And the saga continues... So to back a bit for those that are new to my health journey. I have always had a laundry list of autoimmune issues. From RA to Lupus and more, I have been to doctor after doctor.

Each one would tell me that the underlying issues were two things. First, my weight. I have always been a heavy person. I have been on every diet known to man. Through it all, I have lost hundreds of pounds. Unfortunately, I am excellent at finding them again.

The second issue was always NOT their speciality. It didn't matter if I was at the rheumatologist, neurologist or the proctologist. (Okay, I was totally kidding with the last one.) But the sentiment is the same. It always meant more questions and less answers. A few appointments became dozens, then hundreds of appointments. At the end of the day, I still didn't feel any better, and my kids no longer had college funds. Again, kidding, but not really.

So I went on strike. No more doctors. No more tests. No more spending thousands of dollars and feeling like I was living from one office waiting room to the next. And things were--okay. Not great, but not necessarily worse than before. I reasoned that at least I wasn't throwing good money after bad. I struggled along this way until March of 2021 when covid got me.

I was a few weeks out from having pneumonia when I contracted covid. We literally were told Friday that we were finally eligible for the vaccine, scheduled an appointment Monday, tested positive Saturday. All in all, I didn't think covid was too bad. Sure I felt crummy, and yes I struggled to breath. But it wasn't as if at any point I thought things were critical.

Fast forward to July 2021. My extremities are swelling. My brain is foggy. I feel horrible. I can not breathe. I go to the ER and am admitted for possible congestive heart failure, partial collapsed lung, fluid around the heart, and a few other things. Here they do tests to find out that my lungs are permanently damaged. WHAT?? They ask me a dozen times if I am a smoker. No, I've never smoked. Did I work with chemicals? No, unless you consider 409 a chemical because I did clean with it.

At this point they do an ECHO, and although my heart is enlarged from trying to overcompensate for my lungs, they don't think it's congestive heart failure. They send me home on oxygen with a follow up to the pulmonologist. It takes me until February 2022 to get into a pulmonologist. My referrals go missing. The appointments are cancelled due to weather. You name it, it happened.

Covid makes another visit in January 2022. I am bedridden about 50% of the time. My oxygen sats drop into the low 80's every time I try and do anything. I am so desperate for this pulmonology appointment. Because in the back of my mind I am thinking this will be my saving grace. They will have the answers to get me on a better path.

Appt finally comes. The Dr takes one look at me, not my charts, but at me and says it's likely a weight issue. Then, he sends me for testing at the hospital, and when I go back in, his PA tells me that it's my rheumatoid arthritis causing the issue with the lungs. I SWEAR, I wanted to cry. Here I was again getting the runaround. Go see this dr, go see that dr, but in the meantime, my health is slipping away. I came home defeated and uncertain of what I should do. Then the next morning, a nurse calls from the office to tell me there is a moderate obstruction and partial collapsed lung. I sat there dumbfounded. When I could gather myself, I told her I had been in the day before and everything was completely different.

So, did they give me someone else's results? Was the PA telling me about another patient? Can you see why my faith is completely shaken by the entire health care system? I was supposed to redo the ECHO on my heart two months ago. But they said the machine was down. Surely in the entire Louisville area they can schedule it somewhere else?

So, to sum up. All new questions, and no new answers. I am waiting to hear back on those hospital results, if they were mine or not. I am going in to see the rheumatologist tomorrow. If he sends me to the neurologist or proctologist, I swear, I won't be held responsible for my actions.

I know that many of us are dealing with difficult things. I also know that I am way behind on a lot of books. I just wanted to fill you all in on what's been going on. My love to you and your families. And as always, I love hearing from you!! scinders@scinders.com

Talk Soon xx