Feel the need to update

Sun setting on the corral at work

I feel the need to update but don't have all that much (positive) to say. Don't get me wrong, I'm not depressed. Very annoyed and tired of not moving!!!

The hip doesn't hurt but I'm also teetering around on crutches. I'm sleeping more, waking feeling good and by 7 pm, I'm wishing I were asleep. At least my mind is working most of the time. I'm getting really sick of the crutches. Luckily, I don't have to go out much but when I do, parking lots are sheets of ice and scary. I feel like an idiot riding around in the handicapped cart at the grocery store. My arms, chest and shoulder muscles hurt from using the crutches. Maybe I'm doing using the crutches wrong? I finished the Twilight series. Thank goodness, it was keeping me from doing other very vital things. I need a whambulance!

My mom made me a robe/hospital gown for the hospital. I'm tired of taking my pants off for everyone and his/her brother and sister. I'm subjected to ENORMOUS hospital gowns that are impossible to keep closed and trip around on crutches. It's in the mail and I'm eagerly awaiting it's arrival.

I finally got legitimate exercise for the first time in almost 2 months yesterday. I went to the Physical Therapy office and rode the trainer with no tension and only left legged for 30 minutes.

I'm considering upping my HC for a couple of days to see if it helps with the fatigue. Opinions? I'm at 25 (10/10/5), 88 mcg levothyroxine, 12.5 cytomel.

BTW with the sustained, ridiculously cold temps lately, it's a relief to not feel like I HAVE to go run long distances in the cold or on the dreadmill.

Pictures of stuff below.

People still feed their animals like this in Teton Valley

-24 at my house. Rime on the icicles. Foggy out.

More icicles with rime

Ice sculpture growing

Only 1.5 feet of snow. This will soon change.

Quote

"It is a scale of proportions which makes the bad difficult and the good easy." -Einstein

Injury and Addison's

After reading some comments here and on FaceBook, I realized that I was so obsessed with the injury itself that I forgot to mention some really important Addison's stuff.

• It's a hip injury, it's a stress fracture to the neck of the femur. It's in the femoral neck (see picture above)
• My awesome ortho made me feel quite confident that this is an OVERUSE injury as opposed to a "fragility issue". By "fragility issue", I believe he meant hormonal imbalance, osteoporosis, etc. I had a DEXA (bone density) scan three years ago and showed him the results which showed good bone density. He did recommend a follow up DEXA scan. My GP tried to get me to have one this last fall but I declined...(cause I'm noncompliant!)
• This is a common endurance athlete injury. This stress fracture of the femoral neck is most likely not from too many steroids. Many "normal" endurance runners get this injury. (free membership is needed to access this medscape.com article if you're interested in reading it)
• I have kept my Hydrocortisone the same, 25 mg per day, despite not exercising at all for the last six weeks. The first five weeks I was wrestling with some intense pain, working despite the pain and thyroid problems and I think my steroids were being depleted. I was exhausted. The last week has been full of adjustments like walking around on crutches which is exhausting and taxing to my upper body. I'm still really tired and wanting to go to bed around 5 pm. I don't get in bed until 7 or 8 but I'm wanting to hit the hay around 5.
• I've even upped my hydrocortisone by 5 to 10 mg when I've been nauseous and cold. Nausea and bone chilling cold are symptoms of low cortisol for me and are usually resolved with 5 or 10 mg of hydrocortisone.
• I will lower my hydrocortisone when I start falling asleep and waking up at a normal time and when I get my appetite back.
• I've lowered my florinef from .075 to .025 mcg and reduced my salt consumption. My blood pressure has been high 150/80 for the last month. I think the lack of exercise has reduced my need for florinef and salt. Too bad cause I like the salt and miss it.
• For those of you who know me or feel like you do, I am really being compliant. I am staying off my leg as much as possible. Of course I'm unable and unwilling to be too sedate so I'm hobbling around on the crutches and getting really sore. My son and husband will be helping me at work. My husband has been picking up a lot of slack for me for weeks now. He's starting to cook! Yay!!

Thanks to everyone for the kind words and prayers. Thanks also to those of you who have offered to hang out with me and watch movies or play games or go to the bar. I really appreciate it!!!