Since my last post I’ve been doing a whole lot better. I write down my pain levels and they have been consistently at a level of 0-2/10 every day for 8 out of the past 9 days. I can’t remember the last time I felt this good for this long. I am incredibly happy about it…but somewhat in denial. I keep thinking that maybe it’s a fluke. Maybe I just happen to feel better and it’s not the steroids working. Maybe there is nothing seriously wrong with me. Maybe my body is not attacking itself. Maybe I won’t need to be on medication for the rest of my life to feel this good…
So it’s my second round of prednisone and I knew right away that it wasn’t working as well as it had the first time.I’m still in quite a considerable amount of pain but it’s definitely better than before I started the steroids. Before , on any given day, my pain was about a 5-6/10 on average. Currently my pain averages to a 2/10 with “spikes” of pain up to 6. I do have a lot more energy though. I take an hour nap every day and sleep for about 6 hours every night. Before I was sleeping 8 hours at night and taking 3 hour naps. Even though I’m feeling better, I don’t want to be on prednisone any more. The long term side effects are no bueno. I think the plan now is to switch me over to a different drug called Plaquenil. And while this is seemingly helping my physical symptoms, I’m still having some neurological symptoms .
My next rhuematologist appointment should be right before classes start. I want to ask for pain medications so I can get these “spikes” under control. I’ve tried tylenol, but I might as well be taking a placebo. If I can get this pain under control I will feel much better starting an intensive PhD program.
Seems like my blog is turning into a health blog, which is not really where I intended it to go. I can’t express how hard it is to deal with a health issue without any close relatives or friends nearby for comfort. I feel like I’m going through this all alone. I know in reality I’m not. But it sure does feel like it. I think I might have a case of mild depression. Dr. Appointment days especially get me down Any other day I don’t really have to face my problems, but on the days I have to see a doctor, I do. Today was a doctor appointment day.
So there are still no definite answers into why I feel so shitty, but at least I found a doctor who is willing to look for one. I was forward to an opthamologist because I have pretty horrible eyesight. My left eye is the worst of the two; it’s so bad I cannot read the first letter on the eye chart (this is with glasses on). Since the steroids helped my pain for a while, I have to start taking them again. Which is good because I would like pain relief again and I have been in some severe pain for the past week or so.
So I’m officially broke.
As in I have $0 to my name.
Here’s how it happened. One of the main reasons why I was saving up money was for new apartment furniture (I still didn’t have a real bed, my couch was atrocious, etc.). So when I finally had the time, I went out and bought a new bedroom set + a mattress ($1000) and a new sofa ($800). I got tired of my crappy TV so I got a new one ($300).
Then I made a surprise trip to visit my dad for Father’s day not too long ago ($200). That was nice because he was TOTALLY not expecting it. Then I bought another set of plane tickets home because they were cheap ($100).
I was also saving for a piano, I figured I’d utilize the practice rooms on campus until I graduate in 2015(ish). But then they came up with this rule that non-music majors can’t use the practice rooms so I had to lease one ($300).
Then I spent $200+ on various tests, medications, doctors appointments I’ve had over the past month.
And so I’m 100% broke.
But it’s all good it just means means I get to start back from square 1!
So here’s my new financial plan since I’ve met my other ones.
Europe Trip (next June): $3000 ~or $300/month (starting next month)
New Clothes (by September): $??? (however much I can save by September)
Coffee Table: $150 (the last big furniture purchase I need to make)
Credit Card (by next month) : $1000 ( I want this paid off in full ASAP, I do not believe in being in debt when I don’t have to).
The financial goals will be a little harder to obtain over the next 3 months since my monthly salary has decreased by $300. But it is feasible. So my goal is to go back to living off of $1200/month until my pay increases again in October while meeting all these financial goals. According to mint.com my net value is $23.24 (which should go down when a few of more bills pop up for this month).
This should be interesting. Wish me luck!
