Whoa! Its been an amazing roller coaster few years. May 26th 2005 seems very distant, and am quiet sure most people would have no memory of what happened. I do, because life threw a curve my way.
Well, I remember it clearly, it was a very sunny day, yet there was a chill in the air. I had an appointment at Mount Sinai Hospital and they mean business there, Knowing it is a teaching hospital. I had on my sunday best, a pink flowered skirt, a lime green blouse and a pink pashmina. I only remmeber this because, I have always tried to look my best when going to get some bad news, Silly me, Maybe when you look good it might not be that bad.
After a long procedure, that included stripping in front of medical several students, tons of blood work, an x'ray of my fingers and a series of my medical background. Yerr, the Xray of my fingers threw mw off, apparently it is one of the several ways of determining scleroderma. After almost three hours, I was given the grim news, In 5 years my lung fibrosis would be so bad, I would be on the transplant list or dead. For...
March 26th, 2005 is my new birthdates, it was the day I was given a grim prognosis after been diagnosed with over lapping Lupus and scleroderma.
It has been a very long road, and as the saying goes, a journey of a thousand steps start with a step. I have been also Pfizer manufacturing drugs a guinea pig, and after trail and error, I have been able to get the best medication which has somewhat helped with my disease. Though the drugs are toxic, and again are drugs borrowed from other diseases, I have been able to live a very normal life. The side effects are a nuisance, but I can’t compare the relief of going a full day without a nap, or not been able to work, but then again, I still have to remember, I am losing my peripheral vision and am slightly blind, and I use this in a positive way, and choose to see what I want. Since I keep reminding my kids and friends am blind and can not see the mess I cause sometimes. Not funny, but hey! It works.
And the immune suppressants, Whoa!!!!! I just can not wait to get off the...
The morning was not different from the other lousy summer days we have had this year. It was raining quiet hard this morning which did not help with the traffic on the 401 during rush hour. Since I was going to be under anesthesia, I needed a designated driver to and from the hospital. Hmm! I got an offer which I usually will refuse, but stuck with it; since my choices on a week day morning was trim.I got to the hospital, and as usual, I was dressed to kill, an obvious naïve sign which fooled my mind into believing I was going to the hospital. Dr P' also came in well dressed, she was a very petite woman, quiet young to be a hematologist, but what can I say, I am guessing she knew what she was going to do. Well! My companion on the other hand was either also petrified about the procedure, or could careless, and proceeded to take out his breakfast which he should have had home, but decided to eat it in the hospital, WHO DOES THAT!, He also drank his water and when he was done with both asked, Have you eaten?I guess then he could offer...[More]
