Random stuff (probably boring if you aren't me)

[mrs_sweetpeach]

This morning I saw my doctor to see if he thinks I need a stress test. Turns out I don't need that, but he recommended two other tests, one's a Doppler (which doesn't make sense to me as the only Doppler I know about is the one that concerns weather systems) and other is some sort of calcium reading. I go to the hospital for the first one this Thursday; it's a walk-in procedure and according to my doctor, it's literally taking one breath while hooked up to their scanning equipment. I'm not at all sure about the second one; that'll be at my doctor's practice a week from today.

We talked about the meds I'm taking and about baby aspirin and multi-vitamins. He renewed my prescriptions except for Ibuprofen. I'm off that for the foreseeable future, switched to Tramadol. I thought the change would be no big deal because I've taken it many times before, but my knees are extremely unhappy with me right now. They hurt so bad it feels like a big storm is coming but according to wunderground there is only a 20% chance of rain tonight.

I hope I remember to call my arthritis specialist tomorrow. The way my neck crunches when I roll my head is starting to concern me and I've been wondering about the health of my other joints for a while. Twenty years ago I was told I'd need knee replacement surgery in ten years. I'm hoping I can put that off for another five or ten years (or, better yet, forever) but I think it's time to check in and make sure I'm not being stupid.

And, just so that I have it recorded somewhere, tonight I started the new bottles of Nasonex and Astelin.

Comments

[odogoddess.livejournal.com]

I can rec any cream with Glucosamine & MSM in it for arthritic pain. I use this one (http://www.iherb.com/Natrol-MSM-with-Glucosamine-Creme-4-fl-oz/2286?at=0). Cheapest and best working I've found, and very good if you can't take medication because of an acid stomach or ulcer, which is my case sometimes. I just put some on all the creaky joints when I wake, a dab more at lunch and again before bed. Keeps the worst of the aches at bay.

[greenlady2.livejournal.com]

I work in Medical Records, so I see Doppler Ultrasounds all the time. They're used to study moving substances in the body, such as blood or urine. That's where the Doppler Effect comes in. Is the blood moving away from the test site, or toward it, and at what speed and so on? So the test can give you a picture of your blood pressure and how it works, for example.

It's very safe and very fast and should provide some interesting data, so don't worry. :-)))

[mrs-sweetpeach.livejournal.com]

I think the doppler will be the test I have next Tuesday. Today's was some sort of CAT scan involving calcium (and was of my heart). I think the doppler is to check the arteries in my neck. I'm not particularly worried about either test, at least the taking of them part. I'm hoping for a clean bill of health but if not, I'd rather know now when I'm theoretically young enough to do something to reverse whatever problems I'm developing.