Tag Archives: PCP

Other Stuff, Part 4: Fire Ants

Posted on by MaryO

WayBack Machine

 

This one is from the WayBack machine.

I’m trying to work out the year – we bought our first time share while I was being diagnosed with Cushing’s so this was some time after 1987.  We never stayed in that time share, just used it for trade.  This particular year, we’d traded for a place in Arkansas (not too exciting, but drivable from home) but they had a fire so they offered us a 3-bedroom house in Hilton Head instead.  Of course, we accepted that offer!

We located a kennel fairly nearby to leave our dog.  We were so sure she’d love the ocean just like the dogs on TV do, running and playing in the water. She was a retriever so she could swim out and fetch frisbees and such.  HA!

We packed up the dog and our stuff and made the long drive down to South Carolina.  We dropped her off at the kennel and found our home for the next week.  Absolutely beautiful, on a little lagoon, in the middle of a golf course community. Our son had the upstairs all to himself and he loved that.

Our lagoon had an alligator and one day the young boy next door was out on the porch.  We could see the alligator eyes watching him…and waiting.  Luckily, nothing happened!

We took the dog out of the kennel and onto the beach and all those years of instincts failed her.  When a wave came in, she tried to bite it – and swallowed.  She was – ahem – sick as a dog for the rest of the trip.  So much for running and playing in the waves.

When our son got out of the water, we realized that he had some sting marks on his leg.  Most likely from a jelly fish someone said.  Great!

Our house had come with bikes and we used them to ride all over the golf course and out into Hilton Head sometimes.  This evening, we were riding along the street and there was a red light.  We stopped and I put my foot down on the pavement.  Naturally, I was wearing sandals.  Naturally, I’d stepped into a fire ant nest.

The rest of the trip was awful. Burning, itching, pain.  The ant bites seemed like they were increasing in number, not getting better.

It was the end of the week, so we headed home.  I was in misery all the way.

First off, I saw my PCP who prescribed something for me.  I think it might have been an antibiotic but I can’t remember.  I woke up that night, red, itchy, broken out in hives.

About 3AM, DH took me to the ER – I was having an allergic reaction to the meds.  Great!  They pumped me full of epinephrine and I started to get better.

The next morning I was back at the PCP for another drug.  I took that for one dose and had the worst nightmares of my life.  I went back to the PCP the next day and he said that no one had reported nightmares from that drug and I told him to alert whoever – one person had had them.

And I got another drug.  This one finally worked and the ant bites and the infection that they’d caused finally started going away.

Will I ever go back to Hilton Head?  I don’t know.  I do know I won’t ride a bicycle wearing sandals at dusk.  That’s for sure!

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Monday – Four Weeks Post-Op

Posted on by MaryO

This is the first of the timeline posts that I’m actually writing more or less as they happen!

day-mon

Last Monday, Feb 18 was the first visit with the cardiologist.  Getting there was a bit of a problem but the appointment itself went smoothly.

We got into the inner sanctum and a very nice nurse named Lisa took down DH’s info.  It worked out well that we hadn’t finished all the paperwork since she had lots of info fron the hospital, anyway.

She took DH’s blood pressure and oxygen levels (both good), then took the bags of meds and vitamins away for cataloging.

The doctor came in and asked some of the same questions as everyone else about how he was eating, sleeping, exercise, swelling, pain.  He listened to DH’s heart and lungs and everything sounded good.  He checked the legs for swelling…none.

We made 2 more appointments – one for a low-stress treadmill next week and one with him for three months out.  There’s also bloodwork to be done before the treadmill. After passing the treadmill test, DH can start rehab.  Yea!

When we got home, there was a call from the PCP’s lab.  DH called back but had just missed them.

day-tues
DH slept in the bed and out of the recliner for several hours last night.  Another step forward!

DH finally got through to the PCP’s lab and the cholesterol numbers were excellent.  Hooray!  Other numbers such as liver enzymes were good, too.

day-wed
DH did some work today, with several naps in between. I got the car taken care of. He got the disher unloaded and reloaded – with resting afterwards.

He decided to start off the night sleeping in bed and made it until about 4:00 am. He said that there was no pain but he would be more comfortable in the recliner.
day-thurs
DH spent most of the morning working (at home) on a proposal, then most of the afternoon napping.  Most of the pain seems gone – hooray! Evening there was a short meeting with a nap before and after.  Then, dinner and another nap before bed.

He started out for about an hour in bed, then back to the recliner for the rest of the night.

He doesn’t seem to cough nearly as much. Hooray!

day-fri

Friday through Sunday – lots of napping, trying to sleep or nap in the bed but usually winding up in the recliner.

day-sun

 

It was a nice day so we took the dog outside for a very short walk…followed by more napping.  DH is looking forward to the treadmill test on Wednesday so he can start the rehab soon.

Monday – 3 Weeks Post-op

Posted on by MaryO

I’ve decided to do a sort of timeline in case anyone is interested.  This is all from memory so future posts should be more accurate.

Week Zero, January 28, 2013 was the actual CABG surgery.  The hospital experience  can be found here.

DH came home on Thursday of that week and the first visiting nurse arrived on Saturday. Luckily, DS was able to stay until Sunday and he was a big help.

DH wasn’t allowed to lift any more than 5 pounds, so couldn’t raise himself out of bed.  He slept on a recliner in the living room and either DS or I slept on the sofa in case he needed any meds or help during the night.

Week One, February 4, 2013, one week from surgery.

The visiting nurse came twice and is pleased with wound healing.  Blood pressure is sometimes low.  The nurse thought he should have more fluids.  One lobe of the lung isn’t working to capacity and she wants more use of the incentive spirometers.  DH has two types from the hospital – the traditional one and one that our dog thinks looks like a dog toy that she should have.

incentive spirometer

Week Two, February 11, 2013 two weeks from surgery.  DH continues to lose weight.  He’s still sleeping in the recliner and I’m still on the sofa but there is much less getting up at night.

The Oxycodone is down to half pills much less often than prescribed.

The first (and only) visit to the surgeon’s office this week.  We saw her nurse practitioner who was very impressed with how DH is doing as was his PCP.  The nurse practitioner was so pleased, she said we don’t have to go back unless there are any problems.

The PCP ran blood tests, glucose, liver enzymes, cholesterol and others.

We saw the visiting nurse twice.  She thought DH was doing so well that she discharged him on Thursday.

DH made a few phone calls this week, worked a little, had a visitor on Sunday.

Week Three, February 18, 2013, three weeks from surgery

DH slept in the bed for half the night last night and seems to be doing ok.  He still took a half Oxycodone this morning.

We see the cardiologist this afternoon.  That report will be in the Week Four post. I imagine that we’ll be talking about rehab at this appointment.

Weeks Four and Beyond will have their own posts.