why oh why

[Remembering Dave]

OK, it's Karen again, here for another whine.

I have, yes, another upper respiratory infection.

I'm miserable and tired.

The good thing is, Dave is feeling better so he's able to pick up the slack with Faith a little bit.

The ENT doc told me next time I get one of these to call her and she'll do a pathology to see what the bacteria is. I called this morning and left a message (her staff said she'd have to talk to me about it). I got tired of waiting at home burning up sick leave so came to work, called again with my cell phone number. Still no call. I'm getting mad and frustrated and am afraid I'm going to get major sick again if we don't nip this in the bud.

Why oh why do I get sinus infections EVERY MONTH? Well, we know why, after seeing my sinus CT scan, but I cannot take care of Dave and Faith and go to work so I won't be fired for missing so much time (yes, I have FMLA, but I know how it works. if they get tired of you, they'll find SOMETHING to fire you for).

Just another vent here. When I get sick I get down, way down.

Just hope Dave keeps up until I get through this one!

Karen

[Justakid]

Karen that sucks! When I had all thoughs sinus problems (can't remember what they all were)....it seemed like it never stopped. I can say that when I quit smoking most of them cleared up.

It's so upsetting and depressing, I agree! This URI is totally getting on my nerves, I've about had it!

All you can do is keep buggin the doctors to try to get them to do something!

Hang in there!

[shelliemacs]

Karen,

AHHH, maybe your getting sick every month because your EXHAUSTED and RUN DOWN from being super woman and your body is telling you "HEY SLOW DOWN OR WE WILL SLOW YOU DOWN"

you CANT do it all no matter how hard you try or want to. something is going to give way and right now its you.

[cindi o'h]

Hang in there Karen..

Somehow you will muddle through.

Cindi o'h

[stand4hope]

Karen,

Hang in there, kiddo. I hope those docs find out what is causing this very soon. A bad sinus infection like that, repeatedly, indicates there is some problem there.

Keep us posted. And, HEY! I'm very glad to hear that David is feeling so much better. That is great news!

Love,

Peggy

[Andrea]

Hi Karen,

Hopefully they will find the right antibiotic and it will put you back on track! Sorry you have to feel so icky, but glad dave is feeling a bit better!

[pecola]

Karen, sorry to hear you are feeling so icky.

Just a thought, but ask your Dr. if they are checking you for any Mycoplasma Infections. I had one several years ago and I had repeated bouts of bronchitis, raw throats and sinus infections. I was sick off and on (more on) for about 2 years. You have to be careful with them because some of the more commonly prescribed antibiotics can actually worsen them.

Take care of yourself as best as you can.

Gina

[NellW]

Karen, I sure hope they find the problem fast. I agree that you are probably exhausted and that sure can't help.

Prayers comin your way.

Love

Nell

[betplace]

Karen,

AHHH, maybe your getting sick every month because your EXHAUSTED and RUN DOWN from being super woman and your body is telling you "HEY SLOW DOWN OR WE WILL SLOW YOU DOWN"

you CANT do it all no matter how hard you try or want to. something is going to give way and right now its you.

Good Point Shelly! Are you listening sweetie? You can't take care of the world if you don't take care of yourself!

Prayers for you all

Blessings

Betty

[Snowflake]

Karen,

I would appreciate it if in future you would keep your cooties to yourself. I was down and out all day yesterday with some nasty thing that snuck up behind me and put me out for the count! My son stayed home sick, and I don't remember much except telling him to call his grandmother if he wanted lunch because I couldn't stay awake long enough to think about food, let alone cook something... I let a workman into my house and went back to bed - SOOOOO not like me....no clue when he left!

Of course, I also know that I wore myself way down in the last week, I could feel it coming on but didn't take the time for myself because I couldn't. The wedding went off without a hitch, I performed the miracles that were expected of me, and then a few more for added measure. The bride was radiant, the food was 90 minutes late - but WAS there, nobody drank too much, the music was good, the photographer took lots and lots of pictures... Did I mention the bride was radiant?

Feeling pretty crappy yet today. Not as bad as yesterday, but not as well as last week.

Hope you're feeling better soon, Karen. I agree with Betty, it's your body telling you to take a break.

[Frank Lamb]

Karen,I also hope you shake this infection soon and get feeling better soon.

In this part of the country the flu bug has finally hit full force.

[BeckyCW]

How horrible that you're going through this AGAIN! I soooooo hope they figure out how to stop this soon (and KEEP it away), and I hope you're feeling better already today.

BeckyCW

[mhutch1366]

Karen,

I hope you feel better really soon.

The ex had problems shaking the sinus infections, found to be due to polyps blocking drainage from the mid and upper sinuses. couldn't keep the infections gone, new ones kept popping up.

He had minor surgery to remove the polyps, he was like a different person afterwards.

Please don't push too hard, nobody wants you down for the count again...

XOXOXOXOXOX

Prayers always,

MaryAnn

[Treebywater]

((((hugs)))) to you. I know being the primary caregiver for Dave and a mommy too, you have so much more on your plate than I do, but I wanted you to know I can relate a little... I've been pretty much sick for 3 months. If the doctor tells me 'it's a pregnancy thing. I'm sorry I can't do more. Take sudafed," one more time, I'm gonna go buzunga.... It really wears you down when you just keep getting sick and can't shake it off, especially when there are other more pressing things to worry about! Do hang in there.

[Justakid]

Karen......feeling any better? I'm still coughing like I never quit smoking . Go back to the old doc tomorrow to make sure my "little" lung is still clear. Gotta protect it, it's so pathetic now!

Hang in there, Spring is coming!

[paddy]

So sorry to hear this Karen. I hope they get back to you soon. If not chase them up, you can't go on like this, you sound exaughsted. Love , Paddy

[stand4hope]

Karen,

Do you have any answers yet?

Love,

Peggy

[Remembering Dave]

Hey all. Answers. Well, no. After repeated calls to the ENT's office on Monday, she finally called me at 5:30 on my cell phone on the way to pick up Faith. I felt HORRIBLE by then and I'm afraid I let her have it . . . this was NOT the plan we discussed when I saw her with my sinus CT scan in tow. She called in a prescription for an antibiotic and predisone. I decided not to take the predisone, not sure how it will affect me, and seeing how horribly it affects Dave I can't afford to feel crappy in another way. She had said she wanted me to come in right away when I got my next infection so she could take a swab of it and see what the exact bacteria is and then prescribe the correct antibiotic. Instead, she's doing what my family doc has done for the last couple of years - just call in an antibiotic and hope it works. I took a double dose of it yesterday and stayed home to rest and let it kick in and it really did help, I feel much better today EXCEPT I was up all night long coughing up drainage. But I drug myself in to work because my boss in losing patience with my illnesses, absences with Dave or my mom, etc.

Gina - thanks for the suggestion on the mycoplasma infections. There's GOT to be something in there festering that won't go away. That makes alot of sense. The usual antibiotics prescribed seem to always help in the short term, but like clockwork, about a month later, the infection always come back.

I know it's not polyps, I had my family doc order a sinus CT scan and there's no polyps but I do have a slight deviated septum, some rather small passageways in the sinuses, AND a fluid filled cyst festering away in my right maxillary sinus cavity. That was what caused the intense pain at Christmas. The small passageways, deviated septum and another condition called voto nasal rhinitis (basically your nose has asthma) is probably causing the fluid to build up and thus the chronic infections. People with lots of infections get these cysts, and they don't go away, sometimes get really big and that's when you need surgery. These ENT doc gave me some samples of Singulair to take for the vota nasal thing and it worked like a charm, my nose opened up and I could breathe. So her office called in a prescription for me - this is last week - I got a call from the pharmacy saying the new prescription drug plan won't cover Singulair. She asked the ENT's office to try to get it approved for coverage. I called them last week to see how that was going and I was pretty much told that they "were working on it" and would get to it in a few days and there was nothing I could do to help things along.

I think this ENT doc knows what she's talking about but I think that neither she nor her staff are going to act aggressively enough to help me. I told her on the phone, I need someone to agressively respond when I get this problem, I cannot afford to get as sick as I did in December or to even be chronically ill at all with sinus infections - I have a husband with cancer and a three year old and a job that expects me there every day at 100%. I'm sure that went into one ear and out the other.

So I decided to see if I can get an appt with someone at our Big Impressive Medical Center (home of our Big Impressive Cancer Center) because I really just need someone to go agressively after the problem. I can't think of anywhere else to go that might do that.

Sorry this is so long, just thought I'd answer all the questions/suggestions. And I appreciate the suggestions very much. if anyone else has an idea I'd love to hear it, I feel like I'm at the end of my rope with this stuff.

Karen

[stand4hope]

Karen,

I'm happy to hear that you are feeling a little better. I hope you find someone who will help you get to the cause, and that your employer will work with you to get through all this.

I know it's tough on employers, too, since they rely on us, but it sure is wonderful to have one that will work with you when hard times hit. I have one of those and feel that I am so blessed.

Take care, Karen.

Love,

Peggy

[Remembering Dave]

Peggy - I sent you an email - not to your work email, the other one.

thanks for listening . . . I'm really frustrated. Work is my only retreat, so when I'm sick and can't come to work it's hard for me, too!

Karen

[mhutch1366]

Hey, Karen--

Hope you continue to feel better....

Have you called your insurance company about what you can do to expedite the clearance of the prescription? I either have a good insurance company (?? is there such a thing) or else calling customer service works. The singulair should help.

The prednisone, the doses you'd be taking it at for the sinus swelling airway stuff is MUCH LESS than what David had to take, and it won't hit you anywhere near as badly. When my lung used to hyperreact, the pulmonist would put me on a three day burst with a taper, just like the pediatrician did with the girls when they got bad bronchitis. It should open your sinuses up quite well; shame to be afraid to take it if it will help. (On the other hand, I appreciate your desire not to have two adults "ON STEROIDS" in the same household...)

Anyway,

Prayers in for you to get better and stay that way.

Relentless fatigue is no good for the body or the soul...

XOXOXOX

MaryAnn

[Elaine]

You can always buy a few days worth while waiting for insurance. Hope you find relief.

elaine

[Remembering Dave]

Just heard from the pharmacist - the Singulair was approved for a year, yipee.

Not sure if it will help me while I have the infection, but will get it and start taking it anyways.

MaryAnn - thanks for telling me that about the low dose. I just didn't know how it would affect me. But the sudafed is opening things up a bit. Plus, I have been suffering from some really bad PMS the last year or so - I'm almost 46, and when I was 36 to 41 I went through intense infertility treatments and back then my FSH levels were rising significantly (thus the wonderful phase of perimenapause had already begun) so I know I'm in the depths of it now. Since that will be upon me next week, I just didn't want to mix the two, you know? PMS and steroids, doesn't seem like a good combo to me. Sorry, sounds like more info than anyone wants to know. I'll hang on to the predisone though for next time, and use it as soon as I feel the nose tightening up, hopefully with the singulair my nose won't tighten up and there won't be a next time.

and I feel stupid at times for being so whiney over silly ole' sinus problems when my husband and my mom are fighting for their lives and so are alot of you folks. but when I first got the infection on Monday I just panicked - it made me so unbelievably sick and even in pain (and I have a high pain tolerance - my IF doc used to always comment on that when he was in the midst of one of many uncomfortable procedures) in December and I just can't go through that again and take care of everyone, plus come to work. I just panicked. Now that the antibiotics are kicking in and the singulair is approved I feel better and ready to tackle it.

we had an awesome prescription drug plan but my company changed it this year and now it's just awful, apparently. other people have told me they went into shock when they picked up their regular prescriptions from the pharmacy.

thanks for the advice - any more ideas keep 'em coming. wonder if I can find a sinusitis bulletin board?

KC

[Treebywater]

Karen--

Just wanted to say don't feel silly for whining. You're not whining. For me with my 3 months of crud, it's more the AND factor. I'm overwhelmed by feeling sick, not just because I'm feeling sick, but because there are so many other things right now that I need to be focusing on. I NEED to use my emotional and phsyical energy on Mom, getting ready for baby, figuring out things here before I head back to IL, etc. etc. And when you throw in feeling lousy... well... I just get ticked off at the feeling lousy and overwhelmed by all I want to be doing and can't because I'm sick. Sorry... didn't mean to make this about me, just wanted to comiserate with you. You're entitled to a little 'whine' time, I think. (Though I still don't think you're whining).

Hang in there. I hope you're feeling better in no time!

[Fay A.]

Karen,

I don't agree that sinus problems are silly. I've had a couple of sinus surgeries, and I'm looking up the nose at another one (so to speak).

I know how I feel....and I'm not taking care of a preschooler, an ill husband, an ill Mother, working full time, driving a grueling commute, nor taking care of a house...at least not like you have to do.

Now about that prednisone.....

The reason the doc wants you to take it now is because it helps the inflamed tissue to shrink, allowing the antibiotic to have a better effect on the infected tissue. And saving it to take at the sign of another infection without an antibiotic and without your Physician's supervision could be a dangerous thing for you to do. Taking Prednisone when there is an active infection present is dangerous. It knocks out the immune system, which allows the bacteria, virus, or fungi free reign. Not a good idea. If you have any doubts about what I've written, please check with your Physician about this.

I know you don't want to miss anymore work, but after you've had sinus surgery maybe the infections will clear completely, and you won't have to miss as much work...not to mention you'll feel a heck of a lot better.

Wishing you WELL.