i *finally* made it to the clinic today after group. we focused mainly on my side which after 3 doctors prodded me, it was clear to them that it's either costiocondritis as previously diagnosed or it could be a fractured or broken rib, but it is definetly muscal-skeletal whatever it is. they said they could order xrays, but even if it did show an injured rib, the treatment would be the same. rest, yet be active. use castor oil externally. use heat and alternate with cold now to try to reduce inflammation. wear ace bandage - even around house bc it keeps it more stable. and ibuprofren which i told them doesn't really work. and i haven't been taking it regularly bc i don't want to take something that isn't doesn't anything to help me. i would like some real painkillers but they don't have them and even if i asked for a script i don't have any $ to get them. when i go up to my dad's i will get some from their arsenal. i will ask j bc she has about 3million vikadin.
i got vitamins and supplements to support overall and thyroid health which i am going to start religiously tomorrow and see what difference i notice, if any. thing is, the bottles say to take 3 a day and the docs say 1 or 2 is ok too, even though i don't pay, i like to try to stretch things out as long as i can, plus the doses are way high. and i was planning to get a nasal inhaler for my allergies which i've been using Spring&Summer since i was like 12, the legal age to start it, and i just found out today it's an inhaled steroid. ack! so they said to do nasal irrigation every day and gave me a nettle tincture and some other natural thing to use with the antihistamine i am on, but if i start feeling better, maybe off that, too, but we'll see, my allergies are really severe. and they even said that i could come in and get a nasal inhaler if need be bc they work really well but they wanted me to try this first.
they said i was an awesome patient! YaY they are the bestest clinic. i can't believe that the most positive and thorough physical and mental health services i've ever recieved are from a free clinic. seems backwards, but i guess these docs got into the field to actually serve patients needs and not for the money. they also suggested acupuncture which i would like to go to on friday but only have one bus ticket to get me to group next week.
my advisor hasn't communicated with me, it's all been disability services. i wrote an email that i didn't feel wanted in the program and the fact that all communcation is coming through her further clarified that point. what a jerk-face. and no one there seems to have their shit together. i canceled financial aid last week, something that should have been done bc of the forms i handed in but i had to call and email to have them do it bc i am attempting to attend school ASAP and they know what they're doing, it seems. today i got a letter that i am on financial aid suspension with them, even though i withdrew from the classes and took an official leave (which if i don't appeal a return, just counts as me leaving the school). uh, way to keep your records straight. like, i just laugh now, it all seems so surreal.
i applied to a job i *really* want, it's with poverty stricken pre-schoolers and instead of my form cover letter, i wrote a more heartfelt one saying that one of the reasons i want to work there is from my personal experiences with poverty in childhood continuing on to adulthood. it's 20 hours a week and pays $11-$13, higher than average for teaching jobs, maybe bc it's more high-risk or they understand that it's hard work that deserves not only more money, but more credit for the work that is done. argh.
my computer is being kind of funky. i changed monitors to see if that made a difference and it didn't. and now instead of the screen getting all weird every now and then, the tower is making a buzzing noise, too. i took some screen shots of when the weirdness happens and i might get it checked out professionally, especially bc i have to rely on it for school. so i am going to completely shut it down and give it a good nights rest. and then job search more tomorrow.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
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2 comments:
Sounds like everything is great, outside of your crappy pain.
It's so annoying that it is so disabling, but there's not much you can do about it. What does castor oil do?
What vitamins do you take for your thyroid?
I am also seriously impressed by the care you've gotten at this clinic. It's amazing to me. I feel that a big difference between the east and west coasts is how accessible personal social services are to people. It's wonderful that you've had this clinic to lean on.
MH probably thought that because you were taking a leave, they weren't in any hurry to push the paperwork through. Is everything straightened out now?
I still think that you should write a letter about your advisor. Even if nothing happens to him, someone should be made aware of how careless he was in giving you advice and how detrimental is has been... and they should know that you will not be returning to MH for that reason.
i actually thought of how i could have injured my ribs and i don't remember when it was exactly, but i was on the bus and we had a near accident bc someone pulled out in front of us so we had to STOP and i used my right arm to brace myself bc there are no seatbelts which could have caused some trauma. but i feel that that was after the first time i felt this, but whatever.
castor oil applied externally soaks into the area and helps to lubricate it to relieve stiffness and for better range of motion. it doesn't make me feel any relief but it is supposed to help overall, and it's not harming anything so i'm sticking with it. it would be good for someone with joint pain to apply it to the joint. haha, joint.
i got a tincture of nettle and bladderwrack which i've heard nettles are really good for allergies, but it's good for thyroid health:
http://www.herbaled.com/THM/Compounds/nett_blad.html
i also got a multi-v/supplement that has "L-Tyrosine" for the thyroid. it has lots of other things in it. i actually looked up every thing in all the stuff i got just to make sure it's ok to take even though they have my meds on file and we talked about it.
i also got a multi-v/supplement to promote healthy muscal/skeletal function. one of the compounds works as aspirin does without the potential damage to the kidneys. it also has turmeric and other anti-inflammatories.
and finally...i got "Hesperidin methyl chalcone which is a flavinoid derived from citrus like oranges and lemons. Hesperidin is an anti-inflammatory and helps to reduce puffiness and swelling.
In addition, hesperidin is thought to have the following activities: anti-allergenic, vasoprotective (protecting the circulatory system) and anti-carcinogenic."
i feel really good about everything, but i am a bit worried about allergies. i have a terrible sinus headache even though i took regular antihistamine, did nasal irrigation, and took the tinctures and pills. but i guess it won't happen overnight.
i LOVE the clinic. i am trying to think of something i can do for them. i want to give them $ but i don't have any. funding for other places has been cut, so they are getting more patients, but not any more money. bill&melinda gates donated money for the lobby, so i might write him a letter and ask for another contribution to help keep it up. without them, i don't know where i'd be.
i think the east/west coast thing is *very* true. i think back to all the times i went to doctors in NJ and i was never listened to or respected as much as here.
the funds from MH have been canceled (so they told and emailed me), yet they are not available. i am able to track it and i go everyday, nothing canceled in the system yet. as long as i have funds by the 7th, i can start the 14th. i have to be paid a week before i start. i think now it's in the federal waiting system, i don't know how long these things take. i have to call on my mom loan bc it's not included with the other aid and i want to make sure that is going to go to the new school.
i am definitely going to write a letter. not only am i going to mention him, but i am going to mention how poor the quality of classes were. they were all disorganized, dates on-line were not the same as on paper, the syllabus which you're supposed to live by changed too many times, etc. for example, my child development class at CCM was more content rich, challenging and organized. i think i am going to write a letter to him to about how he sucks. "i had a meeting set up, sorry you didn't know", um, did you try to tell me in any form? grr.
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