As most of you know, I've had problems with my left shoulder ever since 2003.  It got dislocated in an MVA, and since then has dislocated totally 3 times and partially so many times I've lost count.  It bothers me every now and then, and despite my repeated visits to my family doctor nothing was ever suggested (apart from a sling and rest) as a remedy. Yesterday I was mopping the kitchen floor.  I was barefoot - as I usually am in the summer - and I was quite happy swabbing awa...

I've lost weight. I dunno how much because I refuse to weigh myself.  All I know is that pants that I couldn't wear two weeks ago because they were too snug are now fitting perfectly and pants that fit perfectly are now loose. It's the swimming that's doing it, I think.  I'm swimming a few laps pretty much every day, and I'm walking 3/4 mile with the dogs in the evening (and sometimes the mornings too).  I know that the walking is speeding up my metabolism, which is always g...

I have an abcessed tooth again.  I'm going to see the dentist this afternoon, and I think that rather than have a root canal done I'm going to have him yank it out.  There's a reason for my decision to have it pulled. First of all, I'm already missing a pre molar and a molar, thanks to the accident.  I asked about getting a partial to replace those teeth, but my last dentist said that he wasn't prepared to make me a partial until I had at least 3 teeth missing.  If I ge...

I'm trying to be healthier.  I'm not unhappy with my size per se, I'm unhappy because I'm out of shape.  The surgery kicked my ass and I'm in terrible shape. So, in addition to the bellydancing, I've been riding my bike and watching what I eat. I usually buy food for the family every 2 weeks on or around military paydays.  I've done that for years, ever since we got married.  This past payday, though...I decided to do things a little differently. Instead of buying 2 ...

I went to see my doctor last week to have him look at my shoulder. Whilst he was examining it, he started coughing.  He couldn't stop coughing, actually, and he had to excuse himself and leave the room. When he came back he was teary eyed and hoarse, and I asked him if he had a cold. "A cold?" he said "I was diagnosed with pneumonia yesterday". "and you're working?  Why??"  He just shrugged, and changed the subject. On Saturday I started to feel like I was ...

It's happened again. Just when I think that I've put it all behind me, I'm reminded once again of the car accident I had. The force of the impact dislocated both my shoulders.  The left one gives me trouble every so often - it likes to slide partially out and irritate the big bundle or nerves that supplies feeling to my arm and hand.  You know the pain you get when you hit your funny bone?  It's like that, except it's all the way from my armpit to my fingertips.  It...

In the past year I've gained 20 lbs.  I've gone from 123 to 143, and whilst some of the weight gain was needed (I looked a little gaunt at 120-ish) and I got my curves back, I now feel like I've gained too much.  None of my pants fit.  I went and bought new ones when I gained weight, and now they don't fit.  A juniors size 11 is snug on me, and I don't like it.  I liked being soft and womanly looking, but I don't like that my belly jiggles when I walk and I also don'...

As some of you may know, I recently was diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse and was started on a beta-blockers in an attempt to slow and regulate my heart beat.  The first two days on the meds went well.  I was keeping an eye out for side effects and really didn't notice any.  The third morning I got up and was in more pain than usual.  Mornings aren't the best time for me pain-wise, I'm usually hobbling along the hallway like a 80 year old.  That morning t...

Jake had to see the pediatrician this afternoon, for a refill of his ADD meds and a general checkup.  Since I got diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse, I had some questions about whether Jake had it or not (I had read a study that said that there are certain physical symptoms associated with MVP and knew that Jake had at least one of them). This doctor is just fabulous.  We've taken to calling him the 'Rockin' Doc' because he does just that - he rocks.  He's friendly, he's funn...

Yep, my MVP.  Some of you are probably wondering what I got MVP for because I don't play any sports. I'm not talking about Most Valuable Player. I'm talking about a condition called Mitral Valve Prolapse.  Link It's what my cardiologist thinks I have. I saw him this morning, and before he listened to my heart we discussed the possibility of mitral valve prolapse.  It's somewhat common, and my symptoms all fit - the tachycardia, the occasional palpitations, the s...

The last few times I've been to see a doctor, my heart rate has been high.  A few weeks ago it as 150 bpm - that's pretty high, but I was in a lot of pain that day so they wrote that off as being the cause.  Today at the pain management center, my resting heart rate was 110 bpm.  And I wasn't in that much pain. The nurse there asked me if anyone had ever worked my tachycardia up.  I said no, that it's never been mentioned.  She retook my pulse with a pulseoximiter...

I woke up at 5 this morning, pretty sore from all the walking we did last night.  I waited until 6, then applied the first patch to my upper arm.  It takes 15 - 17 hours for the medication to reach it's peak levels in my bloodstream, so for today I'll have to take some percocet if I need pain relief (and I do, so I took some).  I'm keeping an eye on myself and how I'm feeling, and won't take any percocet after about 4 this afternoon.  I guess the real test of how well...

I'm officially pre-menopausal, maybe even in full-on menopause. I have an ovarian cyst that I had to see my doc for this morning.  He and I had a conversation about menopause and hormones, and at the end of it he said "well, it's not unheard of for a woman your age to be pre-menopausal, and I think that's what's going on with you" Excuse me?  Whaddya mean, 'a woman my age'?  I'm only 36!  Oh wait.....yeah, you're right.  I'm prime time for a a lot of stuff, aren't ...