Emergency room again

[katidid]

I had successfully just gotten over some sort of virus - the super achy, nausea, hot-cold-hot-cold kind only to wind up in the ER today at my husband’s insistence. Woke at 6am with a stabbing pain in my upper abdomen that wrapped around to my back. I thought it might be bad GERD as I had gone to bed with a mild belly ache. I waited it out but when I couldn’t take two steps without doubling over in pain, yelling and crying. The works :/

He practically had to drag me because I’ve had so many appts and am just DONE with the insides of doctors offices and hospitals. I was willing to tie it out and bet it was the tail end of the virus and me going from no food to a big dinner. Basically gastritis.

So here’s where it gets complicated with family: everything is Lupus or dire. It’s like common sense has flown out the window over the past 5 years.

After blood tests, CT scan, etc. doc confirms it: gastritis due to a virus.

As we’re leaving the hospital I my hubby insisted my Lupus had to be involved. I fought back. I’ve had nasty bugs before and eaten bad food. You get horrible stomach pain but the Lupus, in and of itself, doesn’t necessarily change that (for good or bad).

I feel like once you get diagnosed suddenly everything is related to Lupus. Everything is s “flare”. It’s all or nothing which again, not common sense! You can have more than one thing and they can be totally unrelated. But, he just won’t hear it. I’m shy to say it, but it’s starting to feel like it’s his go-to just so he doesn’t have to mentally take on anymore.

At the end of the day, tho, it’s me getting poked and prodded and laying around in the worst possible place during cold and flu season😷

(But then sometimes when I know something is 100% related to my Lupus or Spondylitis he dismisses it ... uuuuggghhhh!)

#endrant 😁

[eekt]

It's good to rant 🤗 🤩...that's what this wonderful forum so good 😍

Sorry to hear you've had a tough time again. I don't have the family involvement, and have to admit, living alone as I do, that I'd have taken myself to A&E feeling the way you did

Hope you're on the road to recovery, katidid, and keep posting! xxx

[Shorthouse]

None can understand lupus if you’ve never had it.i have had it for years and still don’t get it !!! I write it all down now it makes a little more sensexxxx

[whisperit]

You're probably right in saying that your husband usually insists on a "lupus" interpretation of things, and medical intervention, because he doesn't want to take on any more. We, on the other hand, don't get a choice - we get to experience every moment of our symptoms and treatments whether we like it or not. We get to carry the responsibility for deciding what to do next regardless of where it happens or who else is around (is that pain in my heart important? Should I take another steroid tablet now? Is this an infection or a side effect of the meds? What will happen if I ring the ambulance?). I'd often like to say, "I don't want all this responsibility. Can't I hand it all over to the professionals? Here, doctor, take my pain - I'm too exhausted to have it just now".

So I don't blame partners/friends/rellys for feeling the same sometimes. It's asking a lot of them emotionally as well as practically to follow us on each step of our journey. But it still feels bad having to carry it alone.

Hope you are getting some relief today x

[katidid]

Thanks all. Your replies always help to get through this stuff. The visit did end up being a blessing in disguise. No, not Lupus induced or related - the tummy stuff - BUT the ran my bloods and I got a copy. The ER doc said they were "fine". I never trust non-Rheumy docs to read blood tests for autoimmune patients, especially the basic panels, so I took a look. They aren't fine. 3 of 4 are marked (in caps) ABNORMAL. And, they are. Even for me. Mega anemia across the board, an issue with my pancreas (which has happened in the past) and severely potassium deficient even though my stomach bug did not have symptoms to cause a lose of electrolytes.

Goes to show you: always learn to read your tests and get copies!!