HOW THE PAIN FEELS TO ME

A couple of people have asked me how it feels to have costocondritis. Here is how it feels to me:

At first it felt like a giant rubber band was around the top of my rib cage. It felt more and more uncomfortable. To the point where I had to remove my bra by the end of the day. It started to feel like the area at the top of my rib cage was full and too full for my skin.  It also felt a little like the fullness of heartburn but without the burn. 

Then the the tightness in my breast bone set in.  Then it became hard to breathe. It felt like a heaviness was in my chest which sounds funny when I am sitting up or standing. Some times the pain would be a dull ache and other times a piercing sharp pain. Those sharp pains would just take my breathe away.  There was stiffness radiating out to my shoulders. 

Before I went to the ER, I began to get sharp pains up and down my back mostly on the left side.  It was impossible to get comfortable. Then on the way to the ER, I began getting pain in my neck. 

Today the pain has decreased. The pain in my neck has gone away. The back pain is almost gone. The tightness in my breast bone is still there as well as the rubber band feeling around my rib cage. I have been told that will take some time, maybe weeks, to subside.  I have been told I still look sick but I am sure that will subside too.  

Today I finally went food shopping. I am so happy. We were scrapping the cupboards for food. Since I am sticking with my plant-based meal plan, I had to get some food or starve!  Tomorrow I am planning to make a grilled vegetable salad. I am going to try grilling eggplant for the first time. 

Oh, before I forget, Lucky's blood tests came out normal. She must have had some virus or something. She ate like a champ today. 

Until tomorrow...

LUCKY IS NOT FEELING WELL

Poor little Lucky has not been feeling well. She has not been wanting to eat and for a dog who was obviously deprived of food before she came to live with us, that is a big deal. She always wants to eat!  So today I took her to the vet.  Of course she acted completely fine.  The vet could find nothing wrong with her. There are two things that are concerning: her teeth and the possibility of kennel cough. I told him that she had a cough last night and he thought that maybe she had the beginning of kennel cough.  I don't think that is what she has. He also said her teeth are bad but not bad enough to cause her problems.  I had them do blood work so we can make sure the little pup is okay.

Tonight she ate like a champ.  Maybe she is feeling better.  We get her results tomorrow.

The trip to the vet tired me out. I came home and slept for two hours with no pain pills.

Until tomorrow...

CONFIRMED DIAGNOSIS: COSTOCONDRITIS

I went to see my primary doc today. He did some painful tests to confirm I have costocondritis. He thought I may have had peritonitis which is inflammation of the lining of the abdomen.  Turns out I do not have peritonitis so that is good. 

My doc was a bit upset that my RA doc got so wound up about me having a blood glucose of 103. He felt that me losing 10 pounds in the last 6 weeks may have not been very good for my health and may have contributed to the costocondritis.  He said he should have made the decision about my blood glucose.

He was also upset to hear that his staff didn't give me an appointment for four months.  We now have an agreement that if I call again and I am told there are no appointments for a long time, I take the appointment and then have him call me and let him decide if he wants to see me sooner.  Sometimes my stuff can't wait four months.

He wants to keep me out of the ER.   He said he was impressed that I lost 10 pounds while being on 9 mg prednisone. But he was concerned that some of my blood work was wonky when I was in the ER.  

So I stay the course of taking the pain meds if I need them and just be careful. I can start walking and biking when I feel up to it. No more Zumba. Maybe some light yoga. 

Until tomorrow...

LEAD ON A GIG

Today someone sent me a lead for a consulting gig. I am pretty stoked. Turns out a friend knows the person who is doing the hiring so hopefully I have an in.  I am also excited because they are not doing interviews for about two weeks. This will allow me to get better.

Two people called today and the first words out if their mouths were "are you feeling okay? You don't sound well."   This worries me because that means I am sicker than I think I am.  Hopefully the doc can give me some answers.

Until tomorrow..

CONVERSATION WITH DOCTOR

I spoke to my primary doc today. He is not sure I have costocondritis. He is not sure what I have so he wants me to come in and get checked out. I see him on Thursday morning. I just have to hang on one more day.

Until tomorrow...

WHOLE DAY OF HEALING

I am trying to think of something profound to say today but honestly I vegged on the couch, then I sat outside in the shade, then I laid in bed and then I watched TV. That was my whole day of healing. I slept through most of The Muppets movie. I decided I wanted to watch the first Muppets movie before I see the second one.  That was my whole Labor Day. 

Until tomorrow..

REMEMBERING PAST COSTOCONDRITIS ATTACKS

Today I am feeling much better. I spent half the day sitting up watching TV and the other half dozing after taking 1/2 a pain pill.

I am not sure I can remember the first time I got costocondritis. I think I was in college. The doctor didn't call it costocondritis. I am not sure what he called it.  I remember getting Tylenol or Advil (when was Advil invented?) or something. I also remember getting the same pain in my shoulder collar bone area but I was told that was bursitis. I have a feeling it was all the same thing. This was way before I was diagnosed with RA, but as I have said in the past I feel I had RA long before I was diagnosed.

I remember one time I had costocondritis for so long I was sick and tired of wearing undershirts. I had to go out and buy more undershirts.  I think I wore them for a month because I could not wear my bra due to the pain around my rib cage. 

The good thing about getting this over the long Labor Day weekend is I have no where to be. Of course on the flip side, I am doing nothing but sleeping on a glorious long weekend. 

Until tomorrow...

DAY AFTER ER VISIT

After my ER visit yesterday, I had to go get my pain meds. During my drive and wait for the drugs, I felt horrible. I was in horrible pain and quite nauseous.  Once I took the meds I got into bed. That felt much better. 

I spent the day in bed hopped up on pain meds.  I took the one pill and after about one hour I could hardly keep my eyes open. I put on a movie and promptly fell asleep. Then I woke up and put on the Simpsons Marathon and fell asleep again. This pattern went on all day.  Folks kept asking if I was in pain. Well, no I am asleep. 

Now it has been a few hours since the pill has worn off and I am in less pain.  Let's hope this means I am healing.

Until tomorrow...

ER VISIT FOR COSTROCONDRITIS

Yesterday my chest began hurting. At first I ignored it. Right, don't we all do that?  Then this morning I woke up and my chest was still bothering me. It felt like my bra was too tight. As the day wore on I felt tired and a bit nauseous. No energy. I basically sat on the couch all day and read a book and watched TV.  No exercise.  I did surf the web to see what could be wrong. I thought it was costocondritis but it felt different. The pain was higher not in my ribs where I usually have it. Then I got pain on the left side of my back and up into my neck.  I got scared. I had all the symptoms of a heart attack. 

I told Brenda I needed to go to the hospital.  Normally I would procrastinate before going to the ER. Not this time. I packed up my bag and called a cab. I got there and told them I had chest pains. Boy is that the golden ticket. I was swept in the doors. No registering.  Put right on the EKG machine. 

Long story short, it was not a heart attack, it was costocondritis they think. I was sent home 3.5 hours later with some pain medicine.  I had my regular ER doc and she let me choose what type of meds I wanted: more steroids, pain meds, Advil.  I even got to choose my pain meds!   She said I knew my meds and diagnosis better than she did. I like that. 

I was so happy I was prepared. I had my kindle, iPad, and phone. I watched two TV shows and texted with my friend, A.  My cell reception sucked so I could not talk to anyone but I could text.  I tried to read my new book but the elderly woman next to me was hard of hearing and everyone had to shout at her which made it hard to concentrate.  

Until tomorrow...

WATCHING THE CLASSICS

Over the years I have recorded things on DVD from the TV. Some are movies from cable others are programs from other channels. A few years ago PBS had a Fall of Jane Austin.  I recorded almost all the programming.  Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, Emma, Persuasion, Sense & Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice.  There were also some Madterpiece Classics like Cranford. I am excited to watch them.  I have never seen or read any of these classics. I tried to read Pride and Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility years ago but didn't make it far. 

Today was not a good day. I am not feeling that well. I have this tightness in my chest. I am not sure what it is from. It could be from the Zumba I did this morning or from heartburn. I am not sure if it from either.  I was a bit out of breath and my chest feels tight.  I only did 7 miles on the stationary bike on level 3 today. I thought it would be smart to take it easy.  Then I took Carafate before I ate dinner in case it was heartburn.  I will see if I feel better tomorrow.

Until tomorrow...