Most of you know the constant medical problems I have been having, more progressively since 2010
2003 I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis - But after Alan researched medical journals and scientific reports But it was more like Crohns . So I adapted lifestyle to that instead
That all went by quietly and life was normal
In 2010 I decided to quit smoking rather abruptly in September. As I had gone for a chest Xray (can't remember what for) but the results came back with a shadow in my lung. Instantly stopped smoking since the age of 16. I went to a specialist in Fort Collins, they redid my xrays and did indepth scans and nope, nothing there - the original x-ray had an error in the machine - UGH worry and mega stress for nothing but i decided to quit for good A month later I had gained alot of weight. I wasnt eating bad, still doing 4 karate sessions a week plus all of th ranch stuff too - i was fit but weight was piling on. Went to the doctor - change your diet. Couldnt get hi to realize it was nothing to do with my lifestlye.
Finally he gave in to me and I went to see an Endocrinologist in Cheyenne. Before I went I did a full blood work test and the results would be there for my first appointment. Blood work showed I had Hashimotos Disease , PCOS and also Early Menopausal ( which I knew anyway)
By quitting smoking my Thyroid / Pituitary gland had lost the dependency on the cigarette chemicals and had stopped functioning properly and producing the correct hormones. So onto meds I went. All stable after about 6 months of doses and adapting. I was healthier smoking it seemed! never had a problem till then By November I practicing hard for my orange belt est in December and I pulled both of my Achilles tendons. Worse in one so i wore a support brace but i still went to karate. One day Sensei gave me her support sock so i could move better. Whilst doing a high double kick, the foot with the sock slipped on the floor, i went up and fell onto my coccyx - bit sore - carried on but i had to stop before the testing as i was in too much agony ans sensei wouldnt let me continue Through 2011 back wasn't feeling any better - i went for xrays, the specialist said i had kidney stones and nothing else wrong. But the pains got worse and i just carried on thinking it was just the stones etc This is the year I went to the UK (yes the flights were me on alot of painkillers) and then back and moving in to the ranch in June. By October, with riding alot and doing my own ranch work. It was too much so I went to a spine specialist. More xrays , he looked at my previous and there instantly he saw 2 ruptured discs and one perforated. That was my pain not piggin kidney stones! After 2 months of spinal blockers, extra testing and nerve damage control. There was only one option left. I was booked into hospital for spinal fusion. L4 L5 and S1 would be fused. It was xmas but we had time to sort out hospital bed at home, after care and everything that needed to be done for me as I would not be allowed to move for 2 months Jan 2nd 2012 I had the fusion. Alan had to work from home for quite a while (he was then based in Canada with the Springpole project) I was in hospital for 3 days. it was awful, the pain, the drugged up feeling and could not move - plus I was hooked to a blood transfusion dialysis and IV too. Alan bought me coffee every morning , soon as the kids left for school, he came to town
I do not remember much at all for the first 3 months at all. I know I was in a hospital bed for 6 months, wore a big brace for a month followed by s straight jacket style brace. I was on alot of drugs! It was a tough time for Alan and the kids to look after me, the ranch, the horses and dogs. Hated being so useless, waited on and bed ridden but I was determined to get up and mobile , so tempting to do but I knew I had not fused to stability I started using a walker and then slowly adapted back to doing thing slowly . By August I was fully fused and calcified. My Surgeon and specialist (Dr Jenkins) was so proud as he has never had a patient fuse so quickly. I was in the saddle in August too and doing as much as I could on the ranch In February 2013 I had gone back to see Dr Jenkins as the pain was still bad. I was rejecting the hardware. So. Another surgery was scheduled for March 13th to have the hardware removed.. so another hospital bed was organized again! I was in for one night as not so invasive, just drill the all out etc but i still had to heal and repair myself for a month
Recovery was quicker and I was out and about and riding and training again . It was over finally from karate fall to the necklace!
By June I was feeling something was wrong, weight up , lethargic all the time, zero energy. After speaking to my new family doctor, Dr G, she referred me to a better endocrinologist - sadly he was in Montana. We arranged a visit and merged it with us picking up hay from Sheridon, top of Wyoming from Alan's friend Greg . I had done a full blood work up before hand and within 15 minutes he knew the problem. He looked at my nails (which used to be long strong talons but now weak and peeling off layers and non existent) I did not have PCOS but Insulin resistance . So a new diet change . But I didn't really go full hog with this Other problems were happening - atrophy in all my muscles, weight up and down. Kept falling over , the list goes on but we got that sorted with PT and deep tissue massage. Headaches occurring , xrays for sinuses, meds, nope not that, then tried an allergist but that made them worse . Finally x-ray on neck and I have scoliosis - I had it before from a neck injury from a car accident i was in when i was 18 - severe whiplash. but since the surgery the curves are adapting to the surgeries etc. SO found the problem but no real cure as its not bad enough for surgery and another fusion (um no thanks)
New Endocrinologist in Denver now. She focuses on all 3 of my things - Hashimotos, Insulin Resistance and Menopause (I have been fully menopaused since 2010) so after 8 years of no HRT i am now on hormones for that too!
Last year (2018) was PT sessions twice a week with our massage girl, Caroline , who helped alot as my ribs were twisting or popping out every week and slowly started to strengthen and get fit again.. yay back to normal again, I had also been focusing ore on my insulin resistance and eating for that since 2011, but August I ended up in ER with Hypokalemia, (low potassium) my diaghragm was convulsing, couldnt breathe, heart struggling. So that was an in and out ambulance ride as they filled me up with potassium and back home again In December I had some more problems. I was eating high fiber foods and being good with my insulin resistance, weight going down but then i started to have symptoms . In January back to see Dr G and I have IBS-C (Irritable Bowel Syndrome-Constipation) So not Colitis , not Crohns but IBS after all these years !
So I a still dealing with this, currently on my 3rd month of liquid foods - soups, protein shakes and high pro-biotic to try remove the bad stuff in my bowels as the medication I refused due to the stupid cost. weights going back down tho which is always a good thing!!!
So thats me up to date and the journey of doctors and specialists and one thing after an another and something new every year . Loads to complain about and loads to be depressed about. But whats the point in that. Fight it everyday and happy to be here and living the life I am. Plus if it wasn't for Alan, his diligence of research and exploring things that will help me i wouldn't have seen half of these people and get healthier. I was a skinny thing when we met with both nervosas for most of my adolescence and then my life after Jay was born to now having a rollercoaster of ailments. He's never given up so I can't !
Claire
🖤💜🖤💜🖤
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