I'm hoping I will hear back from my doctor on the test results. That would be so awesome! Depending on the results I will either go see a rheumatologist or get more tests. I also looked so awful Saturday at work that my boss gave me several days off to recover. I must have been pretty bad, she seemed super worried.

Sooon I will feel better.

Keeping a log of my health issues the last few months has paid off! I went over it with the doctor, and he suspects lupus and/or rheumatoid arhthritis. This doctor is so efficient! Within a few minutes of having a potential diagnosis they had already drawn the blood and sent it off to do the tests. Ideally I should get the results in the next few days. He said depending on the results he will either send me off to a rheumatologist or send me for some different tests. 

I really want to get this at least somewhat under control before I run off to a strange country for a year. 

Hello All! 
Since Satyrn is fully up and going, I thought I would re-introduce myself!

• My old Mindsay account had the same name as this one, deeterz!
• I have a bachelors in technical writing, and am working on my masters in legal studies. I currently work as an Office Administrator at a construction company. In the past I have been an optometry tech, a civillian contractor for the air force, among a few other jobs. 
• I am happily married! We have been married almost 5 years now, and friends for 12. 
• I have two dogs (Leela & Roux) and a cat (Muffins)
• I cannot have children. I have never in my life wanted children, so a few years ago I had my tubes tied. I may adopt or foster in the future, but I have zero desire to produce children of my own. 
• I am obsessed with pandas.
• My husband and I will be moving to Japan in August! (hopefully!)

Plans for moving to Japan are on schedule!

Muffins has completed her shots, and will get her blood drawn for the rabies antibody test in a week or so. 
My birth certificate with my updated name should be arriving soon, then I can apply for a passport. 
Alex has started updating his birth certificate with his name, but since he was actually born in this state it will be quicker. 
We've created a list of different programs and jobs Alex will be applying for in Japan, and he has begun modifying his resume to match what is common in Japan. 

Woo! Japan, here we come!

Rip me, I got Pleurisey again. This is stupid painful.

In good news, the doctor is finally back in town! I go to see him on friday, and I am going to be pushy to get him to run some tests and figure out what the hell is going on. Usually I tend to just go with the flow, but i'm going to put my foot down this time. 

At the moment my hands are working well enough that I can type with minimal pain, which is dope. 

What i've been dealing with is most likely arthritis. Since mid-december the joints in my last 3 fingers on both hands have been swelling and causing some hand weakness and pain. I have also had pretty severe pain in both hips and knees. 

The hip pain had been going on for a while, but I was assuming it had more to do with my weight than anything (I am considered overweight, but not obese). And weight can explain the hip and knee pain, but not the hand pain!

I also had some problems for a few weeks where my hair was falling out by the handful. I'm also exhausted all the time, have chest pain, and keep running fevers (which is probably why my whole body aches). 

So yeah, gonna call the doctor when he gets back into the country to deal with that.

TBH, i'm super worried I have Lupus. It's relatively common in my family, and all of the symptoms are a match. Yikes. 

In other news, I'm still moving forward with my plan to lose weight! The diet is going well, and i'm doing my best with exercising. Since I hurt most of the time exercise is a bit touch and go, but I'm still managing to exercise more than I used to! Woo! I'll take it!

Hands, hips, and knees still hurt (just not quite as bad)
Hair stopped falling out! woo!

I have begun the weight loss adventure. So far I am on track! Wish me luck! I'm going on a low-carb diet, and exercising for 30 minutes 3 times a week.

Short entry because my hands hurt
My knuckles and fingers have been swollen & sore the last two weeks. Typing hurts, and I can't wear my rings.
Both hips and knees are also very sore. Walking hurts. They pop every time I step.
Sometime the pain is bad enough that I can't sleep. My electric blanket helps some. 

My chest hurts, by my sternum. It's been like this for about a week. It hurts worse when I breathe in deep. I got mildly startled a few days ago, and it hurt so bad it took me hours to sleep.

My hair has been falling out more than usual. Not big clumps, but enough that it fully blocks the drain in the shower, and any time I run my hands through my hair i get a fistfull of hair.

I am hella exhausted all the time. Idk if it's from not sleeping from pain or what. 

Obviously i'm going to go to the doctor, but he's out of the office until 1/20.

this started 12/24

I'm not sure if it's the overwhelming cold at work, but I'm sick AGAIN!
I've had a mild fever, body aches, insane sinus pressure headhaches, a gnarly cough, & shortness of breath starting from 12/15, and in the last day or two I've started feeling better. 
0/10 - please shoot me

It was about 45F in our store today, and although I was bundled up I just don't handle the cold well. All of my joints hurt, especially my knees. 

What the heck, I don't want to grow old.