Kind of a lot has happened since my last post. I promised a friend of mine an explanatory blog post in an e-mail and though I don't feel like telling the whole story right now, I'll at least give a shortened version. (Okay, so this is a full account. It's just not all that detailed per se. Deal.)
On Saturday, Jan. 7, I woke up achey (joints achey) and with a head cold. My left eye was red and sore. I generally felt rotten. Very sudden. I just woke up like that.
The following Monday, Jan. 9 I saw an ophthalmologist and he helped my eye out. Follow up that Friday, eyes fine. He did put me on Doxycycline (an antibiotic) for 10 days.
Joint achiness continued throughout all this, some days better and some worse. Some mornings generally hard. Head cold came and went. Also developed pimples, especially on legs. Sores/lesions in mouth. Fever and chills, randomly. Generally ill-being. Achiness was the worst since it started impairing my ability to move, i.e. my knees, ankles and hips.
Saw my gastrointestinal doc in the middle of this. Switched my ulcerative colitis meds a little bit. He said nothing, offered nothing about the rest.
Went to the walk-in after ~2 weeks of this. No help. Suggested I take Advil regularly to help with inflammation.
Saw my regular doc ~1 week after the walk-in. Started doing tests. Posited maybe lyme disease.
Stopped going into work on Thursday, Jan. 26. Achiness was too much. I'd been limping around, moving slowly for a while prior but now it was too much to go into work. Wednesday night was the first night not sleeping in my bed but downstairs in the family room easy chair - I couldn't make it up the steps to get to my bedroom.
Follow up with regular doc on Friday, Jan. 27. Not lyme disease, not Hepatitis. (Though my old Hepatitis shot was working well as I had Hepatitis antibodies.) More tests. Meanwhile, my join achiness and other symptoms continue unabated. Doc prescribes Biaxin, a strong antibiotic. My throat developed stuff on Thursday - hurts to swallow. Hence strep test.
Biaxin is messing with my appetite, making me nautious at times. Did you know one of my cable channels shows The A-Team for an hour or two every afternoon? (Or is it on Saturdays?)
Sunday, Jan. 29, haven't eaten much in past few days. *Really* don't eat much on Sunday. Nautious much of Sunday after 1pm. Can't get out of chair. Call doc, he says go to hospital. Call ambulance ~5:15pm or so. Go to St. Vincent's hospital in Bridgeport. Get fluids, feeling a little better. Admitted to hospital. Transferred to 10th floor that night. Mom & family friend leave ~11:30pm.
Note that doc from my regular doc's office came in at 10pm on that Sunday night to check on my admission. Wow.
Spend next week in hospital. First few days, can't get out of bed. Per regular doc's tests, don't have strep throat, syhpilis, or any other infectious diseases. Infectious disease hospital doc is running tests galore. Won't do anything 'til sure I don't have an infectious disease.
Got incredible bouquet of flowers from work on Monday or Tuesday. *Very* nice. Big. Pretty. (Expensive.) Wow.
On Tuesday, rheumatologist sees me and immediately identifies everything as an auto-immune system response (manifestations) of my ulcerative colitis. Prescribes prednisone (steroid). Start prednisone Tuesday around 6pm. Doesn't hurt to swallow - actually eat breakfast on Wednesday.
Feeling better as prednisone goes on. Start getting out of hospital bed on Thursday or so. Nice not to use urinal or bedpan.
Wednesday rheumatologiest gave me shot of cortisone in right knee. Ow.
Getting better and better. Hurts less to walk around, move. Knees, ankles, hips getting better. Finally get out of hospital on Sunday, Feb. 5. Still achey and sore and tired and run down, but symptoms going away, i.e. rash above ankles.
1st day back at work in 8 days on Tuesday, Feb. 7. Only putting in half-days.
Today, Thursday, first day things started feeling more normal. Better. Still not fully ready. Need rest more. Taking it easy.
Not sitting for Feb. bar. Lost way too much time. Stinks but way it goes.
Gotta run.