Hello to all my WP Dudes! I thought I’d try to briefly give you all an update on my latest Health Saga. I was in hospital from Saturday morning until Monday afternoon.

It started with the foot. Around the beginning of May my left foot started swelling up, then started getting red, then kinda purple. It was a slow process and I didn’t have any wounds, so I just sort of monitored it for a couple weeks.

When I decided to have it looked at, my Primary was booked so I went to Urgent Care, who sent me on to hospital for more available testing. That was May 18th. I saw my Primary on May 25 and he advised I continue the antibiotics the hospital gave me, then if the infection wasn’t gone, to start a new antibiotic. He set an appointment for June 15, advising he would be out of town for a couple weeks.

The first antibiotics didn’t help. In fact, the infection was getting worse. Or, at least the swelling and colors were moving up the leg from the foot. I completed the first course, waited 18 hours and started the second course.

One week into a fifteen day course, I was not only not getting better, I was developing new, concerning symptoms. I felt very weak, and just walking from my bed to the baño left me light-headed and dizzy. I felt like I couldn’t catch my breath.

Since this is MY life, and Casa Cuckoo, things were busy and chaotic. Daughter worked five out of six nights at the hospital (yes, same one) and I took care of Ben as best I could, while also driving her to, and from work. Unfortunately, we needed her to work since she’d used all her available paid time off when she had Bronchitis in May.

We knew I needed to go back to hospital, but since she doesn’t drive, and we had Ben used to Gramma handling most everything for him, we waited a couple days for Younger to be able to drive me, and Ben to get used to his mother doing the daily stuff. Also, I had my monthly Pain Pump Fill scheduled for Thursday, and that needed to be done. I can’t let the pump run dry, and i need the meds. Plus, I really, really didn’t want to go to Hospital, knowing I’d be admitted for a few days at least.

Saturday morning Younger picked me up and deposited me at Emergency. She couldn’t stay (COVID rules) so she hugged me and left for work. I was encouraged to see the waiting room was completely empty.

I was checked in and passed along as usual, and things were going okay. Or as okay as they can go when you’re in a hospital bed in the Emergency Department. It was a bit of craziness for several hours with tests and consults and trying to keep both daughters informed.

Finally, at one point the doctor (or one of the doctors) told me that my hemoglobin level was very low and that he was ordering a unit of whole blood, possibly two. WHA DA ?!?!

Low hemoglobin would definitely explain the weakness and feeling like I wasn’t getting enough air. I wasn’t. But my tests had been fine less than three weeks earlier and there was no major blood loss or change in diet or medications that would explain the sudden drastic drop. So it became a “let’s test everything to see if we can figure it out” thing. SWELL!

I did end up receiving a second unit of whole blood, but I swear it’s because they took that much for their lab tests. I also had another CT scan of my chest, a scan with ultrasound (?) of my heart, and Joy of Joys… a colonoscopy. But not just a colonoscopy… no, no, no… an endoscopy also. Two cameras, one from each end. Thankfully that was under sedation!

After ALL the scans, tests and labs were completed the results were in. Everything was fine… working like it should. No bleeds, no areas of concern, no freaking reason to explain the hemoglobin drop. UGH!

Finally on Monday morning, they decided that I should STOP taking the Methotrexate for the plaque psoriasis and start taking Folic Acid. Plus, for the infection… remember the foot that started all this?… I was to take Amoxicillin at a step-down dose over the next month or so.

I was discharged Monday (yesterday) afternoon, and the denizens of Casa Cuckoo were very happy to have me back. There was chaos… Dogzilla, my Big Dumb Velcro Dawg was beside himself. The daughters tried to play nice, but emotions were high cuz they love their Mama, and Ben was processing.

The first night back home was kinda rough cuz Daughter and Ben butted heads over the bedtime routine, then Ben got up, got dressed and started his Day at 1:30am! I stayed in bed, but I heard him and Daughter moving around.

Ben is at school, Daughter is napping, and I’m being a good patient and resting. As I wrote, I see my Primary on the 15th so I’m set there. And I guess we find out how to proceed from him. I’m not gonna miss the the way the Methotrexate kicked my ass for twenty-four hours once a week, but I’m concerned about the plaques coming back. That was a misery I was glad to be rid of! It was worth one day each week of feeling crappy! I’m sure there are other treatments. I guess I’ll see if my Primary wants to handle it, or refer me to a Rheumatologist.

The thing that makes me laugh is, with ALL the tests and scans they did… my Primary is still probably going to give me a hard time about not getting my mammogram yet! I think I deserve a pass. The prep for a colonoscopy is NOT fun, let’s just leave it at that.

And… I still need to get my car fixed from the accident last month. I guess it will be no blinkers and LOTS of duct tape for a little while longer.

Thanks for stopping by. I am feeling better and on the road to complete recovery (knock on wood), but I’m still a little brain fried, and way behind on my email and WP stuff. I’ll get caught up eventually, right?!

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HUGS!!

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