This true story touches so many subjects that I had trouble picking a category but again I have less blood than the average person circulating in my brain so please bear with me.
Some may know that I have been actively engaging in lessening my POTS symptoms by going to a clinic specializing in syncopy within a famous clinic. The tests have been harrowing; Tilt table test, QSART, hemodynamic study, stress test and others but I had scheduled them a month apart to recover and not crash horribly.
I was having terribly painful symptoms about 2 weeks ago but couldn't really articulate them so I put off getting help until I couldn't stand for more than a few minutes, my legs and arms had weakness I've never known and I had drainage in my throat.
During this time I made an appointment with my PCP but could not keep it because of dizziness and weakness. I was afraid to drive, it was an early morning appointment and I didn't get someone lined up to drive me. I kept in contact with her office, I was told to go to urgent care but got neighbors to take me to ER. When asked about my symptoms by the ER doc, I said I don't know but I feel terrible and I can't think.
Thank God for this ER doc because he saw something in me that triggered a whole slew of tests that had me there for 5 hours. Some wouldn't be ready for the next day but he found I was very anemic, put me on Iron and Voltaren because my regular Vicodin was not helping the arm and leg pain and I was taking 3 a day instead of my allotted two.
The next day on the new meds, I started feeling better and have improved every day since. The same day I also called my PCP to concur about the meds and tell her the news. I had called her office 3-4 times during this 2 weeks, was always promised a phone call from my PCP but was always given a message from an assistant or medical help. The same thing happened again and was told she's going on vacation and should speak with another doc in her group on Monday.
I was blown away, first the call would have taken 5 minutes and second, the ER doc said infatically to get back to my PCP the next day to find out the source of the anemia. (I have never been anemic in my life). Now she wanted me to go to a new doc when she has been getting the reports from the POTS cardio all along.
Then I thought, on Aug 8, my PCP and my rheumy got a letter telling them that I had 10% less blood volume and 20% less red blood cells. I know someone talked here on PR about low blood cell counts that don't seem to get addressed. I got the letter too and saw my POTS cardio, he told me the results but never once mentioned the word "anemia".
By the time I really got the acute symptoms, I couldn't think straight, couldn't do much needed paperwork to save my home and couldn't get out of bed. I wanted to die yet couldn't grasp what I would say to the medical people and we all know how far we get without our ducks lined up in a row. Also I was taking my BP and hydrating so it wasn't POTS.
It was on Sept 18, that I ended up in the ER, three doctors knew about my red blood cell count almost 6 weeks prior and never impressed on me what to do next, two didn't even call me to question it. I don't know what else to say.
'
Some may know that I have been actively engaging in lessening my POTS symptoms by going to a clinic specializing in syncopy within a famous clinic. The tests have been harrowing; Tilt table test, QSART, hemodynamic study, stress test and others but I had scheduled them a month apart to recover and not crash horribly.
I was having terribly painful symptoms about 2 weeks ago but couldn't really articulate them so I put off getting help until I couldn't stand for more than a few minutes, my legs and arms had weakness I've never known and I had drainage in my throat.
During this time I made an appointment with my PCP but could not keep it because of dizziness and weakness. I was afraid to drive, it was an early morning appointment and I didn't get someone lined up to drive me. I kept in contact with her office, I was told to go to urgent care but got neighbors to take me to ER. When asked about my symptoms by the ER doc, I said I don't know but I feel terrible and I can't think.
Thank God for this ER doc because he saw something in me that triggered a whole slew of tests that had me there for 5 hours. Some wouldn't be ready for the next day but he found I was very anemic, put me on Iron and Voltaren because my regular Vicodin was not helping the arm and leg pain and I was taking 3 a day instead of my allotted two.
The next day on the new meds, I started feeling better and have improved every day since. The same day I also called my PCP to concur about the meds and tell her the news. I had called her office 3-4 times during this 2 weeks, was always promised a phone call from my PCP but was always given a message from an assistant or medical help. The same thing happened again and was told she's going on vacation and should speak with another doc in her group on Monday.
I was blown away, first the call would have taken 5 minutes and second, the ER doc said infatically to get back to my PCP the next day to find out the source of the anemia. (I have never been anemic in my life). Now she wanted me to go to a new doc when she has been getting the reports from the POTS cardio all along.
Then I thought, on Aug 8, my PCP and my rheumy got a letter telling them that I had 10% less blood volume and 20% less red blood cells. I know someone talked here on PR about low blood cell counts that don't seem to get addressed. I got the letter too and saw my POTS cardio, he told me the results but never once mentioned the word "anemia".
By the time I really got the acute symptoms, I couldn't think straight, couldn't do much needed paperwork to save my home and couldn't get out of bed. I wanted to die yet couldn't grasp what I would say to the medical people and we all know how far we get without our ducks lined up in a row. Also I was taking my BP and hydrating so it wasn't POTS.
It was on Sept 18, that I ended up in the ER, three doctors knew about my red blood cell count almost 6 weeks prior and never impressed on me what to do next, two didn't even call me to question it. I don't know what else to say.
'
