IGF-1 Impatience

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. It's been 3 months, 2 days, since my last surgery.  I am watching time pass by and waiting to check my levels again. Have I told you all how incredibly impatient I am sometimes? I know I am supposed to sit, and quietly wait for 6 months after Operation Peapod Extraction to see if my IGF-1 levels are normalizing, but it's so hard... there is not enough distractions in my life to make me forget that I have to wait until October 11th when I go back to University of Michigan for my 6 month checkup and get another MRI and do blood work, but the wait is absolutely killing me! And, there has been a few 'ticks' that have returned that have me a bit concerned:

• Recurring jaw pain
• Difficulty closing my mouth again (I cannot bite down without my lower teeth pushing out on my upper teeth)
• Elbows hurting
• Itchy skin 
• Talking like Yoda - I started to words my flip around again
• Vision blurring
• Tiny headaches

All symptoms I had before the Peapod Extraction - and all symptoms of Acromegaly.

So, naturally, if you know me, I asked my PCP if we can recheck my IGF-1 (Insulin Like Growth Hormone - that which measures how active someones Acromegaly is) results. And Doogie Howser, MD agreed, as did my new doctor (since Doogie has moved to Cincinatti, OH) agreed (she doesn't have a nickname yet).

Unfortunately, not all providers use the same labs so results will vary - which sucks, so it's hard to know my exact progression, but I am happy to report that my numbers are steadily decreasing, which is a GREAT sign! 

Spectrum Health, Grand Rapids

• February 17, 2016 - 917
• August 30, 2016 - 428

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

• March 31, 2016 - 1334
• June 30, 2016 - 450

I'm still hoping that I can get that number down to 250 or better. If not, we will need to start talking about medication - which involves weekly, monthly or daily injections, or combinations of injections.

Medications for Acromegaly:
http://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/acromegaly/medications-acromegaly

The monthly injection uses a HUGE needle and needs to be administered by a nurse. Needless to say, I am really hoping to avoid injections, especially the big bad scary needle!

With the numbers slowly going down, it could explain why I am still feeling the way I do - but I am still a raging ball of hormones that skyrocket, plummet, level out, and then do it all over again! Maybe, once they yank this darn uterus out, some of the hormones will either level out some or manifest into something else - like I've said before, always a roller coaster here in my little world!!!