Adventures as a Recent College Grad Living with Chronic Illness and Training a Service Dog

Monday, August 4, 2014

Seven Days of Hospital Beige

Last Monday I headed to the ER for the third time in three weeks. My blood pressure was low, and I was overwhelmed with fatigue and muscle soreness. Well, my Potassium level turned out to be low- high cardiac risk low!

I asked the ER physician why this would keep happening. My potassium kept dropping and no one could give me an explanation. He said he didn't know, but would give me some through my IV and could either send me home or admit me. He suggested that I see a gastroeneterologist because he thought it might have been a malabsorption issue. I said that it could take a month to get in to see someone, and this was just going to keep happening- so up to the floor I went. I didn't know what I was in for... seven days of looking at the beige walls of my hospital room.

First- My new primary care doc is awesome! I've had specialists in the past say how I needed a primary care, but never really had one. I now understand the value- he's the hub of the wheel and was great in making sure that I saw the right doctors to figure out why my levels kept dropping. This was so refreshing since I have become used to always go back and forth from specialist to specialist, now I don't have to!

Second- Max was more than pampered in his week of vacation from work and stayed with my co-workers who really are some of the most amazing people I have ever met. I am so incredibly lucky to have them in my life right now.

Third- After a couple days of testing, including having blood drawn from an artery (OWW!!!), a nephrologist (Kidney Specialist) concluded that I am very likely to have a recessive genetic disease known as Gitelman's Syndrome . All of the blood work and other lab tests show that I am a textbook diagnosis. Being someone that has never been called textbook in my life- hallelujah! So I started new medications, and after a couple of days to get used to them, and for my levels to get back to normal- I got to go home! :)

Happy Side Note:
I got an appointment with an autonomic specialist in Dallas for later this month! It first looked like it was going to be a really, reallly long wait to get in to see one of his colleagues, but he took an interest in my case, so now it'll only be a couple of weeks!
Hospital Beige... :(