Got so much going on with my health at the minute! So here is a bit of an update on everything……
Yesterday, I picked up my new glasses with my new prisms in them. Honestly, it’s great to be able to see more clearly again! But today, my eyes are tired and sore. I’m really struggling to focus on this laptop screen so I apologise if it’s got spelling and grammar mistakes. I’m just going to write it and publish it! My eyes are just too sore to read what I am writing.
Whenever you get a new pair of prisms, it can take a couple of days for your eyes to get used to them. But this time they’ve also had to change how my prism lays in my glasses, due to the strength or something. So they said, I probably will take a little longer to adjust than normal.
Cryotherapy
I don’t know if you remember, but about a year ago, I mentioned about the nasty verruca’s on my feet. Well a year on, I’m still struggling with them. They have got bigger, have spread more, and are painful to walk on every day. I’ve tried so many different over-the-counter products. They have all just left my feet red roar, and sore. Which is a worry for someone with poor circulation and immunocompromised.
I have a great nurse at doctors! She has been fighting for funding for me since October, for Cryotherapy treatment. Apparently, it’s something they do not do on the NHS anymore. But because of all my complications, she’s finally managed to get funding for me. However, I have just been reading up about Cryotherapy treatment for Benign Plantar Warts (verruca’s). It quite clearly says they do not like to perform it on people’s feet with low oxygen supply. I really hope after all this fighting, they don’t say no to me! Not sure what else they can do for me?
Honestly, I just want them gone! I want to be able to walk pain-free again! You’re probably thinking, how do I manage all this hiking with the feet in the state they are? Honestly, you just get used to the pain!
ENT
At the back end of last year, I had an appointment with ENT about my sinuses. For anyone who doesn’t know, I suffer from Chronic Sinusitis and have done for many years now. It’s triggered by my Sjogren’s. I try and manage it with my steroid nasal spray, over-the-counter medications, and nasal rinses. However, they questioned if surgery may be an option to remove some of the inflamed tissue in my sinuses.
After doing further investigations, outlaying the risk and benefits, they have decided putting me through surgery wouldn’t be beneficial enough. Since my Chronic Sinusitis is triggered by my Sjogren’s, the inflamed tissues would just return back too quickly. So all I can do is just keep managing it as I do!
Honestly, grateful I don’t have to go through surgery, as it’s never pleasant. However, it’s left me feeling a bit deflated knowing I have to keep on struggling as I do with them. It’s a battle that’s never going to come to an end!
My Asthma
Just before Christmas, I was prescribed Montelukast tablets to take along the side of my inhalers. I noticed my Asthma did improve, but very shortly after, I was hit with Covid. This left my chest in a bad state for weeks on end. So it was hard to fully tell if the tablets were helping or not, with my chest being inflamed from Covid.
This last week, it’s the first time my chest has felt back to its ‘normal’ self since having Covid. It’s been great! But then today, it’s got worse! All day long I’ve been struggling with my chest, using my blue inhaler lots. I’ve been trying to work out what’s caused it to become inflamed again. It’s only just dawned on me, I forgot to take my Montelukast tablets last night. So if my chest is ok tomorrow, after taking tonight’s dose, I will know the tablets are doing a fabulous job! If not, well…….I give up with my chest!
That’s it from me this week. Next week I see my Rheumatologist. Discussions and decisions are going to be made about what to do about my steroids. I was meant to try reducing them by 0.5mg last year, but it never happened due to ill health. They are eager to get my steroid dosage down, due to the dangers. But at the same time, it’s one of the hardest things to do, both mentally and physically. The scary part is, not knowing if my adrenal glands will kick in as I reduce my steroids. If they don’t, I will become very poorly very quickly. So as you can imagine, there is a lot of anxiety around it!
On Wednesday, we are hoping to get away in the van for a few days. We are looking at going down to the Brecon Beacons. Somewhere, I’ve never actually been! So I’m pretty excited to see what that part of Wales has to offer! If we do go away, I probably won’t write a blog next Sunday.
Until next time,
Goodbye for now
Emma
xox
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