back at the er :(

[ginaaa22]

Last night I started getting sharp chest pains. I listened to my lungs and heart and they were clear. I had to work so after work the chest pains werent better so I went to the er. I have pleurisy which is an infection in the lining of the lungs. I've never had anything like this. I do however, have many bouts of acute diseases like sinutits, ear infections, bronchidous, infected boils, bacterial vaginosis and UTI in the past.

Has any other patient had chronic infections like this? I seem to get them all the time. I had my adenoids and tonsils removed in 04, after my PCP didnt want to refer me to ENT and when they took them out they had absesses of pure infection in them but I seem to always keep getting sick.

[bob04951]

Gina,

Think maybe some just get so worn down that their bodies just pick up every little germ. The lack of sleep (if you have that issue) would certainly subject your immune system, plus you are working in a health care environment? You know all the stuff that is floating around in a hospital, clinic, dr office, etc., no matter how clean it is. And if you have children, they're always bringing something home. It's yucky to feel yucky all the time. Personally, Bob does not get infections, but IC flares do affect his COPD oxygen levels and his other health issues. Hope you get to the bottom of why you continually feel so ill.

Congrats on your future RN degree, hang in there, we all need nurses like you. Jill, wife of Bob

[ginaaa22]

I actually dont work in healthcare right now. I am a CSR at a loan company so I work with money all day. I do wash my hands like crazy. I have no kids. I am around very few people so I dont understand how I keep picking up this stuff. I was just wondering if its common among IC or if maybe there is something else going on that I need to get tested for. Like IgE, IgG and other autoimmune things that I could be missing. Just a thought...

I hope when I do practice as a nurse then as a NP I will be able to help as many people lives as I can so that no one has to suffer like I have. I can say from expeirence that I know what it feels like to have these conditions. Sometimes I feel like dr's dont understand because they haven't went through it. I will keep everyone posted when I do start practicing. My hopes are to work in uro-gyn seeing patients who have IC and related conditions. Still got a long way to go though.. About 5 more years of college

[ICNDonna]

I had a bout with pleurisy when I was a teen-ager, years before I developed IC. I still remember how horrible the pain was --- nothing since, including major surgeries, has been as painful. I hope you recover quickly.


Donna

[ginaaa22]

thanks Donna! It is so painful..but I'm already feeling better. They gave me a shot of antibiotic at the ER to jump start the healing process.

[Snowden1]

I have costiocondritis (I don't know how to spell it) but it hurts my chest as well and I went into ER not long ago because between my frozen shoulder and that going on I didn't know what it was. It is better to get it checked out. How did they determine it was pluracy(spelling?)? Was your white count up indicating an infection?

I am glad you are feeling better. I am also really glad to hear that you want to help people with IC. I would LOVE to see you as a nurse because I know that you WILL actually CARE about the people you are treating. Congrats on finishing nursing school! I started out in nursing and book wise I was okay. But, soon found out when someone threw up I threw up too. Not good. I love kids too, so went into special education. I wish I could work again. That is a far off dream in this condition.

[lovemyalliebug]

I'm glad your already starting to feel better. I haven't had any infection as serious as pluracy. I've had several UTIs, eye infections, fungal infections, several sinus infections, and PID which I believe is an infection. Not sure why I'm guessing just a weak immune system for myself. Hope you feel better. I wish doctors would put all the pieces together. It's like a puzzle all the symptoms we all suffer from without 1 definite explanation. If I were a doc these would be the cases that intrigued me, and I would want to figure out just what was going on. Good luck. Hope you're better soon.

[ginaaa22]

They did a chest Xray and blood work. They didn't say if my WBC was high but the dr did say that my chest had fluid in it. Now today I woke up with a sore throat and coughing. I am going to call the hospital and get my results.

[VickiB]

I'm glad you're feeling better. I've never had pleurisy, but it sounds like something that would be painful.

It seems like I go through stages in my life where I'll catch every single little bug that goes around. Then I'll go for long stretches without so much as a sniffle. Perhaps our immune systems go through peaks & dips.

I hope your sore throat & cough doesn't develop into anything further!
Vicki

[cmclien]

I tend to get alot of sinus infections because I have non-allergic rhinitis. I have found that if I use a humidifier every night in my room during the winter and take a mucinex-d once a day to keep the congestion at bay then I don't get them now. Last year none, this year only one so far but it was after I had a cold.