Yesterday was a fun day... not!
Aug. 15th, 2005 06:51 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sgornyGot up, took my meds (high blood pressure & thyroid), and went to the mall with the SO so he could get a haircut. Ended up shopping for about an hour, getting 5 very pretty scarves (to cover the scar until it disappears more), 2 cute pins to hold them in place, and 5 shirts.
Went home to drop them off and pick up the Corvette, as it was a beautiful day and we decided to go out to lunch at a pub on the waterfront.
As we were driving there, I noticed that my nose was a bit stuffy feeling, so I decided to breathe through my mouth. It wasn't really any easier. I thought maybe my calcium levels were low (I'd only taken calcium once the day before), so I made the SO pull over at a minimart & get a roll of Tums. Ate 3 of them, and drove on to the restaurant. Breathing only got harder to do.
The SO pointed out that I'd just drunk a bunch of coffee after not having any, really, for almost 2 weeks. I had a cup at the salon, and then most of a iced quad venti latte from Starbucks. So that's like... 4+ coffees. He wonders if I'm having a panic attack (which I haven't had for a while). But my heart rate isn't up, so I don't think it's that.
I agree that it could be just the caffeine, and I'll just have to ride it out. I hadn't eaten anything (it was about 1:30 pm), so we went on to the restaurant. I ordered a sandwich and ate it, and while the tightness in my throat went slightly up & down, it never went away significantly.
After about 2 hours, I became worried. Food went down fine, water lickety-split. But my breathing was very forced. The only thing I'd done out of character for me was sniff some colognes at the mall, so I was a little worried about an allergic attack, even though I'd never had one before. Then my hand started to go a little "funny feeling" - kind of decreased sensation/numb - and I asked the SO to take me to the ER. I figured, if it was anxiety, I should feel better just by being there, and then we could go home.
Of course, when you walk into Triage with a breathy voice (from the surgery), breathing with a little difficulty, 12 days out from surgery - they aren't going to just let you sit there. They got me right in. And I really didn't feel any better at all, so they drew some blood to check calcium levels, started an IV, checked my pulse-ox (which was 100%), and got the doctor.
He thought that it was probably anxiety related (even without a high heart rate), or that it could be due to a spasm of the vocal cords post-surgery, since mine are still affected (breathy voice). So he gave me an Albuteral breathing treatment, and some Ativan/lorazepam. I felt significantly better (still not 100%, probably about 90%) after that. So he let me go home.
He also said that my body is still trying to get used to the artificial thyroid medication, that things like this can be expected, and to try to cut the caffeine back until my body comes to equilibrium.
I'm a great one for aversion therapy - I don't even want to go there again! Who knows how long until I drink coffee, and probably will get only 2 shots instead of 4, and make it half-decaf or something. But I loved my coffee...
He said if I felt like that again, to take the Ativan I have at home, and if that doesn't make things better, than come back to the ER. Here's hoping I don't ever have to see them again (except maybe with them as my patient!
Went home to drop them off and pick up the Corvette, as it was a beautiful day and we decided to go out to lunch at a pub on the waterfront.
As we were driving there, I noticed that my nose was a bit stuffy feeling, so I decided to breathe through my mouth. It wasn't really any easier. I thought maybe my calcium levels were low (I'd only taken calcium once the day before), so I made the SO pull over at a minimart & get a roll of Tums. Ate 3 of them, and drove on to the restaurant. Breathing only got harder to do.
The SO pointed out that I'd just drunk a bunch of coffee after not having any, really, for almost 2 weeks. I had a cup at the salon, and then most of a iced quad venti latte from Starbucks. So that's like... 4+ coffees. He wonders if I'm having a panic attack (which I haven't had for a while). But my heart rate isn't up, so I don't think it's that.
I agree that it could be just the caffeine, and I'll just have to ride it out. I hadn't eaten anything (it was about 1:30 pm), so we went on to the restaurant. I ordered a sandwich and ate it, and while the tightness in my throat went slightly up & down, it never went away significantly.
After about 2 hours, I became worried. Food went down fine, water lickety-split. But my breathing was very forced. The only thing I'd done out of character for me was sniff some colognes at the mall, so I was a little worried about an allergic attack, even though I'd never had one before. Then my hand started to go a little "funny feeling" - kind of decreased sensation/numb - and I asked the SO to take me to the ER. I figured, if it was anxiety, I should feel better just by being there, and then we could go home.
Of course, when you walk into Triage with a breathy voice (from the surgery), breathing with a little difficulty, 12 days out from surgery - they aren't going to just let you sit there. They got me right in. And I really didn't feel any better at all, so they drew some blood to check calcium levels, started an IV, checked my pulse-ox (which was 100%), and got the doctor.
He thought that it was probably anxiety related (even without a high heart rate), or that it could be due to a spasm of the vocal cords post-surgery, since mine are still affected (breathy voice). So he gave me an Albuteral breathing treatment, and some Ativan/lorazepam. I felt significantly better (still not 100%, probably about 90%) after that. So he let me go home.
He also said that my body is still trying to get used to the artificial thyroid medication, that things like this can be expected, and to try to cut the caffeine back until my body comes to equilibrium.
I'm a great one for aversion therapy - I don't even want to go there again! Who knows how long until I drink coffee, and probably will get only 2 shots instead of 4, and make it half-decaf or something. But I loved my coffee...
He said if I felt like that again, to take the Ativan I have at home, and if that doesn't make things better, than come back to the ER. Here's hoping I don't ever have to see them again (except maybe with them as my patient!
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Date: 2005-08-15 02:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-15 02:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-17 04:05 am (UTC)I hope to have a chance to crack it tonight, maybe read a few pages before going to bed.
Life hard...
no subject
Date: 2005-08-15 04:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-15 05:32 pm (UTC)Sad thing is, in our ER, you would've come in blue and still sat there for an hour and a half.
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Date: 2005-08-15 05:34 pm (UTC)At least you know what to do if it happens again, though.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-15 07:43 pm (UTC)Hopefully you're right and you won't have to see those people or step foot in the hospital for a very long time.