As far as health disasters go, 2017 turned out much better than 2016. No surgeries, no emergency room visits, one scan, and one procedure this year! (And those were planned.) Huzzah! However, that doesn’t mean the year was much better to get through. Virtually all of my other chronic illnesses took a back seat to symptom…
I enjoy when a new year rolls around. I feel free to try new things and get myself back on track with life in general. But to be honest, I’m quite apprehensive about 2018. We watched the ball drop in Times Square at midnight (from the comfort of our 68°F house instead of the…
I’ve been trying to write a blog post for the past few weeks. I’ve started at least five posts, gotten a paragraph or two in, and then stopped. My brain just won’t work long enough to keep going. So since I can’t think of anything creative to write, I’ll just write the facts regarding…
Pituitary tumors are not uncommon. In fact, up to 1/4 of brain tumors are pituitary tumors. These tumors are almost always benign, but can cause a wide range of symptoms depending on whether they are functioning (secrete hormones) or nonfunctioning (don’t secrete hormones). Symptoms depend on which hormone is being oversecreted and/or what structure(s)…
A year ago today, a tumor was removed from my head. The four-hour brain surgery itself was uneventful. I woke up pretty crabby afterwards. But when you go into the OR feeling fine and wake up with the world’s worst headache and sore throat and you can’t breathe through your nose or smell anything? Not…
When you have a chronic illness (or two, or three) sometimes you find yourself with some down time. Not necessarily because you chose this, but because your body decided for you. This is when it helps to have a hobby (or two, or three) to occupy yourself with. Ah, the flare. Every chronic illness has…
It’s time once again for my monthly book haul post! All blurbs are from Goodreads. Clicking on the title will take you to Amazon, where you can purchase the book if you wish. (The last book is only available from the author.) These are not affiliate links. This month I only chose one book from…
If you’ve followed my blog for any period of time, you’re likely familiar with the fact that I have endometriosis. To be honest, of all my chronic illnesses, it’s the one I feel most passionate about. Despite being a very common condition, it’s not one for which education is exactly stellar. It’s a disease most…
Backsliding. A fairly common problem among certain chronic illnesses. This phenomenon occurs so often in the world of POTS that when it happens I can barely contain myself. http://gph.is/28JAB7g I am completely over this month. I just want to take it and throw it in the trash, after stomping on it a few times….
“But you don’t look sick.” A statement so many people with chronic illness are tired of hearing. Say that to someone with a chronic illness and what they’ll really want to do is slap you upside the head and say, “That’s because I spent 20 minutes perfecting my face this morning!” Honestly, we all…
