On the Road to Recovery ...

Well, I saw my medic yesterday. 

And, oh what a relief it was!

Along with the instructions from the Truro Hospital doctor was the information that when I had been admitted on the morning of 4 October, my potassium and sodium levels were very low.  The doctor wanted me to be sure to tell my doctor at home that those levels had to be checked again as soon as possible.  I, of course, did not fully understand the significance of that information (I do now).

My doctor jumped on it immediately.

He has ordered more bloodwork and we discussed many aspects of what happened, not the least of which was the acknowledgement that I had created "the perfect storm" for a seizure.  Except my seizures have been totally absent for the past 21 years and I am currently taking two different anti-seizure medications (Topamax and Lyrica).

He is requesting an EEG, of course, to rule out any current epileptic activity and naturally, I am not to drive until that has been done. 

Since I started taking Cesamet, my appetite has waned big time.

I have lost close to 20 pounds.

That's a good thing (for someone who would still like to lose that much again).

Except that I not only reduced my food intake -- my food intake all but stopped.

But I continued drinking the huge amounts of water that I drink, thus diluting the few nutrients that my body was getting, setting the stage for metabolic imbalance.

Apparently, that is why I was having intermittent dizziness, which I had not yet previously reported to my doctor (I put it to other causes -- I am, after all, fibromyalgic).

My doctor fully expects that my October 4th seizure was due to metabolic imbalance -- brought on as a result of my inability to eat (he is not ignoring the role the other factors played in the incident, he just doesn't think that they were the precipitating factors).  I had not yet discussed with him how much difficulty I was having eating; all he knew was that my appetite was reduced and I was losing weight.  Prior to going to Nova Scotia, I had intended to make an appointment to see him on my return; I wanted to discuss that very issue because I was concerned about the rapidity of my weight loss.

So now we have to find out WHY I don't eat.

As far as Cesamet is concerned, we have agreed that I would gradually reduce my dose, by .5mg per day each week to see if my appetite improves.  That way, we'll find out if it is Cesamet that caused the change in my ability to eat (fewer than 3% will have that response to the drug) or if we have to look for a more sinister cause.  So, as of yesterday, I only took 4.5mg of Cesamet (2mg in the morning; 2.5mg at bedtime).  I will remain at that dose for the rest of the week and will adjust downwards to 4mg/day as of Sunday.

In the meantime, bloodwork and other tests are being done to make sure we aren't missing the tree for the forest.

After the doctor removed my stitches (for which he had to dig, "the hair growth and colour very nicely matches the stitches," he grumbled), he proceeded to address the matter of my continuing sore neck.  I knew I had suffered whiplash in the fall backwards, but I was troubled because I was still having so much difficulty with forward motion (still causes dizziness and nausea) and backward motion (still causes pain).  Side motion is only mildly painful.  He examined me and announced, "Yes, you have whiplash."  WOW, no kidding doc? 

He ordered an X-ray of the area to rule out any extensive damage and suggested that I see my physiotherapist for rehabilitative treatment, and gave me a referral for same.  I was going to physio later that morning -- what a coincidink!

I have to see him again next week for follow-up, at which time he will have the reports on both the  bloodwork and X-ray requests, both of which he ordered ASAP.  We went to a lab down the road and had both completed within the hour, and still got to my physio appointment a half hour early.

The good news from my physiotherapist is that my whiplash could take as long as 12 weeks to fully recover.  Not that I will be in this state for that long -- just that there could be lingering pain for that long, and perhaps nagging pain beyond.  Oh joy!  And of course, because I am fibromyalgic, I can look forward to a possible longer recovery period, with probable longer residual effects.  Oh double joy.  But she has given me my guidelines for wearing that damned collar (on which, as it turns out, my instincts have been guiding me correctly).  I will continue with the gentle stretching and movement that I have been doing and we will monitor my progress with my weekly physio visits.  Twelve weeks my you-know-what!

Now, please, bring on that EEG so I can start being my own chauffeur again!