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Saturday, September 5, 2009

Trying Our Best

Sorry for the no post in a long time. Life has been REALLY busy and hectic for both Tyson and me. School is going okay for me. It would be a better experience if I wasn't so miserable. My students are great! The teaching part is fun! But......the OTHER things that a teacher's job entails......paperwork, testing students, basically doing 50 other jobs on TOP of trying to make sure your students are getting the necessary knowledge to pass the standardized test at the end of the school year is wearing me out, but more so because I'm trying to do it all while I'm so extrememly uncomfortable. I'm a VERY organized person, and all of this is causing me to get disorganized. I'M SO BUSY!!!!! I can't stay caught up, so I have to bring work home. :( I never wanted to be one of those teachers, but, unfortunately, I have to do it in order to keep up. What's really holding me back is my possible Interstitial Cystitis. Since I'm so uncomfortable, and can't move very fast right now, I'm getting behind. Some days I just want to crawl into a corner because I'm "hurting" (if that's what you want to call it) and I can barely teach. I get behind in my teaching. I don't know what to do. This is NOT the way I pictured my first year of teaching.

Tyson has been such a trooper at trying his best to take care of things that I can't take care of right now, while working his tail off as well. I feel so helpless, and I can barely do half of the things I used to because, at times, I can barely move without flaring something up. I feel so HORRIBLE to have to put everything on him right now. He's been helping me cook the only 4 things I can eat right now (yeah...you heard me right....that's a whole other long story in itself), helping me with the dogs, helping me around the apartment, etc., etc. This situation I'm in has really put a hold on our lives right now, and we're trying our best to get through this. We're both staying as positive as we can with this in knowing I WILL be normal again.

It's been two weeks since I've been on the Elmiron and I have noticed a decrease in the severity of my symptoms. However, I have also gone on a REALLY strict diet, so I don't know if it's the diet or the medicine or BOTH! I feel 50% better, but I still have another 50% to go. Unfortunately, last month, I accumulated new symptoms that deals with my pelvic region, and they've gotten worse. They're worse when I stand or just stand for a long period of time. So, who knows what will happen with this. Maybe it'll go away on its own as my bladder/urethra urgency, frequency, and tightening/pressure symptoms go away. I've read up that IC affects your bladder nerves, and those nerves are connected to the pelvic nerves, so I'm probably feeling something in connection with my possible IC. Overall, this is ridiculous. It's just one pain after the other and it doesn't stop. I'm so grateful that my urologist put my on Elmiron one month after my symptoms started. Usually, people with IC, don't get a diagnosis until 6 months AFTER their symptoms started, and THEN they start treatment. By then, the disease has progressed, and the patient will have to do a multitude of treatments and it could possibly take longer for them to feel results.

That leads me to my other update. I'm going to see a new urologist. Tyson has a k9 buddy who's wife has Interstitial Cystitis and sees this doctor. I spoke with her, and she says he's knowledgable in IC. It would just make me feel more comfortable to go to a urologist that has knowledge in the subject matter, PLUS, I know someone who goes to him, and who's sister (who has IC) goes to him. I'm trying to be as proactive as I can with this because I want to feel and be normal again within this month. I have a great feeling in my gut about this doctor. I have a feeling he will be the one that will know EXACTLY what to do, and I WILL return to a normal state and get back into my normal routines again within this month. I will give an update on the doctor's appointment when I go on Tuesday.

Anyways, I want to give a big thank you to those that are giving so much love and support right now. It's exactly what Tyson and I need through this difficult time.

3 comments:

Lauren said...

Hey Reannin,
I am so sorry that you have to deal with this. I know how uncomfortable you must be! I sent an email to my friend from college, but she hasn't gotten back to me. I'm not 100% sure that she has IC, but if I hear from her, I'll let you know immediately. Good luck, and as always you are in our prayers!

Tyson and Reannin said...

Thank you so much for your prayers. I need that so badly right now. Did your roomate have the same symptoms? Thank you for trying to get in touch with her. I need to figure out what the heck to do.

Lauren said...

She told me that it feels like having a constant bladder infection (urgency, pain, etc), so I think it is the same thing. She took some medication for a while that made her pee blue, but then they took it off the market I think. If I can get her to email me back, I'll let you know.