Still among the Living...I think?

So to start this blog off first I will apologize that it has been so long since my last posting. It has been an extremely crazy last couple of months.
To start off I'm going to back up a little...even a little before my last posting. As most of you know I have a heart condition. I have WPW (Wolf Parkinson White), my normal heart rate is 15-25 beats faster than a normal one, if I have a "spell" my heart races up to 240 beats per min. For this I take medication...well when I'm good about taking my medications. Backing up further for a moment...those of you who have known me for a long time ~ mainly family ~ know that I have had one health problem after another. Childhood epilepsy to PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) to heart issues which for years they said I had PSVT (Presupraventriculartachycardia), being hospitalized @ 15 with pneumonia for 9 days part of it being in ICU...anyway ongoing medical conditions which require taking medication! When I say "when I'm good about taking my medications" maybe now you understand why it is such an issue I have been taking medications my entire life!!! I know, I know...it called STUBBORNNESS!
Anyway back to the WPW...so I hadn't been taking my heart meds. I started having spells the end of Nov into Dec and they were happening more often than ever before when I had been off my meds. Well I had some pills leftover from previous prescription but they'd expired. I decided since I was having more frequent spells I should probably start taking my pills again. I went through the Tricare referral process so I could go see my cardiologist off base, when I received my referral letter I called to schedule an appointment, after explaining my situation the nurse assured me that she had nothing sooner than 30 days out...Jan 20th to be exact. AAAGGGHHH...just cause I put it off didn't give them the right to, did it?
Well as most of you know we went home for Christmas, we had a great time, until I decided to get sick...stomach flu. I was on mom's couch the last 2 full days we were there. The plane ride home was not fun, especially with turbulence. I'm sure it was much better than a 10 to 12 hour car ride would have been. Although I was not 100% I went back to work the next day...that didn't last. I ended up leaving around 2:30 in the afternoon to go to Rapid Care cause the appointment line insisted they couldn't get me in on base. To start I hope they are called Rapid Care cause they are in Rapid City, they are definitely not rapid in giving care. So after waiting what felt like a lifetime to be seen I was told that I had the viral stomach flu (really?) which was lasting so long because I also had a bacterial urine infection (not sure what that is or how I got it but I was told it was not a bladder infection or UTI) which my body was trying to fight. They drew blood as well as the urine sample, they told me my glucose level was extremely high and that I also had sugar in my urine which was not normal. I was told I was not to go to work the next day (oh I'm sure my boss would appreciate this, I'd just returned from vaca) and to come back in the next day for a follow up, they were sure I was diabetic!
The next day sitting home miserable I called and made an appointment to get into my PCM on base...to heck with Rapid Care, I did call and inform them I had a follow-up scheduled on base. They acted like I was a liar...wanted full details, doctors name, date and time. Whatever, I gave them what they wanted.
I went to work again on Friday (after having Thurs off too due to New Years Day) and had to leave early to go see my PCM, we visited about what had been going on. I was instructed to come in the following Monday to do fasting blood work. There it all started...appt, after appt, after appt! We found out I have Diabetes!
Now I know this is serious as it is basically what killed my father, it caused him to have a heart attack...I know there was more to it than that but him not controlling his diabetes and weight caused much strain on his heart.
I appreciate my doctor because he has done quite a bit to help me control my diabetes but I have to say at first I was very irate with him. Remember my WPW...yeah well my dad didn't have a heart condition (besides a big loving heart ~ love and miss you dad) and ultimately he died of a heart attack. My doctor proceeded to tell me girl you are a walking time bomb! Yeah just what I wanted to hear. Ok not what I wanted to hear but I guess it was the Good Lord's way of giving me a good swift kick in the BUTT! I was encouraged to get back on my heart medicine, I assured him I had an appt coming up with the cardiologist, didn't he send the referral in...duh!
My appt with the cardiologist, your blood pressure is slightly high (you think, after the past couple of weeks of news I've gotten?) we want to run some other tests. SIDE NOTE --One thing I don't understand is that every time I go to my cardiologist my blood pressure shows higher there than any other doctors office...one example one day a couple yrs ago I had an appt with the cardiologist my blood pressure was slightly elevated and then right afterwards, the same day about an hour later I went to the OB/GYN and my blood pressure was normal. -- More blood work, guess what your liver enzymes are slightly elevated we want to do an abdominal ultra sound, oh yeah we also want to do a stress test on your heart, let's see if we can force your heart to go into a spell.
So the month of February I had 10 appointments...doctor/cardiologist/dentist/eye/diabetes education classes. Thankfully my boss was VERY understanding! Connie allowed me to make up my time away by going in early, either skipping my lunch hour and taking a quick break or cutting it in half and then letting me work late. This was very helpful considering that I had depleted my PPL to 2 hours at the end of last year (this is not like me...but things happen, death, husbands being injured and of course vacations planned and taken before some of this happened). Not having to use my PPL I had gotten it back up to not quite 16 hours (saving for a vacation for our 10 yr wedding anniversary) on the right road now.
You know that feeling where you think things have been hectic but it's starting to look better, things will be fine so stop worrying? Yeah I must of felt that and closed my eyes for a moment thinking I could do it with my eyes closed, wrong move. I was knocked down so quick it took a couple days in the hospital to recover. Remember how I mentioned being hospitalized with pneumonia @ age 15...yep you guessed it pneumonia again 17 yrs later!!! Happy Valentines Day and weekend. There goes my hard earned, saved up PPL...down to 1.5 hours!
Keep your eyes open and move on Kim...you can do it! Make it through the rest of your scheduled appts in Feb, so far only 2 scheduled for March. Really only two, are you sure, better check your calendar...yep only two! Thurs night March 5th, sore throat coming on...you'll be ok, suck on a Vitamin C drop. Fri morning go to work, running fever, freezing, sweating, take Tylenol, borrow someones personal heater (I do not have one cause it usually take a lot to make me cold), go through the entire box of kleenex and half bottle of hand sanitizer. Call and cancel dinner with friends, call and cancel hair appt for Sat morn, get home from work and feel miserable rest of night, still running fever, taking Tylenol and using major kleenex. Sat morn after 24 hrs of fever call Nurse Line (this is how pneumonia started), told a nurse will call back in 20 -30 minutes. 1 hour later call from nurse...really concerned please go to Rapid Care a.s.a.p.!
Arrived at Rapid Care 10:15 am, left 1 pm...I really think they need to rethink their name. Couldn't this be considered false advertisement? Told I have the viral cold that's going around should be 100% in 7 to 10 days. Go buy something OTC to help drain me, hello, my nose is raw are you blind...don't think I'm having an issue with drainage! When I pointed it out ok then buy something that will help stop runny nose but watch your labels a lot of stuff is not good for diabetics...thanks for the help! Do not go to work if still running a fever...sure now that I have my PPL back up to about 7 hours! Rest of Sat go through another box of Kleenex, send Pat by himself to BBQ that we had been invited to. Sleep, take Tylenol, drink plenty of fluids, go to the bathroom...oh yeah guess what time of the month it is! So I have not had a fever since about 4 am this morn, nose is still runny guess who's going to try and go back to work tomorrow!
Are you as worn out reading this as I am living it and now writing about it? Well to give update on diabetes, last follow-up with PCM is as follows...pleased with my numbers as well as weight loss, keep up the good work! Although doctor said he is pleased I'm taking meds as instructed I just have to say that is one thing I am proud of! I only missed 1 dose of my pills since the beginning of Jan, which was a total slip. I'm done with my stubbornness and pills, I've learned that it is just part of life and it is just not worth it.
So in reference to the title...yes I'm still among the living! I will try to post more often so that I feel I do not have to write an entire book to get everyone back in the loop. Just a couple last notes, I want to thank Pat for being so supportive during all of this especially with his ever varying work schedule and his own ongoing physical therapy (BTW, his hand is doing well), also I want to thank our friends and families who have been there for support through visits, cards, emails and phone calls these last couple of months...you know who you are!