Complex Patient

soft serve with chocolate shell is the best.

So other than being called "electric" last week by Dr. Henry, my favorite word of this week is complex.  The doc in the ER yesterday chose that one for me and I'm loving it.  Obviously, he meant it in a nice way:  I would hate to be plain and simple.  However, it might not be the worst thing in the world to be just a smidge easier to medicate and fix me up. 

I started taking my beta blocker again upon our return from the Aloha State, hoping I would not react violently (remember the allergic week - prior to our vacation).  While it seemed to improve my very inappropriate sinus tach (without harming my already low blood pressure - as many beta blockers lower both simultaneously), it also left me with a strange side effect:  itching.  Most of you probably remember that was one of my symptoms last year and hence, it drives me batty.  In addition to being super annoying, it gives me extra anxiety.  As if I needed any help in that department.

I gave it a full week and decided it'd be better to switch to a different med.  My cardiologist and I chose another BB and I began taking in a few days ago.  The result was a major drop in my BP.  I called my primary care doc on Thursday am, asking for an inhaler of some sort to try to alleviate my inability to take in oxygen (as if you can even find any oxygen in the air out there - it might be easier to try to breathe on the moon).  They asked to see me and upon visiting the physician's assistant, found my BP to be 72/49 (or something to that effect).  I was to lie vertically until the escort arrived to wheel me across the street to the ER.  Fun times.

Now, of course, as soon as I got hooked up in room 513, all of my vitals started to improve (I'm thinking the industrial strength air conditioning had some say in the matter).  They x-rayed my chest and worked me up just to make sure there was no bigger reason for my feeling like crud.  The doc's description of all of the results:  beautiful.  Clear and beautiful.  Can't ask for a better ER visit than that.

We decided to abandon BB #2 and return to BB #1, but just 1/2 of the dose I was on before.  Also, I must hydrate like crazy and stay out of the heat.  In fact, I think I just may sleep in the living room tonight.  The downstairs a/c is much stronger than the one in our bedroom.  Our next house will have central air (can't the insurance company cover that? and a housekeeper?).

The more I go on feeling lightheaded and tired, the more scared I am about September.  I am not ready to make any concrete moves on the work front yet, as we still don't have the final results back from June's bronchoscopy.  If I end up being treated with pukey p (prednisone), I will definitely have energy to burn and may be able to breathe actual Earth air.  There are still too many unknowns to make a decision. 

xxoo

PS.  One of the nurses asked me if I was a medical professional or just very educated.  I explained that what I am is a professional patient and also call me Dr. Google.  But I was very flattered to hear that I appear to be very knowledgeable.