I'm not a pin cushion dang it!

How is your December going?  Doing any RAKs?  I've kept up so far and I keep seeing chances to do more.  So much fun.

I continue to work hard on my pre-Hopkins testing.  Today was my last pre-visit test.  I had the EMG today.  There is just no way to put it besides it really sucked.  Dr. D, my Neurologist did the test and she teaches EMG studies to students so she knows what she is doing.  We started with nerve tests where they put a shock think on your arm and legs and send a pulse though to see your reaction.  After that pleasant experience (sarcasm), we started with the needle electrodes.  We started on my legs.  Although I am not afraid of needles, they certainly aren't great.  For this test, she puts it in a specific muscle and you have to rest to try to get a silent reading.  If you can't get silent (totally relaxed), she will try another spot close by.  Once it is as quiet as she can find,  she then moves the needle around in a circle in your muscle while you keep "relaxing".  Then you flex that muscle so the chatter increases.  Then, she circles again while you are flexing.  After she finishes one muscle, she moves to another.  Depending what the muscles say will determine how many pricks you get.  Luckily my legs were coming back normal.  So we moved to the arms after 4 areas.

That is more tender for sure.  She did my upper and lower arms and right between my thumb and pointer (ouch!).  My triceps was acting abnormal so she decided to check my neck and spine.  It was abnormal too.  Doesn't make much sense because I'm on Methotrexate and the other muscles were normal.  She was real curious and is anxious to hear what the specialists have to say.

Doesn't look like a medieval torture device....does it.

She did warn me that Johns Hopkins will most likely want to repeat the test.  If it were her, she would do another muscle biopsy of my triceps.  She encouraged me to do that at Johns Hopkins if they wanted because it would give a more complete picture.

The great news is my insurance has agreed to pay for 1 consultation at Johns Hopkins but they will not pay for any procedures or the travel.  Hopefully I won't need any more.  But this disease is complicated  and it can be tricky to figure it out.  And figuring it out is exactly why I am investing in Johns Hopkins this next year.

So now I can put my health issues away for a few weeks and enjoy the holidays!  Are you getting ready?  There are only 11 days until Christmas!!!!!