Christmas 2020 and beyond

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The pain has been horrific. Upper chest/shoulder/neck. When I breathe deeply or lay down to sleep.

Went to urgent care yesterday and another COVID19 test (results in 2-4 days!) and chest x-ray (negative) later and I still have no definitive diagnosis. Update – Dec 26 2020 – COVID19 test negative! That’s five COVID tests I’ve had since the pandemic started – all negative.

But as I was reflecting back on my December 16, 2020 visit with the cardiologist who mentioned pericarditis; I started doing some research.

And that’s what I am pretty darn sure I have.

Echocardiogram is next Wednesday which will hopefully tell me if my heart is damaged. If yes, then we do a CT of my heart to figure out exactly how damaged and what next steps are.

In the meantime, holy shit it is painful.

UPDATE January 6, 2021

I had a week of no pain whatsoever – it was wonderful.

Yesterday (January 4, 2021), the pain started again and it continues today (January 5, 2021). It is worse when laying down, same as before.

Unfortunately the nurse at the Pulse Heart clinic in Auburn wouldn’t tell me the results of the echo I had done on December 30, 2020; she said if there was anything concerning, they would have called me so that should give me some peace of mind.

Not.

I want to know the results and I guess I have to wait until January 18th. So very disappointed in the lack of patient care.

Recovering, I think

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October 23, 2020

It’s been two weeks since I got home after spending a week in the hospital (three days in critical care) with pneumonia being the primary diagnosis. I have to be honest and say that it’s only been the last three days that I’ve felt like myself. I still have a bit of a cough – which is also normal for me and related to my mild asthma.

I see my primary care doctor early on Monday and am hoping to start back to work on a reduced schedule on Tuesday (mostly because I need the money and am concerned about keeping my job).

Ryan and I had a lovely time going to the Funko headquarters in Everett today – our first real outing since the pandemic. We even ate lunch at Quiznos – first in restaurant meal since February.

More after I see my doctor on Monday.

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Saw my primary care doctor yesterday and she agreed I could start back to work today at a slightly reduced schedule. So that’s what I did.

I worked six hours today and while it felt good to get back to work overall, I’m exhausted and it’s only 7 PM.

I’m paying very close attention to how I’m feeling so I’m going upstairs to lay down.

More tomorrow.

Pneumonia hospital stay

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The day Ryan got home (Thursday evening, Oct 1), I ended up calling 911 due to 103.5 fever and vomiting after having been sick for almost 3 weeks. The ER suspected COVID-19 plus heart issues so I was admitted to Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup. I was in the Critical Care Unit for 3 nights and after 3 negative COVID-19 tests and healing a bit, was transferred up to a Med/Surg floor to finishing recovering. Ultimately my diagnosis included bilateral pneumonia, sepsis, c-diff, UTI and myocarditis (or maybe heart failure).

Here’s a pic of my lovely room:

It was scary.

I’m home now and will take as many weeks as needed to recover.

Monday I see my primary care doc for follow up and then Friday I have to see the cardiologist for a stress echocardiogram because the inpatient echocardiogram showed reduced heart function. I’m hoping that was due to the virus my body was battling.

This experience is as close to dying as I want to get for a good long time.