A very long two weeks
2006-07-24 - 5:14 p.m.

I'm finally getting around to writing about what happened after my doctor's appointment last week.

The doctor herself called me on Friday to tell me the results of my blood test. She said my platelet count was still below normal (big surprise) and also my liver function test was a little off. After she did some research and called me a second time, she said that she suspects the low platelet count is probably the result of something I'm taking, rather than anything actually being wrong, because everything else is normal. She also suspects that the liver function thing is off because of something I'm taking and asked if I've been taking a lot of acetaminophen. The answer to that is, yes, I have. I've been taking a lot of D@rv0cet lately for pain and one of its active ingredients is acetaminophen. The other active ingredient is prop0xyphene and the doctor thinks that's what's causing the low platelet count.

So the plan of attack is this: I stop taking D@rv0cet for two weeks then go back and have a blood test performed again, and with any luck, the platelet levels and liver function thing will be within normal ranges. Hopefully then my lipo can be rescheduled, though I can only assume that the plastic surgeon will want to do yet another blood test just to make sure they get the same results. August 4 is the day my two weeks are up and I get another blood test. That's the day after my birthday. Isn't that swell?

Yesterday was a difficult day for me without being able to take D@rv0cet because my legs were aching as soon as I woke up in the morning. Fortunately, I felt better later, and today I feel fine. The doctor gave me some sample of an anti-inflammatory to use during this two-week period in place D@rv0cet, but I'm not counting on it helping very much. I've tried a half dozen other anti-inflammatories and none have ever helped.

What really sucks is I can't take any Excedrin either because it has acetaminophen in it, too.

On my way home from the doctor's office last week I stopped at the bookstore and got a couple books. These were books I was planning to get for after the lipo surgery, but I decided to just get them now because who knows when/if this lipo will happen. I got The Devil Wears Pr@da and Mr. Murder. I finished the former in two days - it was a quick read - and I'm about halfway through the latter now. I'd like to see the movie of The Devil Wears Pr@da at some point, now that I've read the book.

Since B had already asked off for the week of August 1, when I was supposed to have the lipo, he's still planning to take that week off. I will probably work some that week, but not as much as usual. If the weather's nice we're hoping to take some hikes maybe on the Blue Ridge P@rkway or something like that. Other than that, we don't have any plans, though. I have a feeling it's going to be kind of a depressing week for me.

I really, really, really, really hope that this two-week hiatus from D@rv0cet will be the answer to my blood test problems. It seems pretty likely to me; I just have a feeling that's what it is, especially since everything else is normal. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Two days down, 12 to go....

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