On Thursday, February 21, I was still not feeling right. I asked Pete to take me to Bon Secours Urgent Care. I decided on this because my primary physician had done a urine culture and prescribed Bactrim, another antibiotic and something for the pain. I had been unable to see anyone in that office. At the time we went to Urgent Care, I knew I needed to see a doctor. They took my blood pressure and heart rate then told me to go straight to the Bon Secours Hospital Emergency Room. My blood pressure was very low and my heart rate was very high. This was new to me as I had never had either of these problems before.

I told them my recent history of the UTI that wouldn’t go away. They took a lot of blood. These four giant vials that would take 3 days for the results. These were to make sure there was no infection in my kidneys, which could lead to sepsis. This scared me a bit because I’ve read about people dying of sepsis. The regular blood work came back normal. They were monitoring my heart rate and blood pressure. They took me off the Bactrim and administered an antibiotic straight into my blood stream, put me on IV fluids, as I was dehydrated. Gave me pills to try and bring my blood pressure up. I needed to give another urine sample for another urinalysis. This proved to be very difficult. Before I went to Urgent Care I was peeing every fifteen minutes, nearly dozing off on the toilet. I couldn’t pee, for 9 hours I couldn’t pee. They were using that wick thing I told you about when I was in VCU. They decided to admit me so I had to stay in the Emergency Room until 11 that night, when a room became available. Before I went into a room they used a straight catheter to empty my bladder. I was so grateful. All day I could feel my bladder was full, I had 2 bags of IV fluids and drank 3 bottles of water.

I finally got into a room and it was 12:30 before I was able to close my eyes and fall asleep. At 2 am I was woken up to 4 or 5 people in my room and rushing me to ICU. Again my blood pressure had plummeted and heart rate skyrocketed. I was sent for a chest scan, (believe it or not I had never had one). They noticed some things in my heart, I don’t remember, BUT they also saw a small mass on the upper right lobe of my lungs. I ended up staying in the ICU for the rest of my stay. The urinalysis came back positive, (no shit), and continued treating me with oral antibiotics and shots into my vein. I was taken off two of my MS maintenance drugs, Tizanadine, (lowers blood pressure) and Trospium Chloride, which makes me not pee so much. Once my peeing was under control, I had graduated to using the commode. This was good except they had to help me up and down each time. I was also able to sit in the chair for most of the day. I finally got my appetite back, I hadn’t eaten for 3 days, no appetite whatsoever.

I was ready to be discharged but they wanted me to see an Oncologist first. I didn’t know why but they were adamant. Then I was told no, you’re going to see a Hematologist, okay?? Finally a Thoracic Surgeon came in and said that I will need a followup chest scan in three months to see how the mass on my lung looks, ie; whether it grows, shrinks, disappears. We’ll take it from there. His office would call me with a followup appointment. They did the 2nd day I was home. It is scheduled for May 26 and I need to schedule a scan one week before that appointment.

I am home now and still don’t feel right, it’s hard to describe. I am on the oral antibiotic, Cefpodoxime Proxetil tablets, 200 mg. twice a day until finished and also, Midodrine HCL 5 mg tabs, for my blood pressure, until those are finished. I’m supposed to followup with my Primary Physician but I don’t feel like it right now. I’d like at least a week doctor free. I’m still not taking the two maintenance drugs afore mentioned.