Posts Tagged ‘disability’

14
Jul
2020

This doesn’t surprise me, but it saddens me.

categories: personal; word count: 331 words

As a direct result of this pandemic, my pulmonologist does not want me to take prednisone unless I really need it and there is no other alternative. This is because prednisone is a fairly potent immunosuppressant and we are seeing an uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases in this state (once again) because of our governor’s incompetence, and if I am on prednisone — or have been on prednisone really recently — and am actually exposed to it, this may incapacitate my ability to fight it off. This would obviously be bad for me for a number of reasons, the least of them being that I am definitely not a mild asthmatic. And I mean, I can see where my lung doctor is coming from making that recommendation. But it just sucks that he has to make it…

We could have ridden this out longer under a longer stay-at-home order, opened the economy up over a longer period of time, but no. The governor pandered to people literally whining over “the economy” and “going back to work”, and as a direct consequence of this, we have to pay the price of closing everything back up again because the largest hospital in the state and the country could not handle the ICU caseload.

I can’t help but know for a fact that if we had any other president this would have been handled better.

Although prednisone is not the wrecking ball for me that it can be for other people, it has helped in the past when I have had more severe, enduring exacerbations, so it does suck that I can not fall back on this right now, so I am hoping that Symbicort works well in the interim. And speaking of that, when I get a chance I’m thinking of replaying Final Fantasy XIII with New Game+ or maybe even Final Fantasy XIII-2 while I conveniently slow walk Lightning Returns — yes, I’ll get around to finishing it, someday. Really, I will here.

01
Jul
2020

Well, this may not have gone as it was intended.

categories: personal; word count: 301 words

My neurologist wanted me to try lisinopril to see if it changed the frequency and severity of my migraines in any positive way (lessening either). After working my way up from 2.5mg to the intended 5mg dose, maintaining that for a little while, and finding the side effects that I could feel tolerable, I then began to notice something that was not only possibly intolerable from a clinical standpoint but concerning. I was beginning to get a bit “puffy” in a manner not quite like prednisone (I know what prednisone “puffiness” feels like and when it occurs), having to urinate more, and I was beginning to gain weight in spite of that when my diet and exercise had not changed at all. After doing some research on the side effect profile of this medication, these are side effects that this medication can have, and the individual that generally has these side effects most likely discontinues taking the medication as a result of these for… well, whatever reason.

At first, I thought that things weren’t going too bad with this medication, and then… well, this. Heh.

“Well, this,” seems to be a staple of me describing this medication to varying individuals in my care team.

Well, this.

I don’t mind gaining some weight from taking certain medications if there is a net positive from me taking that medication — prednisone is perhaps the primary one here, and the primary reason for this — and I can put up with a lot of side effects from treatment if the end goal is me comparatively being healthier, feeling better, and being in less pain. But for lisinopril, gaining weight and “feeling puffy” are not desirable side effects from treatment. These are warier side effects that you have to alert your care team to, it seems like.

26
Jun
2020

A stopped clock is right twice a day, right?

categories: personal; word count: 180 words

It may have taken our state governor forever to authorize this, but… now SNAP recipients are allowed to use SNAP for curbside pickup with certain retailers, and now they can even order online with two large retailers if they get SNAP anywhere in the state. And it may have been authorized as a direct result of the pandemic, but I am still appreciative of the fact that it was even done. Up until recently, this was never even an option, and only select (mainly Democratic-led) states permitted one, maybe both, things to be done with SNAP funds. But at the end of the day, barring the whole “a stopped clock is still right twice a day” clause, I still have absolutely no respect for my state governor — or the President that we still sadly have, for that matter.

Respect is earned, not given. I don’t have to respect people who have not earned it. I will not be “made” to.

In other news, I may utilize this and begin ordering at least some of our groceries online. That would help…

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