Scheduling Appointments

There are lots of things going on with me medically right now!

First off I did get a Skype appointment with my neurosurgeon, which will be on March 21. I am anxiously waiting to see what he has to say about my latest cervical MRI. I trust him completely and know that I am in very good hands with him, but I am still hoping that he did not find anything that needs another surgery!

The other appointment I was waiting on was from Cleveland Clinic. My insurance company did not cover the smart pill test that the GI doctor ordered. They consider it "experimental", which we expected, but is still frustrating. I will go on April 6th back to Cleveland (a four hour trip each way from my home in Cincinnati). I am going to meet with my GI doctor as well as a general surgeon. We will be discussing if the gastric stimulator is a good fit for me, which my GI doctor has already indicated he believes it is. We will most likely schedule a surgery date during that visit, unless they find something unexpected! I am nervous for this, as I have never had abdominal surgery, but also hopeful because if the stimulator works well I may be able to enjoy eating again!

Those were the two big things I have been waiting to hear back on, so it is nice to have those things scheduled! I still have not heard if insurance will cover my TMJ treatment in network or not, so hopefully we hear back on that soon! We did already have to appeal it once, but it may be a long process before we know the final answer on that one.

I went back once to the TMJ doctor to have him evaluate how my jaw was doing with the splint and unfortunately it did not go very well. My jaw slid forward over the appliance, so it was not in the optimal position. To counter this the doctor raised the height of the splint in the back so that my jaw would not be able to slide forward. I will go back March 31 to see how this new adjustment has been working.

Lots of minor things have been happening as we settle into our new home in Cincinnati. I have been established with a new physical therapist here, which has been amazing! She is incredibly knowledgeable about EDS and has been very helpful! I have been having issues with my left hip and she and I both agree that I have a cartilage tear in my hip. I will be seeing an orthopedic surgeon on March 23 to have him evaluate my hip. He will no doubt order an MRI of the hip. If he does find a tear it will require a minor surgery to clean up the cartilage tear.

My service dog Reilly had a persistent yeast infection in his ear, but I think we have gotten that cleared up! I am relieved that he is feeling better! I depend on him for so much that it just breaks my heart when he is not feeling well. He has had a yeast infection in his ear in the past, but this one did not seem to bother him as much at least!

I got a new IV pump today, which is a huge relief for me! My pump allows me to go anywhere with my fluids. I just throw the IV bag and the pump into a backpack or in a pack my service dog carries and I can do them anywhere. Without the pump I am stuck at home for three hours, so it will be very nice to have my freedom back!

I think that is about all I have for now. LOTS of appointments coming up in the next month or so, which will hopefully help me to start feeling better!