Well… Not quite…. What I thought was going to be another uneventful infusion turned out a bit differently.
It started out the night before… Just before checking in the hospital I developed a mild cough. I usually have irritations that result in coughing. A few hours after it developed to one of the worst coughing spells I’ve had ever.
By 11 p.m. I couldn’t breathe anymore. My right lung was filled by fluid at that time. I couldn’t expell it. The resident doctor on duty was called by the nurses. She came into the room and decided to use the suction machine to take out the Phlegm. Long story short.. it took a few hours, several attempts at suctioning, my parents driving all the way back to the hospital and a lot of physical effort, but we finally had it under control by around 1 a.m.
It was only at that time that I was able to have dinner.
The next day the doctors were debating whether or not I should go on with the infusion. I had to get a blood test, x-ray and an ECG done to see if I could go on with the infusion.
After a few hours of debate and consoltations the doctors decided to go ahead with the infusion. That and because I told them I wouldn’t leave the hospital without the infusion…. Ha!
One thing that I failed to realize that in hindsight I know didn’t help was the fact that during breakfast I drank coffee. I was feeling cold and decided to drink coffee to warm myself.
The coffee, cough medicines, the anxiety, lack of sleep and the enzyme all added to my having a high heart rate. So much so that the doctors decided to stop the infusion.
They infected anti-allergy medicine as a pre-caution. I felt weird for awhile. Numb and drowsy. I slept it off for a couple of hours. I woke up feeling better.
The doctors decided to continue with the infusion. Everything went well after. We finished at around 9 p.m. later than what we anticipated. But as the saying goes, “better late than never”.
I had to stay an extra day at the hospital as precaution. By Wednesday morning I was feeling well and was able to go home.
I don’t know if it’s by sheer coincidence or what, but before the start of the infusion, I took of my cross pendant because I had an X-ray done. It went hay-wire that time. When we took the break from the infusion, I realized that I wasn’t wearing it. I put it back on and everything after that went well…. I choose not to see it as a coincidence but simply a reminder that I need God’s help to get through this.
Well, I’ve had enough excitement and hope that the next infusions go without incident.
Fight Pompe!