Health update

The new update is that there is change.  Change is good, even if it seems bad, because change tells you which direction you ARE going, and which direction you SHOULD BE going.  Like, maybe, the opposite direction sometimes?

Anyway, I went to get a refill of my prescription last night, and the guy at Shoppers (I'll be calling their H/O, definitely not a performance I want to repeat) says to me "are you going back to your doctor soon?  have you had a blood test?"  I told him I'd had blood taken and was going to the dr in two weeks.  To me, that should have ended it right there.  One thing I'll give him, he's persistent.

He looked up the results of my blood test, actually gave them to me, and told me I had to stop taking these pills because it was dangerous, I should be on the opposite pills. 

OK, so my Dad (yes, an aside here) gets a muscle-relaxant prescription filled at Shoppers, I look up the drug interactions with what he's taking and it's all so NOT good.  That pharmacist didn't even look it up on their own system.  Meanwhile, mine went way overboard.

I told him I would talk to the dr about the results.  He was insistent that I not take any more pills, it was dangerous, yada yada yada.  I get that he went to school for a couple of years, but my specialist went for many many many more years, and knows WHY I'm taking them, has all the other test results.  The guy at the pharmacy does not.  He finally gave me the pills (after a distantly related argument about the insurance coverage), but not until I signed a document that said he explained it was dangerous to continue taking them and I was responsible.  Seriously?

I called the dr's office last night and explained what happened, and asked for a callback today.  This dr is fantastic - he called me back this morning, agrees that the pharmacist overstepped his bounds and could easily frighten many people with that attitude, and then he looked up  my results.  Turns out the meds are doing EXACTLY what they were supposed to, so I'm back down to one a day and seeing him in January.

I have to call Shoppers and voice my discomfort over this pharmacist.  I'm concerned that he might truly scare someone off meds that they need to be on.  To me the pharmacist should have said something more along the lines of - I can see your test results, based on what I'm reading, would you be able to get ahold of your doctors office tomorrow morning because I'm a bit concerned about the dosage.  Definitely not trying to tell me how dangerous it was - full stop.

As well, I find it a bit uncomfortable that he was able to go online and get all my results.  I didn't know that pharmacists had access to all of my medical data.  I mean, I don't - why should they?

So many delays

I keep promising myself I'll write more, and never seem to have the time.  It's all about priorities, isn't it?
Turns out my thyroid has been causing issues for some time.  I was put on meds, they didn't do much so last month the dosage was doubled.  The specialist really doesn't want to "kill" my thyroid as that is permanent, and he's hesitant about doing anything permanent if we can treat it.  Now I'm on a double dose of this medication, and the side effects are....noticable.

I'm always cold now.  Weird - for someone who was always warm - overheated most of the time - now I have to take extra clothes.  Jon and I went shooting a month ago, and while it normally would have been an amazing day, weather-wise, I froze.  Toque, mittens, two hoodies, and about two hours for my toes to warm out.  He was wearing a light hoodie - which is what my normal would have been.  If this is the case, at least I can handle it and prepare - not exactly a life-changing side effect.

One life changing side effect, however, is that I'm sleeping.  Oh wow am I sleeping!  Most nights I lay down and boom - out till the alarm goes off.  It's a wonderful feeling.  The flip side is that I'm still somewhat fatigued at night, just not as bad as before.

I go back on the 24th to see what the double dose has been able to accomplish and we go from there.  Meanwhile, so many other things happening!

New job - doing inventory and reception at the H/O of the fitness club I worked for.  I wasn't sure about slinging boxes around every day, but it's working out wonderfully.  I feel good being out from behind a desk 8-10 hours a day.  The pay is not nearly what I'm used to, but I'm happy, have a great boss, the energy in the working environment is overall positive, the people are great, and my membership to the club is free with half price training.  Ah yes, the training - have a new trainer, a young Irish lad named Declan.  He has changed up most of what I'm doing and I can feel the difference.  Previously, and especially after working with a trainer, after my workout I wanted to go home and nap.  After his sessions I feel energized, and I go back to work feeling fantastic.  Even the second day (which is usually the "I can't move my legs" type of day) I feel great - I know I worked out, but I'm still very mobile and feel good. 

Ottawa Major was a couple of weeks ago - one lesson learned is for another post, maybe next week.

Brother and Sis-in-law and neice got two kittens.  The babies lost their mum - they figure to a coyote.  They were only about four weeks old, and had to be bottle fed every few hours for the first bit - the two of them could sit side by side on a 6x6 tile.  SOOOOO tiny!  I haven't met them yet - hopefully Jon and I can make a trip out there and see them before they are full grown.  The adult cat is unimpressed by them, but hasn't beaten them up, so that ended up working out well.

There's alot to say, and hopefully I'll be able to post a few more entries with more information, then (again) try to keep it up.