Possible Misdiagnosis!!!!!!

Dear Readers,

I want to yell out GOOD NEWS, but I can't yet as it is not confirmed.   I might have ET (Essential Tremors)  instead of PD.   Ah ha - that's what I said when the specialist was talking to me.

On Wednesday I had an appointment in Milwaukee with a neurologist who specializes in Movement Disorders (Parkinsons, Essential Tremor, MS, etc.)   She had thoroughly reviewed my records before I arrived, and did the standard things each time you see a doctor -  check reflexes, watch me imitate her hand movements, and take a walk.   She also thoroughly quizzed me about the side effects of the Parkinson's drugs I had been taking -  symptoms before and after drugs, results, etc.   She spent a full hour with me in her office just talking.

It is her opinion that I have Essential Tremors rather than Parkinson's.   But, she wants me to have a DaTscan at her hospital in Milwaukee.   It will involve being there all day - drinking a special cocktail (do you want to come along?), inject another cocktail in a vein, etc.  That test will be the determining factor and will produce an image something like this:         

I wonder if I'll be radioactive and glow in the dark.  Woohoo!

I'm still in somewhat of a daze over this.  I'm not celebrating yet, but surely will when the final word is in.   I am thinking, however, that no wonder I was having so many side effects with the PD drugs.   Their purpose, I believe, is to replace the dopamine in your brain.   Well, if I don't have PD, but was getting PD drugs with extra dopamine, it doesn't take a scientist to figure out I was getting way to much dopamine.   No wonder I felt like I was totally drugged all the time - I  was.

Well, enough of that - the doctor did prescribe the proper med for ET, and told me to take 1/2 tablet at night to start with.   It does make me light headed for sure - one step down from dizzy.  Maybe that will lessen in time.   

Anyway dear readers, that's where we are at today!  My appointment for the DaTscan is May 1st - HAPPY MAY DAY!

It still isn't spring here even though the calendar says it is.  It's cold, rainy, and damp.   I'm trying to think S P R I N G !

Thanks for "hanging in there with me" on this journey -  we'll see where we go.   

Until next time,



Mary

Mother Nature Gone Amuck & RFA Update

Hi Friends,

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile.  It's time for the Animal Group on Twitter to have their big weekend-long monthly party.  Consequently we're busy with that.  Ha ha - can't handle as much as I could 10 years ago.

Well friends, the above picture is what we awoke to this morning - front yard and back yard.  About 3+  inches of slush.   Notice the ice on the patio covering?  Also notice the slush ridges on the street where cars drove through to get to work this morning.

Just yesterday we paid the wonderful man who takes care of snow removal.   We laughed at the time knowing it was supposed to snow yet last evening.   He's back now and busy cleaning up 3 inches of snow slush with about 1/2 inch of ice on the bottom!!  Of course the plow went through already and now we have about 10 inches of slush in the driveway at the base!

I'm happy to report the RFA treatment worked on the sacroiliac joint.  But the rest of my back is still a mess.     I'll be meeting with the pain doctor in about 3 weeks.  We'll see what she has to say.  Meanwhile, ice packs help some!

Poor Mario has wanted to get outside so bad this past week, and I won't let him because the ground was so wet yet.  He's only allowed out with his harness and leash on, and it's too cold/wet for his humans to be out there with him.   At this rate, he will have to wait until May at least.   Poor kitty.,    He's so deprived.  he he

That's all for today friends.  Thanks for stopping by and sharing in our misery of spring in Wisconsin.  It's really a nice state to live in - summers are especially nice!  Think SPRING!  Oh, my next blog post will be on the life of Dragon!

Mary

Birthday Greetings To Our Dear Daughter & HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE

SIL and daughter

Dear Readers,

Thought I'd take a break from the usual Parkinson's related topics and wish our daughter a 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY   

with love from Mom, Dad, and Mario

 We are very proud of the person she has grown into.   Apparently her father and I did something right through the years.  Being an only child she did NOT get everything she wanted, but she was spoiled in that she did not have to share our attention with a sibling of the human kind  anyway.  (She would tell you she did have to share with the dog and cat!)   I remember many weekend trips to grandma and grandpa's house where I'd hear "Fritz - move over - you are hogging my half of the seat!"  "Mom - Make Fritz move over - he has his paws on me."  It was funny and makes me laugh when I think about it.

She grew up, married a wonderful man (our son-in-law) and they are happy with two cats and two gerbils in their life.   They are all very special to us.

Amos, age 17

Keiko, Age 17

We had a wonderful family Birthday celebration yesterday with our SIL'S brother and wife, SIL's parents, and of course the birthday girl, SIL, and Don and I.  We are fortunate in that our extended families are all small, thus for birthdays and some holidays we can all enjoy them together.

Take a look at that cake!  It was every bit as good as it looks.   It came from a new Guatamalen Bakery that had recently opened in their city.   I think it might become a new family favorite.

What a great day we had.

HAPPY EASTER or PASSOVER EVERYONE

Mary

Senility Versus Drugs

Dear Readers,

Well, I did it again - screwed up on an appointment.  ha ha - I showed up at the dentist's office a week early for a fitting of a new partial plate.   I was just in there last Thursday (5 days ago - yes friends, only 5 days ago).  One of the office girls even opened the door for me because I was using the walker, and it's a chore and a half to struggle with doors that swing out when using a walker.

I went in, thanked her for opening the door for me,  took my coat off, started flipping through a magazine when another office girl came discretely over by me and showed me a print out of upcoming appointments.   Today's date was NOT on that list. ha ha!   April Fool's Joke On Me  to me!  The sad part is they gave me that same printout when I left there last Thursday.  I could swear I remembered seeing "Dentist" on my calendar! for today.,

I mumbled something about "oh, sorry - I know it's the Parkinson's Drugs messing with my brain again."   The gal said "well at least you can blame it on something that makes sense!   (She was patting her 6-months' pregnant belly) and said I blame it on the mommy-to-be factor myself."

For the record, I checked the calendar when I got home and there is NOTHING WRITTEN ON IT FOR TODAY!    Since I can carry on a conversation rather well yet, I'm sure it's the Parkinson's Drug (Sinemet) that I'm taking.   (1/2 table 2 x a day - I'm not even up to a whole tablet twice a day yet).  Now I have to remember to go next week on the correct day.   I'm thinking of the old string around the finger bit -  will this do it?  

Apparently I can't be trusted with a calendar anymore!

What's your vote - Drugs or Senility?

Until next time.

Mary

FInally Catching Up On News

Countryside on the way to Rome, Italy October 2008

Dear Readers,

My apologies for taking so long to update.     My only excuse is that our involvement with Twitter/#nipclub can keep us pretty busy at certain times if a party is planned.

Two weeks ago I had the RFA (Radio  Frequency Abulation) procedure done.  It's taken about 2 weeks to really kick in, but it has helped greatly with the pain in the Sacroiliac.   I still have other pain - arthritis and fibromyalga in different areas - so I'm still on Tramadol for the pain, but I do cut back on it on days that I can. I'm so happy to report that the RFA was successful.  YAY!

Yesterday I was supposed to go to Milwaukee to meet with a Parkinson's specialist.   Wouldn't you know it - SNOW!   (Darn Groundhog needs to be replaced - we're supposed to have spring now).   It started snowing yestgerday  around noon, giving us 5 inches of wet, heavy, slippery snow by last night.   I heard the weather forecast predicting this storm on Saturday so decided to call and cancel the appointment.     Our son-in-law said driving in snow didn't bother him,  but it would have really bothered me.   I would have been sitting on pins and needles the entire trip.   While I'm anxious to meet with the PD specialist, I didn't feel it was worth the risk and hazardous roads to do so.   My appointment is now re-scheduled for April 17th.   I hope it  doesn't snow then, but it could!!   

Now I need to find a ride for the April trip so son-in-law doesn't have to take another day of vacation.  Daughter is like me - she doesn't want to drive in Milwaukee either.  It's a concrete jungle down there with 3 major freeways merging downtown and cars going 80 MPH.   You need to be really sharp in the brain, which Don and I aren't at this age.   If we knew where we were going and knew where the interchanges were, it would not be so bad - but you don't become familiar and comfortable with that when you only travel down there once in every 3-4 years.

Stay tuned.

Hope it's spring where you live!   It's going to  be a long while a-coming around here!

Mary

What a GREAT Day!

Hi Friends,

What a great day this has been.  First of all it's Valentines Day - So Happy Valentines Day.  Mario got into the act too by giving all the ladycats in the Blogosphere and on Twitter smooches this morning - after he gave Don and I one first.  He does know who is in charge of Kibble.

Today is also our 54th Anniversary!  Of course we were married in elementary school.  ha ha  Where did those years go?   You know I would not change even one year of that time.   When you both start having health problems, you know it's "true love" that carries you thru.

Today I also received a phone call from my health clinic stating the insurance has approved the Radio Frequency Abalation treatment, which I hope will take care of the pain I'm always having because of the lower back and SSI joint.,   They will be going in to  freeze or burn the nerve ending, thereby blocking the pain.   Unfortunately, they don't have an opening in their schedule until March 6th.  But, I've waited this long, I can hang in there for another 3 weeks.  Now we'll have to hope it does what they think it should do - get rid of pain.  Apparently most people that have it done absolutely rave about it.    I'm amazed and thankful that Medicare and the supplemental insurance approved it.  

Next week I'll give you an update on the Parkinson's issue too.  So stay tuned.

As you can see - it's been a great day!  Hope your's is equally as wonderful.

Mary

Oil Painting of Mario and Taming Of The Dragon

Dear Readers,

Isn't that a gorgeous oil painting of Mairo.  It was done by a Twitter/Blog friend - @MaxTheQuiltCat's mom, Lou Belcher, Artist and Writer.  Lou is going to run a special on her 6" x 6" cat portraits for the month of February for $40 + shipping.  She isn't gong to do the one-a-day challenge this time and only wants to do cats presently.   If you have a special kitty living with you and would like to have his/her portrait done, see her kitty's blog for details:   http://www.maxthequiltcat.com/  She does beautiful work and at $40 + shipping, this is a real bargain that you'll probably never find again.  Just look at the attention to detail - even little hair on the edge of his ears!


Taaadaaa!  This post is coming to you via Dragon. Woo hoo I think we are finally getting there.

Dragon and I are getting along quite well. Last week I had about five different calls to their help Center to the point where I'm sure each help person was thinking – quote "Oh no, not her again."   But I did learn a lot and hopefully I won't make stupid mistakes so I get into trouble anymore. I don't know why but the user profile and I just do not get along – I guess I just don't understand it. But the help Center walked through it with me so now I hope I'm on the right path.

I do find dictation is easier as long as I try to think ahead about what I want to say. I do have to do better job on  punctuation however.  And I'm still a long ways away from using the commands with the microphone instead of my hands to make corrections. I guess I'll have to copy down all of the commands and keep them in front of me if I want to go that route. In the meantime I'm stable enough with my shaking that I can use a combination of microphone and typing.  So for now Dragon is a keeper.

Hope all of you are staying away from all the many viruses that are out there and staying healthy.

Until next time,

Mary