I swear there is a phenomena with FTD that causes all other illnesses to be worse. I doubt there is any scientific validity to this, but I have experienced it many times. I get a cold, it develops into bronchitis or pneumonia. I have a gout attack, it immobilizes me. I have a headache, it stays for days and feels like the worst migraine ever.
Wait, that last one is true. FTD headaches are the absolute worst and this comes from someone who has suffered from migraines her entire life. I have experienced gout pain for years as well. Those have always been controlled by diet and eating dried cherries which can act as an anti-inflammatory, so no problem. Since FTD, even though my diet is much healthier than it was while I was still employed, I get horrendous gout attacks. Attacks so bad that I had to use crutches and a wheelchair. By the way, I can also attest that it is difficult for someone with FTD to understand the workings of crutches.
The gout attacks have become frequent and increasingly severe. I also, months ago, experienced a kidney stone that, when analyzed, was caused by excess uric acid. After that really severe case of gout, I agreed to go on uric acid reducing medication. According to my lab reports, it has been effective. According to my foot, not so much.
My theory is fairly simple but is not founded on any medical evidence or research that I have read or heard. I believe that the stress of coping with FTD is an enormous burden on the human body as well as the brain. Because of this constant strain on the brain, I believe there is not enough energy left to fight off these irritating illnesses. The immune system is just over-taxed and can't keep up.
I have steps that I take to help my body deal with the reduced ability to fight things off. I get my vaccines for flu, shingles and pneumonia. I know there is a huge debate out there about the safety of those vaccines. For me, weighing the assistance to fight these diseases far outweighs the perceived risks of the disease. They stopped using live virus for flu vaccines years ago, so you cannot develop the flu from the vaccine. One word of extreme caution: This is not true of the NASAL vaccine. It IS made from live viruses and should never be taken by the elderly or those with compromised immune systems.
I avoid going out in crowds. I have learned when the grocery store is the least crowded and do my shopping during that time. I avoid movie theatres, malls and any place with large crowds of people. Unfortunately, this includes church as well. I have found that people think they must go to church, even if they are not feeling well. We go to restaurants during off-peak hours. You get the concept, I am sure.
I take echinacea and vitamin C (I use Ester-C, but there are many other brands.) every time I get home from a crowd, a doctor's office or from being exposed to anyone who displays any sign of possible illness. You sniffle in front of me, I take them both to boost my immune system. I am also one of those irritating shoppers who stands at the cart area of the store and clean my cart. Let me apologize here to all the people whose lives I have slowed by 30 seconds. I try to get out of the main traffic patterns, but sometimes you can't. Some times I apologize but, I admit it, most times I do not. I figure if someone gets that angry and upset from losing less than a minute out of their lives, they aren't going to appreciate my apology anyway.
I was prompted to write on this subject today because of something I am experiencing right now. For about 12 years now, I have had macular degeneration in my left eye. It was caused by an unusual disease, histoplasmosis, that in rare cases can spread to the eyes. (Yes, I do seem to be the queen of rare diseases.) Because of this, I have very little vision in my left eye. Yesterday, I realized I am showing the signs of macular degeneration in my remaining good eye. I was never very frightened when this happened in my left eye, probably because I still had one good eye remaining, but I am now!
Now that I am seeing symptoms of macular degeneration in my right eye, I am very frightened. Reading is a cherished enjoyment since FTD has stolen so many others. I have been extremely lucky to still be able to read and understand books. As I have explained many time before, the books cannot be complicated, but reading is still one of my favorite things to do. The thought of losing that ability is downright terrifying to me. There is also the fear of not being able to do much of anything. I also know my husband will dress me funny. This has been a standing family joke for years since he has no fashion sense at all.
To tie this into the beginning of this diatribe... Dealing with the stress and fear of the black spot in the middle of my vision is adding to the strain of FTD. Since discovering the problem, I am stumbling more, stuttering more and my thinking is much fuzzier than usual. It makes sense to me somehow. My brain is trying to deal with the stress and the fear from the eye issue which takes away from its ability to cope with my FTD symptoms.
I guess this all makes me think of that little childhood ditty of "The head bone's connected to the neck bone, neck bone's connected to the back bone.... them crazy bones." Let's start a new one, "The brain is connected to my worry bones, the brain is connected to my gouty bones, the brain is connected to my.... that crazy brain." Nah, doesn't have the same ring to it. I don't think it will catch on, but it does explain some things.
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