So it’s been an ‘entertaining’ few weeks. Go home to parents for Christmas and find that I’m no longer fully immune to my cat 😭😭😭 (I’m allergic to cats but cause been around him so much I’ve never really reacted to him before). I was a naughty asthmatic over Christmas and took the principle of ‘its Christmas’ to cover my abuse of home nebuliser (by Boxing Day I needed 6 nebs a day, plus ventolin to top up at 3hr Mark, as well as 4 fexofenadine a day and pred 35mg - i won’t go to 40 unless I’m made too).
On 27th I was ready to admit that it was no longer Xmas and so I needed to do something. Contacted my local hosp team for advice (as was out of area) and told to see a GP to see if I needed hosp. Newsflash, I needed hosp 😂😅.
Go to a hosp I’ve never been to before and don’t exactly have a good experience. Long story short after 2 nights I felt safer to be at home self-managing than in that hospital where they didn’t know me and the 2 resp Cons hadn’t heard of my biologic 😬 (this was the cherry on top of a very badly made cake). Get discharged knowing I’d be needing 3-4nebs a day anyway (seeing as I meant to hosp if I need more than 2...) but having fought to stay the extra day, and been in contact with ANs I just accepted. At least at home I can do what I need when I need it!
Follow up call from ‘my’ AN team and I’m encouraged to try and manage at home til they can get me in to hot clinic (appt 16/1) because a&e is hectic (they’re in the bottom 3 nationwide for meeting targets in Nov/Dec I think. But that’s cause they won’t send home unless you’re defo safe too, plus we have a lot of elderly in my area... to the point they have their own a&e just like the kids do 😅). I hold on, doing 3-6 nebs a day depending on activity, and ‘play’ with steroid dose (cause was too high too long and couldn’t deal with the side effects much longer. Esp as I was trying to work and they were making it a lot more difficult).
Got to see my con in hot clinic and defo worth the wait! Could tell she wanted to admit but didn’t want to say... til I told her that’s what I’m expecting and came prepped with PJs, chargers, and a change of clothes etc. ‘Oh good. Let’s see if they have a bed on gunthorpe’ (the ‘lower priority’ resp ward). They do!!! Now in over the weekend for a couple days hydrocortisone therapy to see if that stops the limbo and gets me back stable and able to do! Review on Monday from my con but should be discharged maybe with azithromycin to see if that helps. I must remember to ask for a possible letter explaining if I say I need more please give me more (cause fed up of having to wait x amount of days before someone listens if i don’t have my con 😒)
Frustrated cause had first hosp been good I probs wouldn’t need to be in now, but on plus I have been listened to and I am getting what I need to get sorted (and with no fight either 🎉🎉). My con has won yet more stars from me 😂
Hope everyone else is doing ok
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EmmaF91
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It would be funny if it wasn’t true Emma! This sort of tale is sadly all too common now. I do hope you pick up soon and able to be much stronger again 🤞🏻👍🏻 x
Oh goodness! What a stressful and anxiety provoking palaver! So glad you are now getting proper care.
Re cats, something similar happened to our daughter, who is mildly atopic including asthma. She is cat mad, so we ended up with three when she was still a child. She managed. Her asthma threw the odd nasty experience, but not obviously from the cats. However, after she left home - and the three cats still with us - she could certainly feel it when she visited, one way or the other. So she tried getting desensitised (from Brompton, I think) but they wouldn’t due to her atopy, so she decided to go the Siberian Forest cat route. They have a non-allergenic reputation, not always deserved. But it has worked for her. She took over a feline sex worker (he was in stud), and now several years down the line, it has worked a treat! And he is both lovely and beautiful. But dim. And not streetwise.
Oh dear Emma, I think you need to redefine your idea of entertainment. Most people read a good book, or watch a movie 😜 Seriously, I hope you start to feel better soon. Thinking of you 💐
Emma you have a great attitude to cope with what is thrown at you! It certainly helps with asthma if you take control like you've done. I hope the weekend stay on GunT sorts you out.
My family have cats and I've always reacted when visiting. However, I note now I'm on Montelukast my reactions are low grade. Can't believe it.
Funny what you say about nebs. I do this take up to eight a day. Then I have to admit to myself ok I need help. Again.
When they give you hydrocortisone do they do IV? I hate pred and amlodipine with a vengeance. My local hospital give me pred to take at home. In big is normally where it goes
I was in across new year. On plus side the hospital overlooks the town and the fireworks were great.
I’m usually only allowed a max of 2 at home neb wise. ESP nowadays when I’m a lot better controlled. No b2b either 😅. I literally only increased so I could get through Xmas then when I did go to hosp I was on the verge of desaturating... lying down or walking dropped me to 88-90 (post hydro, mag and b2b nebs). Then it was a dodgy admission (not my hosp) who discharged me on 3-4 nebs... go figure 🙄. As I said advice from my hosp was try to hold off from a&e and get to hot clinic. Luckily I have a great local con who really did sort me out (even tho to me I was still in limbo and not drastically bad).
Whenever I get hydroC I get it iv. This time I had 100 BD with 20 pred on top for 3 days. Got me doing something I haven’t done for 3-4 years... green zone for 24hrs+ WITHOUT salbutamol 😅😂. It lasted a maximum of 48hrs but still, was nice whilst it lasted!! I’m currently on a pred wean and this time I WILL get to synacthen test level (Got to 5 days away then enterovirus got me in Nov... I was not impressed to say the least and been dodgy since until discharge from this trip 😒😅).
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