Some Things I Have Learned The Hard Way: Part Two

Some Things I Have Learned The Hard Way: Part Two

This is one of several blog posts I have written about having Asthmatic Bronchitis, the past week or so.  In this post, I am sharing about my Dr. Visits, what the treatments have been and how they have helped. I got really sick due to combination or reasons, some of which I may have been able to prevent.  Throughout this process I have learned a lot of lessons, that I do not intend to forget. My hope that sharing these posts, it will not only help me to remember, but might even help someone else to not get here in the first place.

So I decided to start organic gardening. You can read more about that here.   I ran into some health problems, more about how it came about and why in posts to come.  I waited too long to go to the Dr and did not take my health seriously and once I finally went to the Dr, I expected a quick fix.  

When I first went to the Dr.  I had been struggling with asthma for a couple of weeks, had a really bad sinus headache for a week or so, a sore throat and felt really weak.  They said it was bronchitis and sinusitis.  They put me on prednisone and antibiotics and I figured I would be fine by Monday. I wasn't, I was worse. It didn't helped that I worked a couple of hours on Saturday. I had to meet a new tenant with a key. My husband could have done it, but I figured I should do it. (You guessed it that thinking will be another blog post). 

I went back to the Dr on Tuesday and they increased the prednisone and prescribed inhaled steroids as well. By that time I had some questions, since I was laid up all weekend I did some research, also had gotten some input from friends with recent episodes of bronchitis.  Why wasn't I feeling better? Will doing this help?  They explained that this was Asthmatic Bronchitis and that it was going to be hard to get over,  because the pollen is the worst it has been in 30 years. I should stay indoors at all costs. I was to follow up with my primary care Dr in 2 days. That was Tuesday. 

So two days later, I am at my primary care Dr. and I actually felt even worse. I got a breathing treatment, (a nebulizer) a shot of cortisone and instructions to do nebulizer treatments for two weeks, continue the prednisone, stay inside and avoid my dogs as much as I can, (they keep bringing more pollen in),use air purifiers, rest and comeback in two weeks. They said the cortisone would work really fast and I would have some relief soon, I didn't. It did keep me from sleeping that night. 

It is now four days later, fourteen nebulizer treatments later, two full days later, that my dogs are being closed off on the other side of the house, and are very upset, as am I. It breaks my heart, they must think I don't want to see them.  We have air purifiers running, my husband and my sister vacuumed everything, and then vacuumed it again. My breathing is still bad. I still cannot even have a conversation.  

One thing that I learned this week is that there is nothing you can do about certain things, being sick is one of them. The only control I have over this situation is that I can do everything that the Doctors are telling me to do, no matter how frustrating it is.  This lesson can hopefully stay with me and help me to have more patience when other situations come up, that I have no control over. I do pretty well with stress lately compared to a few years ago, but do tend to get upset by things I cannot control. I have no control over nasty people's attitude, so why let it upset me?  I can't make someone respond to me in a timely manner, so why stress about it?

Things are going to happen as they are supposed to happen.  My planning that I will be better by Monday or that someone will do something by a certain time, because that's what I want, actually means nothing. That doesn't mean I don't believe in the power of positive thinking because I absolutely do. So for today it's positive thinking, lots of patience, being able to work from the couch, lots of help from family, understanding clients, the ability to communicate through email and texts  and TV shows on demand, that are getting me through.