Tuesday, March 9, 2010

I want my own exoskeleton.

Can a person be allergic to their own sweat?

This question has come in to the forefront of my mind in recent weeks. I'm having hot flashes and night sweats, but I can deal with them. However, when they are followed up by insane itching I simply want to create an exoskeleton by crawling out of my own skin like a snake or a crab.

A few weeks ago I had the thought maybe I was having a reaction to all the medications I'm taking. I'd run out of my blood pressure meds so I quit taking all my pills cold turkey. Smart? No. Successful? No.

Last night I flicked on the TV in the midst of a Menopause seminar on PBS just as a woman was talking about itchy and "crawly" skin. Huh? How can I have been researching Menopause and hysterectomies for a year and not have known this side effect? Perhaps I read about it and didn't take it seriously because it sounds insignificant compared to talk of hot flashes, sex drive, osteoporosis and depression. Insignificant it is not.

I barely took time to start the coffee pot before I was Googling this morning. Sure enough, there's lots of info on it. Who knew. (Possibly my doctor, but I avoid him when I can.)

My blood pressure is up again and I really need to resume my Tamoxifen regime so I phoned to make an appointment with my dreaded replacement doctor. I really don't like him but there are no options at this point. The few doctors who are taking patients certainly won't take one who already has a family physician.

"The doctor is away until tomorrow, and consequently he's really booked until next week. Do you have more than a week's pills left?" the nurse asks me.

"Uh, no but..." I start to explain that waiting another week will probably be fine since I haven't taken them for at least 6 to 8 weeks now.

She cut me off in mid sentence, "Well then I'll get you squeezed in. How about Friday?"

"Yeah, Friday will be good." I'll try not to die before then and blame it on my overbooked doctor if I do.


1 comment:

mari said...

Yes, it would be quite nice if you did not die. I don't like funerals. And we kinda love you!

Happy Swim-a-versary to Me!

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