Feeling Better Already!

Monday was a crappy day! I felt like crap, looked like crap and acted like crap! My esophogitis was really acting up and my Grave's wasn't helping. I wasn't able to eat anything, I'd throw up. And when I threw up, it was dark brown, like the food had been just sitting in my stomach, rotting, for days! I threw up in the morning and felt yucky the rest of the day. It wasn't a sick yucky it was a burning and tightness from my neck down. I had a bite of Dex's apple at 8:30 pm and was still burping it up and tasting it the next morning at 8:30! and I didn't know what to do. I couldn't call anyone cause it was a holiday. So I was determined to call one of my doctors first thing Tuesday morning. I decided to start with the gastro doctor. The soonest he could get me in was March 15! (Hello? 2 months away?) I felt like I would be dead by then and was completely at a loss of what to do!

My dearest John called me on the phone. He talked to the doctor at his work. Dr. Staker is the physician for the General Authorities... so I trust him. John sat down with him and told him my symptoms and what was going on. Dr. Staker made a call and made me an appointment to see Dr. Hales, an Internist. He said I shouldn't mess around seeing 4 different doctors. Dr. Hales know the entire body and doesn't specialize in just one part.

The next morning at 8:30 am we were sitting in the Doctors room. Dr. Hales spoke with us for one and a half hours! I couldn't believe it! He was patient and talked and asked questions and typed everything up on his computer. It was way cool cause it was connected to all my other doctors. He said, "Okay, I'm readying Dr. Brady's notes, just a minute, I've got Dr. Heiner's notes, okay." He then asked me about a barium swallow that I had forgotten about! Wow!
It was awesome. He was getting all the information immediately! I love technology!

He told me that at my June 2005 barium swallow they measured my stoma opening at 1/2 centimenter (can you even imagaine?) I freaked a little and started crying cause I thought I would have to have my band removed. As most of you know, I love my band and have said, you're going to have to rip it from my cold dead body! But the way I have been feeling lately, if it need to come out so that I could eat, not have heartburn and feel better, I'd do it. I can't live this way anymore!

Dr. Hales notices my tears and said, I'm sorry. I told him the 1/2 centimeter freaked me out. He said, don't worry Tasha, that's cause you were drinking a fluid, I'm sure when you eat food it opens up. Whew! That made me feel better.

So he typed up all his notes and said: He believes the Grave's is real. He knows that my insomnia is caused by the Graves and possibly my digestion. He sent me to have more tests and get my free T3 and free T4 levels, TSH Antibody, all the thryroid tests, lots of other blood work I don't remember, I've also had lots of headaches and backaches so he did a chest x-ray and back x-ray to check for cancer and/or lesions (he said he would be very surprised if anything showed up) and a urine sample.

He walked me over, yes, he walked me over to the lab and showed me where x-ray was and showed me the door I would need to go out to schedule my next appointment in one week. He was a very kind and caring doctor. I have such a peace of mind knowing that he is taking care of this. His office called last night and said all my x-rays came back normal. (Man! They are fast!)

Oh, he also prescribed me some Ambien to sleep and Reglan to help out my digestion! I took both yesterday and today...? Wow! Today is a new day! I didn't wake up with heartburn, choking and feeling like I was going to die! I actually had 9 1/2 hours sleep! I'm so happy and feel so good right now!

I'll keep you posted on what happens after my next doctor's appointment!