For some of you more easily-embarrassed men, you may not want to read this.
As many of you know, I had a baby 3 1/2 months ago. It's been wonderful. The nausea finally stopped after 9 months of constant vomiting, my CD was in remission, and life was pretty good. My husband graduated, we moved to a new state (where we didn't know anyone) for him to take a good job, we bought a house, and then had our baby. She is an angel. She started sleeping through the night at two months (once she recovered from two surgeries she had on her mouth that freed her tongue but made her decide she didn't want to nurse, so I pump and she bottle feeds.)
But this last month has just been rough. I thought I might have thrush (a yeast infection that starts in the breast that comes from the baby's mouth), but I hadn't nursed in so long, I didn't have a car, and funds are tight from new house and baby, that I thought I could just ignore a little itchiness and tenderness after pumping.
I finally found a good PCP. When I went in for the first appt, I didn't even think of mentioning thrush. Since I had ear and sinus pain, he wanted to do antibiotics but I had c. diff. three times last year. Instead he gave me a week of prednisolone (a quick taper) to try to lower inflammation to let everything drain.
It worked. But what I didn't know is that prednisone makes yeast grow very, very, VERY quickly. Within a week I was calling him, begging for a day or two of diflucan. He insisted I come in. When he checked me, my nipples were completed coated in white, my armpits ached, and he could even see patches of it in my throat and mouth!
He put me on TWO weeks diflucan. After a week, I felt worse, so he admitted me to the hospital where I spent the last 5 days getting IV anti-fungals. My poor 3 month old didn't understand and was crying what my husband called her "mommy cry" every night and was looking around for me. When he'd bring her to me at the hospital, she would just get so happy and make the same sounds she would cry at night, only softer and with a smile. It absolutely broke my heart.
Sunday was supposed to be her baby blessing at our church. My family and some of my husband's came into town for it, and with my baby crying for me so much, I insisted they release me Sunday morning. I am supposed to go back each day this week for antifungal IVs.
I feel awful, though. I was technically due for a Remi infusion today but I can only do Saturdays so my husband can drive to/from and be with the baby all day, and they didn't get my orders to the right place until this morning. In the meantime, in addition to the yeast pain and misery, I have a cold (that my daughter has now, too), extreme dizziness, a bloody nose, and then this morning I had bloody D. I can't even take pred for a few days because of the yeast! This really, really sucks. I feel miserable. I want to go back into the hospital and would, if it weren't for the fact that it's making my baby so sad. I have a PCP appt tomorrow so I'll discuss it then. But in the meantime, for the first time ever since I got this DD (including last year's 14 hospitalizations, 3 surgeries, several bouts of pancreatitis, 3 weeks of an NG feeding tube, and 3 rounds of c. diff.), I want to say THIS IS NOT FAIR!!!!!