Hi All!!!

[Guest guest]

I know I haven't been on lately...and I apologize for not keeping in

touch. Things have been kind of strange this month with this

wonderful (HA!!) disease. It seems I acquired a virus that started

out with low grade fever and nausea over the weekend. Sunday during

the day was just the temp and nausea and then the pain started. By

Monday, I was miserable and on my way to being very dehydrated. I

called my internist and we decided that I should go to ER for IV

fluids and nausea meds to calm things down. Well,as you might have

guessed, the fluids and meds were not successful and I was admitted.

By the following day, the abdominal pain was increasing and so was

the temp. Bloodwork showed a lipase of 319--I believe the normal

range is up to 190 or somewhere about there. All this happened in

spite of having my epidural pain pump and I was soon on PCA Morphine

for 10 days. It seemed I was recovering pretty well and was out on

the 10th day for a refill and increase on my pump. I did okay for

about a week...and then things fell apart. I have been to the pain

clinic every day this week so far for increases and boluses of pain

meds. They even put me back on 80mg OxyContin twice daily. Mostly to

no avail...except, the nausea seems to be fairly stable...rather

unusual. The docs say its the virus hanging on from my sickness

earlier this month. I'm trying desperately to stay hydrated as the

doc wants me to stay out of the hospital. My fear??? That the weekend

will arrive and things will not be improved and unable to contact my

doc. He is never on call on weekends. If I need to go to ER over the

weekend, an entirely different set of docs will be making decisions

regarding my care, and I got into LOTS of trouble last time that

happened.(Do hallucinations mean anything??) In order for me to get

care from my doc, I will have to wait until Monday to get care from

my doc. ARGGGGHHHHHH!!! Any thoughts anyone?

Diane

TN State Rep