No adventures this weekend, instead, we’ve spent at home chilling, and ticking off essential jobs which needed to be done. As much as I love getting away on the weekends in Casper, I also love having weekends at home. We’re quite busy at the minute too, as we’re starting the process of renovating our house, which is all so exciting! We’ve had this house since January, but with the wedding and honeymoon, we’ve not had time to do any work to it. But now we’ve got the time, we can finally start turning our house into a home.
Honestly, this week I do not have a lot to write about. It’s been a great week with the wolf! I feel like we’re best friends at the minute. Other than suffering from a bit of sinus trouble, feeling a bit unwell in the heat on Thursday, and a rash that is starting to appear on my arms from the sun, he’s been really good to me. I just really hope it continues!
Ultrasound
Next week I will have a lot more to write about! My week starts with an early morning ultrasound on my abdomen, with a Doppler test. A Doppler test will test the flow of blood getting into each of my organs, including my liver. To be fair my liver readings have improved since I had the higher dose of steroids back in April. So I guess my liver was inflamed, which caused the high ALT, and the steroids have done their job and reduced the inflammation. Which is good news! I think also they want to check my other organs too, to check if my stomach problems are all coming from my stomach and not somewhere else, which I am 99% sure is. But I guess it’s always good to check!
Gastro
Monday afternoon I’ve got my Gastro appointment. This appointment I am not looking forward to. Basically, my high dose of PPIs is damaging my digestive system, along with all the medication I take. Rheumatology doesn’t want to change my medication as it’s working well to control my illness and I do agree. I would be scared to change my medication, especially after how well I’ve been feeling this year as a whole. Probably the best year yet, with my illness!
Gastro last time said to me there’s not a lot they can do, I basically have to just accept it and live on a very restrictive diet for the rest of my life. However, they did up my PPIs, so help to reduce the acid in my stomach. This has worked well but now caused more food sensitivities for me, as it’s reduced my 3 main digestive enzymes. You need the digestive enzymes to actually be able to digest food.
So now basically Rhuemtalogy have written to Gastro and requested more needs to be done. So it will be interesting to see what they will say tomorrow. Honestly, I do not know what they can do! They could supplement me with digestive enzymes, but if I take them at the same time as my PPIs, they are going to block them from working, as they do already with my natural ones. So that will probably be a waste of time. Plus I really don’t need to be taking my medication.
Then there’s my hiatus hernia which doesn’t help the situation too!
Smear Test
On Wednesday, I’ve got my yearly smear test. I have to get them done yearly, as being immunocompromised increases your risk of cervical cancer. Every year I test positive for the HPV virus and have abnormal cells. I always end up having to go to the hospital for further investigation and often up needing a biopsy. It’s never fun, but important to have done! Maybe this year it might be different? We can only hope!
Anyways, that’s it from me this week.
Until next week,
Goodbye for now
Emma
xox
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