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Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Question of the Week:
Confounded by Complications?

One thing I have learned over the past seven years living with fibromyalgia and other assorted chronic and disabling illnesses: nothing ever goes as planned.

Take my recent carpal tunnel surgery. 

I did OK until a few days before my stitches were to come out.  Then I got a skin infection.  So I called the surgeon's office and proceeded as instructed to the Emergency Room, where I got the stitches taken out and received a prescription for 10 days of antibiotics. 

Not a huge big deal, not so out of the ordinary and not totally unexpected, as least as far as I was concerned.

Except 5 days after I finished the antibiotics (last Thursday) I was really not feeling good.  That day my blood sugar was bouncing between 112 and 307--really, really not good.  Then I started feeling really nauseous and really dizzy.  When I couldn't get to sleep because the room was spinning when I laid down and closed my eyes, I knew it was time to return to the Emergency Room, again.

Sigh.

I felt so poorly that I needed Robert to drive.  And the ride there for me was like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.  I don't get car sick, but I was so dizzy and nauseated from the motion that I thought I was either going to pass out or vomit all over the front passenger's seat.

What got me through it was repeating over and over to myself, 'I'll be O.K., I'll be O.K.'

At 6:30 in the morning there was no wait.  I got put into a room right away.  Then the tests started.  My blood sugar was 266 when I got there.  Then they started a cardiac workup because my pulse was 120 and my blood pressure something like 145/85.  Apparently informing them I had dysautonomia didn't turn any light bulbs on. 

When they finally got to the blood work and urinalysis, I figured they had a better chance of figuring out what was wrong with me.

Turns out, I had a urinary tract infection, only I didn't have any of the usual symptoms. Although after that one dose of IV antibiotics, I developed the symptoms and my nausea and dizziness disappeared.  Strange, huh?

So heading to the ER proved to be a good idea.  But on my way out, they gave me a prescription for the same antibiotic I had been on 5 days before.  I didn't agree with that decision, and when I tried to voice my concerns I was told by the nurse, "The doctor knows you took this a week ago.  It is not a problem for you to take it again."

Well, I wasn't satisfied with that answer, especially since I suspected I developed this infection while on the previous 10 days of antibiotics.  So I emailed my primary care doctor when I got out of there.  Sure enough, she agreed with me and called in a prescription for a different antibiotic. Which meant another trip to the pharmacy--two in one day.

Now sure, I am going to be fine.  But what a hassle, right?  Seeing the writing on the wall, I pushed back the carpal tunnel surgery for my left hand another week, just to give my body some more time to heal from all these infections.  After all, there is no sense in tempting fate anymore than I already have.

Please tell me I am not the only one that this happens to... 

Share your "confounded by complications" story here or over at the Oh My Aches and Pains! Facebook page.


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2 comments

deb aka murphthesurf said...

Anytime I take antibiotics I also take acidophilus for my body. Antibiotics deplete our bodies of alot of things and often we wind up with either a urinary track infection or one that is even worse and resides in the intestines. My Mom seemed to always be on antibiotics as she would get phnuemonias alot. The acidophilus stopped her reoccurring urinary and her horrific intestinal infection. It was the only thing that helped. Talk with your doc and pharmacist but I have never ever heard of a problem with taking this and I have only heard of relief. Hope it helps you as it has always helped me and my family.

Anonymous said...

Selena, Like the old saying goes, "It's always something!". So sorry you had to go through all this , but so glad you got yourself to the ER. Like Deb, I always take acidophilus with antibiotics. It does help me stay away from yeast infections. Feel better quick!
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