I kinda hate how fast a 'flare' can take over. Wednesday I was doing as well as any other day, went to get labs done, got breakfast, came home, cooked, ate, rested. Pretty average day. Then in the early afternoon, I started to feel achy. By 5pm, I was hurting all over and just wishing I could go to bed (I was scheduled to work on Thursday, so I didn't want to go to bed at 5 and wake up at 2 am and then have to work a 12 hour day until 8pm). I fought it as long as I could, took Ativan, and was in bed with numerous pillows by 7:15. I think I was asleep before 8. And didn't sleep much through the night. I kept waking up, I was sweating, I was in pain, my brain was all foggy, I was miserable. When 4am rolled around, I took Zofran for my tummy (I take that in the morning before I get out of the comfort of my bed that way I feel less barfy and more like eating when I get up), took tylenol for pain because it was the only thing I could reach. By 4:45, I felt worse, called out sick to work, and debated a trip to the ER for fluids and pain meds.
I was able to get up and go to the bathroom without too much incident, so I dug into my emergency meds and decided I could get just as doped up at home in my own bed as I could in the ER (and it would cost less). The stronger nausea med helped, as did the Percoset, but basically it turned me into a narcoleptic zombie and I slept all day. I woke long enough for some lunch between doses and then again in the evening, deciding I needed to be up for a while (both for the blood pressure and because the pain was going away so I needed to get out of the bed).
Now my tummy is still very unhappy (I see the new GI on Monday....just keeping my head above the water until then). But the pain that was trying me finally went down to a dull roar and I took Advil the rest of the night. Today my tummy still sucks and I'm half wishing I had gone to the ED for fluids, because I feel parched and lousy.
The goal for the next three days is simple: be a bad ass and work two full shifts in a row (because I never seem to accomplish that), whine and suffer at night, go to the doc on Monday (afternoon, thankfully, so I can sleep in), and then pass out and refuse to move for a few days following. Going into a weekend at work is hard enough when I'm feeling relatively well. It downright sucks when I'm not feeling great to begin with. I have my lunches made and packed, I've got Gatorade because I overheat and sweat more at work. I've got my pills already sorted into a little granny organizer ready to take the second I get home, I've got uniforms all laid out for the weekend so I don't have to fuss with laundry or getting things together. I have done everything in my power to make it as smooth as possible. Now I just pray that I can make the next 3 days happen!
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My new favorite thing right now is a smoothie every night as my last snack of the day (usually an hour or so before bed...not too heavy, try to get it digested before I lay down to minimize reflux, but close enough to bed that hopefully I don't wake up hungry in the middle of the night...my doc threw in a thyroid function test on my labs Wednesday). I got frozen fruit (no sugar added) because it's cheaper than fresh and I'm broke, a big container of vanilla Greek yogurt, and milk. Quick and easy to to with the immersion blender (because I hate cleanup) and it gets a couple servings of fruit and some good yogurt (and protein!!!) into me. Definitely a winner. It still upsets my tummy, but less than some of the other stuff I eat or drink, and this is loaded with healthy goodness.
Still not eating much meat. Just too hard to digest. It has been an issue for me for years (and I was even a vegetarian for a couple years), but the last two months have been nothing but stomach pain and nausea and reflux and meat is just too hard on it. So I've mostly cut that out of my diet. I love meat, but it's not worth the pain.
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Got the second order of finger splints (oval 8 splints) in the mail this week. I love them. I have them on 9 of my DIP joints, a couple on middle and ring finger PIP joints, and I ordered a couple for my thumbs too (but I don't need those as much). I think I can get away with 9 of these at work, and then keep the extras around in case I have a bad day. I have no idea what my boss is going to say about it, but I did tell her I'd be getting them at some point. I know rings are not allowed at work for hygiene reasons, but this is also a disability support issue, so I don't know where it will go.
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My pup is doing an excellent job of sleeping on his comfy cushion next to my chair and protecting me (what a bum) so I'm gonna go clean up the kitchen, make a snack, and get back to my book.
Happy day everyone! ::hugs and spoons:: for all!!
I've had those too, just walkin' along, minding my own business, then *BAM* hit by an invisible truck. Days or weeks of recovery, and being extra cautious, only to have it happen again.
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping you have more good days than bad!
Hugs,
BubbleGirl
My body wasn't quite as up for the challenge of the weekend as my mind...I got sick at work Sunday morning and had to be sent home (one barf means no work...if you do it once, you might do it again and that's not allowed in the hospital unless you have a gown and an ID bracelet on :P ). I went to the ED on the way home because I was just miserable and I knew one way or another, the dehydration would win and I would wind up there whether I was willing or not. I felt much better after that. Made the last few days much more tolerable.
ReplyDelete*shrug* Oh well. Can't predict it, can't plan it, but can always have a plan to help deal with the unpredictability.
::hugs::