Look! Up in my blood... It's a flare... It's a virus... No! It's BACTERIA!

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Oh goodness, where do I start? Sorry I missed out on yesterday's post, I got a late start to my day and as it went on I felt worse and worse. It all started on Tuesday night right before I drifted off to sleep. All of a sudden I had a piercing headache that felt like someone was drilling into my temples. I have a high tolerance for pain, I also used to get migraines, so headaches don't normally bother me. It hurt so much I cried and my stomach was so upset I couldn't take any pain medicine. At least there was a good biography about Steve Martin on. Did you know he is an accomplished banjo player?

On Wednesday evening I had a little bit of a scare. My stomach was more upset than usual and I had lower back pain. Now the average person would say "Oh I just had indigestion and I lifted something too heavy earlier." But I'm not your average person, lupus tends to affect your kidneys and my first thought was "Oh jeez, please tell me my kidneys aren't deciding to crap out on me now?!" Luckily it turned out to be a false alarm.

Last night, I felt the beginnings of some sort of respiratory illness. Severe chest pains, tight throat, minor cough, congestion, yeah a big bucket o' fun. It has hit me full blast this morning along with chills. I don't know if it's viral or bacterial, if it's viral, not much can be done. Lovely bacterial infections get a mega dose of antibiotics. Of course there is the lovely list of instructions I have "Call doctor or 911 if you experience any of the following symptoms..." But of course at the end of every sentence describing a symptom it says "without known cause." Well jeez, I know I have chest pain because my heart and lungs are inflamed. I know I have chills because I have a fever. I know I have a fever because either I'm getting ready to have a flare or it's this respiratory illness. I know my throat is tight because of the respiratory stuff.

I hate going to my primary care physician because they suck. When I say suck, I mean suck. It's like a walking death trap. Every time I go in there, I walk out with something else. I mean I would have better luck of getting better if I licked a trashcan. Once the weather warms up I am going to find a new primary care physician, someone who is understanding, not quick to judge, who has a clear thought process, and where there is not carpet in the waiting room (gross). I'm sick and tired of dealing with the whack job doctor who just excuses everything when 99% it has ended up being serious. "Oh, it's just viral..." I come back one week later still sick and I'm like "Is this still viral?" and Mr. Whack Job says "Oh, I guess it was bacterial after all..." Well no duh, you should have done blood work in the first place.

I've gotten so good at self diagnosing that I can usually tell if it's bacterial or viral. This is feeling bacterial. Too bad doctor's don't actually listen. My life would be a whole lot easier if I could call the doctor's office, explain my symptoms and say "This feels like the same bacterial infection I get every few months." But no, life cannot be that easy. I think I'll call my rheumy and get his opinion. Maybe he will phone in some antibiotics for me? And some pain pills for this headache, I think the drill bit is stuck in my brain matter by now.

So yes, life is complicated when it comes to having imbecile primary care physician. Throw in an infection where the patient can figure out the cause quicker than the doctor can. Too bad I'm not bright enough to make it through med school. I'm intelligent, just not with math and science. I have more common sense than anything. Oh well, I think common sense is a bit more important than book smarts.

My advice for any of you with a chronic illness, you have to be your own advocate. If you aren't satisfied with your health care, fix it. If your insurance treats you like dirt, call your company, get on their case. If you aren't satisfied with your doctor, try to reason with them, if all else fails, find a new one. Always check to see if your medications will interact with each other. Doctors tend to forget to check and see if your current medications will interact with the new ones. Your pharmacist may not always check too. It's up to you to check, your health depends on it. You have the right to be treated with dignity and respect. You have the right to receive the best possible care. You have the right to feel good. And sometimes that means you have to stand up for yourself fight for your rights.

Bisous!
Loverly Lupie Me

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