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Crista Thomas

@pushingthroughpain

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followers

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POTS, hEDS, MCAS, MALS, Nutcracker, May Thurners and figuring the rest out! Documenting life with these health issues and how I push through the pain.

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Back at it🤙🏼 We went back to New York where I got a Restrictive Lumbar Duraplasty about 3 weeks ago. It’s basically an open back surgery to help my extreme headaches, nausea, light headedness, fatigue, and all the other crazy symptoms that are making it really hard to function these days. Recovery has been tough, this one has been really painful. But I’ve got the very best doctors and the support system around. Thank you for the messages, meals, flowers, welcome home, treats, prayers, and visits. I’ve felt them and they’ve been so helpful. There’s a good chance this is isn’t the last procedure I’ll need for my head symptoms, but we’re just taking it a day at a time❤️‍🩹 by @pushingthroughpain

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4 months ago

The last little bit has been pretty challenging for Tanner and I. My health has declined significantly over the last several months and I’m heading out to New York next month to get a pretty big surgery to help address some debilitating symptoms that I have everyday. Tanner has been attending an OCD and anxiety clinic since April after dealing with some severe mental health challenges. We have started a Go Fund Me as we are needing some financial support with everything going on, especially with this upcoming trip. There is also an option to Venmo us and I’ve included that information in the Go Fund Me Page, if you want to avoid any transaction fees. There’s a lot more detail on the Go Fund Me page regarding our situation if you are interested. The link to the page is in my bio!

Tanner has been doing so well in the clinic and we are really hopeful for this upcoming surgery to provide me some relief. We are so grateful for everyone’s ongoing support in our crazy life and we are feeling hopeful that things are going to keep getting better!

https://gofund.me/c8e1a49e by @pushingthroughpain

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a year ago

A couple of months ago, Tanner encouraged me to share my story on a podcast. I decided to listen to him and I was able to be on the Latter Day Lights podcast. On it, I share a little bit about my health journey and how I’ve come to know my Savior and my purpose better through it. Life is hard, but our Savior makes it possible to find the good amidst what can seem pretty unbearable. It’s also taught me how important it is to share our stories and our struggles with other people!! There is strength is sharing!

The link is in my bio if you’d like to listen to it! by @pushingthroughpain

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2 years ago

My wife’s podcast is out!! Go listen to it!! She shares about her struggles with her health and how she’s dealt with it. It’s a powerful story that instills hope in the hearts of everyone who listens to it.

The link is in my bio! by @pushingthroughpain

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2 years ago

It’s about time I give an update on here.
My symptoms are still here - nausea, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, acid reflux, dizziness, migraine headaches, fatigue, body aches, back pain - every day. Lately, the days have been harder, specially with the weather. When the air pressure changes as storms come in, my POTS gets thrown out of wack and my symptoms flare.
Most people probably wouldn't guess that I have been struggling. I have been working part time, just graduated with my Bachelor's degree, and have been planning a wedding. From the outside, my life looks pretty normal! But what isn't seen is that I struggle to work two days a week and have energy for anything after. I am so fatigued every day an d never feel like I can give my body enough rest. The motion of getting out of bed in the mornings is really challenging and can lead to extreme nausea and a massive headache if I'm not careful about it. I am in a lot pain with everything I eat, but if I don’t eat, my dizziness is much worse and energy levels are super low.
I have the desire to work full time, be completely present in my social life, be on top of planning a wedding, and follow everything my doctors tell me to do. But man, it is hard and it is exhausting!
I had a moment last week where I saw another chornic illness fighter share her story and it really hit me that I need to share mine - not just on social media, but in everyday conversation. It's easy to confuse sharing your story with complaining, but we need to share. I’ve felt prompted by the Spirit to be more open about mine.
So here's the truth of my day to day: I am really sick, I push through so much - usually too much- but I have so much happy in my life that is worth pushing thorugh right now. I am waiting on my doctor to see if he can do a specialized test called a CT myelogram in his office and if not, I'll travel out of state. That test will see what is going on with my CSF (Cerebral Spinal Fluid) which we think is the cause of most all of my symptoms.
So for now I'm just waiting, doing my best to do what the doctor's are telling me, leaning on my support system, and trusting in God's plan for me. I know He is in control. by @pushingthroughpain

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2 years ago

Appointment with Coleby 2/21/24 (A BIT BELATED🫠)
• My Doctor suspects I have low CSF pressure and high venous pressure, due to my symptoms.
• Get Venogram to determine if I have high venous pressure coming from May Thurner Syndrome
• If Venogram improved headaches, go after May Thurners/venous problems. If not, talk about CSF fixes. by @pushingthroughpain

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3 years ago

Coleby Appt 11/09 Recap
• Stopped several medications and starting a new Mast Cell Activation med, pink Himalayan salt tablets, and an oral steroid to help calm my bowels.
• He ordered a HIDA scan for gallbladder function and a Gastric Emptying Study for stomach issues.
• We are going ahead with the nerve ablation in three areas (under both rib and left ribs and then lower left abdomen). All areas are where I have scars. They will freeze the nerves and then nerves will grow back within 9 months. Sometimes they grow back and don’t cause problems and sometimes they do, so we would then just repeat the ablation. Waiting on Dr. Hardman to schedule that.
• Still trying to find away to help my pelvic congestion. by @pushingthroughpain

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4 years ago

Biggest points of my appointment with Dr. Coleby:
• Changed a lot of medications to help with POTS and Mast Cell Activation symptoms.
• Wants me to see a May Thurners Specialist
• Ran some labs to check my levels
• Decided we will keep the feeding tube in for a while more and change my feedings to the day time.
•Waiting on some appointments with MALS surgeons. by @pushingthroughpain

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4 years ago

Ever since I got my feeding tube, people smile at me more, people come up and talk to me more, and people really just treat me differently, in a good way mostly.

I really don’t mind it, they treat me with sympathy because they can see that I am actually sick.

It’s just crazy because I was just as sick without the tube, yet strangers would never know.

Having this feeding tube has shown me how much we don’t know about what is going on in other’s lives.

So smile at people just because, ask people how their doing even if they look fine, and follow those promptings to serve other people.

I’ve learned that even if you can’t see it, people are struggling and need to feel seen and loved. by @pushingthroughpain

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4 years ago

Dr Coleby Appointment 3/16

Main Things Discussed this Appointment:
•Changed meds to hopefully decrease May Thurners pain and POTS symptoms
•Concluded I have a bowel obstruction of some sort which is why my stomach gets distended and I periodically show up a ton of acid. The only way to fix this is to get a scan done exactly when the “twist” is happening and then go in by surgery and pin the intestine down, essentially. It doesn’t seem very practical for me at the moment.
•We are going to put a feed tube in for a few reasons. I have lost a lot of weight and I am having a hard time eating regularly. This will also bypass the MALS area so we can see if my symptoms improve.
•I am going to see a May Thurners Specialist for a consultation along with someone to look at my potentially arthritic finger. Can’t make this stuff up hahaha.
•He will also send my records to Dr. Hsu and Dr. Richards, both MALS surgeons, to see what they think they can do for my situation. by @pushingthroughpain

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5 years ago

Kidney Flip Surgery
I just got a surgery last Thursday, March 3, 2022 by Dr. Zendejas to flip my kidney over. After he transplanted my left kidney to my right side in April 2020, it flipped over on it’s own towards my belly button. Since it did that, my kidney was sitting basically right in the middle of my pelvis. The weird thing is, it was not attached to anything - no scar tissue of anything. So it was just moving freely around my pelvis, which could explain some of the pain I was feeling. However, it made the surgery much less complicated since he didn’t have to cut away or maneuver around as much. He was able to do everything laparoscopically. He found room to flip my kidney up and out of the way and then moved my colon and Fallopian tube to make sure they weren’t being compressed or bothered.
I stayed in the hospital overnight because my pain level was pretty high. The recovery, so far, has been alright, but I have been in much more pain than I anticipated. I have a lot of pain in my right lower abdomen, especially when I inhale. I also have had some pain and throbbing where the three incisions are located. Today, I’ve started to feel a lot of muscle spasms in the lower left area of my abdomen. I also have to wear a fun little medical binder for at least two weeks to make sure the kidney stays in place.
We will meet with my surgeon in about 2 weeks from my surgery date to see how I am doing. I am hopeful that this will help with at least part of my pain! Thank you guys for all of your prayers and sweet messages! I have faith that this is a step in the right direction for me and that God is guiding me through these challenging times.

#nutcrackersyndrome #kidneysurgery #surgery #recovery #musclespasms #renalartery #pots #mals #maythurnersyndrome #healthjourney #pushingthroughthepain by @pushingthroughpain

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5 years ago

PRE-OP APPOINTMENT WITH DR ZENDEJAS 2/28/22
I had my Pre-Op Appointment for my surgery on Wednesday to flip my kidney over. Basically, we aren’t actually sure what will happen on Wednesday. Dr. Z is going to go in and see what everything looks like first. If he thinks there is room to flip the kidney, he will. If he doesn’t, he will stop the procedure right there. If he doesn’t flip it or if he flips it and I still have pain, we will have to discuss possibly removing the kidney. Nothing is for sure, so I would really appreciate your prayers that my surgeon will know what is best for me and that he will find a way to reduce my pain without making things too much harder on my body. by @pushingthroughpain

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5 years ago