Sunday, March 7, 2010

Can You Hear Me Now?


It has been a very busy week. It seems as if all we accomplished was to run all week long. I really hate going to the doctor's office. We hurry to get there and wait to be called back to the examination room, where we find ourselves waiting yet again for it to be your turn to see the doctor. From there you go to the desk out front only to find yourself waiting again to pay for the loss of at least two hours. Then you find that you have what could have been a productive day with a big hole shot in it. No point in complaining though because that is just the way it goes.


Part of our waiting involved getting JD fixed up with some hearing aides. He has been needing them for some time now. Years of working as a carpenter around all of those loud noises really harmed his hearing. He had tried hearing aides before and all that they seemed to do for him was to raise the volume of everything around him. The volume isn't his problem. He can hear noises and knows when someone is talking. His problem seems to be with the frequency, because depending on who is talking and the range of their voice determines if he can understand the words they are saying or even hear them saying it if their voice falls in that frequency that is lost to him. The hearing aides that he is giving a test run so far hasn't helped him a whole lot. He goes back Tuesday to have them tinkered with and reprogrammed again to see if they can be tweaked enough to help him understand and hear those things that are lost to him.



As for me, I went to my Rheumatologist on Friday where we discussed the Fibro Myalgia pain that is never ending. He is upping the dosage of one of my meds which may or may not help. Most likely not. We discussed my severely low Vitamin D levels and was sent to the lab for blood work. The doctor will have the results tomorrow and will most likely put me back on Vitamin D pills. We also discussed how much pain my knee is giving me and the swelling. It has gotten to the point that it doesn't take a lot to cause the swelling any more. The few days ago we ran some errands that included a trip to K-mart and another trip through the grocery store. By the time we got home I had a knot to the side of my knee cap that was almost as big as half a base ball. It sort of looked as if I had two knee caps on one knee. The doctor wants me to go to an Orthopedic Surgeon and check it out. So it looks as if this coming week is going to be a busy one as well.

We have been blessed with above freezing temperatures the past few days and lots of sunshine. Hopefully that will continue so we can get rid of this snow that we have had for a good month, before it snows again. Of course it is going to snow again........ The Forsythia hasn't bloomed yet. There are yellow buds popping up on the stems, but no blooms yet.

Wishing you a week filled with blue skies and sunshine .


6 comments:

farmlady said...

Getting old is the pits isn't it? If we wait long enough something will always go wrong. Guess we just have to keep up with the things that we can cure and pray that we don't find ourselves in a permanent situation with a permanent disability. It's kind of inevitable though and it plays mind games with you.
Hope the meds work on the Fibro..., it's so painful.

Patty said...

Glad the hearing aide will help. As for your knee I am there with you. Mine hurts all the time, I get leg cramps and my muscles are sore. I need to be under DR care but have no insurance, and standing on my feet workng retail suck..God I had getting old lol

Kate said...

Hi Jo, Have you heard of a tens machine ? I find it really good for pain relief as I'm not one for swallowing lots of pills .. Was given one at from the pain clinic at my local hospital years ago and found it helped in pain control - since then I have updated it with one bought at the pharmacist a couple of years ago. These tens machines are used in the maternity hospitals here during labour so they do work for most pain relief.

Cheers from (believe it or not) a really sunny and bright Spring day in Scotland .

Hugs, Kate x.

Carole Burant said...

Isn't it amazing how it's the same all over the world where waiting at the doctor's office is concerned! lol I especially hate going to the after hours clinic for a prescription refill...wait 3 hours and it takes a minute for the dr. to give you the prescription!!

I do hope that JD's hearing aids are helping him now. If my dad had lived, I truly think he would have ended up needing hearing aids because he had worked underground at the mines for 30 years and the sound of the drilling and blasting machines had really affected his hearing.

Oh dear, so sorry to hear that you've been going through so much pain with your knee. Hopefully something can be done to relieve it. Knock on wood, I don't have any aches and pains so I count myself very lucky that at 52 years old nothing seems to be bothering me. Praying that it stays that way! lol

We've been having gorgeous weather here as well and the snow is really melting. Never seen so much grass in March...I'm not complaining though! lol xoxo

Unknown said...

Oh, my! You have knee problems too! I'm trying to find a reputable orthopedic surgeon myself (not that there aren't any around here). I changed insurance companies at the beginning of this year and have to admit that I've never heard of most of the MD's on my 'provider list'. Gee, what would I do at my age if not for locating Doctors. lol
Re: JD and hearing aids. I have several friends all wearing them, and they are all having problems with them. But, considering the options . . . .
Do take care.

violetlady said...

Sorry to hear your fibromyalgia is giving you pain. I hope the new meds will help. I also hope JD will find some help in the new hearing aids. My husband won't admit that he has difficulty hearing, but it is clear to me because of the high volume of the TV and radio! I know I have hearing loss in one ear -- who knows why. Like JD, it is not the volume, but the clarity of words being spoken. Spring is around the corner- stay well.