Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Getting harder

Life is so hard sometimes. Lately, I've had to use my wheelchair more and more. I'm having a lot of trouble catching my breath. Most days, just sitting up is enough to make me feeling like I've been doing jumping jacks for hours. Also, the last 2 days, I've developed a horrible headache that can't be relieved. The only thing that helps is traction, sometimes. The only problem is that my inflatable traction also seems to block off the flow of CSF through my craniectomy region since it inflates all the way around. I know I'm supposed to have a Pronex traction, but we couldn't afford it. ($800). It might provide more relief, though.

Also, I got my DEXA scan results back. These are still considered preliminary results, since the scan was done within the first month of treatment. This scan found that I have moderate osteopenia, with T-scores of -1.8 and -1.3. So, I just have to hope that by my next DEXA, I can show significant improvement. Eating food would probably help with that. I've heard that protein can be helpful, in addition to vitamin D and calcium. So, I'll try to increase my protein, since I don't get much right now.

That's where I'm at right now. Headaches, fatigue, and trying to catch my breath all day.