CF Sucks!

For those of you who are my friends on facebook the first 2 updates are from there and you probably already know this information. But the last part is new.

7-21-11
After my bronc-scope yesterday I went home and was having pain all around my chest and back, I figured it was from coughing so much after the scope. They gave me ibuprofen before I left, I went home and went to bed. I woke up and all the pain had went away except in my chest on the left side. It was excruciating pain, I couldn't breath in good because it hurt so bad, so I had to take small shallow breaths, which made my O2 levels drop. By the time I got to the ER my temp was 103.1, my heart rate was 150 (normal range 60-100), and I don't know what my blood pressure was but that was high too, my O2 level was 88, my normal is around 95 and my white blood count was 30,000 twice the normal range. The speculation was that maybe my left lung had collapsed, fortunately it was not. Ultimately it was a combination of the bronc-scope irritating my lungs and already being on the verge of infection. So they have put me on 2 IV antibiotics and one inhaled anti-biotic. I am going to be here until they get the final results back from my scope, which could be a couples weeks at least. Today I feel better then last night, but I'm still having pain, that's mostly being controlled right now. My breathing and O2 levels are back to normal, as well as my blood pressure and heart rate. They did the echo cardiogram this morning to check for pulmonary hypertension, the results from that will be in later this afternoon. I'm also having a port placed either later today or tomorrow, which is a semi- permanent central line for IV meds, it takes the place of having PICC lines placed every time I come in. The veins in my arms are no longer able to handle PICC lines.

7-22-11
I was hoping I would have got my PORT placed today, but because my blood count is still high they won't place one because of risk of infection. They also have to have negative blood cultures for 48 hours, I had them done Wed night so they won't be done until tonight and they can't do the PORT until Monday morning. Last night my normal IV went bad, it was the second one I had went through. And after 3 different people tried in 3 different places, they could not get a new one started, so I missed my IV antibiotics last night and this morning, only getting the inhaled one, which today the doctor took me off of one of the IV antibiotics anyways. So I'm on 1 IV med and 1 inhaled for now until they get my final cultures back from the Bronc. So because I can't go until Monday without my meds, they had to place (or try to) a PICC line. It was the worst experience I have had with getting a PICC placed! It ended up only being a mid-line, which only goes up to my shoulder. But it hurt so bad, I don't think the doctor gave me enough lidocaine at the site because I could feel most of the poking and prodding he was doing. I was in tears by the end and my arm hurt so bad I couldn't move it and is still is sore, 2 hours later. So the plan now is for my PORT to be placed Monday morning as long as my blood cultures come back clean.

7-24-11
I am feeling much better then I did on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. I have no pain in my chest anymore, and all of my vitals are back to normal. Other then I'm still on O2 most the time, only off for short period of times. Normal O2 saturation's should be between 90 and 100, 90 is on the low side and when I'm off the O2 mine stay right at about 90 or 91, my normal is between 94-96. I'm scheduled to get my PORT in the morning so can't have any thing to eat or drink after midnight tonight. The plan is still for me to stay here until the results come back from my washes the doctor took during my bronc, not sure how long that will be yet.