Clinging to the Wreckage

Talk about clinging to the wreckage! That wee "Love is" cartoon was drawn in response to a hurricane (Katrina, I think). In the context of this post, it's metaphorical, about a different kind of wreckage - aged bodies - bringing on their own varied array of side-effects.

A very unpleasant, increasingly awful 10 days have been had, in this household, following the first dose of a different anti-biotic the nurse practitioner at surgeon's office prescribed (bactrim generic). After a very shitty (sorry) experience with 1 tablet of augmentin , I started the next horror ride. Anti-bi's purpose is to kill infection that has developed in small part of one of the incisions made during lumpectomy. As I'm aged, healing is nowhere near as efficient as it once was. In consequence, that part of the incision has to be 'packed' each day (husband does it after instruction and equipment from nurse.) That, in isolation, without anti-biotic side effects, would not be too much of a problem at all.

Bactrim rapidly took my appetite, gave me constant nausea. At first, I managed on light diet, maybe for a day and half - then, with constant nausea, diet rapidly zoomed down to almost nothing but lots of water, and a half pot yogurt, half cup chicken broth. After a few days of not eating, the blood pressure pills I take regularly began to prove too strong, BP too low, so I stopped taking them bit by bit, monitoring all the time. I also stopped taking the Letrozole tablets from oncologist, until end of bactrim course, as these are also known for some unpleasant side effects.

Feeling weak, but needing to finish this course, ending Sunday evening, I plodded on, feeling pretty bad. The penultimate night was scary. Heart rate suddenly increased way too high - unusual for me! Couldn't sleep, even for 30 mins - strange visions. With help of Google in the early hours of Sunday, I found that one of my regular BP meds is a beta-blocker, and that beta-blockers do bring down heart rate. I took one then half of another, 30 mins later. Monitored on home machine. By later in the morning some normality had returned, though BP in general still too low for me. Dizzy, wobbly, mind fuzzy, and feeling really, really bad. I still had to take 2 more bactrim. It had to be done. I was more wobbly on my feet than I've ever been in my life, and kept forgetting and losing stuff. That'll all improve, I feel sure that, as I take in more food, and get back taking full BP meds. If not will see GP.

Alongside this tale of woe, the concurrent return of a couple of other regular bugbears of mine. I know how to deal with these, from experience... and, I do know me!

(A) pollen allergies are hitting me far more strongly than usual - possibly because I am run down + possibly there's lots of pollen around in OK - rated Very High most days (lots of wild flowers). Constant running nose ensues (leading to sores on nose , sneezing fits, painful hot itchy eyes, and bunged up ears which make everything sound as though an equalizer needs adjusting. My own voice sounds weird too. Zyrtec taken daily but not a lot of help this time.

(B) Sore top of left foot causing bother due to old injury site having rubbed against shoe during the couple weeks before my procedure when we took to walking the mall or the streets around home, for exercise for both of us. I've dealt with my left foot in much worse state than this on several occasions, in the UK and here. If not for the rest of this tale it'd not worry me too much right now, just another thing to protect and monitor daily.

So, on we go!