Sick, please pray (CC)

[Carol in Cal.]

I am out of town, and woke up extremely ill. I can't figure out what to do because I have no working theory about what is wrong. Please pray, I am actually scared, and I hardly ever am.

[Catwoman]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

Praying for you, Carol.

 

I hope you feel much better very soon. Can you see a doctor, or is there a family member who can come and stay with you (or bring you home?)

[Whereneverever]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[1bassoon]

Praying, Carol. Do you have someone who can help?

[Barb_]

Carol, do you feel comfortable sharing your symptoms? Maybe they will sound familiar to someone. I will be checking back, please update.

[justamouse]

:grouphug::grouphug:

[MamaT]

:grouphug: Praying for you, Carol. Are you alone?

[TammyinTN]

Is there someone you can call? :grouphug: and prayers to you!

[Mommyfaithe]

:grouphug: prayers. Can you get to an ER?

[MariannNOVA]

I am praying for you. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[Lara in Colo]

Praying for you!

 

Lara

[kwickimom]

praying!! I hope you are not alone.

[danybug]

:grouphug: Prayers! :grouphug:

[Carol in Cal.]

Thank you so much.

Prayers are the main thing.

 

DH is here, but though delightful he is not great with this kind of thing.

 

So first of all, I am probably pretty rundown. Lots of late nights, stress over some things that have happened to friends of mine, happy celebrations in our family but also some bad news--kind of a roller coaster ride. Lots of travel, most of it with me as the only adult in charge of myself and sometimes kids. I fell and hurt my shoulder badly a month ago, and have been taking a lot of ibuprofen and aspirin ever since.

 

So we came to the mountains on Monday. We are not that high, maybe 6000 feet. We took it easy yesterday, but did stay up really late Mon and Tues. Tues. I had a weird dinner--Lobster bisque and a very rich chocolate dessert. Two glasses of wine over about 3 hours. Felt fine. Up late though, maybe til 1 or so. Not used to that.

 

This morning I woke up at 8:30. Felt very dizzy and quite nauseous. Laid on the couch for an hour or so, could not stand any pressure on my stomach, which is very bloated (an unfamiliar symptom) or on my chest even. But I don't have swollen hands or ankles, which would be more typical for me up here. So I don't think it's altitude sickness. Bad earache, congestion, bad headache.

 

Went back to sleep and woke up at 3 !!!

 

I decided to take sudafed in case the congestion is causing the earache, and enteric aspirin. I made myself drink some water, but not like normal. Have had about 3 glasses all day. (It's 7PM now) But I'm afraid if I drink too much I will get sick to my stomach again, worse. I have not vomited. I have not eaten anything all day. Everything I can imagine eating sounds horrible, even toast.

 

Now it's 7. I have been in bed pretty much all day. I feel a little better now. I still don't want to eat.

 

Working theories:

 

Liver stress from rich food/meds/2 meesly glasses of wine? Does it look like this? Because I have no idea.

 

Early blood sugar problems? (I don't have this issue, but the symptoms remind me of a teenage dd of a friend who slowly developed Type I diabetes)

 

Hangover--but seriously, two glasses of wine???

 

Altitude--but I have never gotten this way before. This would be bad, because to get to a lower altitude I have to go over a higher pass--8500 feet, IIRC. Thankfully DH could drive.

 

Bottom line: He will do whatever I want, but I have to generate the plan.

 

I'm tentatively thinking about waiting overnight to see if things get better.

[Marylou]

Reaction to shellfish?

[Carol in Cal.]

Good thought. Off to take allegra.

No itching or swollen throat, though.

And I eat shellfish often. But still, a good idea. Thank you.

[mommy5]

I don't know what your typical diet is like ... but that dinner sounds extremely high in histamine coupled with all the aspirin and NSAIDs and I just wonder if your body went into overload. I don't know though, if you are used to eating that way it shouldn't cause problems. Could it be gallbladder related? If you are predisposed that type of dinner could set off a flare up. I'm praying for you, too!!!

 

Added a link: http://foodallergies.about.com/od/commonfoodallergies/p/histamineintol.htm

http://www.imupro.com.au/food-intolerance/symptoms/histamine-intolerance

http://www.gallbladderattack.com/gallbladdersymptoms.shtml

 

Also wanted to add this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspirin_poisoning Could it be salicylism (aspirin poisoning)? I only ask because your symptoms sound like this and if it is this you should go to an ER or local doctor for treatment right away. Salicylates are very high in the foods you mentioned and you are taking aspirin, too. (I know this because I'm being treated for salicylate intolerance which is something different but I have to know how much salicylate is in the food I eat or I get very sick...)

Edited August 16, 2012 by mommy5

[PollyOR]

Carol, hope you can figure this out soon so you don't have a repeat. :grouphug:

[Barb_]

This definitely sounds like altitude sickness. 6000 feet is not too low. A relative of mine was visiting her parents who lived in Colorado and came down with it even though she'd never experienced it before. She had visited often and was a flight attendant at one point. She said it was very frightening. I think the lack of oxygen sets off a panic response. The fear coupled with the sleeping and the nausea leads me to believe you really need to get to a lower elevation first before trying anything else.

Edited August 16, 2012 by Barb F. PA in AZ

[Marylou]

http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/Shellfish_Allergy_Symptoms_and_Treatments_a889.html

[besroma]

:grouphug: Hope you feel better soon!

[Catwoman]

Hope tomorrow is a much better day for you, Carol! :grouphug:

[aprilleigh]

Reminded me of my bout with food poisoning a few years ago. If that's what happened it's usually self-limiting. Just don't skimp on the water.

[Denisemomof4]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:That sounds scary. I hope you feel better tomorrow!

[Carol in Cal.]

Thank you all, so much!

Whatever it was, it seems to be passing.

 

I had two pieces of toast and a glass of nonfat milk, and they are sitting OK with me.

 

I did finally talk with an advice nurse.

 

She consulted the ER doctor, who said that it can't be altitude sickness because I'm not that high up. Since the symptoms were passing by then, I did not push the point.

 

I didn't think it was food poisoning because I did not have dysentary symptoms, but maybe it was as it seems to be going away.

 

I suspect it was a combo of 'almost' getting altitude sickness, extreme dehydration, and maybe some organic response to the extremely rich and strange meal last night. I got to thinking about that meal, and I had seafood in a very salty broth, lots of cream in the soup and the dessert (although I did not eat the whipped cream on top!), and two glasses of wine. These are all pretty dehydrating, plus so is being up here in general. I really appreciate the heads up on the altitude sickness, though I don't think it's exactly what I had or it would not have resolved itself without travel or at least oxygen. I read up on it, and wow, I needed to know that stuff.

 

Assuming things don't get bad again, I plan to eat simply for the rest of the week, drink a ton of water, and try to get my primary care doc to order a complete blood work up when I get home--I am still wondering about the liver and blood sugar questions. I'm not going to just assume that since this went away it was nothing to be concerned with. I can't remember when I have been so weak--it was quite alarming.

[melissad2]

Reminded me of my bout with food poisoning a few years ago. If that's what happened it's usually self-limiting. Just don't skimp on the water.

 

:iagree:

[Night Elf]

I hope you don't feel that way during your whole trip. I'd be cutting it short if it lasted more than a couple of days.

[mommy5]

So glad to read your update!!!

[MamaT]

So glad to read your update!!!

 

Me too! Glad you're feeling better.

[besroma]

Glad you are starting to feel better! :grouphug:

[Susan C.]

I'm not a good traveler when I am away from my food..... When I get tummy troubles while traveling, I keep stopping by Chinese restaurants and get steamed rice to go for a meal or two until things get better.

[Denise in IN]

I'm so glad you are improving - continuing to pray for you!

[MariannNOVA]

I'm glad to read about the improvement -- imo, the rich food and wine could have triggered a gall bladder attack.

[ELITEANDLOVINGIT]

Can you get a driver to take you to an urgent care and are not adverse to modern medicine I would go.

 

Though I was quite naturopathic, when my daughter was sick I had the "scared and hardly ever" feeling, I won't go into details...but am VERY glad I took her in. God tells us when something is too big for us to do on our own, and I BELIEVE he directs every aspect of our footsteps including those that lead us to the healers that were placed here for us, by him.

 

I don't know how deep that feeling is running inside of you, but if it is a base instinct you should follow it as far as you need to until you have peace.

 

Read Update: Agreed, Rich food and wine can DEFINITELY lead to those symptoms, but so can heredity :o)

Edited August 18, 2012 by kerryfrank73

[Carol in Cal.]

Well, thank you again everyone.

 

I left my gall bladdar behind 16 years ago, so it was not that.

 

I am completely recovered, but eating very simply. That's good for me no matter what, so maybe this was just a fluke, or maybe it was a wake up call.

 

When I get back home, I plan to follow up with some blood work, and see if there is anything I need to watch out for.

[besroma]

I am completely recovered, but eating very simply. That's good for me no matter what, so maybe this was just a fluke, or maybe it was a wake up call.

 

When I get back home, I plan to follow up with some blood work, and see if there is anything I need to watch out for.

 

Sounds like a good plan.

 

Glad to hear you are feeling better.

[Liz CA]

Thank God you are well now.

[Catwoman]

I'm so glad to hear you're feeling better, Carol!

 

I'm sure it was just something you ate, or that you caught some sort of virus, but it wouldn't hurt to have some bloodwork done, just as a precaution.