January 28, 2008

I couldn't do any stitching all morning because of more double vision. I was taken to dialysis first thing in the morning and slept through my entire treatment.

I saw the neurologist and an endocrinologist. My nephrologist came by and he said that the endo told him that I may not be absorbing the calcium pills because I don't have a large intestine. I'm not sure if that's correct or not, but will be paying more attention.

I think the general consensus is that I'm going to need these meds IV rather than orally, but when & where I'll be getting them is what they're going to have to figure out.

Following dialysis Saturday my calcium plummeted from 8.9 to 6-point-something less than 8 hours later and it's baffling the doctors. I was symptomatic when my calcium dropped below 6, but now I'm symptomatic (tingling and double vision) when it's below 7. They don't understand that, either. But they think part of the problem is that my PTH has been over 2,000 for almost 2 years, when it shouldn't have been over 70; therefore, it's changing my body metabolically. So it may just be a matter of my body adjusting to the new ParaThyroid Hormone level, but they're going to look into the problems that may be involved with me absorbing the oral drugs, too.

Since dialysis boosted my calcim level, I was able to work on No Matter What. This would have already been done if I wasn't sick, but it's coming along. Right now I'm still working on the brown part of the checkerboard border.