The health merry-go-round
Back in March I did 2 solid days of gutter cleaning and tackling the rampant bougainvillaea on the top of the shed. A neighbours vine had also jumped the fence and gone up into our ceiling cavity and I had to spend a few hours up there pulling it all out. These two days of constant ladder work near wiped me out and I seem to go down hill from there. Maybe I had a flu as well I was just too tired to know what I had.
The net result of all this was the daily long dog walk exercise program went out the window, and I started driving the dogs to the park. I developed increased pain, and loss of balance and weakness in my feet and lower legs. Going up and down stairs or ladders a couple of times really wiped me out. Standing up in the shed has been a problem.
At first the docs thought it was related to my type II diabetes but my sugars are well controlled and my circulation is OK. He ordered a CT scan and a bunch of blood tests but could not find anything conclusive so he sent me to a neurologist who thought i was probably my back (because the CT scan showed some back issues) and he sent me for more blood tests and an MRI. Then he went on holidays.
In the meantime I decided I had to do something so I started a morning and evening stretching routine which really seems to be working. I'm slowly gaining strength and have less pain so have started walking the dogs again.
Saw the neurologist yesterday and the MRI shows there's nothing wrong with my back in terms of pinching leg/feet nerves etc. The neurologist did some nerve function tests and these also did not show anything significant. The more I think about it the more I reckon I had just got run down and was seizing up which the stretching has been able to counteract. I was actually feeling a bit stupid about the whole thing.
However, just before I left, the neurologist told me that the MRI has shown up some enlarged lymph glands in between my heart and spine that I needed to see the GP about.
Back at the GP, he did a physical examination could find no surface glands that were enlarged. He's ordered more blood tests and a whole body CT scan. He wants to do a biopsy of an enlarged gland but their location requires major surgery so they are hoping to find a more accessible enlarged gland to sample - if they find one it's good and bad.
Starting to feel a bit like a pin cushion here. Have also been watching a sibling go through a lymphoma chemo round for the 3rd time. Not something to look forward to.
At least now I feel less foolish about the tired legs and feet bit, because if I had got through the gutter and Bouganvillia episode and not gone to the doctor I may not have picked up on the lymph gland problem - if it is even a problem. With my luck it won't be but then they'll find something else.