My Friend, Phlegmon

Shooting pain in the lower left side of your abdomen isn't a good sign.  On the right side, if you've still got an appendix, at least you know that he could be the culprit.  But, if you have Crohn's Disease, left side pain is not a nice thing.  I had been out of the hospital just a few weeks when I started feeling a little swollen in the belly and having a strange discomfort.  It got worse over the next week and off I went to BIDMC Emergency.  Again.

It seems as though every time I go into the ER, I am bombarded by heart monitors and swarms of medical staff.  My hear rate has been super high and I am left with those sticky little fellas that hurt like hell to remove. I recommend olive oil and not rubbing alcohol, my skin is crazy sensitive and I have small tears where the stickies were.  This is from last month's ordeal.

Since my regular GI Doc is out on maternity leave, I called within that first painful week and spoke to the fellow who'd taken over my case for the time being.  I told him about my pain, and he said that means my ulceration is 'healing'.  What a stupid thing to say.  Within 5 days of that spectacular response, I was admitted once more.  I had endured huge amounts of pain because I thought I was 'getting better'.  Hooray. 

[I have since been referred to a different doctor on the team and I am much happier.]

After a whole lot of testing in the emergency room, and morphine- which I have never need in the past, we found that I had what is called a Phlegmon.  [We weren't sure if my ovaries were at risk for infection or disease, so ultrasound and a pelvic CT scan were ordered, and once that was out of our minds, we concentrated on this new infection]  A phlegmon is basically a gathering of pus and/ or bacterial infection that pretty much hasn't amounted to anything.  So, pretty much an abscess or fistula that would/ could have formed but hasn't yet.  Kind of like me, right?  All the goods but no formed plan?  Awesome.  At least I can relate to my infections.

If you have a little body, and you're unsure of what your IV needs are, ask your nurse.  They will explain everything you need to know, and they will start your IV very slowly for you if you ask.  Some meds sting a little, and it's really helpful to have a god idea about what's happening.

I was started on two IV antibiotics, which usually work together for things like this.  I had an omental infarction about a year and a half ago, which is another infection- pretty much of the guts outside of your colon.  That was super fun.  Anyway, the two antibiotics are Flagyl and Cipro [those are shorter names for longer meds].  I will be finished with them one month from the initial start date.  Because I needed them through an IV, and we were still unsure of the path of this phlegmon, I had to stay and be monitored for 5 days in the BIDMC suites.  I was in the Farr building this time, a first, and the staff was fantastic as usual.  The only thing about being in the Farr building that I didn't like was the lack of younger people around me.  

I found a dry erase board in one of the computer rooms and made myself a little more comfy. 


There were Therapy dogs in our building!  Their owners, who are volunteers with the hospital, were awesome, and each pup had a great and very friendly personality.  I got to hang with three of them during my stay, and they're a real help when you're lonely or scared.

Ziggy!


Of course, for most of my being admitted, Steven was away on business- this time for two weeks.  That's just the luck we have.  He was in Denver filming for Chrysler, and then in Austin, directing his first commercial for television!  Zipcar!  I am soo proud, and his producer sent him home a day early to be with me in the hospital.  I also had a visit from my friends Rachael and Meg, and it made my week.



I have lots of blog-worthy stuff on reserve from the past few weeks, and I'll load ya'll suckers up soon.  Appointments and meetings that went really well, and some info on new doctor peeps.  Today, I am in some pain.  Healing from an infection like that will leave you with tum tenderness, so you can't rush much.  It gets me out of doing dishes.


I hope everyone had a great Easter weekend.  And if Easter isn't your thing, hope you had a great weekend in general.  I spent mine in Marblehead, healing and having yummy meals with family.  Coloring eggs is always a good time, even if the tattoo-stick-on kind doesn't end up working. 


I feel like I've gotten to a point where I'm gabbing just to gab.  Been a while since I've written and I want to talk forever....  I'l leave you darlings with this.  If you feel like you're in a lot of pain, and that you can 'tough it out', think about your options.  Trust me, you don't want anything getting worse than it has to.  And if you talk to your doctor and get feedback that you're not sure of, don't be afraid to ask another one.


Trust your guts.  Not his.