Tag: within normal limits


Within Normal Limits

11
September

What doctor came up with the phrase “within normal limits” to describe medical test results? I would really like to sit down with this person and ask a very important question: what does that even mean? I know it means exactly what it says…a test result falls between the high and low values for what is considered normal. It can be anywhere in that area. Well, how is it supposed to make me feel better?

Am I supposed to be cheerful that a couple of months ago my neck MRI, which was done to find the cause of myelopathy (possible spinal cord injury) was within normal limits? I still don’t have proper reflexes. I still don’t feel things the same on both sides of my body. Apparently, though, my senses are just fine.

Am I supposed to be happy that the MRI done on my spine (to find the cause of paralysis and severe back pain) on the 31st was within normal limits? Does that take away the paralysis I go through in the morning? Does it give me a pain-free day with my back?

Or how about the MRI and EEG that I had last December to find out what causes the flailing arms? It came back normal. If it’s so normal, then why has the problem occurred consistently since I was a small child? What causes it?

Why do doctors feel that once a result comes back with the notes “within normal limits” that they no longer have to look into what might be causing it? I would think if the symptoms went away, then yes, alternating the course of diagnosis is probably a fine thing to do. However, when someone is still experiencing the problems that brought on the diagnostic test, then something needs to occur so that they can find the root cause of the issue.

Comments Off | Sickness and Health

Sleeping Sickness

1
July

Well, I don’t think my sleep study later this month (happy July, btw) is going to be very accurate. Now that I’m on the Lyrica, I sleep at least 14 hours a day. I’ll go to bed for seven or eight hours, then wake up and stay awake for a few hours, then go back to bed for six hours, and then wake up for a few more hours. It’s absolutely crazy making. (Like I need anything else to drive me crazy.)

Well, according to the results from the lovely MRI, I do not have anything wrong with my cervical spine. Actually, the exact words were “within normal limits”. I’m sure the nurse considered this to be comforting news when she wrote it on the card and sent it through the mail, but when dealing with potential spinal cord injury, it is not comforting to read “within normal limits”. You would rather know that things are just NORMAL. Not within the limits of being normal. What does within normal limits even tell me? What if it’s on the bad end of normal? I mean, what if there is something that’s almost a problem but it just needs to be a fraction worse? I don’t want to sound like I’m freaking out, but in a way, I kind of am. This is kind of an important body part to me. I like being able to feel things south of my head…even if I do mostly feel pain from those areas.

I must announce a sad, sad death in the family. My printer, a beloved HP Deskjet 880C, which was given to me by my cousin Eric when he upgraded to a new printer about 6 or 7 years ago has gone to the great printing room in the sky. I noticed yesterday when I was trying to print something that it wouldn’t print, so I actually looked at it and saw the light wasn’t on. After testing various cords, I find that the printer, which has survived so many horrifyingly long papers (an almost 20 page one for Social Work once) and printouts, has passed on. Let’s all take a moment of silence to remember this great machine.

Columbia House has supposedly canceled my two accounts with them. Of course, I’m still getting mail from one of the clubs. :/ This is not good. They caused me to overdraft one account by $85 ($44 of that was for the product and $41 was the fee) because I logged in to say no to a Director’s Selection 1 day too late. I apparently logged in too late by 2 days on the other account and overdrew by $50. I wrote them a curt email explaining this and they said I could return the DVDs (how nice), but I would not be getting my overdraft fees back. Personally, I think that’s wrong. They shouldn’t just send you things that you don’t order. Maybe instead of automatically sending Director’s Selections, they should automatically understand that you might have a life and don’t want the damn DVDs. Of course, that would require a brain, and I seriously doubt that whoever thought of the whole Director’s Selection BS at CH has a brain.

Comments Off | General, Rants, Sickness and Health

     

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