At least something is right!

Calcium                       8.2 mg/dL           8.6-10.2       *(.........)
Phosphorus                    4.4 mg/dL           2.7-4.5         (........*)
Endocrinology
----------------------
TSH                         37.93 mIU/L          0.35-4.94        (.........)*
Free T4                      6.67 pmol/L            9-19         *(.........)

My phosphorus is normal! I doubt it will be normal again next blood draw, but crazier things have happened.

It also seems that we will get my TSH over 50 by the time I am hospitalized, which is a relief. I was worried that all this would be for nothing since my TSH would still be too low and the whole treatment would have to be put off again and I would have to go hypothyroid and onto the low iodine diet again.

All in all, I am rambling. Outside of the calcium (which I didn't need a blood draw to know was low) it is a good news lab day I guess.

Waaah I am sick

I wonder if that explains my calcium drop.

I had been warned that stress, illness and exercise could effect calcium levels.

Stress I have had plenty of and now I am sick.

My throat hurts and my nose just started running. I think I have fever, but am too achy and tired to go check. My eyes hurt and I went to sleep at 9pm last night and only woke up once to get more calcium between 9pm and 7:50am.

I just better be better by the time I am admitted August 9th.

On that track, my paperwork for my whole body scan was lost. They never made my appointment for the 19th of August. I am glad I checked back in to find out what happened. The oncology nurse is working on getting me a new paper and hopefully there will be an appointment available still.

For the record, low iodine diets and low phosphorus diets don't mix. Canned peaches and water melon are my friends. I am tired of egg whites. :)

Wow am I whiny today.

Liba

Low

Calcium 8.2 mg/dL normal 8.6-10.2 *(.........)

I've been lower, but the drop from high to low in three days probably explains why the symptoms are so extreme this time.

I had heard that stress could lower calcium levels. I think it is time for a vacation.

Not so good.

My labs Sunday showed my calcium a bit high so my alpha d3 was lowered and now I am having major signs of hypocalcemia and am miserable. I am twitchy, numb and have pins and needles from head to toe. My feet and calves are cramping and painful. I woke up in the middle of the night, several times, with foot cramps that only got better by getting up and standing.

It could just be the drop and my body needing to adjust or my levels could be very low. Either way, I am not feeling good.

Lab results should be in by 2pm. It is 11am now.

For now I wait.

I am doing okay actually

Right now I am just busy with sick kids, letters to write, and lots of praying.

I have been off of my thyroid medication almost a week and a half and start my low iodine diet on Sunday. I will be in isolation for a week starting two weeks from Sunday. My mother in law is arriving the Tuesday before to help my brother in law get ready for his wedding. She is hoping to stop by and visit, but it isn't a trip she can give us much help or support during. My poor husband. He could use the help.

She is bringing me shoes, Avraham Chaim CoQ10 (a dietary supplement his neurologist prescribed, which we can get here in pills but in the US we can get in liquid), and a winter coat for Zlata Tova (which she obviously doesn't need yet, but my SIL outgrew it and we will need it soon enough). I hope someone manages to bring me one of the many pocket calendars that comes in fund raising mailings for next year. My calendar is only good through September and I have been booking appoitnemtns and just making notes in the back of my current calander. Little things can make such a difference.

I feel like a little kid, getting excited about my MIL's suitcases, but really, she is excited about bringing them and it wouldn't be as much fun for her if we weren't excited. As long as we are at
least as happy about seeing her as the stuff I figure we are doing okay.

Need a new cleaning lady. She used to work for two hours Friday, cleaning bathrooms, washing floors, etc. Then one week she was done with the work in an hour and fourty minues and I didn't have more to give her, so I paid her the full amount. The following week it was an hour and twenty minutes and I paid her the full amount but things didn't look so clean. This time she stayed an hour. I asked her if she had washed the floors yet when she was leaving and she said she had. The kitchen floor was bad enough that my husband took up the broom to sweep it, without me asking, right after she left!

I have to call her Sunday and tell her not to come any more. I may be too nice and a pushover, but this is clearly not working. My house wasn't terribly dirty before she came and it certainly isn't any cleaner now that she left.

Brain fog has hit.

I have the attention span of an over tired two year old. I keep on starting something, getting distracted and forgetting what I was doing.

My calcium is 8.8 which is just fine. My phosphorus is 5.4 which is high. My CBC is totally normal (as I told my doctor it would be, but she said I was pale and wanted to run it, so she did). I wonder how high my TSH is. It was drawn this morning along with the others but can't be run stat, so it won't be back for a couple days.

My children are such a pleasure to be around. I am really enjoying having the time together with them during their vacation. Tziporah Faiga organized her clothing shelf while Esther Rivka and I folded and put away the laundry today. Zlata Tova is still running fever though (day three today) and I am starting to worry. She is eating and drinking okay, but her fever is high and she looks so pathetic. I hope she turns the corner and we don't have to go to the doctor tomorrow. I am going to make an appointment just in case.

I had to fill the Renegel again today, still without insurance coverage. We are waiting...

Whirlwind

It has been a crazy couple days filled with lots of appointments.

Among them, yesterday, was my nephrologist appointment. He is convinced he can get my Renagel covered. He had the other nephrologist who works with him have the secretary type up a letter and faxed it to all the relevant people. I hope it works! I need to fill the prescription now so I hope it happens soon. He is pleased that it is helping stabilize my calcium levels, even though my phosphorus remains high. I feel a lot better even if the lab results aren't great.

The brain fog isn't terrible yet and my exhaustion is likely legitimate. I had four appoinements and a farwell party for a good friend yesterday and today was no less busy.

Tomorrow I only have one appointment, but PDZ has to go to Yerushalayim to deal with government offices so I will have three bored children home all day on my own and there is plenty that needs to be done. Zlata Tova was running a fever today. I hope she is feeling better tomorrow, but expect her not to be her happiest yet even if she is fever free.

Enough rambling, it is time to go to sleep!