We are "Temporarily" Depressed ...

At least the doctor is convinced it is a temporary delay.

He didn't have the EEG results yet.

His assistant had popped her head in to warn me before the doctor came in -- she had tried.

She had phoned and begged.

She had pleaded.

She explained how badly the doctor wanted it for the following morning's appointment.

No can do.

It takes at least two weeks for reports of EEGs to be completed.

We would just have to be patient.

The doctor waltzed in, pleased as punch.

"We have all the results," he says. "And everything is normal."

"No, you don't," I'm saying over him.  "You don't have the EEG -- and that is the one that matters."

"True," he says, "EEGs take a little longer.  But it will be normal, I'm sure of it.  The good news is that all your other levels are excellent."

I explained how desperately I want to fire my chauffeur and he said we just have to wait a little longer because he is convinced, having seen the results of the bloodwork, that the EEG will in fact be normal.  So we discussed the fact that everything else is settling down and I seem to be able to eat now (not a lot, but I am eating).  He felt that I should remain at the lower dose of Cesamet.

I explained that since the lower dose is not giving me enough pain relief to function around the home for normal day-to-day activities, it made no sense to stay on it at that dose.  I would therefore go off it altogether so I would appreciate his advice as to how I should do that (otherwise, I would proceed on my own counsel).

My doctor is one frustrated medic.

He simply doesn't know what to give me to replace the Cesamet if I stop taking it.  As he put it, "you've tried the gamut, haven't you?"  You bet I've tried the gamut.  In 25 years, we've had lots of time to try to address the matter of my hip pain!

He then explained about another approach that we might try, further down the road, but it would involve his taking further certification before he would be allowed to prescribe it for me.  I would have to research the drug thoroughly before I would agree to go that route (I did not get the name of it yesterday).  When I pushed for more info about the drug, he kept mentioning that it "works well for fibromyalgia" and I had to remind him that my fibro appears to be reasonably well controlled by Lyrica; we are trying to address the matter of the bursitis that I have in both hips -- that pain thus far has NOT been controlled by Lyrica or any other fibromyalgia-specific analgesic.  It did, however, respond extremely well to Cesamet.

In the end, we agreed that I would increase the Cesamet by .5mg in the morning, to see if it gives me the extra pain relief I need during the day, but I must continue to abstain from all alcohol.  If my appetite is again affected negatively, we will have to revisit this strategy.

The goal, of course, is that I will be able to get back to the Cesamet dosage that affords me pain relief and allows me to function on a daily basis, without putting me at risk of seizures.

Once we get the EEG results, which he fully expects will show normal activity, he will refer me to the neurologist who saw me back in 2006 to pursue further testing.  I want to have a sleeping EEG to see if my "nocturnal seizures" are an issue again.  We also need to address the matter of why my vision continues to decline at the rate it is.  My bloodwork results ruled out my eye doctor's concern with respect to diabetes in that regard.

Following the doctor's visit, we dropped off my hearing aid; went for lunch; physio; visited my little chickadee and beautiful boy; I got my haircut and then we came home.

It was a very long day and we were both absolutely exhausticated!

So now, we will wait for the doctor's call to tell us when I can fire my chauffeur.