Well, I returned to work last Monday and discovered that I really wasn't ready. By the middle of the workday, I was in too much pain to think about much of anything else, and the pain extended well into the night, keeping me from sleeping much.
So, as of Thursday, I'm back off work indefinitely. I'm grateful that I have disability insurance, or I'd be fucked - and not in the good way.
Yesterday, I got a bit of bittersweet news. I had been waiting for the results of several blood tests, and the last of them finally came in. The doc tells me that I tested positive for "lupus anticoagulant antibodies" - basically meaning that I have antibodies that attack normal proteins, causing abnormal blood coagulation. Think of it as the polar opposite of hemophilia. She told me that this doesn't necessarily mean I have systemic lupus, though it is a possibility. I have to get a confirming test in a couple of months to confirm the diagnosis (Antiphospholipid syndrome, a.k.a. Hughes syndrome).
So now I have the answer to the puzzle as to why all of this happened. It's treatable but not curable, and knowing is better than not. With proper treatment, I should have a normal life span, which would not likely be the case without. It's likely I'll have to be on anticoagulants for the rest of my life, which carries risks and dietary restrictions.
It's damned frustrating for recovery to be taking as long as it is, and I'm anxious to be able to resume my life.
So, as of Thursday, I'm back off work indefinitely. I'm grateful that I have disability insurance, or I'd be fucked - and not in the good way.
Yesterday, I got a bit of bittersweet news. I had been waiting for the results of several blood tests, and the last of them finally came in. The doc tells me that I tested positive for "lupus anticoagulant antibodies" - basically meaning that I have antibodies that attack normal proteins, causing abnormal blood coagulation. Think of it as the polar opposite of hemophilia. She told me that this doesn't necessarily mean I have systemic lupus, though it is a possibility. I have to get a confirming test in a couple of months to confirm the diagnosis (Antiphospholipid syndrome, a.k.a. Hughes syndrome).
So now I have the answer to the puzzle as to why all of this happened. It's treatable but not curable, and knowing is better than not. With proper treatment, I should have a normal life span, which would not likely be the case without. It's likely I'll have to be on anticoagulants for the rest of my life, which carries risks and dietary restrictions.
It's damned frustrating for recovery to be taking as long as it is, and I'm anxious to be able to resume my life.
