We've come for your liver.

[stephbg]

I do so hate spending all my spoons on medical things, as opposed to wringing out every scrap of life I can, but them's the current breaks. I include the writing effort that goes into these medical report posts, but they're such darn useful things they have to take priority.  Today I saw Dr NF for what was supposed to be the next review of The Supplement Program From Hell but the appointment didn't quite go that way.

First, a spot of back story since the last appointment. Things seemed to be going well (at least in the sense of not getting worse) so I tried to increase my B6. This was a bad thing and I felt quite ill. Over the last few weeks I've ranged between having breaks from all non-prescription supplements to slowly working back up to the full cocktail. I'd been assuming that it was the B6 that was the likely culprit, but I was surprised to collect some data that suggested the Calcium supplementation might be causing problems, possibly lowering my blood pressure.  This might explain my increased sleepiness since the very beginning of the supplement program, which I'd thought might be an increase in serotonin. But it did make a better explanation for why I was not just sleepy per se, but felt driven into unconsciousness. I wasn't just sleepy, I was faint. I was also nauseous and regularly short of breath. I hate that. It's happened before, but never so regularly as after I started this program.

I thought the best thing would be to collect some blood pressure data at home. Whenever I get it tested at the GP it usually comes out high, although I'm apparently quite good at lowering it on command. Zen Steph is Zen (when reminded). Last time Dr D took it he gave it three goes before finding a number he was satisfied with. This theorising  came out right at the end of last week so I delayed action until after my appointment with Dr NF today. He agreed that Calcium may well have lowered my BP and agreed that I should collect more data.

The appointment was a bit disorganised I think because I failed to remind him where we were in the process, and he got distracted by the extreme fatigue. I launched into the side effects I'd been experiencing, which lately included too much vomiting and upper right abdominal tenderness. I've been feeling very ick indeed and worried about my liver (I halted the supplements a couple of days ago). He poked my tummy, I flinched and emitted interesting noises. He asked about my  gallbladder, and wrote a referral for (yet another) liver function blood test and a thyroid test. He also wrote a referral for an abdominal ultrasound which is now booked in for next Monday. Had that blood taken today, and I'll have to see Dr D to get the results of bloods and ultrasound. i.e. Dr NF doesn't really want to get involved with my liver. I think he's married or something.

Dr NF also gave me a saliva test collection kit to take four spit samples over the course of a day to send off for cortisol testing. I'll have to keep a detailed diary for everything I do and feel during that day, and make sure I eat and drink at only appropriate times. Next appointment with Dr NF is purely to review those test results.

Finished the day at one of my regular pharmacies that lease medical equipment to see if I could hire a BP monitor, only to discover they don't lease them any more. Thanks dead information on the internet. They do sell them but I couldn't bring myself to buy something cold. However, I expect I'll probably buy one from there because spoons.

So, schedule for the immediate future is roughly as follows:

Monday 4th Nov: See Dr NF, give blood for liver and thyroid function tests

Tuesday 5th Nov: Conduct saliva collection for adrenal stress profile and complete diary (all day).

Wed 6th Nov: Mail saliva (NOT diary). Buy BP monitor/start collecting data?

Thurs 7th Nov: Dentist appointment

Monday 11th Nov: Do ultrasound at SKG Duncraig, collect results.

Somewhere around here: See Dr D to discuss results of liver blood and imaging tests.

Maybe also somewhere around here get my hair done.

Monday 25th Nov: See Dr NF for review of adrenal stress profile and diary

At the end of the week Husband goes touring to Melbourne for a couple of days with the Oz Big Band.

After Husband gets back from Melbourne we're going to Dunsborough for a few days to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary so nothing had better interfere with that! I've got rocks to see, and Husband needs some ocean. The house sitter is looking forward to some quality cat time too, so there's a lot riding on this. Priorities, folks. Priorities.