On Wednesday, Brenda called back about 12pm and said she had spoken to Dr.Higton and she would see me at 3 o'clock. So I got dressed and ready and packed a bag with some overnight things and clothes for a few days as well as my meds and physio machines as I was expecting to be admitted with how rubbish I had been feeling for the past fortnight. Abbi then drove me to the hospital so if I did have to stay she would stay for a few hours so I wasn't bored.
When we got there, I did the usual routine. I got on the scales and my weight showed the most I have ever weighed and my BMI was finally at 20.0. I guess five weeks of pigging out on food because you're on steroids shows on the scales. After doing my weight, Brenda set up the computer ready to test my lung function. I then went ahead and did the first blow and could not believe the results. 2.23 litres. I don't remember the last time it was that high. We were laughing at the fact it was so high when I was feeling so rubbish. I did two more tests and again they showed higher results. I always read the percentage in the end as I never really understand litres but my FEV1 results were 70%. I checked and it hasn't been that high since September last year and before then it was months ago. Typical. I feel really tight chested and breathless and I'm up all night coughing. Yet from my results you would think I was making it all up!
Dr.Higton came and saw me after and laughed with me about the lung function as we were both so shocked. I explained to her what had been happening over the last month as I saw Dr.Orchard at my last visit at the beginning of June. I told her about the reaction to the Symbicort, the tight chest feeling after doing the Aztreonam, the waking up in the night etc. She said she thinks that actually I am allergic to the Aztreonam judging by how I had told her it made me feel but because my body has had such a kick of different antibiotics, steroids, nebulisers and inhalers my lung function has managed to improve. So as an outcome, she told me to completely stop the Aztreonam and go back to my Promixin in the Ineb. She gave me another two week course of Septrin antibiotics as they had made a difference to my lung function and made me feel better prior to my appointment back at the beginning of June. And she said to carry on easing slowly off the steroids that Dr.Orchard had prescribed a few weeks ago.
So off home again I went. Lets just say it wasn't the outcome I expected! Since stopping the Aztreonam, my chest has been really loose and I have been coughing up a lot more sputum so have had to add in extra physio each day. I explained to Dr.Higton at the appointment on Wednesday that my chest was feeling loose and she said it was probably just because I hadn't had a nebuliser that morning and it should feel fine after the Promixin that evening. But it seems to have been loose for a few days now so I will have to bring that up with her. Wednesday and Thursday night I finally had 2 good night sleeps and didn't wake up coughing! So Friday as I was feeling a little better I went down to Devon to Jane's farm where Grandma and Grandad were staying in their caravan, as Dad was participating in the fishing competition along with Uncle Mark. But Friday night, my chest was at it again and I was up most of the night coughing so I don't know what went on. So Saturday, when they were taking part in the competition I had a nap in the caravan and me and Dad ended up coming home last night instead of today.
My chest has been a bit tight again this afternoon so I did some physio and managed to cough up lots so the Septrin must be loosening it all up.
I have hospital on Tuesday as it's my annual review follow up from May so I will get all the results back from that. Dr.Higton is on another ward that day but she said Dr.Orchard will decide what to do with the steroids and when to see me again after the antibiotics providing my lung function is still high. I hope he stops these steroids those as my face is so chubby where I have been eating so much where they make me constantly hungry haha!
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