(AF) Ills Sneak Up On You! - part 2

Finally back home, I was still feeling terrible and knew I had to do something or I would end up in ER (and I hate that place!).  Since I was figuring I had an abscessed tooth, I decided I better start taking some of that bottle of antibiotic I had on had for emergency. I figured this was an emergency. I had so many of the symptoms I had once before when I had an abscessed tooth that had gotten so bad that it got into my blood stream (nope, that one didn't hurt, either, until it was extreme). Also, the infection from that last tooth had shot my blood pressure through the roof, and it was feeling like it again, so I also got my bottle of blood pressure pills out and got back on it, which seemed to help, too. (My blood pressure is only high when I have an infection in my body or extreme pain - or drink caffeine. Most of my life it was too low.)

Over the next week I had about 3 or 4 more of those 'spells'. After the second one, each one became a little lighter, but each one really wiped me out! When the second one hit, I was standing up, had just started down a hallway, and as my left side went numb, my left foot buckled  under as I took a step and something in it snapped. Judging by the way it felt (hurt like crud) and swelled up over the next few days, I am figuring a little bone on the top of my foot fractured. It's still pretty painful, especially by the end of the day, but it is gradually, and steadily improving.

......A week and a half later I finally made it in to the nearest government funded, sliding scale clinic for a medical check up (they won't see me at the dentist until I update my medical check up). Yes, that seems like a loooong time to wait when you are that sick, but the red tape for approval takes awhile, I had to scrape up money for my share of the payment (reduced, not free), and it takes awhile to get an appointment as they are almost always booked solid. Plus, I had to borrow a vehicle and a driver as my poor old car doesn't do long distances well (45 minute drive) and I definitely wasn't up to driving that far.

So, my adventure with the government funded clinic began..... Of course, since I hadn't been there in nearly a year, and they had moved to a new and updated facility, there was a mountain of paperwork to fill out, but not as bad as one would expect. Actually, they had set an appointment for me with the dentist for the following Monday (this was Friday), but they had told me to come in first to medical, as a walk-in, for a check-up before they could see me at the dentist. I would need more antibiotics, and you have to go through medical for that.

In no time I was called back to an examining room. A nurse (at least, I think she was a nurse) came in, laptop in hand, asked a few questions to update more of my info, and took my vitals. How they can measure your oxygen level by clipping something on the end of your index finger totally baffles me! But it was good, it was 99%. But she was so shocked at how high my blood pressure was she had to take it again on my other arm, which netted the same results. FOLKS... now, I know I was sick, SERIOUSLY sick, which I am sure elevated my blood pressure, and, at that point, I had been on antibiotics and blood pressure meds for a full week, but at the mere mention of the word "doctor" or "dentist", my blood pressure shoots up!!! I can be totally fine one minute . . . . . completely in the normal range (although I am sure I wasn't with being that sick), then someone says, "you're going to the doctor (dentist)"  . . . . . . and my blood pressure soooooars!!! I believe they call it White Coat Syndrome.  But I have yet to convince anyone there that I am afflicted with it. The nurse was amazed at my weight loss, though. She was even more amazed when I told her I did it by giving up on dieting and trying to lose weight, and simply started eliminating food chemicals from my diet - one chemical at a time until my body adjusted - and the weight just fell off. This staff member was very pleasant, easy to talk to, exhibiting genuine concern and care. But then .... I HAD TO SEE THE DOCTOR. It's doctors like her that have given me that "White Coat Syndrome." Actually, she was a PA, not a doctor. I have yet to see a real doctor at this clinic.

  Also Read: Part 1    Part 3     Part 4    Part 5    Part 6