Tuesday, November 23, 2010

EMG Tomorrow

Dr. Welby At The Helm

I have an Electromyogram (EMG) of my legs scheduled at 10 AM tomorrow and Dr. Dense is NOT the neurologist.  Instead I am getting Marcus Welby, MD,  the kindly reassuring older neurologist everyone in town respects and loves, the one that never takes new patients because his roster is always full.  I wasn't expecting anything until next January or February at the pace they do things at the local neuro clinic.  My PCP must've motivated somebody - I'm totally surprised.  WooHoo!!

I didn't take any pain meds today, and won't tonight or tomorrow.  I am afraid of skewing the EMG results with medication, so I decided to hurt instead.  This certainly has been a week of doctor appointments.

I saw Dr. Calm, the immunologist, today.  He is running tests for mammalian meat allergy and the genetic mutations (c-kit mutations?) for mastocytosis.  Apparently if I have mammalian meat allergy I won't be able to eat beef or pork because of some kind of enzyme in the protein.  Well, I would rather have that than mastocytosis but I really don't want to have either, so hoping the tests come back negative!!!  No changes in the cyclosporine dosage.  I am not supposed to eat any beef or pork until I hear back from the tests.  We were going to have ham for Thanksgiving, so I think I am going to risk it and take more benedryl that day to counteract the possible mammalian meat enzyme allergy. 

Had to arrive late at work due to Dr. Calm's appointment, then leave early in the afternoon because they messed up my blood samples for the tests and I had to go and get poked again.  Apparently they took "serum" samples and they needed whole blood. Wonder what the difference is, because it comes out of my veins the same.

Very on edge this evening, suspect it is because The Legs are misbehaving. The pain will get better or it won't.  I just am having trouble sitting still - have dancing legs!  Very hard to concentrate, and little things are getting on my nerves.  I will practice my breathing this evening and my biofeedback and try to concentrate on something else!

7 comments:

  1. Good luck with the EMG tomorrow. I am not very fond of those. I hope it gives you the answers you need for a dx. I keep you in my thoghts and prayers Winny. Keep the faith. I have one of those fancy roll around walkers. I have a cane, a walker, and a electric chair. Lately the chair has been the thing I have used when out in stores, etc. her name is Lucy, as she is red. I have been so weak, and it's been hard to walk.

    Happy Thanksgiving!!

    God Bless~
    Debbie Jean

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  2. Good luck with your EMG today. I hope everything comes back negative too and that you are able to enjoy your ham on Thanksgiving! It's tough managing what you can take and can't take any longer especially if it grows all of the time.

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  3. Debbie Jean: you have a full assortment of walking toys! (or in the case of red Lucy - not walkin toys!) I know I am heading down the same road you have already gone down, and you make me feel like I can maybe remain myself even when I start sporting some extra walking assistance. I am sorry that your weakness has put you in the place where Lucy is your primary steed. My weakness is what is starting to scare me, as it is progressing rather quickly. Is that how yours did?? I don't want to skip right to the Lucy stage, as I am really wanting a tricked out walker. Happy Thanksgiving dear one!!! don't wear yourself and Lucy out on Black Friday deals and cooking the Turkey on Turkey day!!

    MP: In the darkness of the night I decided full steam ahead and torpedos be damned I'm eating some of that HaM regardless!!! I went out and found a special country cured hanging ham just for Thanksgiving and by golly I'm having a bite of that!

    My list of allergies is sooooo long I carry a list with me for emergency room purposes AND I have a medic-alert bracelet that just says "multiple allergies" after anaphylaxis, with my number and their phone number to call. I don't think it is ever going to get shorter. The only time I am a really big baby about it is the holidays because #1) there is generally something I would like to eat I can't #2) using an epipen at a family dinner kind of ruins it for everybody else....

    Hope you have a great turkey day too!!!

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  4. hang in there ...hope your thanksgiving dinner is enjoyable and doesn't cause you to have any problems.

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  5. Just Me: Hoping it won't either. Hoping you have a good and not overwhelming ThanksGiving!!

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  6. WNPP - for the blood tests. I'm guessing that the serum tests were for the immunology work, but they forgot to get the other kind of sample (usually the tube has a purple or blue top, and the tech mixes it immediately after taking it).

    The "whole blood" sample is just one with an anticoagulant in it so that it can go through a different kind of machine for testing, such as hemoglobin or PT/PTT blood clotting tests, that sort of thing. When I worked in the lab it happened all the time. Either the tech would forget one particular tube, or the doc would call and order something later on that we hadn't drawn a sample for.

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  7. Sue: You are amazing!!! I didn't have the slightest clue! I was thinking like milk - 2%, whole, skim - homogenized etc..Not what was in the tube!!! I think it was for the DNA test for the mastocytosis gene mutation.

    Hope you have a great Thursday! Not sure if you have a Thanksgiving in Canada...

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