Okay…I know many folks haven’t heard from me for a while, and it’s because things haven’t been going well at all and seem to be getting worse.
Because there’s so much information to relay, I’ll treat it as a timeline.
Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been trying to take advantage of my Medi-Cal benefits, since it covers a lot of medical and dental procedures. Vision (especially glasses), not so much.
I’ve had a couple root canals, had a few extractions and am looking at some more extractions. Dentures are definitely in my future.
Around the first week of March, my father was hospitalized and entered physical therapy. He died a short time later, around mid-March, from a heart attack while sleeping. He had decided to quit the chemotherapy for his lung cancer because it was wiping him out, but I think it was all too much.
Also, at the beginning of March I was diagnosed by the psychiatrist as having Persistent Depressive Disorder and after some discussion about the failure of most SSRIs, she opted to try Wellbutrin. Skipping ahead, this also failed because it was causing chronic nausea and vomiting.
The last week of March I finally got in to see the clinic doctor for the first time, where we discussed my medical history and medications. Despite the severity of my nasal polyps, she opted to take me off Prednisone as all doctors do. She was cutting me off “cold turkey”, but I argued for a slow taper. All she allowed me was a rapid taper.
She also took away my Advair long treatment and Albuterol for an emergency inhaler and traded it for Symbicort (foreshadowing of much respiratory difficulty).
The first weekend of April I went to my father’s memorial service in Chicago with my younger brother’s help, though I wish I had been able to visit him before and been able to say goodbye. It was a nice service, and his ashes are buried in the garden of Ebenezer Lutheran Church and a memorial plaque installed.
As soon as I returned, I felt poorly and spent the week in bed and had no appetite. Monday the 14th I went back to the clinic to discuss (well, argue) about my medication changes. As soon as I mentioned shortness of breath, I was surrounded by nursing staff and given a nebulizer treatment. They walked me around and took my pulse/ox again, and I was still at 83. They called an ambulance, and I was taken to Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista’s emergency department. After going over medical history and a lot of testing and a couple more nebulizer treatments, they chose to admit me in isolation for pneumonia from community aquired MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and suspicion of tuberculosis. Lots of blood tests and antibiotics, with x-rays, CT scans, and a couple of bronchoscopies with at least five biopsies of lymph nodes(?). Tuberculosis and lung cancer were ruled out, but the lung scarring remains, identified as interstitial lung disease. I spent 9 days in hospital, though it could have been 7. They messed up the lab stain and we had to wait for a repeat.
Since I got out, my health hasn’t changed much. Because of the decreased lung capacity, I have had side effects ranging from chronic lack of appetite to joint pain and chronic coughing. I just heard from the clinic doctor about my latest blood test which suggests ANCA-related Vasculitis. Monday, I return to Scripps Hospital for testing with a pulmonology specialist, as well as a consultation with a rheumatologist as soon as I can get one scheduled.
In addition to all this, I had some biopsies of malignant moles recently, and am scheduled for surgical removal via a coordinated effort between the cancer specialist (shoulder mole I was not aware of) and an ENT (ear mole I WAS aware of). I am still not sure if it’s carcinoma or melanoma. They might take a lymph node from my armpit if necessary.
This is really throwing me a curve ball. I have no money and all these appointments to make, as well as all the cats to care for. Once I have my confirmed diagnoses, I think I need to figure out a way to surrender all but one of them in San Diego if I could get them across the border.
So that’s what’s happening at the moment. Constant joint pain, constant coughing, and constant fatigue. I have trouble moving around or doing things, and people are telling me I look gaunt.
P.S. I was extremely worried about my cats dying of dehydration while I was in the hospital, but luckily my friend Tomas has a visa pass and was able to come get my house key. It would have been a terrible scene to return to if Tomás had not been able to help.
