More Health Issues

I'm not going to post about my 100 Days of Pinterest today (don't worry, I did do one today). I have other things on my mind that I need to get out. Of course, I'll try not to bore you to death with my woes.

I had an MRI of my thoracic and cervical spine last month to check and see if I was having an MS relapse. The lesions in my cervical spine were the same and they discovered a few more in my thoracic spine, but thankfully I wasn't having a relapse. Just plain old MS issues I have to learn to adapt to. I am in pain every single day, but that's just my way of life now. I have to deal.

Just so you know, if you are not familiar with your health records or what you are entitled to then you need to become more aware. When you have any imaging procedure done (ie. MRI, CT, Ultrasound) you can call the hospital's imaging department and get a CD copy of the procedure for free or the cost of a CD. It will include the radiologist's report on there. You don't have to wait for your next doctor's visit, which sometimes takes a while. You can usually go that same day and pick up the CD. Whenever I have an MRI done, I call the imaging department a few hours later and request a copy of my CD. They have it ready within the hour. I just have to go pick it up. It's important to know what is going on inside your body!

Anyways, back to my story. When I had my MRI done the radiologist's report came back with a few findings I didn't expect. The report mentioned the radiologist saw a few hyperintense lesions on my thyroid that should be followed up with an ultrasound and that I had trace pleural effusion. I know, it sounds like another language. However, we are lucky in this day and age to have the internet at our fingertips. With a little research, and the brains to know what can be a trusted source, we can get a better idea of what that language means. I basically had a few spots that glowed on my thyroid and a little fluid around my lungs. Both are not supposed to be there.

Well, I went in for my appointment with my neurologist and he told me that I am basically screwed and that "everything will be fine" (I want to punch him in the face whenever he says this to me - I have an incurable disease, things aren't fine). I asked him about the lesions on my thyroid and he acted as if I was out of line. Excuse me, but I'm in charge of me and if I have a concern he had better listen. Especially since I am paying him to take care of me. I have the ability to hire another doctor to do this, but I chose him (for now).  He asked who my doctor was and I told him. He said he'd send the records to them.

I didn't hear from them for a over a week so I called my doc up to see if they received the records. Of course, they hadn't. They went ahead and got them from the hospital where I had the MRI done and immediately ordered an ultrasound of my thyroid. Of course, I couldn't get in to have the test done for a few weeks due to work. However, this past Wednesday (April 23) I finally went and had the ultrasound done.

My doc's office called me on Thursday and said my results were indicating two solid masses and that I needed to have a biopsy done of my thyroid gland. I have to get a needle shoved into my neck! Freakin' awesome! It's not like I haven't had a thousand shots in the past year?! Now I'm being tested for cancer. I feel like I just can't win for losing these days. I'm to the point I don't even want to go to the doctors anymore, because they are always finding something. Last year it was MS and now this.

Of course, I say this and don't mean it. I think it's important to take care of yourself. I mean seriously, you only get one life to live and you might as well live the hell out of it! I am a tough person and I have a pretty awesome husband and two amazing sons on my side. Everything will always be okay as long as they are there with me.

As for my Pinterest challenge for today, I refurbished an old window frame to use in my garden. I'll post about that tomorrow. I just wanted to get this new bullshit out of my system. I needed to. I started this Pinterest challenge in order to get my mind off of the MS issues. I needed something to focus on that didn't involve life and made me think about something outside of my health. Pinterest has really been helping me with that. Who needs therapy when we have a plethora of Pins at our hands? I just hope this biopsy comes back benign and I don't have to take on another internet challenge! ;)

Thanks for listening. More Pinterest tomorrow!

Take care!

NB