Making the switch

Making the switch to Mid-Shift is pretty much miserable. Aaron was on Day shift the first month and a half we were here. Then when most of his AMU got deployed they moved the guys from the 89th over to the 91st. Once there they switched him to Swing shift where he was going in at 3 in the afternoon and getting off at about midnight. Not my favorite shift, but not awful either. Then only 2 weeks later they told him he was going to Mid-Shift (they told him wednesday) so he worked friday from 11 to 7 and on Sunday he has to go in at midnight, that gives us roughly 40 hours to switch from sleeping from from midnight to 9 to being awake all night and sleeping during the day. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot??? Yes this is what we give up as military families. Normally when you have a shift change IRL they give you a week's notice or more so that you can start making changes...oh no, not the military...lol. Oh well, Aaron is taking a short nap because we woke up at 10 today and it is already 1:30 AM. Ugghh. Shoot me now.

Dear Tricare

Dear Tricare,

Thanks for the run around, when someone is experiencing, numbness, tingling, fatigue, dizziness and any other number of symptoms, I'm sure protocol is to give them more red tape than they thought imaginable. I really appreciate not being able to see someone until november, and not being able to get the tests that I need without having everyone and their mom approve it. What's better, is that I live an hour from every single doctor you have referred me to, and gas is getting pretty expensive, wouldn't it be cheaper for you to approve a one day free for all, so I can get some answers and you can quit having to file all that paperwork? I'm just guessing here, but I'm sure the thinking behind all this is that it will weed out the people who don't really need treatment, But once a person proves that they are willing to go through all this, can't you offer some way to make it easier on the sick person? No? Okay then, I guess we will keep dancing this tango until I get some answers.

Still No Answers

I went to the doctor today, who told me I needed to be seen by a neurologist...well duh! I told him I had an appointment in november, and he couldn't believe they couldn't see me sooner. He decided to start ordering tests to see if we could discover something sooner, and be seen earlier. He ordered an MRI of my lower spine, and some bloodwork, So we are still waiting.

Still biding our time until we find out what's wrong, and how we can treat it.

Do you ever wish...

for a new body? I'm not talking about upgrades, bigger boobs, thinner thighs, or blonde hair. I mean the same body, just better. I tell Aaron all the time that I wish I could trade my legs in for new ones. My back is always aching, i don't want a better looking body, I just want one that works without hurting, or going numb. I Wish I could trade this one in for one with out flaws, one who's synapsis' work the way they are supposed to work.

These are the things that run through my mind at midnight when I'm trying to go to sleep. This is my biggest wish. To have a body that works the way I'd like it to. Or to have a body that moves without pain. I imagine sometimes when the medicines are working how it would feel to live that way all day everyday, instead of only the 30 minutes of freedom I get at night before I fall asleep. The other problem is that the medicine makes me so tired, and when fatigue is one of your big problems, medicine that makes you sleepy is another big no no, during the day.

I am hoping the doctor tomorrow will have something for me, that will help me be able to get through the day in a way that I can get stuff done. Here is to tomorrow! Here is hoping that he has some answers, and a treatment plan.

Have I told you my husband is going deaf?

Well at the risk of sounding repetitive. Aaron is going deaf. His job in the air froce requires him to have almost perfect hearing. Every two years they require he take and pass a hearing test. This year he failed it...horribly. He failed it so bad that he isn't qualified to do the majority of the jobs in the air force. In fact there is a list of 5 jobs he is eligible to do, flight attendant being one of them. Well so much for being a crew chief for another few years before cross-training. It's lookinglike we are going to be doing that sooner rather than later. At least he is willing to do this. I love my husband more than anything, because he is dedicated to us, and doing what he can to keep us in a house and with health care. I love my husband, even if the cat crying for hours in the middle of the night doesn't even rouse him from his slumber. Even if I have to repeat myself 8 times before he hears me...I love my husband.

Neuro-Surgeon

My doctor also referred me to a neuro-surgeon in the quest for some answers about my current health concerns, and while I can't see my neurologist until November 12th. I have an appointment next Wednesday with a doctor who will hopefully ba able to provide either some answers or at least some options for the treatment of my major symptoms. In this journey I have realized more than a few things, but one of the most important things is this: Trust your own body! If something doesn't seem right, get answers. If you feel your doctor isn't taking you seriously, find someone who listens to you and is willing to search for answers.

November 12th!!!

The first appointment the neurologist had availble was november 12th! That's almost a full 3 months away, and is only 6 short days before my birthday. I'm not sure if there is something wrong I would want to find out on my birthday. I guess sometimes we don't really get a choice on when to be seen, or when to get sick. Here's hoping that if there is something on my MRI that they will squeeze me in sooner.

What do you mean you've never had an MRI?

Well lately I've been having some slight (ok pretty serious) health concerns and today I had my very first test on the road to finding out what is wrong with me. I had an MRI with and without contrast and will hopefully be having an appointment with a neurologist shortly. Apparently Neurologists are so busy that they won't even schedule a patient without an MRI to make sure there is a problem....here's a shocker! There is a problem, even if it doesn't show up, something is causing my falling, tripping, spinning, numbness, and headaches. If it's not my brain I'm not sure what else it could be. Here's hoping that at some point soon I will have an answer and a treatment.

It's that time again...

Time when it's the beginning of the week, and it's a whole nother 4 days till the weekend. Luckily for me, I don't actually have a job, or anything else that requires my personal, special attention. I have the greatest husband in the world and he is letting me stay at home until I have been seen, and figure out what's going on with my legs. They have been acting wonky, and that's not the only problem, however for me it's the most concerning. So right now I'm playing the waiting game, waiting on an MRI, waiting to be seen by the neurologists. I will keep you guys posted as updates become available.

Wait...what do you mean this isn't normal?

I woke up this morning feeling like someone had vacuumed out all my energy. I knew it was going to be a glorious day. So today I'm just going to say this. We are staying at home most of the day. We will go to the grocery store, because we have absolutely no food, except some frozen meat. Here is a picture of my husband standing on the front porch.