On March 30, 2012 I was taken to the hospital early that morning. Two days before the 30th I had been feeling very ill. I started throwing up constantly and couldn't keep water down and therefore I couldn't take any of my medications. Two days of not taking medications put me into with drawl. I began shaking, I was having cold and hot sweats, I was having seizures again, I was incredibly dehydrated and could barely move. I was put into the truck and taken to the hospital. Upon entering the hospital I had a seizure and was shaking uncontrollably, I barely knew what was going on. The nurses took me right into a room and I was hooked up to the heart monitor because of my Mitral Valve vegetation, I had an IV in my arm because my port was not drawing blood and therefore unusable until it would draw blood again. The infusion nurse flushed it with CathFlo and my port was again usuable by the time I left the emergency room. The nurse put 4 bags of saline in me to re-hydrate my body. My heart was racing and my blood pressure was extremely high. I was having a hard time slowing my breathing down, I was gasping for air. After hours of being in emergency I was finally admitted to a room. My shaking and nausea were finally under control and I was conscious of everything going on again. I was so weak I was having a hard time getting up walking again. I spent 3 days eating nothing but popsicles and by the 3rd day I was eating broth so I was able to go home again. I have never felt that sick in all my life. We figured out that it was the oral Rifampin that made me so incredibly ill.
I spoke to Dr.Harris' office and Dr.Meisha Grieder changed some of my medications. The first was from oral Rifampin to Rifampin IV. This medication is used for the treatment of bacteria as well but can also be used for the treatment of Tuberculosis. As you can see in my picture the Rifampin is red which in turn causes red urine and you sweat red. It's a little different to get used to. I'm not sure how long I have to be on the Rifampin, I will find out at my doctor's appointment in Redwood City May 31, 2012. I was switched from Zofran to Reglan for nausea. I'm feeling much better but being so sick for those few days has really taken a toll on my body. I am very fatigued and weak. Another change is Ceftin which is used to treat infections caused by bacteria to Omneceft. I began getting headaches whenever I was on the Ceftin. My headaches went away by taking the Omneceft. As for the IV Ceftriaxone I am still doing 4gm/day - 4 days a week.
After getting out of the hospital I started to gain strength again and began walking. After a couple of weeks my left foot began to swell mostly in the heel and ankle area. A few days later most of my foot was swollen, and up my shin was swollen as well. I went in to the doctor and was told to do an ultrasound on my leg and foot area to see if it was a blood clot that was causing all the swelling. It's highly possible to get blood clots when you don't move your legs a lot and even just having a port can cause blood clots. Well the result....no blood clot. Next came an x-ray which showed I could have Plantar Fasciitis which is inflammation of the foot tissue that is felt as heel pain. I then was referred to a Podiatrist which did more x-rays and found that I have Osteopenia which is a condition of bone in which decreased calcification, decreased density and reduced mass occurs. The result is 3 fractures in my left heel; not so great news. I was fitted for a walking boot but to stay in my wheelchair and not walk on it at all. It's better than having a cast I guess. After a few days went by my right foot began to do the same thing, I now have fractures in that foot as well so I now have walking boots on both feet. They are very painful from the tip of my toes to my heels. Hopefully in 6 weeks I will return to the doctor, have an x-ray on both feet to show they are healed and then I can start physio-therapy! Looking forward to walking and having a healthier summer!
I have been feeling much better since all of this. I am still walking around the house but I'm using my wheelchair for places outside the house. My legs are not strong enough to be able to walk around department stores yet and with the fractures in both feet still healing I've been advised not to walk or stand for long periods of time. I'm starting to walk again so things are finally looking up!
