Grrr! Sick again

Just a warning...I think I'm just whining, but any bright ideas will be appreciated:) So, I went to Chicago for the week-end to visit my 86 year old dad. It is about a 6 hour drive for me. I've been having increasing IBS pain and symptoms lately, but it wasn't enough to stop me from visiting. Unfortunately, while I was there, my heart started racing between 100-120 bpm. For me, that is usually my sign that I'm becoming anemic. But then by Sunday, I developed a cough and a fever of 102 F. My brother was there...he is an ER doc, but also kind of a sarcastic know it all type. It felt like the flu because it was sudden onset and I wanted to go over to urgent care, but his idea that it was either flu or pneumonia (due to the coughing) and he talked me into skipping urgent care and just taking Cipro. (Which in the past has been my only Crohn's friendly antibiotic)

So, I had my son drive me home that night (wanted to get away from my Dad ASAP before I got him sick) I called my internist on Monday am, and he refused to give me an appointment until Friday!! (tomorrow) Meanwhile, I started to develop bad D, I think from the Cipro and right pain where my ileum is but also in my right lower back. I asked at least for a CBC as I was still worried about anemia. It was taking forever to get the results, so I picked it up from medical records myself. My internist's receptionist called and said the results were "normal," but actually, it looks like I'm mildly anemic. My HGB is 11.4 (it was over 13 last time I had it checked) and my MCV was 77 and MCHC was 31.7, which is all lower than the normal range according to the lab reference range.I'm in menopause, so there isn't a good explanation for the drop other than Crohn's. And my monocytes were elevated (1.0) So I called my GI, who ordered stool studies. I want to get off the Cipro, because I really think it is making my D worse, but the GI wants to wait for the stool tests.

I am aggravated with the internist for obvious reasons, and I'm aggravated that I listened to my brother....I probably had flu and never needed antibiotics in the first place, and I'm worried that I'm going to end out with C.Diff again if I stay on this Cipro that , I'm pretty sure is causing the D. I have an appointment with the internist for tomorrow. My fever is gone but I'm still coughing, so I guess I should go in, but I'm not sure he can really help. I really screwed myself up this time...I never got around to getting a flu shot (dumb) and I never should have agreed to antibiotics without confirmation of a bacterial infection. Now I feel stuck!!!!! And Sick!!!!

Yep! My only excuse is that I was so sick...my fever was way too high and I was too dizzy to try to drive myself, and neither my brother or adult son seemed too inclined to stop watching golf on TV and take me to urgent care....I should have insisted, or at least refused the antibiotics. Oh Well. Tomorrow will be 5 days, maybe I can stop them after that.

Thanks Jayne,
We were assuming that I had some sort of virus or bacterial infection on top of the Crohn's flare, but now I'm not so sure. If you read my Very Sad Dream thread you can be updated on what's happening. thanks for your support!