Having an asthma attack. Feel XXXXXX. Mind if I have a pity-party?

Specialties Pulmonary

Published

I got this pissy little virus on Sunday. A little fever, fatigue, sore throat. It went away by Monday afternoon. Even went to work Tues. But... wham... by that evening I could tell I was getting tight.

By this morning I was tight as a drum. Lord... I haven't been like this for almost two years. I took a nebulizer treatment. Went to work and almost passed out. (Note to self: A big hit of albuterol and atropine without breakfast is not always a good idea.) Couldn't walk the length of the hall. Couldn't phonate too well. (That is to say, my little old patients couldn't hear what I was trying to say.) Walked over to the MD's office (happily in an adjoining building.) She sent me home. I'm on Solu-Medrol dose pack. Fluticasone inhaler, DuoNeb nebulizer treatments, and antibiotics. None of which has really had a chance to impact on the crap in my chest yet.

Coughing up from my toes, and occassionally bringing up little flecks of mucoid concrete. Geeze I feel horrible. O2 sat was a little low in the MD's office. (not alarmingly low... just not my usual.) Max expiratory flow rates are about my average. Very harsh bronchial breath sounds without a lot of wheezes or crackles.

Steroids and albuterol have me just jazzed and vibrating and I can't sleep even with 3 doses of opioid anti-tussives. Had to leave bed to do another treatment. Drinking a gator aid.

Going to try to go back to sleep.

Please tell me it will be better tomorrow.

Thanks for listening. sucks being sick.

Maybe God lets us get this way so we can remember what it feels like to be a patient. So... let's chalk it up to one of those "character building moments."

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Oh you poor thing! I DO feel for you. You are drinking lots and lots, right?

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Tulip,

I have every sympathy for you:flowersfo

Try to relax and let the meds to their job, it can be very frightening, but be vigilant keep an eye on the flow rates.

Gale

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Maybe God lets us get this way so we can remember what it feels like to be a patient. So... let's chalk it up to one of those "character building moments."

Very good way to look at it. :)

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Tulip,

I sure hope you will feel better soon. I had the stuff last spring and it drug on for 2 months. You hang in there girlfriend !:nurse:

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Thanks you guys,

I am feeling better today. I knew it just would take some hours for the meds to kick in. I mean, I knew this... got all this head knowledge, and still, when you are dyspneic, you get all panicky. I can really understand why patients who DON'T know all this stuff must really be afraid.

I probably am not drinking enough and appreciate your reminder. I will try to top off the tank some more today.

It's just AMAZING how all this crap can form in your airways in such a short period of time. When I went to work that Tues, I had no noticeable chest symptoms but by that evening there it was, and by the next morning I was 4 plus sick.

But I am about 80% more comfortable than last night. Now it's just the long haul of getting over it. That's the way with reactive airways. You cycle down fast, but even when you do everthing right, it takes a loooong time to get back to baseline.

Don't know if I would be able to work with respiratory patients. I could understand how they feel... but I think I would be judgemental about the tobacco users. It's almost a joke in our household. I've never (not one time!) smoked. Others in my family have. But I'm the one with "lung disease".

Genetics are a goofy thing sometimes.

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