Monday 24 June 2013

Days Six, Seven & Eight

So, day six nothing happened worth updating, day seven I felt too ill to update, and today I feel too whiny. So I apologise in advance.....

Day Six - Pretty boring day. The trial continued. I went for a little walk around the hospital, I walked out one end of the hospital, around the outside, and back in through the main entrance. My lungs really didn't enjoy the walk, I put it down to being stuck in this room for days.

Day Seven - Didn't start off too well with an asthma attack. My concerns over what would happen if I got poorly proved to be completely unfounded, I had all 3 nurses in my room within minutes. The doctor was a bit useless, but one of the nurses in particular was very experienced so I felt fine, and then the Medical Registrar turned up to take charge. This nurse took my ABG, I've never had a nurse do it before, she was amazing. Like, seriously, I can't explain how good she was! She got it first time and pretty much straight away, with hardly any pain. I've only got the tiniest little bruise today, I've been showing it to anyone who'll look and listen as I'm so impressed!! Then she went onto cannulate me on her first attempt! Anyway, after multiple back to back nebs through the oxygen I started to feel better, IV hyrdocortisone and IV magnesium was given, and IV aminophylline was prescribed. I was then reviewed by one of the respiratory registrars who agreed with my suggestion of holding off on the IV aminophylline for the time being as I'd improved enough. I continued to improve so didn't need the aminophylline at all, and we gradually weaned down my oxygen til it was removed this morning. 
As the day went on, I felt increasingly headachy, sicky and hot. I decided an early night was in order, took a migraine tablet and was asleep before 9pm.

Day Eight - I woke up feeling pretty good after a great nights sleep. I was up, showered and dressed all before breakfast! I'm on the list for a bronchoscopy tomorrow, I was already slightly concerned about the bronch as I know it's not uncommon for lungs to throw a little tantrum after a bronch and I didn't want that to negatively effect the trial. After yesterday, my airways are most likely more twitchy than they would have been anyway, so I was even more concerned, so decided I'd discuss it with the doctors today. I saw the ward consultant and registrar, and explained my concerns. They said that I'd have a nebuliser before and after, and being an inpatient means that it would be a good time to do it. I saw the respiratory nurse specialist who said that she understood my concerns and felt that the trial should take precedence, she said she'd speak to Dr Mansur who is overall in charge of this trial and is doing the bronchoscopy tomorrow. I spoke to the nurse looking after me who happened to be the ward sister, who also said she understood my concerns. I was told Dr Mansur would come and see me this afternoon, but he was very busy so if not this afternoon, it would be in the morning. He didn't get to me this afternoon so I'll be expecting him bright and early in the morning. It's hard because I don't want to do anything that could impact upon the trial, and I was concerned anyway about having a bronch, but at the same time, I know the bronch could be helpful to potential diagnosis/treatment..... I don't want to refuse to have it, so I think I'll be guided what he has to say about it......
My FeNO levels were measured again today, they'd gone up to 155 which surprised me! The respiratory nurse specialist has decided that I must have hayfever, despite me not having any symptoms! Previous skin prick allergy testing showed me to be allergic to tree pollen, which is prevalent at the beginning of spring - I did have symptoms a few months ago which I treated, and they're now gone. They've decided to start me on a nasal spray for the rhinitis that I don't have. It's not going to do any harm so I agreed to go along with it (for now), but it's annoyed me - being told I have hayfever when I know I don't. Don't pay any attention to what the patient says. More importantly, I don't have hayfever, therefore it isn't the cause of my high and increasing FeNO levels, so what is? I have had a sore throat on and off since Friday, I suppose I might be coming down with something viral.....

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