Personal Update......
7.29.09 Well, it's been awhile since I've been back to the DS forum.....it's been a rough 4 months. Last time I posted I had just suffered a TIA in early February and another episode in late April...not as bad but still another TIA.........Mid May I was laid off from my job. As many of you know I've been in the Architectural field for some 30 years..... at the firm I was a Designer/Sr. Project Manager and had agreed during the interview process to stay as long as they needed me or as long as I enjoyed the work. The majority of our work was county detention centers (jails), judical centers and sheriff's offices.......well due to the economy that source of projects has all but dried up. Most are paid for by bonds or tax referendums and those just aren't flying in most communities. I was called in by the Principals and told that someone was going to have to be let go..... I voluntered to be the one.... the others are all younger and are just getting started in their careers and most have very young children as well. Me... I've had a great career and my kids are grown and to be honest I was thinking it was time to start slowing down........the two TIA's set me back and truthfully it was getting harder and harder to get through the day. So I guess I retired early without the retirement pay........thank gawd the wife's job is secure and has our benifits. I've been focusing on the house renovation, which is slowly coming along cause I'm only good for about half a days work before I have to knock off .........but I'm still listening to what my body is telling me and have to responsive to the signals....... the bad days I just have to let it all go and rest. This week has been pretty much a total wash out........Sunday morning I woke up with the area behind my left ear on fire, by Monday morning I had a series of blisters forming up across my scalp to my forehead.....a quick trip to the Dr. confirmed my fears........Shingles. Currently I look like something out of "B" grade horror movie.... the blisters have progressed down my forehead , around my left eye and down to my jaw.....the eye is pretty much swollen shut and the rest of the left side of my face is swollen and blistered......... fun, fun, fun...... the antiviral meds should handle the virus part and for now the pain meds are taking care of the pain when I can't take it anymore........feels like nerve is on fire and the optic nerve is super sensitive to any light.........(really hard typing this with sunglasses on at night). My Dr. asked me if I was under alot of stress while looking at my chart.........then he stopped, shook his head and looked up at me smiling and said you think we can sell your wife on a fly fishing trip to CO as part of the treatment........he actually wrote a prescription just for that to give to my wife. He wants to learn how to fly fish and I told him I would be willing to teach him..........I guess we'll have to try another tactic........the wife didn't buy it. Sometimes it gets to be too much .......... I was dealing with the ever present fog (depression) hanging just off the edge of the picture..... somedays it comes in with the tide and somedays it just hangs out there.......the first month out of work I kept pretty busy (maybe to busy) and it pretty much stayed at bay........the second month I had more bad days then good days and the fog crept in ever so slowly........just when I thought I had it back under control this hits me........that's the way it seems being acro, you never know what's around the bend and it messes with your mind. This month's blood work came back good though.... IGF-1 levels are around 90 (the lowest they've ever been since diagnosed), but the thyroid levels are off, as well as the tesosterone levels...... it's always something isn't it. But... this too shall pass.........I'm just pissed cause the weather has been beautiful here lately and I've missed some really good rides lately.........the iron horse wants to be let out of the garage and it's always therputic to get out in the wind......
Replies
Hi,
Oh im so sorry to hear that you have shingles, such a painful virus.and loosing your job, but as you say you were ready to go. although you are still young. my daughter has acromegaly, she was diagnosed 26months ago while on holiday in Australia,she had her first surgery there, then back to uk and had second endosopic surgery, to see if they could get anymore out, but they couldnt, like yours it was around optic chiasm and cartoid arteries, they said it had tentacles and because it was very agressive and invasive they said external beam radiotherapy had to be given, shes only 29yrs old single she has had to go partime because she gets so tired and agitated, she is a tax administrator for a trust co. done all her exams and worked her way up the ladder, but now has had to take a lower paid job within the firm, less taxing for her. do you think the tia\'s are to do with the Gamma knife. I worry so much for her future, we are more or less retired now. she gets so tearful, now she is worrying about the pegvisamont in case the tumour grows, all the drugs and painkillers, and she is still in pain every day. she says her life is over, she says now she has two diseases, acromegaly and trigeminal nerve pain, which she says is worse. sorry to rant on, but there are not many people on the forum that have had RT and the same tumour.her igf-1 is 600 and her gh is 25 Hope you start to feel better soon, thanks
Well LP, I wondered where you had been and hoped it wasn\'t bad new, but... I appreciate you sharing your experiences and your approach to the struggles with this and other problems. I wish you well, my friend. I hope the shingles have cleared and you are feeling better!!
Hi LP How are you feeling, have the shingles calmed down any, I hope so,look forward to hearing from you soon.