Hello
So, I started to get ill the sunday before Thanksgiving. My home health care nurse heard fluid in my lungs (98% of the time sound clear), but it was a rush week at work and with family and stuff, I didn't pay as much attention as I should have. My bad.
That Monday I went to see my PCP (who I absolutely adore) and had a chest x-ray. I had pneumonia that was large enough to see on the x-ray, so I started oral levequin and Prednisone. All good and dandy. Cept for the diabeties and prednisone, but whatever.
Then Thursday (Dec 1) it felt like a 3 ton elephant was sitting on my chest and my heart just wasn't beating right. So to the ER we went. They did a CAT scan, EKG (as my heart rate was above 180 when I slept and above 200 when I was awake and just lying there. They ran full metrobolic panel, but everything came back fine. So, they sent me home....
(To which later I did receive an admittance acceptance letter from my health insurance, so I think the ER doc wanted to admit me, but after talking to my CF doc, they decided not to)
That Tuesday, the fever started. Thursday I went to see the CF people. After a two second walk in and walk out, they decided to put me on doxycyline (incase I caught something in the ER) and increased the prednison, and sent me home.
Three weeks of a high fever (101 to 103), not breathing, doing the lovely cough every organ in your body up and then the ones that grew back, no sleeping, as my mom likes to say coughing so hard that the house shook, and just plain being miserable, I was getting no where with my CF doctor's. I have now missed most of this three weeks of work. Work not happy, but they are sending me home most of the time, so they can't complain.
I am e-mailing and calling and begging and pleading my CF docs to do something. My blood sugars are above 500 and I am just sooooo sick. Nothing from them.
SO, I broke the unwritten rule. First, my diabetic doctor had ordered some blood work, so I added a few things. CBC, BMP, IGE, full metrobolic panel...........
I have never received a call back so fast in my life. My white blood count was now 31.4. My postassium, non-existant. My sodium through the roof. .Getting the picture????
So I called and e-mailed my CF doctor's. Still nothing. So, I went back to my PCP. WHo I absolutely adore. Who is one of the quietest, gentle, caring, loving doctor in the world. Took one look at me, and said, I'll be right back. We heard him get on the phone. We heard him SCREAMING at my CF doctor that they had done nothing!!!! Go Dr. W! Go Dr. W!
So I was FINALLY after almost 5 weeks going to be admitted. Well, after the 29 people ahead of me waiting for beds.
Since I was waiting at home we decided to go to my diabetic doctor's appointment to try and get that under control. She looked at me, and said, "Have you seen your CF doctor's?"
My reply, "No, have you?"
Since I was being admitted after the appointment, she said she would meet me there and we were going to try a different kind of injection insulin. joy....
So, in I went. The infection had spread throughout my body and was not going without a fight. I am now an official type 1 diabetic. It is a lot harder than you think. FOr those that are type 2 and just starting the diabetic part of cf. Start learning to count carbs now.
And of course, my beloved PCP sent his collegue and very good friend to watch over me at Good Sam and make sure I was getting good care.
The doctor's and nurses were all wonderful, but the typical hospital stay was horrible, as usual. I had to actually wait 8 hours for toliet paper. 8 HOURS!!!!!!
But they finally got the infection under control and we are slowly repairing what we can of the damage to my kidney's, liver, lungs, and heart.
I still coming off the prednisone, so the diabeties is still looney toones, but it is slowly getting better. Except when I underestimate carbs or overestimate.....
My only words of advise are, don't wait 5 weeks. If the specialists are listening, go to someone who will or admit yourself. 3 weeks with a fever is a good sign something is wrong. Even if they won't believe you.