NikkiNicole
11-01-2014, 07:01 AM
I dislike our disease more and more every day. I know, there is no one out there that actually LIKES it. But, it continues to be the bane of my existence.
Sunday, I started coughing this dry, barky, seal cough. It got worse and worse and I felt worse and worse so I ducked out of work an hour early and went home to bed. Fast forward to midnight when I woke up gasping for air, feeling like my entire ribcage was shrinking around my lungs and crushing my heart. Dan took me to the ER, I was hooked up to monitors and an IV. I peed in a cup, let them take blood, etc. Nothing showed. So the ER doc said I probably had a chest wall spasm or bronchial spasm and sent me on my merry way.
On Monday, I was severely dizzy and nauseous and I figured it was from the morphine. So, I stayed home from work. Tuesday? It was more of the same. I felt like I was run over by a bus. It felt like my lungs were full of cement but I wasn't coughing anymore.
My stomach started to hurt, but nothing was happening.
Thursday, I carted myself off to the doctor. My chest felt tight still, and now it felt like I was being stabbed in the appendix. Except ... I don't have an appendix! I had a camera shoved in my girl parts to see if there was a cyst on my ovaries. Nope. I went to my general doctor and she poked at my stomach which was tender in every single place she touched.
I explained that I hadn't had a bowel movement since Sunday because the pain was too much to push anything out. (I know, sorry, TMI) She explained I was probably constipated from the morphine.
Her words after that astounded me and frustrated me to no end.
Since I have Wegener's, it makes diagnosing anything 'muddy' or 'gray' because it is hard to tell what is something new or what is something Wegener's related. I was referred to my rheumatologist.
Fantastic. I won't get to see her til next week sometime.
I came back to work today, which I regret because I feel weak and lightheaded and like there is a band wrapped tightly around my chest. My inhaler is at home. Drats. I might run home and grab it on my lunch break.
Has anyone else ever had any of these issues?
Could I just be constipated from the morphine? Normally I do very well with IV pain meds. I've never had constipation problems with any of my surgeries or IV meds. I've often had GI issues with either too loose stool etc and it was always contributed to my lack of a gall bladder. Could it be Weg's related all this time?
What about the chest/bronchial spasm? Has anyone ever had those?
I emailed my rheumatologist with the list of ongoing problems and the added problems that I am having now.
I needed to come back to work but now ... I need to go back home.
Sunday, I started coughing this dry, barky, seal cough. It got worse and worse and I felt worse and worse so I ducked out of work an hour early and went home to bed. Fast forward to midnight when I woke up gasping for air, feeling like my entire ribcage was shrinking around my lungs and crushing my heart. Dan took me to the ER, I was hooked up to monitors and an IV. I peed in a cup, let them take blood, etc. Nothing showed. So the ER doc said I probably had a chest wall spasm or bronchial spasm and sent me on my merry way.
On Monday, I was severely dizzy and nauseous and I figured it was from the morphine. So, I stayed home from work. Tuesday? It was more of the same. I felt like I was run over by a bus. It felt like my lungs were full of cement but I wasn't coughing anymore.
My stomach started to hurt, but nothing was happening.
Thursday, I carted myself off to the doctor. My chest felt tight still, and now it felt like I was being stabbed in the appendix. Except ... I don't have an appendix! I had a camera shoved in my girl parts to see if there was a cyst on my ovaries. Nope. I went to my general doctor and she poked at my stomach which was tender in every single place she touched.
I explained that I hadn't had a bowel movement since Sunday because the pain was too much to push anything out. (I know, sorry, TMI) She explained I was probably constipated from the morphine.
Her words after that astounded me and frustrated me to no end.
Since I have Wegener's, it makes diagnosing anything 'muddy' or 'gray' because it is hard to tell what is something new or what is something Wegener's related. I was referred to my rheumatologist.
Fantastic. I won't get to see her til next week sometime.
I came back to work today, which I regret because I feel weak and lightheaded and like there is a band wrapped tightly around my chest. My inhaler is at home. Drats. I might run home and grab it on my lunch break.
Has anyone else ever had any of these issues?
Could I just be constipated from the morphine? Normally I do very well with IV pain meds. I've never had constipation problems with any of my surgeries or IV meds. I've often had GI issues with either too loose stool etc and it was always contributed to my lack of a gall bladder. Could it be Weg's related all this time?
What about the chest/bronchial spasm? Has anyone ever had those?
I emailed my rheumatologist with the list of ongoing problems and the added problems that I am having now.
I needed to come back to work but now ... I need to go back home.