Day Eighty-Four...Another Trip to the Doctor

A few months ago, I went to the Walk-in Clinic by my house because I had some pain in my left foot...moreso than normal for being this large. They took x-rays and told me I either had a stress fracture or a chip in my ankle...it was so small, he couldn't quite tell without an MRI. So, he put me in a walking cast and sent me on my merry way, telling me that it should be better in 4 - 6 weeks. Well, I went about 3 weeks and, in an unrelated appointment, was advised by my chiropractor to see a podiatrist because that area of the foot is not one that should be left to heal on it's own. So, I made an appointment with the podiatrist to whom my chiropractor referred me.

And today was that appointment...about 4 weeks after I made the appointment!

This doctor, Dr. Nishimoto of the Northwest Foot and Ankle Clinic in Everett (plug) was a great doctor. He's a Christian, which is always nice. But, moreso, he was very kind, had a great bed-side manner, and was straightforward with me, letting me know the possibilities for treatment of my condition...which, by the way, I've had since I was a young...not since I got fat. It's congenital...meaning I was born with it and it has progressively gotten worse over time. I have fallen arches and tendonitis in both feet...but more severe in the left foot.

So, for right now, I'm in a air-cast on my left foot because of the pain, while my doctor works with my insurance company to get some orthotics for my shoes to, hopefully, push my arches back up where they belong...thereby avoiding surgery to repair the one pinky-sized tendon holding my arch up. He said, right now, it's a little over stretched which is what is causing the pain. If we can get my arches back up where they belong, the tendon doesn't have to work quite as hard holding it up and it won't get torn or stretched out beyond repair.

I also have to get new shoes...running shoes...that have more support. New Balance with an 800 or higher number...the higher the number, the better. Yay, shopping!

And, I have a note from my doctor that restricts my standing to 1 hour in an 8 hour period! They're gonna LOVE me at work for that. Fortunately, I have desks I can move around so my students can see me and a higher chair, like a drafting chair, I can sit on for most of the day. So, that'll be cool...

And, I'm feeling better from my URI. The doctor at the Walk-in Clinig gave me 1 more round of prednizone, stronger and longer, to knock the holy heck out of this infection so I can go back to work on Monday. It seems to be working a bit better this time. I should be good to go. I'm still going to my regular doctor for a check-up on Friday to make sure there's nothing else hiding, causing these severe symptoms. The doc at the Walk-in Clinic said I should have been feeling MUCH better by now. Anyway, my regular doctor will do the follow-up and she'll give me a release back to work. I tell you, even though I've been sick, it's been nice sleeping in, staying up late, living in my PJs! I've even almost read an entire pleasure book from cover-to-cover! Now, the cough? That's another story. That's been a pain in my backside...literally. I lost 9 pounds in a little over a week because all I could do was eat chicken soup or cream of wheat and cough all day and night. I have GREAT abs, now! Well...not really! Anyway, on Saturday, I went grocery shopping and could barely make it to 2 stores without feeling like I was going to pass out. Today, not the case. Still coughing quite a bit, especially going from a warm store to a cold out doors, but my energy is coming back. I definitely welcome that!

And, speaking of energy, (Sarah, you'll appreciate this!) I should have a lot more of that after this weekend, too. Last week I was officially diagnosed with Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea. It runs in my family. My parents have it, my paternal grandfather had it, his brothers had it...we figure my paternal great-grandfather had it, too. He snored like a freight train, as did my grandfather and father! Now, like my mom, I don't snore, but I stop breathing when I sleep, first because I have such a small airway to begin with. My tonsils are huge and my throat is small (thanks, mom!). And second, because the muscles in my airway relax so much when I sleep that it cuts off my air supply. My brain starts registering that no air is coming (no oxygen...which feeds the brain and keeps me, you know, alive!), so my brain wakes up my body enough to put those muscles into motion to allow the airway constrictions to decrease, thus allowing oxygen into my bloodstream and brain. I've been depriving my brain of the oxygen it needs to thrive and my body the sleep it needs to rest and rejuvinate itself, repair itself and gear up for the next days activites. Hmmm..mo wonder I'm tired all the time! And, not it's not just because I'm fat and lazy!

But, that should all change after this weekend. I'm heading back to the sleep clinic on Saturday evening to be tested again and calinrated on a C-PAP machine. C-PAP stands for constant positive air pressure. Basically, it's a maching with a mask I wear when I sleep that is designed to force air into my lungs to keep me constantly breathing so my brain can relax and not have to wake me up to breathe, and my body can rest throughout the night and recuperate from the day. If it works for me like it worked for my mom, I should see an almost instant change in my energy level...which will GREAT because then I can do the things I want to do...like have the energy and stamina to work out...or walk my dog now that the weather is nicer...or just get up and clean the house without feeling absolutely drained after cleaning one room. That'll be a nice change...