Routine

Those of you who know me well know how much I love a routine, a plan, a list of things I can check off and feel like I've accomplished something. Now that things are "normal" I have my routine back again...and I love it! Up at 5:40, out the door by 6:30, a full school day, home by 4:00, Alli's homework, dinner, pack lunches, get kids clothes together on the kitchen table for the next morning, upstairs for kids baths, pajamas, cuddle with everyone in our bed, kids in bed by 9:00, watch TV and go to sleep. It's the same thing every weekday and I'm so glad that my day no longer includes dialysis.

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Feeling Good

My hip pain is decreasing every day! It's feeling pretty good. And I had a kidney check-up on Monday. Things are good! My creatinine is higher than it was at the beginning, but not too high. We're going to keep an eye on it, but I don't have to go back to see the doctor until February 13th. That's 5 weeks! I will have to get blood checked once in between, though. I was told today that a student from Oak Hills is having a kidney transplant on February 2nd. I couldn't believe it...someone younger than me! He got a mosquito bite several years ago and it progressivly made his kidneys go bad. He just started dialysis the other day. But thank God his mom is a match and the surgery will be here soon. Keep Tyler in your prayers.

Maybe Not

The orthopedic doctor isn't convinced that it's a fracture. The spot is really close to a joint and there is alot of inflammation surrounding it. So he thinks it might be related to the Sjogren's. He said that a cortisone shot doens't help with autoimmune stuff. Thank goodness! Have you ever had a cortisone shot before? HUGE needles! And there isn't really anything to do with a fracture in the same spot, either. We're just going to wait it out, take pain meds, and go back to see him if it gets worse. It really does feel better each day, so I'm not worried so much. Just have to take it easy...

Insufficiency Sacrum Fracture

Sounds bad, doesn't it? It could be worse. My MRI on Friday was to rule out Avascular Necrosis. That's when you take steroids for too long and you get a blood clot in the "ball" of your hip bone. That causes blood to stop flowing through your bone and your bone starts to die. So, it's not that...that's the good news. The bad news is that I have a fracture of my sacrum (the triangular bone at the base of your spine). It's insufficient not because it's not a big deal. It's because my bones are insufficient for holding my weight. The steroids caused my bones to thin and my bones couldn't keep up with my weight gain. I'm only 134 lbs, but I guess gaining 30 pounds in 3 months wasn't the best way to go. So, I've read that the only treatment is heat and pain meds. I might have to wear a brace, but probably not crutches. I see an orthopedic doctor on Wednesday out in Anderson. We'll see what they have to say. I'll keep you posted.