Friday, August 21, 2009

walking what?

So if you have been following our blog, you probably already knew that both danny and I have been struggling with a very irritating and consistent cough. Well about a week ago, my back and ribs starting hurting whenever I coughed, which was like every 5 minutes. Now i knew this was pretty normal considering how much I had been coughing so i didnt think much of it and continued taking over the counter meds, vitamins, drinking green tea and trying to get as much sleep as possible. However, a few days ago the pain in my back and ribs starting growing worse..and the pain was if a hammer was hitting me every time i took a breath. no exaggeration here. I started finding my self having a hard time breathing...yet still continuing to cough. Alison, my cubicle neighbor at work, started catching on to my cough and my pill popping ways through out the day. Not knowing if my cough was contagious or not, I was trying really hard to keep my "illness" somewhat of a secret, considering i dont have sick time to take at work until I've been there for 6 months (which is in september =). Anyway, I ended up letting Alison know my symptoms, only because I felt as though it was fair for her to know since she's my "neighbor" and all, poor thing has had to put up with my under cover very annoying cough and possibly taking the risk of getting the same thing, whatever the "thing" was.

So after telling Alison, my symptoms she quickly responded with, "you may have walking pneumonia, you need to go to doctor." Being only 25, having no children, definitely not being a biology major, and certainly not the one to make doctor visitation very often. I had no idea what "walking pneumonia" was.

Side note: I'm the youngest in my office, by about 5 years or more and I work with majority of women who are married with children of their own, some even with adult children that are near my age. This meaning...I work with a lot of "moms."

The news starting traveling rather quickly in my office, (again i work with all women) and i started getting very strong advice to go to the doctor. So i did, sort of.

Like most young adults, we dont have a "family" doctor quiet yet, so off to Walgreen's Minute Clinic I went. After waiting almost an hour to see the what I though was a doctor but quickly learned was a Nurse Practitioner, informed me that from the sound of my symptoms I would need a chest x-ray and could possibly have walking pneumonia. Again, this strange diagnosis of "walking pneumonia" why haven't I ever heard of it?! So the minute clinic sent me to CareNow, which was over a 2 and half hour wait to see an actual doctor.

Without telling this CareNow doctor what the minute clinic had said, i once again listed him my symptoms and he quickly responded with "could possibly be walking pneumonia, we need to do a chest x-ray." At this point no one had actually explained to me what walking pneumonia was, so i started getting little nervous and wondering if I was going to have to go to the hospital or if i was on my way to see Jesus.

Another side note: I happen to be one of those people that always thinks they are dying. I usually will not express this anxiety to anyone unless I know you wont make fun of me. But for some odd reason, I always think there is something deathly wrong with me, Like sometimes i feel a strange "bubble" on my neck or have an odd pain in my stomach or the arch of my foot will have a needle sharp pain in it...and I immediately will google my symptoms or ask danny if he thinks there is something seriously wrong with me. Now, dont jump to conclusions here, I dont worry about dying and I'm not scared to die, I know that my life is in the Lord's hands and I live my life according to his will in knowing that everything including my death is designed for his purpose in order to further his kingdom. but..i cant help but think eveytime I have a very small pain, i hear my self going "welp im going to see my jesus, later everybody"

Anyway, back to CareNow Doctor, after the x-ray was competed. The doctor told me my lungs and ribs didn't look as bad as he first thought, but my ribs were inflamed (whatever that means). So he didn't formally diagnose this walking pneumonia thing, but he pretty much said my sinus infection, turned into a cold, which then turned into an upper respiratory infection which then has started looking like pneumonia or bronchitis. And he loaded me up on some antibiotics (half of which im choosing not to take) and sent me home.

Last side note: Before going to the doctor, i googled my symptoms and told danny I thought I had bronchitis. (who needs a doctor when you have google.)

The very next day after taking all these meds, I felt worse than I had the past 4 weeks. My body has never done good when it comes to taking any kind of medication. Basically whatever the side effects are...i will feel it. I pretty much stayed home all day thursday and half the day today (friday). I have started feeling better, but am lacking in energy. Danny has been so sweet to me, and has even cooked dinner a couple of nights this week.

Well that was my experience in going to see the doctor, I guess I should let you know about dannys.

Danny, walked into a PrimaCare, waited 5 minutes, saw a doctor, and 5 minutes later walked out with a prescription for a Z- pack. Just think how short this blog entry would of been if I just talked about his experience. hehe.

Well, its getting time to take my nightly meds!

night,
amber

1 comment:

  1. wow, amber! i'm so sorry all that happened to you! hopefully you'll feel better soon. this might be a little tmi, but just in case you're on the pill, you should know that antibiotics cancel it out. i didn't know this until my mom had told me, and none of my doctors told me when i had strep and they gave me antibiotics.

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