December 31, 2008

Out of Town

John and I will be out of town until about the 10th of January. We have some important things to take care of and get ready for. I will post when we get back and have time away from tests and the hospital.

December 30, 2008

My First Post on my New Blogger Thing

This is my first post, not my first blog I've ever had but I actually just give up on all the rest of them. This one I am actually going to try to keep up with. I'm not sure if anyone reads these things or cares, and actually that's okay with me. I started this blog because I really just needed a place to put my feelings. Not about my relationship or my family or my dog or anything goofy like that. It's about my boyfriend and I. We are both sick people and there is obviously a lot of stress that is associated with being sick all the time. Now we don't have anything really tragic like cancer or anything terminal like that. My illnesses stem from my immune system and are in the category of allergies, asthma and some reproductive system issues. My major concern, and actually the reason I started this blog is becuase of my boyfriends illnesses. He ha major illnesses that regard the digestive system. Problems from his tounge all the way to his large intestine.

Before I go off and rant and rave about these problems maybe a little bit of history on us. We met in October of 2007 and he finally found the strength to ask me out in January of 2008 (obviously). We started dating in February and were in love within the first few months. We both know that we have found the love of our lives and couldn't even imagine life without one another. The problems, with John's digestive system started about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks after we started dating. We were hanging out in his apartment and I was talking on the phone with my friend and he was playing on the computer, nothing new for us, but that's neither here nor there. Literally it took one second for John and I to start this journey on the "road to recovery". He literally threw his computer off his lap and was doubled over. I was quite worried, thinking that if he dies I cannot call the cops or an ambulance or anything I'll just freak out and run. I just sat next to him, holding his hand and asking if I could get him anything or do anything for him. Well, about 5 minutes later he was better, sitting back on the couch and just rubbing his stomach, completely oblivious to what was around him. After a little while, I would say about 2 hours, he declared he was okay and we should go get something to eat. Well, my history with my illnesses, made me make him call the doctor right away. Obviously it was too late that night but the very next day we found a doctor close to campus and called him to make an appointment. Here we go with the doctor runaround........

Well, about a week later he went off to his doctors appointment and told me he would call me after so after about 2 hours from appointment time I'm getting kind of worried and he calls me to tell me he is still sitting in the waiting room!! WHAT THE HELL!! No one, I repeat, NO ONE, should have to wait that long to see a doctor!! So finally I talked with him on the phone for about 45 minutes and they finally called him back so he said he would call me when he was done. Maybe 5 minutes later, he called me and told me he was done and leaving the office. I was FURIOUS!! He waited there 2 3/4 hours to see a doctor that was only going to peek in the door at him. This was his first visit to a doctor in about 3 years and they didn't take his vital signs or do an assessment!! I work in a hospital and I work with doctors and nurses all day, I do everything they can do except for medications... I know when something medical is wrong and I knew the way he had just been treated was absolutely unacceptable! I was so mad I told John to call back the very next day and get an appointment for a time I could go with him. This time we went to the doctor, waited 3 hours in the waiting room, and when the doctor came in was going to brush him off again until he realized there was no way he was getting away with that now that I was there!

We went into that office with a piece of notebook paper full of symptoms that he has related to his GI tract. I was not going to leave that place without some tests ordered or some diagnoses in hand. We left that office after about 20 minutes, which I guess is more acceptable with a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. OK!! HOLD ON JUST A MINUTE!! Every symptom he had, severe sweating, abdominal cramps, diarrhea and constipation, indigestion, etc. etc. are related to his GI system where the F#@* did Chronic Fatigue Syndrome come from??

GOSH!! Just writing about this makes me so mad... There will be more to come but I have to go fofr now and pack because we will be traveling for the next few weeks until the week of the 12th when we go in for more tests and maybe figure out what's wrong... but more on that too come...

Stay tuned