13 April 2010

Long Day at the VA

Yesterday was one of the longest in my life.  I went to the VA in the AM to see occupational therapy.  That appt went great.  I got all my braces for my arms and hands fitted properly and was excited about it.

Now for the long part.  I have been having trouble breathing lately.  It has hurt all across my back to just breath. I have been shallow breathing for awhile.  So, I went up to the clinic where my arthritis doc is.  Well, that clinic was closed yesterday.  So, I was sent some where that I could not find.  I tried the PT advocate.  The office said open, but no one was there.  I waited 15 mins and gave up.  After talking to Matt we decided since I was having the problem right then, I should go to the ER so someone could see me while I was having the issue.

The ER at the VA is a total mess.  I was taken back right away because I was having breathing problems.  I went the back, but when they realized that I was not turning blue, I was left alone there for awhile.  I tried to tell them about my EDS, but no one would really listen.  So, I explained that I was having trouble breathing because there was horrible pain in my back each time I took a breath.  The doc finally listened to my chest and thought that maybe my lung was collapsing.  Really?  A collapsed lung?  So, I had an EKG, a chest xray and some labs done.  I tried to explain that I did not think that it was any of that.  I told them that I thought that possibly I had dislocated a vertebrae and it had gone back in place.  No one would listen.  Instead, they gave me a strong anti-inflammatory.  Seemed to work a bit, but not really.  So, I lie there a bit longer.  Finally, I decided it was time for me to go.  The pain had lessened and there were many others who needed to be seen too.  I was angry that no one listened to me....but I have to say that when they were going to send me home I finally got someone to listen about something.  They wanted to send me home with flexiril as a muscle relaxer.  I explained that I had taken that before for many years and it did not work for me.  So, they sent me home with something else.

So what they sent me home with was more of a neuro-blocker.  They called it a muscle relaxer, but really?  It never actually works on the muscles. Seems a bit odd to me.  Whatever, it kinda worked for a couple of hours, but the pain in my back returned.  Oh well, it happens.

I am just going to keep going.  Breathing is easier today.  I am happy about that.  The pain is just going to be part of my life.  I need to figure out how to live with it.  The meds I took yesterday worked for a little while without making me too stupid.  Maybe that will be a course for the future.  We will have to see.

I am feeling pretty pain free today.  Hopefully having spent some time in the ER will put this more on my record so people might start listening to me.

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