Hi , my name is Carmen , I was diagnosed last June 2013. I drove myself to the ER on June 13th after months of sinus problems and which had lead to completely not being able to smell , I'd been very fatigued and depressed , having dizzy spells and a metallic taste in my mouth . I had finally gone to a CVS pharmacy a week prior , the NP there had looked up my nasal canal and said there was no room for me to breathe which she decided to treat with Augmeton . That medicine caused me to have severe vomiting , she changed the meds to another antibiotic which still was causing vomiting , at this point bile. I couldn't even stand up straight at this point and had begun to have mild chest pain as well . After a week of this I FINALLY drove myself to the ER ...thank God ! That is when urine and blood taken and X-rays . The doctor on duty asked me if I'd ever had kidney problems, which I hadn't . They immediately admitted me and I found out that my kidney's were shutting down . Very soon after that lots of doctors were in and out of my room asking me the same questions over and over , I had no idea what was coming ...days later both my lungs collapsed and I was put into ICU and fighting for my life . Two months later I woke to find out I'd been in a induced coma and wasn't expected to live. My family had began to do the unthinkable and plan my funereal but luckily I had AMAZING doctors at Emory in Atlanta who believed in me said I was a fighter , they had put me on ECMO , 17 days later , it worked ..I lived . I'm so happy for that , but now it's been a little over a year and this is the HARDEST thing I've ever had to deal with in my life. I've been on prednisone this whole time , though I am being tapered off , I'm struggling . I've had Cytoxin 6 times and plasmerpharisis , blood tranfusions and still on O2 as needed which lately seems more than usual. I'm in severe pain due to the long term pred. , I have gained 30 pounds and hate how I look , I walk around like a old lady and may need hip replacement surgery in the future. I just want to know it's going to get better ..I used to play soccer and love to dance and flirt and now I'm a hermit stuck in my house feeling left out of life ... Please tell me that this too shall pass ... thanks Carmen
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