Medication or Time-Released Death

Right now, right here – I’m in what you call a bind, a quandary. Although I fancy myself a Doctor, I’m not. Oh sure, I’ve been reading anything & everything I can get my hands on about my particular situation, but what happens when what you know and what you’ve learned goes against what the specialists and experts tell you?

It’s their job, it’s what they do, it’s what they deal with day in and day out….. so obviously their opinions and suggestions should carry significant weight, and they do. Except for the issues with the Neruos – all my health care providers have been awesome. No matter how awesome they’ve been, no one quite cares about you as much as you do. For those 20 minutes or half an hour you are generally the sole focus of the doctor, but essentially, once you leave – you are off their mind until your next visit, they may order you a test or two, but rest assured you aren’t on their mind as they drive home for the night. Unless of course, something happens in the interim to rocket you to the top of the charts.

Going into this study, if in fact I decide to go ahead with it – requires that they put me on a specific medication, which is tightly controlled and exactly what both groups of patients will receive, both the thymectomy and the non thymectomy group. Here is where the problem lies for me – take a freaking look – I say – TAKE A FREAKING LOOK – at a list of the side effects with this drug…….

What if it hurts more than it helps?

increased blood sugar for diabetics
rapid excessive weight gain
facial swelling
depression
mania, psychosis & other psychiatric symptoms
unusual fatigue and weakness
mental confusion
blurred vision
abdominal pain
peptic ulcers
various infections
painful hip and shoulder joints
osteoporosis
long term migraines
insomnia
severe random joint pain
cataracts
anxiety
black or bloody stools
stomach pain & heavy bloating
general all over body swelling
mouth sores
dry mouth
avascular necrosis
(a disease resulting from the temporary or permanent loss of the blood supply to an area of bone. The bone dies and the bone collapses)

hepatic steatosis (fatty liver disease)
stretch marks
nervousness
acne
rashes
increased appetite with indigestion
hyperactivity
frequent urination
diarrhea
destruction of intestinal flora
leg pains & cramping
sensitive teeth

Additional side effects include chronic insomnia, euphoria and mania, longer term side effects in addition to those already mentioned above – include contracting Cushing’s Syndrome, truncal weight gain, glaucoma, type 2 diabetes and depression.

As you can see the drug is a real good time Charley…. would life even be worth living if you had to endure all the crap on that list… seriously MAYBE if you had like 3rd degree burns on 80% of your body or some massive tumor eating away at one of your major organs – OK then I could see using this drug BUT come on…… read that list  – and that isn’t even what MAY happen – it’s what is most likely to happen, the most typical reactions for the average person, there are still other effects I didn’t list which are more rare. I don’t think I could do it, I really don’t.

I had my appointment with Neuro 1 (team Moron) yesterday and some new options & possibilities have arisen – I’ll fill you in on all that tomorrow……

Have a GREAT Day.