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Posted 9/8/2009 11:25 AM (GMT 0)
Welp, I have done it once again! Procrastinating calling my doctors has led a trip into the ER. I wonder If I will ever learn.

I went in at 5:10 pm was put back in the ER at 6. That is when the tests started. Did complete set of blood work and urinalysis. Most my blood work came back as low or elevated. The ones causing most worry was my C3-C4(very low) and a very high D-Dimer (DDT). So that is when the tests began, I was given a EKG which was followed by chest xray. then The nurse came in and hooked me up to a IV of Solu-Medrol (prednisone) :(. After that was finished I was taken to CT to get a dye injected into my veins to look for blood clots in my chest. Well in answering my questions that the nurse was asking me, the radialogist decided it was too risky to do the dye injection do to my kidneys being so poor. So then they took me and got a Ultra sound of my legs and then a Nuclear Xray of my lungs. This was actually really cool. I had to breath in some type of gas and that made my veins on the screen turn neon green. Then they injected some type of liquid in my IV and just kept taking pictures of me breathing with my veins lighting up different colors. When I got back they hooked my up to an IV or Sulfamehtoxaxole and Trimethoprim followed by another dose of Solu-Medrol and then some fluids!

The radiologist looked over ultrasounds and xrays and said it did not appear I had any clots but the specialist will look over everything to make sure they didnt miss anything! Why does Lupus cause false positive tests? The dr said it is very common in flares for some tests to be elevated that shouldnt be like the D-Dimer test? Just trying to understand this disease a little better!

So around 1ish I was finally sent home and told to rest. How the heck and I supposed to rest with all this prednisone going through me. I feel so much better, as most of you know what pred is like :)! My directions are to contact my Rhuemy and have a full exam today and my nephrologist wants to have my Cytoxan moved up ASAP! So that is about it with me. I haven't looked at the scripts they wrote me to get filled yet but some type of antibiotic.

So I was just curious, Am I the only one who waits to call the Dr to make sure somthing is really wrong? I got a really and I mean really good lecture on never doing that again from my ER doctor. He said with Lupus things can turn around and become very serious in a very little time. Any time something feels off, I need to not keep thinking it will get better on its own that I need to take some action on it.

Well thanks for reading all of this and would appreciate some prayers!

 

Posted 9/8/2009 2:36 PM (GMT 0)

Oh my, Amy - sounds like quite an ordeal.  Which is why nobody really wants to go to the ER, I guess.  I don't think you are alone in putting off that little trip.  Not that it's a good move, but it is a big decision and a tough call.   At least it sounds like the ER doc was very thorough with you.....and no charge for the lecture??? nono    tongue  

At any rate, I sure will keep you in my prayers and hope that things turn around quickly.  Take care and rest!

Lucy

Posted 9/8/2009 2:39 PM (GMT 0)
(((HUGS)))

Amy, I am so sorry that you are going through all this. Sending good thoughts your way.

As far as your ?, I am guessing that you hope that if you don't acknowledge that something is wrong, then it won't be so bad? Does that make sense?

Feel better! Rest!!
Posted 9/8/2009 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
Amy I'm so sorry u had to have all that done at the ER. I don't know if u told us what ur symptoms were, but u sure had a heck of alot done. I haven't had IV solumedrol in years, but I still remember staying up for 24 hours in the hospital. I usually think I go to my docs too often cause I get so many ultrasounds, xrays, MRIs, etc that are always normal. Not to mention my scheduled physical exams. I feel like a hypochondriac pest. But at least I don't go to the ER. Anyway, I guess that's my advice. Pester your docs and stay away from the ER. I sure feel for you Sweetie. I'm sending lots of positive energy and prayers. Love, Butterflake
Posted 9/9/2009 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks gals for the responses! Means a lot. Some of my other blood work came back and now there might be more going on than we thought. My rhuemy just had me go back to the lab and get more blood work done! They have upped my prednisone to 60 mg daily to get the inflammation out of my kidneys, lungs, heart, and joints.

My original symptoms that got me to the ER was a fever and urine the color of extremly dark tea....it was really gross and kept getting darker. and some chest pain. I had the fever since Wed  and figured it was time to do something about both issues...They said at the ER it was a good thing I didnt wait any longer, that I needed to be seen ASAP. Oh well...I tried to go into work today and was sent home and got a good lecture for even comming in this morning. That I should be home resting that my health is so much more important than the work. So now I am at home resting!

I sure hope everyone else is doing better!

Posted 9/9/2009 6:41 PM (GMT 0)

Hon,

Don't be too hard on yourself, I am an old nurse and I do it, too. And been sicker, longer, for it. I promised myself, next time will, has to be, different. I just can't get past the humiliation, I know, bad word but I think you'all will understand, of having been so sick for so long and being told "why, you must just be depressed,  oh, now it's just got ta be menopause, because, why..... other that those funny little unusual antibodies that just come n go..... all your labs and tests are "normal" I am just feeling extra bitter, and sad, because I just missed my first week of school, with possibly the H1N1 flu, but since I had a fever two nights in a row, I didn't dare try and go to class even if I could have. Been in bed for 4 days and my sore throat is really bad. I had recently traveled to Tx&La and spent alot of time in airports, and been visiting near communities that were having outbreaks. And we know with flares, if we wait long enough, the symptoms do get better. So I am a "waiter" too. 

Hope you feel better soon! and don't do too much cause your IV steroid pumps you up with energy! It's just a mean trick, a tease of feeling almost well, remember that? that we will most certainly pay for.

hugs,

suetoo 

Posted 9/9/2009 11:24 PM (GMT 0)
I'm sorry you ended up in the ER. I"m another one who puts off going to the doc. I'm not sure why so many of us do this. I know some of mine probably goes back to when I was in diagnosis limbo and several docs brushed me off or said I was just depressed, etc. But I have a great doc now who would never make me feel bad about coming in.

I hope you are getting some rest and feeling better. Take care of yourself.
Posted 9/11/2009 1:10 PM (GMT 0)

Misery update: idea I think I needed to go to the dr. I put it off as long as I could. I wasn't getting better on my own. I dragged myself into the shower. Crawled to the car. And...diagnosis............strep throat and fungal infection.  Thank God we had money to scrounge up for medicine. Still really sick but relieved my rapid influenza test was negative. So I will feel better about going back to school on Monday.

hugs,

suetoo

ps. on a happy note... tongue I get to be in bed with a lovey of a cat and a little guard dog schnoodle who fetches my remote and book when I drop them. Bummer about used tissues.. when I send him to pick up those, he tries to eat them before he is  told to put them in the trashcan. Which he will, but under protest! Kids!

Posted 9/11/2009 2:34 PM (GMT 0)
Aimsgirl,

I think it's pretty common for people with chronic medical problems to wait to get medical treatment. We don't want to come across as the boy who cried wolf. I'm glad you finally did go in and I hope they get to the bottom of your problems and help you start to feel better.

Pat
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