My past 12 months!

[~*Maria*~ 1]

Where do i start

Umm, well, my boss at work last year Feb 2008 had me working outside in the trailer's during last year's freezin cold winter logging on the dept's toys and taking other toys off them for pick lists, with no jacket, gloves nor scarf you could say i literally froze my butt off!! After weeks of working out there i ended up with a nasty flu or so i thought, hubby dragged my butt to the doctor's office, catching my breath was very difficult, with a history of asthma, chronic bronchitis and havin just got rid of pleurisy he wanted to admit my butt into the hospital. Being the stubborn scot that i am, i told him not chance, so he gave me some steriods, antibiotics and a cough bottle, i gladly went home. A few days later, i was back at the doctor's office, saw a different dr this time, she took one look at me and says...." i dont care how stubborn you are, your butt is being admitted to the hospital" After 10 mins off trying to get out of it, i agreed.

The doctors were really nice and ordered a CT Scan be done of my lungs like a.s.a.p. A few hrs afterwards, my own doctor came to give me the results of the scan. She told me i had widespread pneumonia, both lungs were bad! Here i was hooked up with 3 IV's running, 1 for antibiotics, 1 to rehydrate me and the other with potassium, every 6 hrs i got prednisone as well. After a few days i began to feel better, my lungs were clearing and could breath with oxygen. After i had been off oxygen 24 hrs i was allowed home. I was bored stiff, wanted to go back to work, so 2 days later i talked my doctor into letting me go back.

While back at work, my boss told me i was barred from going out to the trailers to work. Months went by and no repercussions of my pneumonia. Then out of the blue, in November 08 i woke up and couldnt breath, constantly coughing up my lungs, running a fever, hubby took me to the ER, after having had 4 breathing treatments within 2 hrs i was not getting better. I was admitted to stay in hospital supposedly only for a couple days, hubby demanded that a CT Scan be done on my lungs, got the results like a couple hrs later and i was told that whatever i had back in Feb 08 was still there and had increased 3 times in size (both lungs). A pulmonologist was asked to come evaluate me.

He looked at both CT scans and compared them and said i needed a bronchoscopy for further diagnosis. Results of that came back as - Inflammation and degeneration of the lung tissues. The pulmonologist referred me to a thoracic surgeon because i needed a thoracic lung biopsy. That was done Dec 08. The results came back a week later and i was formally diagnosed with RB-ILD (respiratory bronchiolitis- interstitial lung disease). I was started on 60mg of prednisone every day. I felt like #######, developed "moon face" , started gaining weight, i wasnt happy bout this coz i'd just lost 45 lbs. I was allowed back to work mid jan 09, that lasted a couple days, my breathin was impaired, caught colds from everyone around me. So, i was back off work yet again.

Feb 6th, my pulmonologist wanted a follow-up lung ct scan re-done. The steriods had worked, the inflammation was gone. He decided to start tapering me off the steriods. 60mg to 20 mg for a week, and down again to 10 mg for a week, 5 mg for 5 days then no more steriods. I'm slowly losing my moon face and a little of the weight. I'm still off work on medical leave due to return back March 8th, as long as nothing else goess wrong before then.

I'm glad the doctors recommended a lung specialist or i'd still have been thinking i had pneumonia this time last year.

Its been a ####### 12 months so far, but at least i'm feeling better now.

Sorry if this was rather long-winded.

[Mary Lou 681]

Wow Maria! You sure have had loads on your plate the past year.

Sorry to hear of your medical problems, and good thing they got to the bottom of it. Take Care of yourself and stay well

Mary Lou

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Maria, good to know things are improving

[Mags 112]

Maria, glad you've got a diagnosis and are on the mend! Keep in touch with your old VJ pals! x

[RGNSCOT 0]

Hi Maria...

Sorry I never get to talk to you on msn messenger So glad your'e doing ok... jeezo i did nt think you were that bad....

Take care....... talk soon..xxx

Aggy bxxx

[Jasman0717 9]

Wow, scary stuff

[NatPatBen 3]

Glad you're doing better now.

What is moon face?