Ugh

I made an appointment with a new doctor today. He comes highly recommended by Dwana, who has known him personally and professionally for years. Among other things, he is very thorough and treats the whole person. Given my health issues (diabetes, acid reflux, polycystic ovarian syndrome, insulin resistance/metabolic syndrome, fibromyalgia, asthma, sleep apnea, allergies, and anxiety issues), I think it's important to have someone who will take time to deal with all of the issues and recognise that they interact. He also has specialties in family practice, general practice, emergency medicine, and neurology, so that's a pretty impressive background.

The last time I went for a checkup at the practice I normally go to, in October, I felt that it was rather cursory and aimed at just the basics--pap, bloodwork, and writing a prescription for any drugs I've been on. They seem rather symptom based rather than cause-based. For example, I was treated for an ulcer with Nexium with no mention of testing for H. pylori, which is now recognised to be the culprit in about 80% of cases. While it did improve for awhile, I think it was just a temporary fix. I'd rather go for the underlying problems. Also, since most of my issues are actually inter-related, I really feel they need to be treated that way.

Normally I have to be dragged to the doctor. But the last few days I've been having edema (swelling) in my joints, especially my ankles. For a fat woman, I normally have nicely shaped ankles, but they're bulging by midday up to 2 inches more in diametre, and are painful and make it difficult to walk. I've been soaking them in cool water and trying to elevate them. This has been going on for about four days now. Today, for example, I had to take my shoes off right after lunch, then came home, got in bed, elevated my feet and lost a good three hours or so that I could have been unpacking or doing housework. Sitting at the computer or driving around makes it worse. It only seems to be relieved if I can prop a pillow under my knees. Even once the swelling went down, the pain stayed. I have to admit, I just feel blah. I do occasionally have trouble with swelling, especially in the summer, but not usually this bad. My diet really hasn't changed in terms of salt, etc., but I have been eating more wheat, dairy, and eggs--foods I'm allergic to but can usually tolerate. My blood pressure has been checked recently and it's been normal. Given the hormonal issues I have and the fact that I should be ovulating, I rather wonder if I didn't this month, leading to Progesterone Low or Estrogen Dominance, which can cause edema, osteoporosis, and irregular periods. If that's the case, it might be alleived with progesterone, or at least another diuretic. I'd like to get back into a regular routine at the gym, too, but the pain in my ankles and knees have made me less inclined to go. I suspect it would actually help, since sitting makes it worse, but I want to check with the doctor first.

In the meantime, I've taken a cool bath that seems to have helped and I've got my feet propped up on a comic book box. My appointment is next Wednesday.