It
started Friday afternoon when I mentioned to Allen my ankle was
hurting. I had been diagnosed with ankle tendinitis about a year ago and
it hurt for about a week. This time by Saturday I couldn't step
on my food and was seriously thinking of going to the ER but decided to
wait until Monday when my podiatrist would be in his office. Meanwhile I
would wrap the ankle in a cold compress, stay off of it as much as I
could and take non-aspirin aspirin. Sunday I was ready to SCREAM!!! For
the second day in a row I didn't go outside, did the cold compresses and
bit my lips a lot.

Monday
morning, yes morning, I called the podiatrist. Now remember I don't
have a car and in order to get a ride anywhere I have to make an
appointment 24 hours in advance.  The receptionist said that the doctor
was booked solid but if there was a cancellation she would call me. I
explained the car situation but it went right over her head, I told he I
wanted to talk to the doctor as to what treatment I should follow until
I saw him. She said she would get back to me.

At
4:53 PM I went for my mail and I was back by 4:55--yes, she had called
and left a message in that time the receptionist, not the doctor. She
said I should use cold compresses and take Aleve. I immediately called
back to get a message that their office hours were to 5 PM---it was 4:56
As I am on coumadin I can not take Aleve as the results would be
disastrous.

My
foot was burning, tender, sore and once again I thought of going to the
ER but 2 things decided me to wait until Tuesday: one was to talk to my
primary doctor and two I had found a bottle of pills that I had marked
'pain killers' on. It was propoxyphen but the date of the bottle said it
should be discarded after 123/07/2009. I debated whether to take one
'every 8 hours as needed' or just take one and see what happens over
night, so I did.

After
3 days being trapped in the apartment when I woke Tuesday morning
without any relief and it being pure torture stepping on the foot I
called my primary. I spoke to Kimberly, explained the whole situation
and she said she would talk to the doctor and get back to me.  As it was
I already was preparing to call back if I didn't hear from her by 12:15
as I know the office goes to lunch then and don't come back until 1:30
PM Another assistant called back and told me the doctor called in a
prescription for something or other and I didn't catch the name.

I
called Brad and asked him if he would mind going to pick it up for me
and he did coming over to my place handing me a bottle of lorazepam
which I already had but I took one. Something came back to me that the
assistant said about having to monitor my coumadin level as the medicine
would effect it but I have been taking lorazepam for 4 years and it
wasn't a problem. I didn't take enough to even do anything--usually 1/2
of a milligram--the normal dose is 4-40 milligrams per adult. It was
more of a psychological thing for me.

I
decided to call the office back and spoke to Kimberley who got my chart
and said the prescription was for naproxen. The drug store had given
Brad the prescription refill I called in last week for lorezapam! As I
wait here for Brad to bring the latest medicine I looked it up in the
pill book and yes people taking coumadin  should avoid taking naproxin
unless closely monitored. Meanwhile, for the hell of it, I took 1
milligram of lorazepam and my foot started to feel better!

At
4 PM Brad came in with the naproxen and right on the label it says
"Monitor the INR" which is the coumandin level. Now I am reading about
all the side effects and they aren't pretty especially for someone like
me who has had heart surgery and has high blood pressure. There is
something ominous reading 'don't lie down for 10 minutes after taking
medicine"!

Well
here goes--I am taking the first pill that can cause "stomach upset,
stomache bleeding, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, unusual weight gain
(that's a good excuse) vomit blood, heart attack, stroke, heart failure"
and on and on and on. All I want it to do it to stop the pain and make
me well enough TO WALK AND GO TO THE THEATRE TOMORROW!!!!
My
mailman Mark said he had a set of crutches that he would bring over
tomorrow which would help keep the pressure off the foot. I have never
used crutches so that should be fun!