So, is it normal to go to the doctor's office this often? I had to go to see my doctor AGAIN....three times in one year is just unheard of for me. Am I falling apart at 34? Please don't say it's true!!
I've been having a really difficult time breathing since Sunday. Some days better than others, but mostly feeling like I had Ben sitting on my chest and not being able to inhale fully. After a few days of this, I became light-headed and a bit anxious...without any real reason. It's not because I'm out of shape (which, of course, I AM...even though I'm at the gym now 3 times a week...yea!)...since I've been waking up this way...wheezing and out of breath and I've got this "tingly, fiery, itchy" feeling in my chest and arms.
My grandma has asthma and so does my cousin, so I was thinking...do I have asthma? And freaking out...
I finally had so much trouble sleeping last night (each breath was so hard to take...even with yogic breaths and imagery, which I DID try) that I made an appointment to go and see my doctor this morning.
The first thing that the nurse did was to give me a weird breathing test by having me take a HUGE breath in and then breathing out as hard and long as I could. I had to do it 4 times because the levels were pretty low. My blood pressure was a bit high and my oxygen level a bit low.
While I was waiting, I was able to knit a bit on my KFI Felted Noro Bucket Bag with Charms (a store sample and fun to knit)...here it is looking all sad and limp:
The doctor came in (she just had twins and, boy, does she have a fantastic figure already!) and, after asking me some questions and doing some routine checks, had me sit in a room with a nebulizer (sp?)...some Frankenstein looking contraption that had liquid drugs in it (woo-hoo...) to help me breathe. The nurse came in and jokingly said it was like "smoking a peace pipe". Not that I'd know what THAT feels like but, hey, I can imagine, right?
I had to breathe into this gadget for a long time and, at first, it was soothing and relaxing. Then, I started coughing like there was no tomorrow and my chest hurt and my nose and eyes were watering. But, at least I could breathe better.
Come to find out, I've been having a severe allergic reaction to something since Sunday and...it quite possibly could be the Christmas Tree.
No kidding.
The sap sometimes causes allergic reactions in people...and, after talking to my mom, learned that she can't even touch the tree because she'll get hives and a rash and all that. And...Ian got our tree on Sunday. And I've been decorating it, pulling off stray branches and all that since then.
Is this the weirdest thing or WHAT???
So, now, I'm on four different medications: some smaller inhaler, 2 allergy meds, Zantac 75 and I have a prescription for Prednesone (my grandmother takes this for her asthma, but it's NOT a good drug to be taking if you don't need to), but I'm keeping that for an emergency.
If it's not an allergy to the tree, it's something I've touched or eaten and it's impossible to easily find out what it is. I have another appointment on Friday to make sure I'm breathing okay. Keep your fingers crossed for me, okay? There is NOTHING worse than feeling like you're drowning in muck with no air and it takes all your effort to suck in some oxygen. Ugh!
Hope you're all feeling well and have a great weekend! (I'll have more knitting updates and such next post!)
10 comments:
If she told you to take the prednesone, take it! It's only bad when taken for a long period of time. Samm has to take it usually once or twice a year because of an asthma attack (which is what it sounds like you had). It really will help you; it reduces the inflamation in your airway.
Hope you're feeling better real soon.
Wow! Scary stuff. Hope you feel better soon and maybe you should get a fake tree to save you from not being able to breath and all.
So sorry to hear about your allergic reaction! You were smart to go see the doctor quickly. Drugs make it all better. =-D (Ask me how I know...) In the mean time admire the beautiousness of that tree from FAR away. =-D
As weird as it sounds, I do hope it is the tree and not something else. The tree is a temporary thing and if it turns out to be some mysterious thing you touched or ate....well who knows how long it would take to figure out. Hope you are feeling better.
That's too bad, but at least you're not allergic to knitting! Hope you feel better soon.
Hi Gina! I agree with Julie, prednisone is bad when you take it over a long period of time, but a short course will get you feeling much better! Interestingly, I just went through a coughing/short of breath/going to the doctor to puff into a machine and then take the albuterol nebulizer thing too. I figured I had asthma, but didn't have it confirmed until now..
And Christmas tree allergy is more common than most people know.. maybe you need a fake one next year!
Feel better soon! I never thought about that, but I guess its a good thing we have an artificial tree :)
Good call on going to see the doctor. Hope you start feeling better soon! I'm so jealous of all your snow--it is so beautiful! We don't get much in the way of snow here in the South and when we do get snow it doesn't stick around long.
Oh how horrible!!! I certainly hope you're feeling better-it really sounds miserable. I have asthma and know what a pain in can be but it's really not all that bad. We have a fake tree which looks amazingly real and I never thought I would have a fake one-just in case it's the tree that's causing the problems.
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Kimberly www.thegivingflower.de
blogger doesn't like me today. :)
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