Hey everyone! So, this has been an interesting couple of weeks. Let me update you. This is going to be a long post, but I just want to have everything I've gone through written down so I can look back on it and maybe see something new one day.
This is one of the first days I was sick. Definitely not typical me. No makeup, hair not done, no smile..just laying on the couch really sick...
The day before Brandon came home from his mission, I got a sore throat. I didn't think much of it because I get sore throats a lot from allergies, and nasal drainage from sinus infections, etc. So, I just bucked up and dealt with it. TJ was here, Brandon was home and we had a bunch of people coming to visit the next weekend. It was not the most opportune time to get sick. As the week progressed, I realized that it wasn't going away, and was in fact getting worse. Now, not only did I have a sore throat, but I had puss pockets on my right tonsil, and a lump forming behind my left tonsil. Both of my tonsils were swollen, and the pain was intensifying. The day before Brandon's homecoming, I went to the clinic and saw a traveling doctor. He told me he thought it was a virus, did 2 strep tests (both came back negative) and told me to go home and get rest and fluids but there was nothing he could do for me. I figured that it was just a worse sore throat than I thought but it would probably go away soon since it had been 10 days at that point. I went to Brandon's homecoming talk at church the next day, but was seriously feeling it get worse and I had started to cough as well. After everyone left, my voice was gone and I just went and got in the tub and cried. I was so miserable. Monday was a holiday, so on Tuesday I went to go see my regular doctor Kristen. She saw me and said it was not viral, but rather a bacterial infection. I'd had a fever and a bad headache the night before. She prescribed me some antibiotics and told me to get plenty of rest and fluids. I went home, drank some water, and went back to sleep. At this point I was sleeping almost all day long and was still not improving. On Thursday morning I woke up and my uvula (the thing that dangles down in the back of your throat) was so swollen it was hitting my tongue and making me gag. I called Kristen and she had me come to the clinic immediately. At that point I was pale and really sick, definitely not improving. She did another exam and concluded that I probably had mono because of all my symptoms. She told me the best thing to do would be go to the hospital and be admitted and get some fluids. I of course didn't want to do that, so I just went home and went to bed. At this point it had been 15 days that I had been sick. I came home, and was trying to get a bunch of fluids in me, but I couldn't drink much because my stomach was really hurting and upset. I went to bed and tried to forget about everything. The next morning I woke up with this rash on my elbow:
I called Kristen and text a picture to the hospital. She had me go in immediately and do the normal blood tests. (Chem Pan, CBC, etc.). After I was done doing blood tests I went down to see her so she could look at the rash. When she came in to see me, she noticed I was incredibly pale and not myself. I was even crying. I asked if I could just lay down with some warm blankets on the bed. She examined the rash and told me she wanted to admit me to the hospital and get some fluids in me because of my color. She also wanted to do a CT because of the pain I was having in my stomach. Still thinking it was mono, she thought maybe my spleen was swollen. I went to sit up and almost passed out. I was really dizzy and having a rough time sitting, and standing was not an easy task. I kept feeling like my legs were going to go out from underneath me and I was going to pass out. She sent me back to the hospital to do more blood tests (Epstein Barr) and get some fluids. By the time I was done checking in to the hospital I honestly couldn't walk. They had to put me in a wheelchair to get me to my hospital room. I got checked in, and at that point my face was the same color as the white sheet they had put on me because I was freezing. There was also no color in my lips. They took my blood pressure laying down, sitting, and standing up. It was horrible. I had to stand up for 2 minutes before they could do my blood pressure, and the whole time it felt like I was going to go down for sure. Susan (my nurse) had to hold me up and I supported myself with the side table as well. It was all I could do to stand there. My pulse went from 133/79 laying and sitting to 166/98 or something while I was standing. They put an IV in my arm and let it run fully open. It took 2 bags of fluids before I even felt like I kind of had to pee. At that point I had to do the pee test for any bacterial infections. Everything kept coming back normal. Now it was time for me to drink the horrid dye you have to drink for a CT scan. I drank that, and was super sick the whole time. While I was drinking that, they were running a 3rd bag of fluids into my IV. I finished the CT drink and waited the hour and went into CT. They had to do the 2 dye shots (they were horrible. I'm not even going to get in to how much I absolutely HATED the way they made me feel). After the CT, I went back to my hospital room, and they put another bag of IV fluid up. By this point, I had a little bit of pink in my lips and was finally able to sit up without feeling like I was going to pass out. The CT results came back normal. They are completely clueless as to what is going on with my body. They decided to do one more blood draw for West Nile Virus (results are about a week away) and then decided to let me go home for the night, but had me go back in first thing this morning for a re-check of vital signs. This morning my pulse was very rapid, and I still feel like I'm going to pass out when I stand up/sit up for too long, but I am feeling a little better from yesterday. The doctor today (the 4th one I've seen thus far) also thinks I may have pertussis (also known as whooping cough). It's really frustrating that I feel the way I feel but there is no explanation. I'm not frustrated with the doctors, just the situation. Anyways, that's where I'm at right now. Since it's 1:03 I can officially say it's been 18 days that I have been sick. I really hope they figure out what it is so we can get it treated soon. Thank you to everyone at the hospital who has been nothing but GREAT with me. I have to go back in and get more fluids tomorrow if I still am having problems standing/sitting for long amounts of time.
Once again, I'm not posting this for sympathy or to whine, but more to have it documented. So thanks for putting up with it! Ha
Now, on to much better news. Today is TJ and I's 6 month anniversary. I just have to say that I have never met anyone who is more understanding, kind, patient, loving, and respectful. He has been so absolutely wonderful. I can't imagine my life without him in it now. We had planned on spending the day together, but because of all of my medical problems, we are not able to be together today. Being sick and not near him, I decided to make a little video and send to him so he knew how much I love and appreciate him, and let him know that I am thinking of him regardless. Here's that video. Happy Anniversary to the most amazing man. I love you babe and I can't wait to spend forever with you.
