Coronavirus covid 19 john hopkins https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus World health organization declaring a Global Pandemic on 11, March 2020, everybody’s world including my own was about to get turned upside down. I know because the VA is currently is shut down because of the Coronavirus Pandemic. There is no BFA or Mindful Warrior, but I still have my PACT Team in this case it is my Dietician, Pain and Comfort, Psychologist, Whole Health Coach and my Primary Care I was able to stay in touch with them through Secure Messaging, telephone and video conference. The team knew that I did not want the pain to get back to the way it was in the beginning. I did not have the team back then , that I have now. I do not want to regress, but it did.
Sometime in the middle of March, we had some branches break from some of our trees during the winter, when we had an ice storm. I managed to get the big stuff picked up after the storm.and put it on the trailer so we could later haul it to the township dump. Little stuff was frozen to the ground and have to wait until spring. I was almost done raking that little stuff when this pain came over me in my right side. Straight down from the armpit, just below the rib-cage. The Saginaw VA Hospital was closed , because the Saginaw VAMC has Palliative Care that was the reason for closing. So going directly to the Urgent Care was out of the question. So I Thought. I called tele nurse and to my surprise she set me an appointment for Urgent Care. Right flank, under the rib-cage, straight down from the armpit. On a scale of 1 to 10, pain level was an 8. Ultrasound found no kidney stones much to my relief and no Gallstones. Much more going on.
We have regressed, and I was frustrated and disappointed. It was a real sucky feeling, just knowing that everthing, all of the work done by everybodyto that pont was thrown out the window. Between my knees and whatever it is that was bothering me, this is taking pain management to a whole new level. All that the VA had taught me was how to deal with pain in one area of the body. Between the pain and customers coming into the store not knowing what a mask is used for, or just self centered and did not care. They were also using the store for family gathering, catching up on what is going on. I was ready to buy a sailboat rated for the North Sea. Fill the thing up with groceries, laptop and do some serious writing. A power pack, converter and one of those briefcase solar panels from Harbor Freight, I would have been set. Set sail out in to Lake Superior and watch the mayhem and chaos happening on shore, from my sailboat. Only person I would talk to, would be the Radioman at the Coast Guard Station. Would have been fine with me at that point. I spent a whole summer in the middle of Custer National Forest as a Fire Lookout, near Ashland Montana. 72, Miles NE of Sheridan, Wyoming I would have been ready for that exercise in Social Distancing. Radioman on the other end probably would would have gotten tired of me talking at some point I would need human contact. Radio would have helped me though. My pain and anxiety level at this time was through the roof.
Throughout this whole Pandemic, I was in touch with my Primary Care, Pain and Comfort and Psychologist. Well I called my Pain and Comfort Specialist and my Psychologist, telling them both all that is going on with me, just unloading it all. in and Comfort and Primary Care were telling me that the Director said as long as I had another appointment I could receive Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA), but I could not come in specifically for BFA. We were on the phone for about 1 and 1/2 hours some days with my Pain and Comfort and Psychologist, discussing what I learned in Mindful Warrior and Yoga and what was going on with me. They suggested that I do Mindfulness, which is a huge step above Yoga and Mindful Warrior. Mindfulness was done by teleconference, it was every Monday for ten weeks. I was taking acetaminophen 1.5 grams two times daily. That is three grams, good to go we are under the four gram limit before it starts to effect the liver. My Pain and Comfort Specialist also sent two CD’s Mindfulness meditation for Pain Relief. She also sent me a Play Away, a MP3 Player type of thing. This had Minute Meditations on it. guided imagery Meditations to relieve Stress and enhance wellness. This was my daily regimen. I still use it a lot. Just like my tens unit, on my days off two times daily when I get the opportunity. Being busy at work helped take my mind off of all that was going on, with the exception of the anxiety bothering me, I call the tele nurse about the pain if too bad and call pain and comfort that I have an appointment labs, then call and schedule a same day appointment for pain and comfort. In the middle of April Primary Care ordered a Ultra Sound showing no gallstones. After that ordered a HIDA Scan. At this point I was gettinga sence that my Primary Care had an idea of what is going on. I was finally able to schedule and recieve BFA, finally, getting the primary tool in my Pain management toolbox.Now I was relieved, my Dr. seemed to have an idea of what was going on.https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hida-scan/about/pac-20 Hepatobilary Iminodiacetic Acid, (HIDA)+
With no Gallstones, now I am left wondering what the heck is going on with me. Talking with my Primary Care Doctor, at this point he was thinking that I had Biliairy Dyskinesia. He was telling me that I had 17% use of my gallbladder. The gallbladder stores a digestive enzyme called bile. The prefix dys” means abnormal or not working properly. Therefore, the word, biliary dyskinesia means the abnormal movement of the gallbladder, most commonly because the muscles that squeeze bile out of the gallbladder are not contracting properly. My Primary care doctor was working with the VA to out source my care to a local hospital that has a Gut and Intestinal Track, (GI Track) Doctor. Everything was cleared by Community Care, in May I met the GI Track Doctor and was scheduled for an Endoscope in June. Doing research the HIDA Scan and Endoscope are part of the steps for Gallbladder Removal. Everything was clear, making sure and ruling out anything else it could possibly be. The GI Doctor sent my packet to the Surgical Team to evaluate my case. the Surgical team evaluated my case and scheduled surgery. In July I met with the Surgeon who was going to remove my gallbladder. (Cholecystectomy) On 11, August 2020 my gallbladder was removed, in and out the same day. With the exception a few side effects after the operation. I felt a whole lot better.
With this experience I learned that with the help of a support team and the tools The main tool in my Pain Management tool box is BFA Battlefield Acupuncture. I have acquired knowledge, tools and a PACT Team. Through the years since, they helped me manage my pain. I do not know where I would be without the tools, knowledge and the team. I do know that my mind would probably be in a different place without them.
With this i learned
With no Gallstones, now I am left wondering what the heck is going on with me. Talking with my Primary Care Doctor, at this point he was thinking that I had Biliairy Dyskinesia.TheGalt
Walter E Kitter 