Ps of the week

 

 

This week has been full of them: parenthood, patienthood  (my own journey into the world of medicine), and pediatrics.  After six weeks of coughing with frequent nocturnal episodes, my husband surrendered me to a Pulmonologist who happens to be a friend.  In the meantime, I spiked a 103 fever – confirmed by husband and oldest son.  Early Monday morning I drag myself to friend doctor with pain in my right mid back. 

 

Frienddoc:  What’s going on?

 

Self:  Allergies, reflux, cough for 6 weeks, waking up at night

 

Frienddoc:  How bad is the reflux?

 

Self:  Bad.  A good night is 2 Tums.  Bad night is 4-6 cough cough

 

Frienddoc:  Have you tried a PPI?

 

Self:  Prevacid, Nexium, H2Blockers, too.  Worked for a while, but now they make me feel worse. Cough cough

 

Frienddoc:  How bad are the allergies?

 

Self:  Bad, 4 + to trees, grass  Cough cough cough

 

Frienddoc:  You have asthma? 

 

Self:  Maybe?  Ventolin helps. Inhaled Steroid helps some.

 

Frienddoc:  Here’s what we’ll do….More stomach meds including a GI cocktail (I’m liking the sound of this especially if it comes in a martini glass), newest leukotriene antagonizer, chest xray, cough med with codeine.

 

Self:  Don’t need it. Cough cough cough cough

 

Frienddoc:  Don’t need what?

 

Self:  Cough med with codeine – rather have something less potent

 

Frienddoc:  OK. I’ll call you this afternoon with the chest x-ray results.

 

Here’s where the Ps start.  Pneumonia in the right chest confirmed by Pulmonologist.  Prescribed big gun antibiotic to go with GI martini.  Pissed at myself for getting to this point where I have to become a patient and wondering what I could have done to prevent this.  Pissed at this annoying cough that I’m beginning to wonder if it is psychosomatic.  Try new cough medicine with pseudoephedrine – now I’m a meth junkie, too. Pseudofed has me so wired that I am writing this at 2 am in a sweat. Perimenopause or polypharmacy?  I’ll let you know after I go pee.