I have my future back!

I am so happy to report some awesome news from the Mayo!

Before we left, Brian and I agreed that what we hoped would happen is that the doctors would trigger a reaction, put a scope down in my airway and take a look on what the heck was going on.

After an extensive interview and a review of my charts and records, the first thing my doctor said was, “What I want to do is look in your throat while you are having a reaction and see what is actually happening.”

So, I went to the drug store and bought some Right Guard deodorant, because if you remember that was what the ICU nurse sprayed and go me going again. The test was to be done the next day. But, in the meantime there was a full schedule of tests to undergo.

One of the test was an asthma test, called a Methacholine Challenge. They have you breath in a chemical and if you are an asthmatic, you will have trouble breathing. Well, sure enough, I breathed it in and boy did my lungs clamp right down. My symptoms were similar to a few of my reactions that brought me running to ERs, but without the closing throat. As I sat in the exam room waiting for the second phase of the test, I suddenly started having the throat swelling sensation.

The nurses dashed down the hall and grabbed the two doctors who were going to do my test the next day and we went together to a different exam room. There, I had meeting with a barbaric instrument of torture…the scope that would be shoved down my nose and into my throat, with only a bit of numbing medicine spray to minimize the suffering.

Let me try to describe the experience, skip the next two paragraphs if you are squeamish…

The camera and bright light are in a tube that goes down your nostril, into the back of you throat, and then they keep going farther right down to your vocal cords. The doc even said at one point, just a bit farther and this is a bronchoscopy (ok, that means they are almost down my main breathing pipes leading to my lungs). Now, once they were way down there, they decided to take a leisurely time and get a good look. He kept saying, “Let me know if this is too much.” Well, it was too much, but I just sat there not letting them know. But I was not going to let it show, as I wanted them to get as much information as possible.

Well, after their Magic School Bus trip through the depths of my throat, they decide that the depths of my face would a fun visit. They saw my old sinus surgery sites, and then headed high and higher into my head. “You are going to feel some pressure on your eyes now and see some light.” OH MY GOSH. I am living in medieval times?

OK, you medical phobes can start reading again...

So with that, I got the best news ever…there was no swelling or spasm of my larynx, translation, this is not Anaphylaxis, this is not an allergic reaction after all!!!!!

The bottom line, I have asthma. The Methacholine Challenge showed a 24% decrease in my lung function (20% or greater is definitive for asthma). So that explained the shortness of breath that I have experienced.

Next I went off the Speech Pathologist who informed me the I likely have vocal cord dysfunction, something that is not uncommon in asthmatics and may actually be reversed or minimized with some special breathing techniques.

So, no more epi, no more steroids, no more antihistamines, just a few asthma meds and I am good to go!

Thank you all for you good thoughts and prayers. I believe we have a clear answer and I could not be more thankful!

Now, we are off to have a vacation in Minneapolis (if the Marriot will free us from our reservation). Well, either way we will definitely be there on Saturday, my birthday. Tarah from Eyeglasses and Endzones and I are going to have a fun time having a cuppa and maybe some shopping! I think I want a Tiffany bracelet to take the place of my stupid ol’ Medic Alert bracelet that I took off the moment I heard my good news.

I feel like I have a new lease on life and that couldn’t feel any better!

Not so part-time!

I have missed you all lately.

This upcoming trip to the Mayo Clinic has kept me busy.

I have needed to focus on getting things in order with my work. I worked perinatal bereavement six out of seven days (so much for part-time!). This included my 12 hour Labor and Delivery shifts on Saturday and Sunday.

Additionally, I have been trying to get my mind in order. I have struggled with discouragement and a lack of faith in getting better. In order to try to find the best doctors to give me a second opinion, I have read many articles and professional journals. The information on anaphylaxis prevention and on reactions to fragrances did not leave me with the impression that there was much that could be done.

But, then I found great encouragement in God’s word…

Trust in the Lord with all you heart and lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Being a nurse and having the knowledge that I do, I think that I can figure things out myself. God is in control here. He created me and He can fix me.

He can use the doctor’s knowledge to heal me. Or He can just do it Himself.

Clearly, I cannot do it on my own, I cannot even begin to figure out my problem. I cannot lean on my own understanding.

But, I can have faith in Him. I can trust Him.

We leave for the Mayo next Monday. Did I mention we are going to bring the kids. They are very excited to go to a "new" state, stay in a hotel, and swim every day. They are also thrilled that we will be visiting the Mall of America!

I will have more posts before then.

Now, I look forward to coming over to see what has been happening with you.

I hope you are enjoying your summer!

Ana and the Mayo

My best friend Ana came again last night, yep, Anaphylaxis.

Get this, I took the kids to the local university pool and there were a group of young men swimming who were highly cologned up. Even after a couple hours of swimming, these guys STILL reeked of cologne.

Sure enough, I had gotten enough exposure to trigger a reaction. Thankfully, I was able to get the kids to a friend’s house before things got out of control and then called 911.

The good news, when I was in the ICU last month we came up with a very effective treatment. Racemic Epinepherine rocks! It only took about a 15 minute nebulizer treatment with the Racemic Epinepherine to reverse the swelling of my throat. That is the most effective treatment yet!

We are heading in the right direction with that. (Well, I also had Zyrtec/Claritin/Singulaire/Advair/Epipen/SQ epi/IV Benadryl/IV steroid onboard, but it absolutely was the Racemic Epi that did the trick.)

Well, other good news… I have an appointment at the Mayo Clinic in MN next month. After an entire year of this nonsense, I am more than ready for a second opinion.
They have some docs who specialize in anaphylaxis, plus they are a renowned institution. The appointment will take 3-5 days, with a hotel stay at night.

If you think of it, please pray for wisdom for my doctors. How wonderful it would be to return to good health!!!

Tomorrow night is my Valentine’s treat…yep Firehubby got me tickets to Keith Urban and Sugarland and it is tomorrow!

This is how I will look at the concert…since I have to wear a mask. I don’t want to end up in a hospital in downtown LA if Ana decides to come with us...

This is is another option...

But, I do have more fashion choices thanks to the swine flu...

Or, people may just think I am doing a tribute to Michael Jackson...

What look do you like best for my date night with Firehubby?

Not Me Monday-Why Nurses Shouldn’t B Patients

I am joining the AWESOME MckMama today for another NOT ME MONDAY. My life is so boring lately...NOT!

As many of you know, my new best friend Ana stopped by last week…

Yep, Nasty ol’ Ana-phylaxis!

This sweet nurse (yeah, I’m talking about me!) became a very problematic and pathetic patient.

Let’s just establish right here that I am NOT allergic to fragrances…perfumes, colognes, air fresheners, cleaners, just about anything that sprays out of a can! Lame…who could be so lame?!

Plus, would you want anyone so lame to be your nurse? I thought NOT!

Nurses are known to be perfect patients. So with that in mind, I am really a good patient…NOT!

Last Wednesday, after being team-leader for the day I did NOT run into a flock of freshly washed, perfectly fragrant nurses coming out of the report room. They moseyed on by, heading for duty on the night shift. My throat did NOT immediately hint to me that a terrible night about to unfold.

As I headed to my car, my throat did NOT start closing up. I did NOT run into a nurse in the parking lot who would have made Florence Nightingale roll over in her grave!

Po' Flo!

Firehubby does NOT do an awesome job of describing that JERK…here!

I did NOT take 8 hours to respond to treatment and get admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit.

After being stable for about 12 hours, the nurse giving my male, comatose roommate a bath did NOT spray deodorant in my room!!!!

Nurses would NEVER be so careless. A person is always safe in the hospital…naughty me, I won’t go any further down this path!

I did NOT get another visit from Ana, yep Ana-phylaxis! Did I mention I hate her?~!

This Right Guard event did NOT bring on 4 hours more misery, this time with the added bonus of severe pain!

I did NOT start to live in fear of waking up to this:

…MURDER!

Ok, I was NOT such a bad patient.

I did NOT take my own IV out. (It needed to come out!)

I did not show various people wielding needles where I wanted them jabbed into my body.

I did not get drugged up and exhausted and act grouchy to my wonderful husband and try to get him to leave so I did not have to watch him be so concerned for me…

I did NOT hate being a patient.

But for now, I am VERY thankful to be home with my family.

And just so you know… this is definitely NOT a picture of me that I made Firehubby take for my blog. Who would ever think about taking a photo just for NOT ME Monday when they are in ICU?

Who looks like the bitter patient? Not me!

Thank you MckMama for hosting this blog carnival and giving me a chance to be NOT so sweet about my hospitalization. Now, everyone click here and check out all a ton of awesome NOT Me MONDAYS.