Alfred...An Update.

The last week or so has been a whirlwind of ER visits, primary care visits, and surgical visits as well. All in the name of trying to figure out what my left sided pain is, see what's going on with Alfred--my Gastric Neurostimulator--and keep me kickin'! In between all of that was my birthday party and my actual birthday! What a mess!!

My primary care physician (PCP), didn't really think that it was a kidney infection that I had been suffering from, but intramuscular pain/costochondritis. She had me discontinue the Cephlex and try an antiinflamitory medicine instead to see if that would help matters. That still remains to be seen. 

In seeing my surgeon--which I do once a month for check-ups on Alfred--he decided to turn the Gastric Neurostimulator OFF to see if there's really any difference in my health. He said "sometimes patients think there's been no change with the device in and when we turn it off they realize, oh, there has been." So, only time will tell. It's only been 24 hours and I've noticed nothing. We also discussed the kidney infection/costocondritis debate of 2015 and he looked at my labs. He thinks it actually was a kidney infection, but to go ahead and continue with the antiinflamitory medication because it takes a solid week to take effect. 

It's really hard to wrap my head around the fact that the possibility is there that I've failed--yet AGAIN--at another medication/device that could possibly help my condition. But I have to just pick my head up and keep going. I CANNOT give up in this fight against Gastroparesis! I know that I am WAY better off than SO many of my GP Sisters out there, but it doesn't mean that I am any less frustrated. Part of me hopes that I have just been THINKING that Alfred hasn't been doing his job when, in reality, he has been. But it's going to take some time.