I’m going to have to cut back on my Aqua Therapy sessions.

Because our company doesn’t have “sick days”, each time I go to aqua therapy or for my IVIG, I have to use my vacation time. I wonder about this, but I’m not going to argue the issue.

I have less than 20 hours of vacation time left over from last year and I need to save this year’s vacation time for anything (God forbid) that may up and I would like to be able to take a couple of “real” vacation days this year.

I need to consider going back to Pullen Park Pool. They have a therapy pool, but it’s not the same as the one at Wake Med.

The therapy pool at Pullen is in the same area as the regular pool, so the water temperature (and the area around it) is not maintained at a constant rate, and the depth of the water varies because of the way the pool is designed (deepest corner is 3 ½ maybe 4 feet); I’m not going to be able to work out the way I need to.

I could use the 4 foot lane in the main pool. The water is cooler, but as long as I’m moving, I should be okay. Getting in the water is not going to be a problem; it’s being able to get out of the pool. Pullen doesn’t have steps or a lift in the main pool; you get in and out with the ladder.

The main issue is that Pullen is open after 5pm, it’s here on campus and I can go right after work.

I’m doing real well and I want to keep “holding my own” for as long as I can.

Decisions, decisions.

I had my IVIG today and things didn’t go well. I was not able to get my regular brand of IVIG, so they switched brands on me (again). This one is called Carimune ® NF and I hit a few of the "Adverse Reactions" (side effects) head on. First I was running to the bathroom, then I started getting a headache, and to top it off, the nausea hit.

Since it was a different brand, it needed to be infused at a different rate; so I didn’t get out of Rex until after 3pm, and I’m usually done WAY before then.

Part of me thinks I should be happy that I can get ANY type of IVIG, considering the fact there is supposed to be a shortage of the stuff, (or so we are constantly being told) but I'm tired of being the "test subject".

All in all, I’m soo happy with the way things are going. This was my 3rd treatment with the new three-week schedule and I don’t seem to have any "issues" like I did last year. So it seems my body is holding the treatments. YEA!!

I’m scared.

The pain in my legs has returned and no matter how much exercise I do, or how long and well I rest them, it’s not getting any better. I don’t want go start taking Amitripilyn again, (mainly because of the side effects) but I may need to.

I know muscle weakness can be a side effect of the prednisone, but I’m sure about muscle pain which could be caused by the weakness.

I just don’t know and the bad thing is no one can tell me for sure one way or the other. Steroids are tricky to begin with.

If muscle weakness IS one of the side effects, then I’ll deal with it as best as I can (maybe it will stop once the dosage is reduced), if not, then it’s definitely something that I need to address with Dr. Schecter when I see her again next week.

More good news, my latest test results are in and here are the results:

Test / My Results / Range
Total Cholesterol = 162 (< cholesterol =" 55"> )
LDL Cholesterol = 93 (0 – 130)
Triglycerides = 68 (< 150)
A1C = 6.0% (< 7%)

The weather for this weekend is supposed to be wet, cold with snow showers, so I’m not doing anything that would require time outdoors. I’ve noticed that every time the temperature drops the pain in my legs get worse.

My cough is trying to come back and I woke up this morning with a serious sore throat. It’s hard to accurately judge these types of things with the weather going up and down the way it is.

Out of town this weekend. A couple of good things about staying in a hotel;
1) you can have the heat as high as you want it, and
2) you can use all the hot water you can stand.

Wake up call:

I was working in the files today (something I’ve been putting off for a while) and after about an hour and a half, I broke out into a cold sweat and really, really needed to sit down.

I’m hoping it’s the residual effects of having a cold that have caused my sudden loss in strength.

If it’s not one thing it’s another. I was feeling pretty good this morning so I decided to walk Mister down by the substation and let him run for a while and we got caught in the rain.

When I saw Cheryl on today she wasn’t able to give me a prescription strength cough medicine because I’m allergic to Codeine, so she gave me an antibiotic instead. I questioned her about this because you don’t normally give antibiotics for colds. She agreed, but I’ve had this cough for two weeks and neither on of us wants it to grow into anything worse.

I had my IVIG yesterday and because I kept coughing, it was my turn to go into the private room. I like the room, mainly because it’s definitely warmer in there and I don’t need a blanket.

I went to see Cheryl today for my regular check up and to see about getting something in prescription strength for this cold/cough.

Since my immune system is still suppressed, she was going to give a prescription strength cough syrup, but since I’m allergic to codeine, she has given me some antibiotics to help clear up my cold/cough instead and told me to look for a particular type of cough syrup that I only take every twelve hours.

Sound pricey to me. Oh well. If it works, it’s better than hacking and coughing all night long.