worried

[Guest guest]

I've had a really bad two weeks and although this is not related to

my CP I need to " talk " . I found out today that they think my pacer

leads may be infected. I had sepsis right before Christmas-- my

porta cath got infected from an infection that began in my urine. I

spent 5 days in the hosp on IV antibiotics and then sent home on two

weeks of Tequin (oral). Trouble is my fever returned about 4 days

after I finished the antibiotic. So I finally broke down and called

my PCP. I saw his NP and she rechecked my urine and that was it, so

after one more week of continuing to run a fever I called back. I saw

her again and again, no meds, no CBC, nothing, except to call my

urologist and make me an appointment. In between I started having

shoulder pain. So I tried heat, and Skelaxin to see if they would

help. I didn't remember straining it but I wasn't sure. I saw the PA

at the urologist office on Thursday, he started me on Levaquin. I

have a small stone and he thougt maybe it was causing the problems.

However, by thursday night my R shoulder was hurting so bad I

couldn't sleep or hardly stand to use it. My mom is a nurse for a

neurologist in town and I just happened to have an appointment with

him Fri. He didn't like the fact I was running a fever of 102 and

couldn't use my arm so he called an ortho doc and I saw him when I

left his office. He is the one that finally ordered a CBC along with

a sed rate and c reactive protein. WBC was 15 and CRP was 11-- it

should be less than 1. SO that means there is infection and some type

of inflammatory response. He examined me and immediately called the

cardiac surgeon that put in my pacemaker. By this time it was 5pm and

I just knew I was going to be sent to the ER to see him.Instead he

walked over from the hosp. and saw me at the ortho's office. He told

me that he thought it was my pacer leads but he would talk to the

infectious disease doc on Mon. and see what to do. He wants me on

antibiotics for at least two more weeks. I'm really scared. I have

had to have my SVC balloned becasue of scar tissue and I have four

pacer leads. --I broke two when I had a single chamber pacer and when

I had this one replaced they had to put in two new leads. I saw a

doctor at Duke last year about taking them out and he has a lot of

experience with this but I am one of those patients that usually

anything and everything happens to. Even the surgeon here said he

didn't want to touch me. I am writing this at 4:47am because I can't

sleep. my shoulder is just about to kill me and laying down makes it

worse. I can't sleep on either side If I sleep on my L side my R arm

hangs down and hurts and we won't even talk about laying on my R

side. I can't sleep on my back because I can't breath well. I sleep

on two pillows anyway. The only sleep I've been able to get has been

in my chair. I've used more Vicodin in the past two days than I had

used in a month. But really why I am writing is because I am really

scared. I've been through alot and I've been worried before but never

like this. My last bout with sepsis I almost ended up in ICU.

Actually I would have if they had had any beds. I also know that when

I am really stressed I seem to have alot more trouble with my CP.

Anyway, thanks for listening.