Chilling--Can't Wait To Be Off the Steroids!

This lack of sleep is killing me. I know, 7 hours, wah... that is like 4 for a normal person! And my knees hurt. Also have had vertigo for the last couple of days. And bladder issues now. Steroids are rough.

It is just like last time: from day one I have difficulty going back to sleep if I wake up. Then on the fourth day, I have three more problems show up: joints, vertigo, and bladder. This time, I had another symptom added on the fourth day, which was lower back pain on the right side.

I hope the previous steroid pattern does not continue, with the sleepless night of peeing every 30 minutes, getting a UTI, and being nonfunctional for days. Prayers.

Alright, well, not much else to say about today. I will just do my PT homework and daily data. Last day of PT homework! I will feel so spoiled tomorrow not needing to keep records every half hour. I do feel that it was beneficial to get this look at my symptoms and the way my activities impact them.

PT Homework
Slept 11:00-5:00. Exhausted but couldn't sleep more. Out of bed at 7:15. 

7:30
F 9, s 3, p 3, v 4, c 3, leg w 7, arm w 3, d 1
Walked 12 ft, potty, walked 10 ft, down stairs, walked 15 ft. Stood for brief ASL conversation. Walked 30 ft (getting snack), back up stairs. 


8:00
F 9, s 2, p 5, v 4, c 3, leg w 7, law 1, raw 6, d 0
Shower-stood, arms up for hair and face. Stood to dry off and collect stuff. Sat for face products, etc. Stiff joints from steroids--esp left knee.
8:30
F 7, s 2, p 4, v 4, c 2, leg w 7, law 1, raw 7, d 2
Stood to wash hands and put away face stuff. Walk 30 feet stood to choose clothes and dress. Stood to brush and put products in hair. Sat on landing and blowdried hair and brush with both hands. Stood to fix hair. Stood to read and type email on phone. Walked 20 ft, sat at vanity and used r arm to apply primer. 


9:00
F 8, s 5, p 5, v 4, c 0, leg w 6, law 1, raw 7, d 1
Sat on low stool for makeup. Walked 18 ft, stood to wash makeup brushes. Walked 12 ft, got socks from laundry basket. Walked 20 ft to vanity, sat and put on mascara. All makeup with r hand. Walked 12 ft, got coat from hook, sat on top step for FD, walked downstairs.
9:30
F 8, s 3, p 6, v 4, c 2, leg w 4, law 0, raw 5, d 2
Walked back and forth collecting stuff, making breakfast, forgetting stuff. Total about 100 ft. Packed up laptop. Took gabapentin, ala, alc, cranberry, b12. Sat on couch eating breakfast. Walked 6 ft then up stairs then 10 ft, bathroom. Got sweatshirt from hook, back down stairs. Carried laptop bag and purse 120 ft to car. 


10:00
F 4, s 5, p 3, v 4, c 0, leg w 7, law 0, raw 4, d 1
Sat in car while it warmed up. Took ibuprofen. Drove to MVA. Walked 120 ft. Sat at counter.

10:30
F 4, s 5, p2, v 4, c 0, leg w 7, law 4. Raw 2, d 0
Walked 120 ft to car. Sat a few minutes. Drive five min to target. Walked 400 ft with cane. Drove until after 10:30...


11:00 AM
F 4, s 3, p 4, v 4, c 2, LLW 5, RLW 6, law 2, raw 1, d 1
Drive 10 minutes. Walk 150 ft, went potty, stood washing and drying hands. Walked 50 ft. Stood looking at medications. Walked 150 feet. Drove more, arrived 11:00. Glasses day. 


11:30
F 4, s 6, p 6, v 4, c 2, LLW 7, RLW 4, arm w 2, d 3
Sat in car five min using phone for FD. Walked 300 ft carrying laptop bag and purse. Unpacked laptop. Sat at table discussing work. 

12:00
F 4, s 3, p 2, v 4, c 1, leg w 4, arm w 1, d 1
Sat at table discussing work, using laptop. Ate snack. Worked more at table. Walked 300 ft, got food, walked 300 ft. Sat at desk with colleague.

12:30
F 3, s 2, p 4, v 4, c 1, leg w 5, arm w 1, d 1
Sat at table eating lunch, began working.


1:00
F 7, s 3, p 5, v 4, c 2, leg w 6, arm w 2, d 2
Sat at table working with colleague. Discussing, using laptop.


1:30
F 5, s 2, p 7, v 4, c 1, leg w 4, arm w 2, d 2
Sat at table working with colleague. Discussing, using laptop. Walked 3 feet, bent to plug in computer, walked 10 ft to and from trash. Sat at table again.


2:00
F 2, s 3, p 4, v 4, c 0, leg w 4, law 0, raw 3, d 1
Sat at table conversing with colleagues, working using laptop.


2:30
F 3, s 3, p 7, v 4, c 1, leg w 4, law 0, raw 1, d 2
Sat at table working with colleague, using laptop. Walked 150 ft for a snack. 


3:00
F 6, s 3, p 7, v 4, c 2, leg w 5, law 1, raw 1, d 2
Sat at table working with colleague, using laptop.


3:30
F 4, s 4, p 7, v 4, c 2, leg w 4, arm w 1, d 3
Sat at table working with colleague, using laptop. Took gabapentin.


4:00
F 3, s 6, p 5, v 4, c 1, LLW 6, RLW 4, law 3, raw 2, d 1
Sat at table working with colleague, using laptop. Packed my stuff. Walked 300 ft carrying laptop bag, purse, and plastic bag. 

4:30 PM
F 4, s 4, p 6, v 4, c 2, leg w 3, arm w 0, d 2
Put bags in car. Sat and read/wrote email five min or so. Drove 20 minutes.

5:00
F 8, s 3, p 6, v 4, c 1, LLW 5, RLW 2, law 0, raw 2
Carried bags 120 ft to house. Set down bags, walked 6 ft, sat on couch, looked through mail and conversed in ASL. Wrote email on phone for 10 min. Walked 6 ft, up stairs, 10 ft, bathroom. 


5:30
F 9, s 4, p 6, v 4, c 3, LLW 7, RLW 4, law 1, raw 3, d 3
Walked 12 ft. Laid on bed, eyes closed. Walked 12 ft and down stairs.


6:00
F 8, s 5, p 7, v 4, c 1, leg w 5, law 0, raw 3, d 4
Laid on couch and watched tv 20 min. Laid on couch and played phone game 10 min. 


6:30
F 5, s 5, p 3, v 4, c 1, LLW 4, RLW 3, law 0, raw 2, d 2
Laid on couch playing phone game 20 min. Went upstairs and got coat, walked 120 ft to car. Rode in car. 


7:00
F 1, s 2, p 7, v 4, c 2, leg w 2, arm w 2, d 4
Walked 140 ft, sat in dim restaurant. Chatted in ASL and English. Took lactase, cranberry, protonix, vit d, prednisone. 


7:30
F 3, s 6, p 6, v 4, c 1, leg w 5, law 3, raw 5, d 3
Sat and ate in restaurant. Chatted in ASL. 


8:00
F 2, s 5, p 6, v 4, c 2, leg w 5, arm w 2, d 3
Sat and ate in restaurant. Chatted in ASL, watched conversation. 


8:30
F 2, s 6, p 7, v 4, c 2, leg w 2, arm w 1, d 3
Walked 35 ft, bathroom, stood to wash hands, walked 35 ft. Sat and ate, chatted in ASL. 


9:00
F 2, s 5, p 7, v 4, c 1, leg w 1, arm w 2, d 1
Walked 100 ft, rode home, walked 120 ft. Stood to change clothes. Set up laptop. Sat on couch. Took gabapentin and Aleve.


9:30
F 3, s 4, p 8, v 4, c 2, leg w 2, arm w 2, d 0
Sat on couch watching TV and using laptop.


10:00

F 5, s 5, p 7, v 4, c 1, leg w 3, arm w 2, d 0

Sat on couch watching TV and using laptop.

10:30
F 5, s 5, p 7, v 4, c 1, leg w 6, arm w 2, d 1
Sat on couch watching TV and using laptop. Walked upstairs, stood to wash face, sat to brush teeth. Walked 25 feet, stood, sat, blah. Bed!

Daily Data

Sensory:

-Pins and needles: 4
-Tingles: 0
-Dysesthetic pain: 6
-Paresthesias: 0
-Numbness: 2
-Vision: 4, double vision! Fun times.
-Nerve pain: 5
-Hearing: 1, some at night

Motor:
-Walking: 2
-Sore muscles: 2
-Fine motor: 3
-Weak muscles: 6
-Spasticity: 4

Cognitive:
-Processing: 2
-Memory: 1
-Attention: 1
-Confusion: 1

General:
-Fatigue: 7
-Balance: 3
-Sleep: 6, I am realigning this to 9 hours as the ideal "0" rating (6 hours, woke up around 5:00)
-Bladder: 3, does not want to give up the goods--I guess I am retaining water, as they say
-Proprioception: 1
-Swallowing: 1
-A: 0
-B: 7, took something

Emotions: Fine. I do not know how, except that I have been trying to stay close to the Lord. I listened to sacred music this morning while I prepared for work, and I tried to be patient with myself. Reading my scriptures. I don't know, I am just feeling centered.