I Have a Prolixity, but at Least There's a Point. in General Mental Anesthesia

So here’s some new information…

Many of you know my health history as of late, or in part at least; it’s quite scattered from ulcerative colitis to knee and back injuries to respiratory disease.

Ulcerative colitis is and has always been the catalyst to other health concerns, case in point: I’ve had asthma my whole life. As a child, it was known as Asthma Variant. Allergies triggered attacks as well as sustained athletics. Now, I was a professional swimmer all throughout my childhood, but I could only compete short distances. 50m, 100m if I pushed it. I could run, and I was fast, but I couldn’t run track without keeling over in pain, unable to breathe.

I truly miss being active, swimming, hiking, my work… I miss it all so much!

My asthma has worsened tremendously over the past couple of years. I don’t have to move to have an asthma attack. I was diagnosed with pulmonary embolisms (blood clots in both lungs). I see a pulmonologist regularly. Above and beyond the hypocalcemia and its complications mentioned in my previous entry, I also I suffer with tachycardia (elevated heartbeat). A resting heart rate should be 60-70bpm, I’m always over 100bpm. It’s related to my inability to take deep breaths, and regulate my breathing combined with chronic bronchitis.

I’m just now starting to get over some of the side effects of the chemo treatments I was on for my ulcerative colitis, like bending my fingers without crying in pain.

I just found out that my pulmonologist is trying to get me on Nucala, a biologic series of monthly injections for my new diagnosis of: ‘severe eosinophilic asthma’. At $3,120.19 per injection, she needs to try to get Medicaid to help cover it.

Eosinophilic asthma is a rare form of asthma that 5% of asthma sufferers have.

Eosinophilic asthma is associated with an abnormally high level of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell. Eosinophils play a role in how your immune system works. They help protect your body against harmful things like bacteria or parasites by releasing chemicals that cause inflammation. But when eosinophils come into contact with cells in your airways, they can cause inflammation that triggers asthma.

As with other types of asthma, people with eosinophilic asthma will experience symptoms like wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. But there are a few additional symptoms that are often seen with eosinophilic asthma.

1. They don’t respond well to asthma treatments such as inhalers and nebulizers.

2. It generally occurs in adults.

3. Eosinophilic asthma causes swelling along the entire respiratory tract from the sinuses to the lower airways, obstructing airflow and increasing mucus production. This can lead to chronic sinus and ear infections. Patients may report stuffy or runny nose, drainage from the ears, and decreased sense of smell and hearing. Nasal polyps, which are small, painless tear-drop shaped skin growths, are often present.

4. When eosinophilic asthma remains untreated, irreversible changes in the structure of your airways can occur, causing chronic airway obstruction. Patients may experience difficulty breathing with physical activity, and lung function tests in the doctor’s office can show decreased flow of air through the lungs. There may be similarities with another lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), and eosinophilic asthma may even be mistaken for COPD at times.

(I’ve had the PFT test last year (IT WAS AN ABSOLUTE HELL!!!!!). I’d rather be stuck with needles repeatedly than to ever go through that again… and I have to very soon). :(

1. Many people with asthma also have underlying allergies, such as dust or animal dander. Exposure to the allergen can start an inflammatory response in the body, leading to an asthma attack. However, people with eosinophilic asthma generally don’t have a history of allergies. (This is the only thing that’s different, as I have a lot of allergies).

It gets better.

Eosinophils, the white blood cells that cause this type of asthma, can attack other parts of your body. One common target is the gastrointestinal tract. So, my uc affects other areas of my body (it’s all inflammation). It makes my asthma more severe and my asthma makes my uc flares worse.

THE ICING ON THE CAKE.

“Nucala” as mentioned above is very similar (medicinally) to the chemo treatments I was on for my uc. It is an immunosuppressant, that works the same way and has some horrendous side effects like… get ready for it…

Back pain
Flu-like symptoms
Fatigue
Muscle spasms
Itching
Headache
Pain in the muscles or bones
toothaches
Nausea
Dizziness
Bronchitis
Pain at the injection site

and oh joy, so much more!

A rare side effect is Shingles, and I’ve had chickenpox as a kid, so that’s a possibility now, ugh…

It’s scary because I already deal with these things. I have had frequent tooth abscesses. The worst pain on the planet in my opinion, and I don’t think I can tolerate much more back pain, as it is, I’m on Dilaudid which has zero effect on my back pain.

And last but not least… the injector has citrate in it. If you don’t know what that means, it means that when you get the shot… IT BURNS LIKE A MOTHERF*CKER!!!!!!!! 🤬😭

My pug Boba Fetch knows I’m really stressed out.

Please Click Here: I Need All The Help I Can Get

Thank you. G-D Bless!