March 26, 2008 (Beginning Trouble)

Hindsight: this was the beginning of trouble for me that entailed 2 rounds totalling 5 weeks IV's, severe pleurisy, hemoptysis, transferred clinics, more tests, a bronch, and finally a round of high dose steroids for some unknown inflammatory problem.


Well I caught a cold back in begining february and it was SO mild I would not have counted it even, but it felt 'different' then it either picked up or I caught another one and it was the one everyone around me has had where you hack and hack but its a dry cough that just DOESNT go away. So about day number 10 I went to CF clinic and had record breaking (good) PFT's so I declined the levaquin (which never works anyway) and went on my way determined to beat it, about a week and a half or so later and I knew I was in trouble and went back to clinic my pFT's were down and we decided to treat it now I always get sick end feb-beginning mar so this was the same but since it was 'so mild' we decided to try cipro (sometimes works) even though I KNEW better, I ALWAYS get IV's feb-mar so I did the two weeks of cipro and felt horrid levaquin is not bad for me but cipro or IV's do a # on me.

So 9 days later (yesterday) back and clinic and surprise surprise I am on IV's with FVC went from record breaking 105.3 at the first of the 3 'sick visits' to 91 yesterday, my FEV1 and small airways were worse but I forgot to get a copy. So of course not 'bad' numbers but not good for me.

My lesson learned is to be more proactive, I coudl have done IV's and been DONE and feeling great by now if I had just done them in the first darn place. This post is to remind me for me to look back on when I dont want to go in or want to try cipro again! ANY TIME I GET SICK JAN-MAR I WILL DO IV"S!!!!

The only thing I have accomplished is draggin this out over 2 months plus! ok self beratement rant over on the positive side I was very calm about the IV's this time, I recommended them, I went back to work sent out emails tying up loose ends, putting documents in share areas for others, turned on out of office communicator, gave a brief lesson to my new group about why I needed to miss when I seemed fine before lunch etc and bid my farewells until 4/10.

I have NEVER done this, I was a stress ball freak out mess about having to get them, tried to work thorugh them alot of times, didnt do all my therapies etc, the past two times I did IV's once I did stay home I did MUCH better. Now I made a spread sheet of all treatments meds excecise I need ot do every day and check them off as I go, so far so good.... oh except little on is home puking, GREAT, first day of meds when I feel like puking and I am cleaning up that and lots and lots of #2 yeah fun. It is kind of nice just to watch her and relax with her though, the house be *^*(# I dont care we are relaxing!

25Mar2008: FVC 91.0 FEV1 84.2 FEV25-75%69.6

Side Note: Lung age years (55)--ack, my lungs can go from 28-->55 in 4 weeks!

21Feb2008: FVC 105.3 FEV1 99.3 FEV25-75% 89.1 BP 114/68 HR 59 Wt 152