Health stuff
May. 9th, 2010 03:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sereneBehind the cuts, numbers and musing, for my records and the interest of people who like reading test results, ya big weirdos ;-)
The endo's trying to get my TSH numbers down to 0.1 for cancer suppression. They had gone up to 0.95 last test, but now they're back down, but only to 0.34, which still isn't low enough, so I expect she'll want to increase my thyroid medication to improve the suppression.
From my perspective, I'd be happy to take more meds -- I mean, I don't want cancer or anything -- except that they put a strain on my heart. What that means lately is that I get chest pains, which I might be able to deal with if they didn't wake me up at night, which they have for the last few nights. I'm getting punchy with lack of sleep, and yuck.
So anyway, she'll increase my meds, but then to control the chest pains, she's also likely to increase my beta blocker, which has its own set of side effects: sometimes lowers blood pressure; can result in nightmares and/or depression.
So I get to have side effects from the medicine to control the side effects from the medicine to suppress cancer. Fun.
And as whiny as that sounds, I'm just so grateful the treatments are available to me, and that I have the money to avail myself of them.
Looks like my next radiation stuff will be in late June or early July, so expect me to be whiny about that once that gets closer, too. ;-)
My GP is a rheumatologist. I picked him for that reason. So he did a bunch of tests and saw that I do have elevated C-reactive protein readings, which indicate inflammation, but that may be from my dental problems. So he ordered a bunch more tests, and while I haven't talked to him about them yet, here's what I know so far:
Abnormal result
ANA (Antinuclear Antibody): Standard Range, negative. My result: positive, pattern 2+ Speck.
Normal-range results
Rhematoid Factor, Serum: Standard Range, <14.0 IU/ml, My result: 5.1
Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide IGG: Standard Range, <20 Units, My result: 5
And my Vitamin D is almost normal, so I don't have rickets any more. ;-)
The endo's trying to get my TSH numbers down to 0.1 for cancer suppression. They had gone up to 0.95 last test, but now they're back down, but only to 0.34, which still isn't low enough, so I expect she'll want to increase my thyroid medication to improve the suppression.
From my perspective, I'd be happy to take more meds -- I mean, I don't want cancer or anything -- except that they put a strain on my heart. What that means lately is that I get chest pains, which I might be able to deal with if they didn't wake me up at night, which they have for the last few nights. I'm getting punchy with lack of sleep, and yuck.
So anyway, she'll increase my meds, but then to control the chest pains, she's also likely to increase my beta blocker, which has its own set of side effects: sometimes lowers blood pressure; can result in nightmares and/or depression.
So I get to have side effects from the medicine to control the side effects from the medicine to suppress cancer. Fun.
And as whiny as that sounds, I'm just so grateful the treatments are available to me, and that I have the money to avail myself of them.
Looks like my next radiation stuff will be in late June or early July, so expect me to be whiny about that once that gets closer, too. ;-)
My GP is a rheumatologist. I picked him for that reason. So he did a bunch of tests and saw that I do have elevated C-reactive protein readings, which indicate inflammation, but that may be from my dental problems. So he ordered a bunch more tests, and while I haven't talked to him about them yet, here's what I know so far:
Abnormal result
ANA (Antinuclear Antibody): Standard Range, negative. My result: positive, pattern 2+ Speck.
An antinuclear antibody (ANA) test measures the amount and pattern of antibodies in your blood that work against your own body (autoimmune reaction).
The body's immune system normally attacks and destroys foreign substances such as bacteria and viruses. But in disorders known as autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks and destroys the body's normal tissues. When a person has an autoimmune disease, the immune system Click here to see an illustration. produces antibodies that attach to the body's own cells as though they were foreign substances, often causing them to be damaged or destroyed. Rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus are examples of autoimmune diseases.
An ANA test is used along with your symptoms, physical examination, and other tests to find an autoimmune disease.
Normal-range results
Rhematoid Factor, Serum: Standard Range, <14.0 IU/ml, My result: 5.1
Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide IGG: Standard Range, <20 Units, My result: 5
And my Vitamin D is almost normal, so I don't have rickets any more. ;-)
no subject
Date: 2010-05-10 01:31 am (UTC)Yes, annoying to have side effects from the meds to handle the first set of side effects, but good that the meds are there at all.
no subject
Date: 2010-05-10 01:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-10 01:42 am (UTC)How are you, toots?
no subject
Date: 2010-05-10 02:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-10 02:48 am (UTC)*sends asper-reuptake serum*
no subject
Date: 2010-05-14 03:00 am (UTC)