Dermatologist feedback

Well I passed with flying colours, no dodgy moles and I wish I had gone alot sooner as he painlessly solved three very annoying skin issues!

I have had a small but very badly placed skin tag in my right armpit since birth and it's been a pain ever since I started shaving my armpits! So this was frozen in a few seconds and will disappear in about a week. I had an ugly red bump on the front of a calf, leftover scar tissue from an ingrowing hair. He numbed it and then shaved it down level with my skin and it should be faded and flat.

But his most impressive work was saved for my left eyelid. A few years ago I developed what looked like a skin tag literally right above my eyelash line on the outer corner. It was annoying as all get out, no eye make-up would stay on it and it was very white and visible when I was without mascara. I saw a consultant in the UK and he told me it was a skin tag and if I had it removed I would lose eyelashes - so I left it.

Well today he said that's just a small cyst and I can whip it off in a second and he then proceeded to do just that and painlessly! My response when I looked in the mirror he handed me was a loud "WOW", he thought I said "OW" which gave us a laugh. It was literally like a magic trick - no blood, no more ugly cyst and a perfect looking eyelid instantly again! I think I was probably his most easily impressed patient all day.

All three procedures done and his all over checkup cost me $272 and I think it may just have been the best money I ever spent on myself.

A sensible first for me today.....

Let me ask a question - how many of you wear some kind of sun protection everytime you go outside? And that applies wherever you live in the world.

I'm guessing it'll be a pretty low number; in the distant past I have been guilty of the same, and tanning beds, and sunbathing until I was pink! Well let's just say since I hit my mid' 30's and then moved here where the sun is much more intense, I have changed my ways. I also have been scared into action by how much older some of my sun/tanning bed worshipping friends look as they approach their 40's!

So for the past few years I have rarely stepped outside my home without at the very least Neutrogena Ultra Sheer (the one with Helioplex) factor 45 on my face, neck, chest and hands. I just put it on religiously after my face cream everyday. I keep tubes on hand in the bathroom, both vehicles, the kitchen, work and the garage.

This year I have actually stepped it up a gear, in the same brand but to the new factor 85 sun block - and I still have a bit of a tan, but a safe one! Some of you have commented in the past few days on how young my mum looks, well she's also a slave to sun protection and nagged me for years, until I listened. So I guess if we have a secret to looking younger, right there you have a big part of it.

So today I am going to do the next most sensible thing I have ever done for my skin and spend approximately $90 on an all over skin check by a Dermatologist. I have always had a few moles and have fair skin with freckles, so I just decided to have a check-up and get a baseline for the future.

The Hubster see's him every 6 months for something else and he always has patients in his waiting room with either Acne or Skin Cancers. I have noticed how the people living here are extremely poor at using sun protection and sadly I see more and more all the time who have had moles removed. A few of them can also testify to me lecturing them and even in the odd case handing them sunscreen!

So this is one of my pet issues if you will....just remember skin cancer is one of most dangerous, fast and often terminal cancers.

So I ask you in all seriousness, would you rather have a tan or live? - it may just come down to that one day! Oh and you tanning bed users thinking you're safe, think again. A recent study has disproved the theory that tanning beds are safer, plus to put it very bluntly, in a few years you'll have skin that looks like the hide of a cow.

Personally I'd rather glow healthily like Nicole Kidman into my old age, than look like a female George Hamilton!

Some things are the same worldwide!

One of the most fearsome beings to cross swords with in the known universe, is without any doubt a doctor's Receptionist and so far my experiences had led me to believe this was the case on both sides of the pond. And then I met Myrna my current receptionist and without doubt she is the exception to the rule.

Unlike all the others I have ever encountered, Myrna is keen to please, willingly helpful and always chatty and friendly. Up until now I secretly wondered if when you got the job they had some top secret worldwide organisation known as 'DRAMA' (Doctor Receptionists Academy of Miserable Attitudes) that they were all sent to for training. Because previously I have always been made to feel like Oliver Twist asking "Please sir, can I have some more?!"

I remember many years ago when I was really sick I had called for an appointment only to be told "what about next Friday at 10am?" - sound familiar? So following a 3rd night in a row of vomiting, drizzlings, fever and feeling like hell warmed up.....I dragged my bedraggled white carcass to the front desk when they opened in the hope of some pity. Initially I had no success and so I just burst into tears, grabbing the attention of a nurse who took pity and ushered me into a room. 'Atilla the Hun' on the front desk never even blinked and would undoubtedly of sent me home tail between my legs!

Maybe it just takes a certain type to deal with the pressures of the job, because apart from Myrna, all the others have at some point shown their true colours and had 'attitude' sooner or later. And I'm sorry but I am generally a friendly and accommodating patient, who tries not to demand instant attention unless I am really sick, because I know they're always booked.

And while we're on this issue - why are they ALWAYS booked up about a week or even more ahead?! I mean most of us do not get a weeks notice that we are about to be sick enough to require a doctor. Considering how busy all doctor's are everywhere, would it kill them to keep an hour in the morning and afternoon for same day 'sick' patients. I really doubt the doctor would end up sitting around twiddling his thumbs!

Well and if nobody was to call in, then it just means the doctor would catchup and be running on time for once in a blue moon! There have been a few times I waited 2 hours before the doctor was actually face to face with me. "Uh hello, the rest of us also have busy lives and schedules, kids or bosses waiting on our return"!

My current doctor also has this 'timing' problem, however having a cheery, friendly Myrna to chat to and him being an exceptional Dr, makes it all worthwhile. It's going to take something major to make me change to another practice and another 'DRAMA' graduate!

I'm officially an Old Cow!

Because I am certainly not breastfeeding and Mastitis is rare otherwise! I went to the ER tonight as my Dr is out of town and I was getting very tender and pink, and sure enough that's what I have. In this instance it has been caused by a staph or strep bacterial infection that's gone through the skin. Last week Callie caught me on this 'boob' with her claws, so that was probably the cause.

So it's antibiotics and painkillers, rest and warm compresses for a few days. If you've ever had it you know how uncomfortable I am, if you haven't then avoid at all costs. Needless to say in this instance no piccies will be posted for added interest!

Finally got my butt moving!

Yep don't all keel from the shock, but yesterday I actually did some significant exercise and even more amazingly I quite enjoyed it!

First of all I stuck my new DVD of 'The Tudors' in the player and walked on the treadmill for 20 minutes and this definitely helped the time go faster.

Then I mowed our yard (for the first time ever) with a big self-propelled but walk behind gas mower and that took me the best part of 2 hours, as we have a big yard. It might be self-propelled but it still requires walking and effort to turn it, arm work and I was pretty tired by the last section. It was a gorgeous day, I got fresh air, a tan and apart from the last 20 minutes I did enjoy it!

Why did I suddenly get moving, well despite the medication increase last week my BP is still slightly on the climb. So I decided okay I need to get moving and improve my fitness and maybe that will help too.

So I intend to at the very least walk 30 mins most days and I am also going to bike and lift some light weights too.

Hyper' again!

As many of you already know, I have Graves Disease, which is an auto-immune Thyroid disease where you basically swing back and forth between being Hyper/Hypothyroid and the ultimate aim is to get you Euthyroid (remission).

I was diagnosed initially March 30 2007 on the verge of a full thyroid storm and since then have been taking Anti-Thyroid Drug therapy as treatment. Zapping my thyroid with a high dose of radiation (the common treatment here) is not an option, as I am in the 25% of Graves patients with the added complication of Graves Opthamology eye disease. Surgery is also not the best option because of this, as they often take too much away and then the eye disease, which manifests itself as bulgy eyes can get very bad. Having the eye disease also gives you a much lower % chance of remission, but I refuse to give up hope.

So I have regular bloodwork and have learned in the past year to be acutely aware of my body changing and the symptoms; I can tell when I am going off without the bloodwork usually.

For the past 3 weeks my resting BP and Heart Rate and have been steadily rising daily, plus I can eat anything and not gain (the only positive), my nails and hair are on hyperspeed growth, I am covered in bruises, much more jittery/anxious and warmer all of a sudden, when usually I am always cold! So I went for bloodwork last week and found out today I am Hyperthyroid once again and back where I was aprox' last May/June.

I won't bore you with the actual bloodwork (for those who posted last time though, I did get and am waiting on a TSI result), but there are certain levels we have figured out I feel best at and they are all skewed again. We have been steadily decreasing my meds, but it seems it was too fast and so my Dr has increased them all upwards again. Now I go a month and get the tests run and we will see whether the increase has been enough to reverse the slide and get me back in range shortly. Apart from the symptoms I listed above, I am actually doing ok and can work if I don't push myself too hard.

This past year has been an interesting experience for me and has really taught me that nobody knows your body better than you do. I told my Dr today if the tests had not comeback as they did, I'd have called the Lab' a liar I was that certain!

So if you feel things are changing in your body, but not hugely or seriously, maybe just a feeling you have - then please listen to those signs and see your Dr. Last year if I had waited another 48hrs I could have gone into a full thyroid storm which is deadly serious and in extreme cases can be fatal.

So here we go again, but I will keep plugging away and eventually I will get this beat or at the very least get off this up/down rollercoaster!

Pass Gas for Cancer Prevention!

The Hubster tells me he heard a story on the radio yesterday, that some specialist Dr in France wants the French to start passing more gas. Apparently he believes that holding it in can make you more susceptible to cancer!

Wonderful, he's just supplied all the men of the world with the best excuse ever for relentless 'tooting' as you American's so sweetly put it. Needless to say the Hubster is gleeful and has already put it to use with a big 'cheeky' grin!

Oh and he's responsible for that title above too!

Attack of the Allergies

When I first got here I was asked regularly by the locals if I suffered from 'Allergies', to which I responded "no, never have". Their very encouraging response was almost always "give it time, I never did either until I moved here"!

I moved here in October 2005 and I breezed through the following spring still happily allergy free and defending my drip-free nose confidently against the pessimistic locals.

Last spring things were not quite so hunkydory and my left eye finally succumbed to pressure and expectation. But it was a lone dissenter and all I needed were eye drops occasionally to keep it in line.

Spring 2008 rolls in, on the back of a drought for about 6 months and all hell has broken loose in my nasal passages. Yep the dreaded infamous Okie allergies have finally dragged this particular Brit' under kicking and screaming!

It started last Monday with a scratchy throat, developed by mid-week into a nasal drip, by the weekend the watery eyes were in place and by Sunday the sinus headache and cough. I have now admitted defeat, waved the white flag and started on the Allegra medication.

Today, if you didn't know better, looking at me you'd think I have a cold...but it's not, as allergies do leave you feeling distinctly different. I am not blocked up, just heavy headed, watery eyed and coughing due to the runny nose. I can't say the Allegra is helping yet, but guess what!? The Vicks rubbed on the soles of my feet at night is working a treat still and at least I am sleeping like a baby!

Now the locals just nod wisely at me and say "ahh yes allergies, we all get 'em, it's all the wind and dust out here"....I have to say that really makes me feel better, knowing I have this to look forward to every spring for the rest of my days!

All very thought provoking...

There is alot of speculation at the moment as to whether an organ transplant can result in something of a 'soul/personality' transplant.

This has been brought into the public arena this week after a very tragic case of a 69 year old man from Georgia, USA. He received the heart of a man who had committed suicide by shooting himself. After recovering he sought out the widow of the man and described how he instantly fell passionately in love with her on sight and drawn to her. They ended up marrying and Sonny appeared happy and settled. But then tragically with no sign of depression leading up to it, he also took his own life with a gun! You can read more on this amazing story and research into this subject here

There is also another personal experience story on the same site here from a woman who received the heart of an 18 year old boy and then developed his tastes, which were totally contrary to hers before the transplant. I also took the time to read through readers comments and there were a few more similar cases in there.

This whole issue is actually the subject of scientific research here and in China, although many Dr's dismiss it, it seems more and more are coming out and saying it's possible. Scientists and medical experts freely admit the last mystery of the human body they have not unlocked yet is the mind and conscious thought.

Anyway I found both these articles very thought provoking and intriguing. I am a firm believer in the human soul and spirit going on after death, so the thought that they are imprinted on our bodies organs in not entirely unbelievable to me.

Just a totally fascinating concept and I guess it may have implications for transplants in the future, if it's ever proved or strong evidence is found to support this theory.

Another day, another dental appointment!

Here we go again!

Just hoping it doesn't take 4 injections to make me numb today, back later to post more if they haven't numbed my brain too!

**Update**

Haha...the Dentist had this new cool machine that told her the spots she thought needed filling don't after all....I am loving technology right now :-)

So I just have to pop back later to have the new crown stuck in place (assuming UPS deliver it) and I am done for the timebeing.

Neck update

I am finally feeling pretty much back to normal after a weeks PC rest and another chiropractor appointment this evening, thank you to those who have been enquiring and wishing me better.

So I will be stepping up the blogging a bit more and be back to more of my observations on life here :-)

Still got a pain in the neck

Okay I am signing off here apart from little snippets for a week to give my neck a chance to recover fully! It's just not good still and any PC work seems to aggravate it even after a few minutes.

Plus we are about to apply to Remove the Conditions of my Green Card and as some of you know, it involves alot of paperwork so I am busy with that too.

So I will post when and if I can this week with a few simple bits and pieces, please don't desert me.

In the words of Arnie "I'll be back"!

Got drugs, doing better...

I am going to be a very light blogger today as I was feeling really bad last night.

Then I found some prescription Voltarol in the cupboard, checked with Walgreens, took it and the pain had gone after a few hours.

So I will keep PC work to a minimum until Monday :-)

Neck needs a break!

Not literally, but after my 2nd chiropractor appointment in 2 days, I have decided I need to stay off the PC for 24 hours as he seems to have me fixed and I don't want to re-aggravate it.

So please excuse me until Saturday when I will be back to blog.

I'll take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy Easter, I have pushed the boat out and allowed myself 2 Creme Eggs for this weekend in celebration!

Ouch and a warning to you bloggers/writers!

I had to leave school today at 1:15pm after developing a SEVERE headache painkillers couldn't touch, feeling queasy and a bit 'off' in my head!

After checking my BP and ensuring it wasn't a thyroid issue, I called my chiropractor as it all seemed to be coming from the base of my skull and neck.

I got there late afternoon and turns out I had managed to do something extremely rare! I had put something beginning with 'C' out where my skull connects with my neck, resulting in my skull being tilted back. Plus I had all 3 neck vertebrae out just to add to my troubles. As a result all my muscles had gone into lockdown mode too, hence the headache and queasiness. He said it's just about the most painful thing you can do to your neck - YEP I HAD NOTICED!

So he crunched me back into place, giving me almost immediate relief but even after further painkillers it's still sore, although alot better. I have another appointment tomorrow night and I think I might be needing it.

Now I got to thinking about how I did this and I am pretty certain it was as a result of working on my laptop. I have a good chair, desk, height thing going on, but even now I can feel I have a tendency to tilt my head back as I type!

So this is a warning to all you other prolific bloggers and writers out there, be aware of how you're holding your neck, c'os what I did was bloody painful!

Patient Abuse!

The situation with medical care and the costs in the USA, is too large a problem for me to even have a desire to discuss here - just know it stinks and if you're a Brit' be glad for the NHS, however bad it gets!

But I thought I would share a recent shocking experience with a well known national blood testing Laboratory, I can't name them obviously!

Since last August I have had the same five blood tests run by them every month and the invoice (which I pay direct having no insurance cover) has always been $177. I went as usual in February, saw the same nurse (the only employee at this Lab') and had the blood drawn.

Two weeks later the invoice arrived for $391, which represented a 220% price increase in a month!! First of all it nearly gave me a coronary and then I thought this has to be a genuine error on their part. One of these tests had gone up by 347% in one month!

So I called their billing department and asked them. It was no mistake, they had a price increase on January 27 and therefore my invoice stood. I pointed out the nurse never advised me of the price increase, there were no signs visible about it and therefore I was not paying it. After conferring with a manager she said I should have been told, I said well I was not, she said then you need to take this up with that Lab' - effectively passing the buck nicely.

So I called the nurse, who I have got know well and explained the problem. She also did not know about any price increase and was in total shock at how much my invoice had increased! She called the billing department herself and was basically told you should know this, to which she replied well you haven't told me. She explained to them she does not collect money ever at the site and therefore has no idea on pricing. They said what you don't have a price list, you don't have signs about the increase up? She confirmed no and a price increase like this would put the already quiet Lab' out of business, with a cheaper hospital across the street!

So I then emailed in two complaints and threatened them with letters to the Better Business Bureau and our Congressman. Big surprise they had not replied after two weeks, despite stating you should hear back within 24 hours!

After 2 weeks, the nice nurse called me to see if I had it resolved and offered a solution. She had spoken to her Area Manager and he advised me to ask my Dr to get the tests billed direct to him as they would be less. So I called my Dr and they happily agreed to try this for me and I ignored the invoice.

Finally this week I got a response from my complaints saying the bill will not be reduced, but by now I had settled a much reduced bill at my Dr's office from them.

So now the shocking part.......

January invoice = $177
February invoice = $391

Same invoice but billed direct to my Dr = $83

This bill has been the talk of my Dr's office amongst his staff, despite dealing with medical costs all day, even they can't believe a Lab' can justify charging an uninsured patient $308 more!!

So lucky for me I got it resolved but it made me so mad I have reported the whole saga to the Better Business Bureau anyway. On the basis that patients should be advised of such a major price increase before the blood is drawn - we shall see!

Back on the rollercoaster

I spent most of today after going blonde again, running around getting tests done for my Graves Disease.

Over the past 10 days I have suspected I was going back into hyperthyroidism and my mum told me I looked like I was, after seeing me on the webcam Friday. I also have Graves Opthamology which is the eye disease, the most apparent symptom being big or protruding eyes.

So today I went to the Optician who took one look at me and said 'yep you're hyper'. Well my eyes aren't protruding yet but they are bigger and the right one more so. But it's something that is very hard to tell yourself, when you see your eyes everyday! So he took a few measurements and confirmed what we both knew already, I have slid too far.

So then off to my Dr, who drew blood and has sent it off for a full thyroid panel & TSH. These will be back tomorrow and then he will call me to increase my medications again and we will try to get me back in range. This will automatically shrink my eyes, lower my BP again and decrease the anxiety that has returned.

This is just life with Graves Disease. I was diagnosed 11 months ago and now know the warning signs of both hyper and hypothyroidism, as with this disease you swing both ways!

So unfortunately I won't be level by my 1 year anniversary, but I will at least be hopefully back in normal range. The problem as we are finding out, is how to keep me there!

Normal at last!

Some of you may argue this point.....but I refer to my thyroid levels not my persona!

After almost 11 months of trying to normalise my thyroid levels following my diagnosis with Graves Disease, my Dr confirmed yesterday 2/3 of the tests are finally normal :-) The best part is they are the important 2 tests, one just scraped in on the bottom rung but it's a great moment and explains why I have been feeling so much better. The other test has now stayed in normal range for 5 weeks and this has given me confidence that the medication is better than the drastic radiation/surgery alternatives.

It seems my healthier diet and many vitamin supplements, are all combining with the med's to make me stronger every month. It also helps having a Dr who believes in the conservative approach and has a personal interest in my disease, I struck lucky the day he took me on.

So the med's are reduced again and this time I will go 6 weeks until the next blood work and hope the levels continue to stabilise.

The PJ's are finally off...but what did I learn?

Not a fact I am proud of.....but tomorrow's Wednesday and for the first time this week I will be wearing something other than my PJ's!! Finally the fearsome head cold has waved the white flag and tonight I feel a whole lot better, I can breathe and I'm barely coughing :-)


So what have I learned from having a bad cold and being thrust back into the dark ages without access to all the modern cold remedies (see earlier post for explanation). Well I have got well again just as fast (probably faster) as I ever did with all the Sudafed/Nyquil/Lemsip (UK) etc' remedies thrown down my formerly eager throat. I also didn't take mega doses of Vit' C, Zinc or Echinacia as I have in the past. Those of you that swear by Zicam (Mum are you reading this?), you may want to think again. The last 2 colds I had more than a year ago, I fought with the Zicam nasal bud thingies. I actually struggled with mucus for alot longer, took longer to recover...and had a hacking cough for days, that needed a prescription cough remedy.

With every cold I ever had, I have used decongestant nasal sprays to clear my blocked nose, as I have a morbid fear of not being able to breathe. Well this time I wasn't allowed to use them, so I just had to keep blowing it all out and relied on Vicks VapoRub to clear my nose. Well first of all I survived through 2 very congested nights and after an initial few minutes adjusting after lying down, my nose cleared just with the Vicks enough for me to sleep. I also did not get the drainage down my throat that these sprays cause and so there was nothing to irritate my throat and make me cough. For the first time in years I was not propped sitting up, to stop the steady drip in my throat these decongestants cause, trying to sleep.

I did take Acetaminophen/Paracetamol (UK) every 6 hours for 3 days to help the fever and headache. When I started to develop a cough I immediately started using the only 'drug' per se I was allowed, a prescription cough med' I had left over in the cupboard. But previously it took at least a bottle to rid me of the cough, this time 6 doses has done it in 2 days!! Many of my family & friends can affirm to the horrendous coughs I have had in the past, this time the cough never really got started for the first time in years.


Vicks VapoRub slathered on the soles of your feet, with warm socks on top, will stop your cough and help you sleep better than all the drugs. Some on your chest and throat helps too. I also had a Vicks Waterless Vaporiser going in the room overnight to help me breathe easier.


So I guess I learned what the scientists say....there is still no cure or quick fix for the common cold and the old remedies are still the best, plus they don't leave you with a ton of mucus after!

It's Vicks all the way for me in the future, saving money too :-)

Head Cold Hell!

Well I always thought having a head cold was horrible, then I got a Thyroid Disease and having a cold took on whole new proportions! On the upside, my appetite has vanished, so this will be a great Weightwatchers week....LOL!

I already knew after a dire warning from my Dr that I must never ingest any Pseudoephedrine again, thereby nixing most of the common cold remedies. Last night when my head felt solid as a rock with congestion and I had resorted to mouth breathing, I found out the decongestant in most things, Oxymetazoline Hydrochloride, is another banned substance for me.

So in desperation I kept up the Acetaminophen, sprinkled a kids Karvol capsule over my pillow (not that I ever smelt it!) and fell back on that good old remedy Vicks VapoRub. I even rubbed it on the soles of my feet and put socks on, after reading in an email it is absorbed through the feet and will stop a cough. Well it did last night for me, although breathing was actually more the issue at the time!

We also have a Vicks Waterless Vaporizer, which is a wonderful gadget that warms an impregnated pad and blows out Vicks across the area, hubby said he could smell it in the kitchen! The upshot was sometime after 3am I became unplugged and managed to sleep finally. I called my local friendly Walgreens pharmacist this morning and confirmed I can at least take my cough medicine. He also suggested I run one of those new saline mixtures through my sinuses, the one where you pour it up one nostril, tilt your head and let it out the other....I always thought that was disgusting but I am desperate enough to try anything today!

But having a cold without access to modern day remedies and decongestants stinks people, it's like being thrown back into the dark ages! So thank you Proctor & Gamble for continuing to develop and sell the old fashioned, yet utterly reliable Vicks, without it I'd have had no sleep.