Aa
Strange but Good News - Very Good News
Ok, so. Really strange happenings here, but mostly really excellent. I started having stomach probs a couple days ago, and vomiting, leading to me not to be able to take any of my meds and whatnot (ok, yeah. THAT part hasn't been good or excellent, but it gets better)
And if any of you have been reading my neurotic meanderings lately you've seen that I've been concerned with all the excess iron in my system, rising liver enzymes, etc. And also this thing where I just start sweating for no reason, but I'm freezing at the same time, and I feel awful, etc.
So I went to the ER here last night and I was going to get them to send me by ambulance to Huntsville so I could get better in the hospital there and maybe have them start phlebotomy on me. Instead, the doctor ran everything possible on me there at my local ER, and infused me with a bunch of fluids and gave me a shot of phenergan, then pushed two big quatities of the other stuff... zofran. On account of I was puking everywhere, mostly dry heaving because I had no fluids. plus with the other end also. Probably I have a virus.
Right. so you're still wondering about the good stuff. Ok. And, I did that thing RIGHT in front of them where I was freezing and sweating at the same time, and it was so dramatic they couldn't believe I didn't have a fever. And I told them, this happens to me ALL THE TIME, and I feel worse and get more sick to my stomach with IT than anything else I suffered through this entire treatment.
Turns out I was going through withdrawal. Since I hadn't been able to take pain meds in 48 hours. And I've been doing this at intervals my ENTIRE TREATMENT because I didn't realize that when the doctor gives you morphine to take daily you REALLY DO have to take it daily. You can't just say... not take it for three days because you don't happen to be hurting then. Which I have done ALL THROUGH treatment. I have been making myself sick every few days because I'd stop taking it two or three days then start again if I was hurting. I know the doctor prescribed me to take it every day but I felt bad about doing that if I wasn't in pain that day. Hey. I've never done anything more than hydrocodone before if I wasn't getting a shot for a migraine, so I didn't know. So I am going to ask my doctor to start weaning me off this by reducing my dose each time because although I have residual RA from treatment, its not really morphine worthy anymore since I am no longer taking interferon. But boy do I wish I knew about this whole withdrawal deal sooner. I would have had a much easier treatment.
The best news though? My bone marrow has started working again and believe it or not, it has depleted my excess iron stores in the space of only four or five weeks - probably they think, from all of the stores needed to restart my marrow working. I mean from well over 2000 my iron has dropped to... 64. Yep.
And since I am now not on iron overload, my liver enzymes are all back to low normal except one which is barely high. And THAT has come down in only the past two or three weeks. I am really amazed, pleased, the whole nine yards. Still really sick from this stomach virus, but happy as hell to finally be putting all of this behind me. This means I can start getting my strength back and start to look for work again. Really great news and thank all of you for your kind words, prayers, advice, and thoughts in my direction.
Also, everywhere I go I meet health care providers who share with me their own family's issues with hepc. The male nurse I had last night? His dad is also an ER nurse and got hepc from a dirty needle stick but didn't find out until years later. He went through the tx protocol three years ago. He is still SVR.
And if any of you have been reading my neurotic meanderings lately you've seen that I've been concerned with all the excess iron in my system, rising liver enzymes, etc. And also this thing where I just start sweating for no reason, but I'm freezing at the same time, and I feel awful, etc.
So I went to the ER here last night and I was going to get them to send me by ambulance to Huntsville so I could get better in the hospital there and maybe have them start phlebotomy on me. Instead, the doctor ran everything possible on me there at my local ER, and infused me with a bunch of fluids and gave me a shot of phenergan, then pushed two big quatities of the other stuff... zofran. On account of I was puking everywhere, mostly dry heaving because I had no fluids. plus with the other end also. Probably I have a virus.
Right. so you're still wondering about the good stuff. Ok. And, I did that thing RIGHT in front of them where I was freezing and sweating at the same time, and it was so dramatic they couldn't believe I didn't have a fever. And I told them, this happens to me ALL THE TIME, and I feel worse and get more sick to my stomach with IT than anything else I suffered through this entire treatment.
Turns out I was going through withdrawal. Since I hadn't been able to take pain meds in 48 hours. And I've been doing this at intervals my ENTIRE TREATMENT because I didn't realize that when the doctor gives you morphine to take daily you REALLY DO have to take it daily. You can't just say... not take it for three days because you don't happen to be hurting then. Which I have done ALL THROUGH treatment. I have been making myself sick every few days because I'd stop taking it two or three days then start again if I was hurting. I know the doctor prescribed me to take it every day but I felt bad about doing that if I wasn't in pain that day. Hey. I've never done anything more than hydrocodone before if I wasn't getting a shot for a migraine, so I didn't know. So I am going to ask my doctor to start weaning me off this by reducing my dose each time because although I have residual RA from treatment, its not really morphine worthy anymore since I am no longer taking interferon. But boy do I wish I knew about this whole withdrawal deal sooner. I would have had a much easier treatment.
The best news though? My bone marrow has started working again and believe it or not, it has depleted my excess iron stores in the space of only four or five weeks - probably they think, from all of the stores needed to restart my marrow working. I mean from well over 2000 my iron has dropped to... 64. Yep.
And since I am now not on iron overload, my liver enzymes are all back to low normal except one which is barely high. And THAT has come down in only the past two or three weeks. I am really amazed, pleased, the whole nine yards. Still really sick from this stomach virus, but happy as hell to finally be putting all of this behind me. This means I can start getting my strength back and start to look for work again. Really great news and thank all of you for your kind words, prayers, advice, and thoughts in my direction.
Also, everywhere I go I meet health care providers who share with me their own family's issues with hepc. The male nurse I had last night? His dad is also an ER nurse and got hepc from a dirty needle stick but didn't find out until years later. He went through the tx protocol three years ago. He is still SVR.
I am so happy to see you! Think about you all the time!
Morphine is some strange stuff, I do not like it all, gives me a horrible feeling, horrible dreams.
Not really allergic, just causes me a lot discomfort.
I so hope you feel better,
Take care and Blessings!
Missed you
Deb
Morphine is some strange stuff, I do not like it all, gives me a horrible feeling, horrible dreams.
Not really allergic, just causes me a lot discomfort.
I so hope you feel better,
Take care and Blessings!
Missed you
Deb
that is all really good news..about time too!!! thank you Lord..
when I statrted reading I thought fr sure it was ging to be porpheria..thank God not.
Listen, aside from morphine, there are some gastro bugs you can get from transfusion
like h. pylori for instance, but othr too.
also, your symptoms could have also been from a bad gallblader attack...as a stone passes all the symptoms you described would occur.
so if it turns out your tittering off morphine doesn't solve this....get a ultra sound and a hidascan of your gall bladder....or is yours out already??
Even if it is, you can still get calcification of the duct and at the sphinter of Oddi that will cause those same symptoms...
be well.
mb
when I statrted reading I thought fr sure it was ging to be porpheria..thank God not.
Listen, aside from morphine, there are some gastro bugs you can get from transfusion
like h. pylori for instance, but othr too.
also, your symptoms could have also been from a bad gallblader attack...as a stone passes all the symptoms you described would occur.
so if it turns out your tittering off morphine doesn't solve this....get a ultra sound and a hidascan of your gall bladder....or is yours out already??
Even if it is, you can still get calcification of the duct and at the sphinter of Oddi that will cause those same symptoms...
be well.
mb
Since I hadn't been able to take pain meds in 48 hours. And I've been doing this at intervals my ENTIRE TREATMENT because I didn't realize that when the doctor gives you morphine to take daily you REALLY DO have to take it daily.
-------------------------------------------------
The last time I came out of the hospital after a ten day stay in ICU was 2004. They had me on the highest legal doses of morphine possible every four hours for the ten days.
They sent me home with a precription for oxycontin. I took them for two months just like they said.
After two months...the doc let me know that my broken bones, pneumothorax blah blah was all better and I really didn't need the pain meds anymore.
3 days later I thought I was dying, the same way you were. It is literally the same withdrawl that people go through after heroin addiction. Well - I worked it out so that I got more pain meds in my sysem fast.
A year later I'd spent all my time, money and resources trying to not be "high" but not being in withdrawl.
I did NOT want (couldn't handle it) going to the methadone clinic. It was horrible I went once and left that place fast because honestly I was scared and i didn't think I belonged there. Certainly I was not like THOSe people?
Yeah I was. Turns out I found a doctor (psychiatrist at rehab hospital in NY) who told me that there are 'addicts' and then 'functioning addicts' and indeed that IS what I was. I was technically addicted to the meds whether I wanted to admit it or not.
He began me on Suboxone and I"ve been on it since probably 2005 or early 2006. What it does is block the receptors that are missing the pain meds. You don't get "high" but your brain doesn't start screaming for you to get those meds before you start puking and dying on the floor.
I don't really want to still be on them but I know at this time I just can't take the time off from work to go through the 'real withdrawl' that i'll need to someday.
It sucks. Doctors DO NOT understand what they do when they so easily give us those scripts and meds. Yes, at the time I was near death and needed them but.....had i the opportunity NOW I would have taken them until I became concious enough and told him to please just wean me off BEFORE I was addicted. Pain is a bad thing but the pain of withdrawl (who many on here can relate) is just the worst thing in the world.
I just wanted you to nkow that this medication IS out there in case the day ever comes where you need it. I never thought I would but.....stuff happens.
I am SO GLAD you are better now!
Debby
-------------------------------------------------
The last time I came out of the hospital after a ten day stay in ICU was 2004. They had me on the highest legal doses of morphine possible every four hours for the ten days.
They sent me home with a precription for oxycontin. I took them for two months just like they said.
After two months...the doc let me know that my broken bones, pneumothorax blah blah was all better and I really didn't need the pain meds anymore.
3 days later I thought I was dying, the same way you were. It is literally the same withdrawl that people go through after heroin addiction. Well - I worked it out so that I got more pain meds in my sysem fast.
A year later I'd spent all my time, money and resources trying to not be "high" but not being in withdrawl.
I did NOT want (couldn't handle it) going to the methadone clinic. It was horrible I went once and left that place fast because honestly I was scared and i didn't think I belonged there. Certainly I was not like THOSe people?
Yeah I was. Turns out I found a doctor (psychiatrist at rehab hospital in NY) who told me that there are 'addicts' and then 'functioning addicts' and indeed that IS what I was. I was technically addicted to the meds whether I wanted to admit it or not.
He began me on Suboxone and I"ve been on it since probably 2005 or early 2006. What it does is block the receptors that are missing the pain meds. You don't get "high" but your brain doesn't start screaming for you to get those meds before you start puking and dying on the floor.
I don't really want to still be on them but I know at this time I just can't take the time off from work to go through the 'real withdrawl' that i'll need to someday.
It sucks. Doctors DO NOT understand what they do when they so easily give us those scripts and meds. Yes, at the time I was near death and needed them but.....had i the opportunity NOW I would have taken them until I became concious enough and told him to please just wean me off BEFORE I was addicted. Pain is a bad thing but the pain of withdrawl (who many on here can relate) is just the worst thing in the world.
I just wanted you to nkow that this medication IS out there in case the day ever comes where you need it. I never thought I would but.....stuff happens.
I am SO GLAD you are better now!
Debby
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