well

[lunabee34]

1. I finally finished grading today. I gave a final on Monday at 8, had a meeting from 10:00-12:45, and then went to the endo (an hour away). Got up at 5:30 on Tuesday and graded until time to go to the neuro at 10:00. Emma and I had our appointments, got home at 3:00, and graded until bedtime. Got up at 5:00 today and graded until 9:30. But now the semester is put to rest!

2. Neuro agrees that it is trigeminal neuralgia almost certainly caused by the root canal. We're going to do an MRI just to be sure it's not caused by anything else like an MS lesion or whatever.

3. We all agree that we are going to aggressively pursue as many diagnostic avenues as possible for Emma, so she's having a lumbar puncture, and hopefully that'll give us some info. If not, we're going to do this new kind of skin punch nerve biopsy. *crosses fingers* She's had some improvement from the starter does of Cymbalta, so he upped her to 30mg. Back in a month. Friday, we see my GP who will start her on a low dose of statin for her bizarrely high cholesterol.

4. I am so tired. I have cried every night for the last week with stress and exhaustion. I am so glad the summer is here. I have got to get some genuine rest.

Comments

[kaberett]

Oh I am glad to hear some of this news. <3 Wishing you rest, yes.

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

Thank you.

[gloss]

Congratulations on making it through all the grading and the end of the semester! You deserve ALL THE NAPS now.

skin punch nerve biopsy
this is such a freaksome sequence of words, I can't even. ):

[lunabee34]

Heeee. I don't think it will be bad. It's just a little slice of skin with a local anesthetic.

I have just crashed. It has been wonderful!

[corvidology]

I'm sorry you've been so stressed out, petal. I hope things improve soon! ♥

[lunabee34]

Thank you thank you!

[china_shop]

Gah, that sounds gruelling! So glad you've made it through.

Good luck with all the medical/diagnostic stuff for both of you!

*hugs and hugs and hugs*

[lunabee34]

*hugs and hugs*

Just having those grades in has made a world of difference. Such a load off.

[independence1776]

Glad you're done grading! I hope Emma finds an answer soon and that your facial pain is what it seems to be and not anything else. (Not that you should have to deal with this on top of everything else.)

I hope you get lots of rest.

[lunabee34]

Thank you!

I want an answer for her so hard; it's been miserable trying to find my own answers, but man has it sucked watching my kid go through the same thing.

*hugs*

[sheafrotherdon]

I hope you get oodles and oodles and oodles of rest, in whatever form feels good and nourishing and welcome ♥

[lunabee34]

Thank you thank you!!

[umadoshi]

*hugs* I hope you can rest and recharge.

[lunabee34]

I am already feeling a 1000 times better.

[goss]

*hugs* Hope you get some much deserved rest!

[lunabee34]

Thank you!!

[boxofdelights]

I hope you get to rest all summer. Can the neuro do anything about the trigeminal neuralgia?

I'm going to moderate a panel at Wiscon you'd be great on:

Caregiving While Disabled

When people talk about caregiving, they frequently talk about it in a very binary way, as ablebodied people caregiving for disabled people. This leaves out a lot. What about parenting while disabled? What about disabled people caring for other disabled people? What about caregiving as mutual aid? This panel brings together disabled people to talk about their experiences, and about a mutual aid view of caregiving.

Parenting is always exhausting, but what do you do when you've spent twenty years at new-baby exhaustion level and there's no end in sight.

[lunabee34]

He can, but I'm probably going to opt not to unless it gets truly intolerable. The drugs to manage it make me really sleepy and stupid, and I've already gotten off one of them because of it and switched to a different drug and stayed at a really low dose of another to mitigate those problems. :/

That sounds like a very cool panel and definitely not something that gets talked about very much.

[princessofgeeks]

Sending love. Glad you have a doctor who can help you both.

Hope you can enjoy summer with all of you there together.

HUGS

[lunabee34]

Thank you so much. *hugs*

I am basking in the togetherness.

[spikedluv]

That is a lot of time spent grading!!

I'm glad you have a diagnosis, but I'm all o_O that it was caused by the root canal! What?!!

It's great that they're going to be aggressive with trying to figure out what's going on with Emma.

*hugshugshugs*

[lunabee34]

Yeah, apparently that's relatively common. It aggravated the nerve. It should calm down over time, I think. *crosses fingers*

*hugs hugs*

My main priority over everything else is helping Emma.

[spikedluv]

That's good news, at least. I hope it ~does calm down.

That's because you are an excellent mom person.

*hugs*

[lunabee34]

*blushes*

*hugs*

<3

[amejisuto]

Yay for being finished with grading! I knew you could do it!

Oh, goddess, you do not need MS. I hope the MRI comes out okay.

I hope Emma gets to feeling better!

Take a few naps if you can, hon. That'll help you out. I'm glad it's summer for you.

[lunabee34]

*hugs and hugs*

I definitely don't want MS, but honestly at this point, I would take a diagnosis over this constant limbo. *sigh*

I am napping! I already feel so much better; having those grades in is a weight lifted.

[amejisuto]

I know having a diagnosis would help you but MS is a terrible, terrible thing. I truly hope it's not that. Sending you love and healing energy!

[lunabee34]

Oh I know. I don't want it to be that either. I'm just weary down to the bone of not knowing what's wrong with me.

*hugs*

Thank you, my friend.

[lyr]

*cuddles* Get some rest and take care of yourself.

[lunabee34]

*snuggles*

You, too! I know the end of the semester is hard on us all.

[minoanmiss]

*hugs you very much*

[lunabee34]

*hugs and hugs*

[jackandahat]

Congrats on getting through grading! Will keep fingers crossed for you and Emma.

[lunabee34]

Thank you, friend.

*hugs*

[timespirt]

"HUGS" for you both. Life is really jerking you around lately. I hope you have a peaceful summer and get the rest you need hon.

[lunabee34]

Thank you so much.

*hugs and hugs*

[ariadne83]

I'm so glad you have a proactive neuro! Good luck for the MRI! And if it is neuralgia, there are specific painkillers for nerve pain such as Lyrica (pregabalin).

RE: bizarrely high cholesterol, I assume they've already checked her kidney function?? If not, get that done ASAP because kidney disease causes you to pump out cholesterol (one of Cam's many medications is a statin)

[lunabee34]

Yes! Her kidney function is good thank goodness.

Hugs

Thank you sweetie.