My personal good news week of the medical variety

Two of my specialists (see below for back story articles) have reduced my medications! This is a good thing!

This doesn’t come without a complication though as the reduction makes tracking taking the right dose on the right day a little more complicated: I will have to pay more attention.

Dr G (the digestive tract specialist) has reduced my Nexium by 25%. Instead of 40 mg a day, I now alternate 40 mg and 20 mg tablets so I am effectively on 30 mg a day. The aim is to get me down to 20 mg a day. I see him again in six weeks.

Dr E (the specialist looking after my nodule-strewn thyroid) has reduced my medication by HALF! Only have to take it once a day now too! Woo hoo! While my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels are not yet within the normal range, last weeks blood test was a very positive improvement. Anything is an improvement over “undetectable”! My inflammatory markers are down too. Back in six weeks to assess progress on the lower dose which will likely be my maintenance dosage.

The specialists all forgot to mention my Vitamin D level was “undetectable” at the start of all this (probably all that time spent in bed) but it has also jumped up to almost normal in the latest blood tests. I will be more focussed on taking a Vitamin D capsule a day from now on.

I’ve not had my Dr R appointment yet, that is next week. All this is stretching the budget as the Medicare Safety Net reset on January 1. Full gap payments again. I can say making my thyroid behave does, so far, seem to have helped my other conditions. It is amazing what that one little gland in your neck can affect.

I did find out something useful though. All three specialists had ordered another round of blood tests for me to have a week before my appointments. Pushed for time, I took all three pathology slips into the collection point in one hit. I discovered this saves Medicare money, as if any of the same tests are ordered by more than one of the three doctors (which in my case happens), the test is only billed to Medicare once and the results shared. Plus it meant less needles stuck in my arm! Very effective, will do that as often as I can, although as my visits (hopefully) stretch out it may not always be possible.

Sadly, I’ve put on weight. Dr E says this is because we are returning my thyroid to normal function levels which slows my metabolism. On the flip side though I will be able to start exercising a bit more to counteract the slower metabolism because I feel better.

Not every day is great yet but most are pretty good. The brain fog has really improved and I am sleeping better. I don’t wake up in the morning feeling nauseous – that has only happened once since January 10. I do still feel really tired by the end of the week and my tummy was very grumpy on Friday. The breath tests I had have indicated I may have (results not conclusive) a fructose intolerance so I should try to steer away from onions, green beans and a few other foods like grapes. It is a journey: luckily for me a positive journey. No, I don’t feel like I used to – I never will again, I suppose, but improving is certainly better than deteriorating!

Early detection of my conditions has been my saviour, I think. Early detection, early intervention, less damage. Great doctors help too, of course!

Back story articles (in chronological order)