Well, I *was* improving…
I finally started feeling like a human being again over the
weekend. My cough gradually eased, I was finally able to get some sleep, and the
fevers were lower and less frequent. I thought I was finally on the verge of kicking
whatever virus I had, and that the antibiotics could start working on the
underlying CF exacerbation.
Aaaand then everything fell apart.
On Monday the fever was back with a vengeance. It spiked
repeatedly all day, and went higher than it had during the previous weeks. I
was also increasingly short of breath. Tuesday was downright awful. Not only
was I feverish all day, my oxygen levels were barely hanging on and dropped
with the slightest activity. I spent the day in a panting exhausted haze until
things finally eased off a bit around 7pm.
Given how terrible yesterday went, I was pretty sure I’d be
admitted to the hospital at my doctor’s appointment today. What I wasn’t
expecting was the worst pulmonary function test results of my entire life. Lately
my FEV1 has been topping out at 60%, and at my last appointment it was 57%.
Today, it was 45%. Which was dramatically bad, but at least made me feel
validated in how utterly awful I’ve been feeling.
My doctor thinks that I have a virus on top of a severe CF
exacerbation. We’re going to try a different IV antibiotic since the current
one apparently didn’t do much. Unfortunately, the infections in my lungs are
resistant to most antibiotics, and one antibiotic which has been very effective
in the past ended up causing tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and can cause
hearing loss. Thankfully, 11 months later the tinnitus is mostly gone and not
intrusive, but we’re still extremely hesitant to risk my hearing by using Tobramycin
again. Hopefully the new antibiotic will be effective and get me back on track,
but if it isn’t we may have no choice but to risk a round of Tobramycin. Let’s
hope it doesn’t come to that.
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