Kids, let me tell you: aging sucks. Lately, it’s felt like every time I turn around there’s something new going wrong in this aging body of mine. For a while, everything was going fine – well, as fine as it can be when you have a chronic medical condition that requires you to take three medications and other supplements daily.
For the most part, the migraines had been under control, but slowly, they’ve been increasing in frequency. I’ve gone from having one migraine a month to one a week. The positive is that their lifespan is a lot shorter than they used to be. The longest I typically have them is a day or two. Seriously, when you have migraines that span the course of a week, going down to a day or two is sweet, blessed relief. But because they’re picking up in frequency, it’s time to go back to the neurologist to see if it’s time to adjust my medication. But there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that I’ve got a neurology appointment scheduled. The bad news is that it’s not until June. So, I may just complain a bit over the next four months.
Sadly, though, the migraines aren’t all that’s going wrong in this aging body of mine. Back in 2021, my doctor had me do my yearly blood test and found that I had minial liver damage. He wanted to keep an eye on things but told me I need to cut back on things like cheese and lunchmeat. Last year, my new doctor saw my liver results in a blood test and also wanted to keep an eye on things. So, when I recently had my blood drawn, she decided it was time to take action. Tomorrow, I have to get an ultrasound of my liver. Cue panicking. Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well.
But wait! There’s more.
*cries*
My OB-GYN is concerned about my irregular menstrual cycle. I just thought that I had entered early menopause, but my recent blood test revealed some irregularities with my pituitary gland. So now, I’ve got to get a brain scan. It’s not been scheduled yet, but I can guarantee you that I’ll be freaking out from now (well, from last Thursday when I got the call from my doctor) until the scan’s results come in. I did do some Googling to see what could be the issue. I found a few things that could be impacting me that, fortunately, can be cleared up with medication. One could also require surgery (cue panicking).
So, why am I telling you all this? Really, as a reminder to take care of yourselves. We’re aging every second, and the ride is not always pleasant. Thank goodness, though, that modern medicine is ever-evolving. Because that helps soothe me a little. So, until I have answers for you, take care. I know I’m going to try to distract myself by writing Do No Harm. Really, that’s all I can do.
Mindy Kinnaman 