor put her on alot of pain medications like you and she ended up getting addicted to it. We pushed her to see a different doctor and that new doctor got her off all the pain medications. Ever since she got off from all her pain medications she is so much better. If she can do it I sure know you can. You should really think about getting off from them."

First off, back pain is nothing compared to RSD/CRPS pain. 

Secondly, our society is using the word addiction wrong!  I take pain medications on a daily bases, but I am not addicted. I am dependent. My friend would say, "yes you are." I reply back, "No I am not." I got into explaining why. 

Addiction is when you take way more then prescribed. You go to different doctors to get more pills. You buy off the streets. You do whatever you have to do get that medication. 

Most people who take it and take it right is Dependent. I am depended on it. If I go off from it I will have withdrawal. After so many years I may have to increase the dosage, but not because I crave it but because my body gets use to that dosage. 

I am not even close to being addicted because I take less then what I am prescribed. I hate the feeling of pain medications. I don't know why the hell people what to take this stuff and especially at a huge dose. 

Another thing back pain, RA, even cancer pain is nothing compared to RSD/CRPS.  You can sit there and argue with me, but studies have proved that. 
http://www.rsdhope.org/mcgill-pain-index---where-is-crps-pain-ranked.html

This second graph came out of the Int J Womens Health (2010)'s article Advances in labor analgesia

vAffiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
http://openi.nlm.nih.gov/detailedresult.php?img=2971706_ijwh-1-139f1&req=4

So as you can see RSD/CRPS is off the scale. I wish I could say it is around the toothache or even cancer pain, but sadly it isn't. That is why we need to get a cure or just some awareness. 

I am so tired of people looking at me like I am making up my pain to get pain medications. 

 If you look at me you would have no clue I am dealing with burning pain and knifes being stabbed all over my body. 

I already feel like I am a loser of a person inside because I am 29 years old and have to take all this medication. I take more medications then my grandmother. I also have to have my mom drive me to places sometimes. I have to live with my parents because of all my medical expenses and student loans. I have been able to work because I can't work and do school all at the same time.  But how dare you tell me that if my sister with back pain can go off from all pain medications why can't you?.  

Everyone deals with pain differently.  I am a stubborn person who tries very hard to not let the pain take over my life and dreams.  I may not be able to load my day like most others and like I use to but I still will fill my schedule up as much as I can handle.  I am still going to work towards my goals of working in the creative industry of film and theatre. I may have to do it different then most, but I still going to do it. I know this will be hard because I am competing against healthy people, but the one thing they don't bring to the table is life, determination and perseverance.