
My Broken Pancreas: Part 10 - Smoke. Seriously.
How did I become one of the people that’s bodies are compromised? When the smoke from the forest fires rolled in, I started coughing, and coughing, and coughing some more. I don’t remember the last time I had a cough like this, it’s horrible. I can feel the stuff trying to come up from my lungs with each cough. The last few days each coughing fit has left me wheezing and gasping for air.
An added complication is that I found out that my ejection fraction from my left heart ventricule is 25–35%. Which apparently means my heart is only working at 50%.
A call to the nurses line a couple days after it started led to visit to the emerg at VGH, that got me a perscription for an inhaler. The following week I had a GP appointment. The cough was presenting like bronchitis. He gave me a script for antiobiotics if my breathing got worse, which of course they did. We had to make sure the antiobiotics didn’t have the super rare side effect of pancreatitis. What a pain. A few days in and nothing was improving so we got a stronger antibiotic. Alas my cough and ability to breathe continued to worsen.
I decided to still come camping with my girlfriends as I can feel crappy here with the beautiful view just as easy as at home on my couch.
Yesterday, the coughing was so bad I couldn’t catch my breath. Trying to stay calm when you can’t breathe is a challenge. One that I would prefer not to experience again.
We decided it was time for trip to the hospital in Squamish. Thankfully they are in the same health district as VGH and can access my health records. Which surprisingly, are a bit complicated and convoluted. I have learned the hard way, hospitals don’t talk to each other so you need to take control of your own hospital records.
Heart looked good, oxygen SATs we’re good, they didn’t see any infection in my lungs. So it appears the problems are irritation from the particulates from the forest fires. They gave me a nebulizer and dose of high steriods. I felt shaky, but a bit better. The doctor also gave me a script for more oral steroids and a steroid inhaler. Fingers crossed this will help me feel human again.
September is going to be busy. I start at the Complex Chronic Disease Clinic at BC Woman’s hospital. It’s been a two year wait. I’m really hoping they will be able to come up with some answers.
I’m waiting for approval for the doctors to do genetic testing to see if that is causing the repeated bouts of acute pancreatitis.
I’m also starting at the Cardiac Care Clinic at the Laurel Centre beside VGH.
Trying to get healthy is a full time job and completely exhausting.
Hopefully this fall will provide some answers and I can find a new normal.
