Chapter Two: My Continuing Oxygen Life
This morning started off with a bang, though the new chapter started off yesterday. I'm in the kitchen, still struggling with the walker, fumbling around trying to make the coffee and get a cold soda, my usual morning routine. I had a grocery delivery yesterday and had to move stuff around a bit on the counter, when I was rudely awakened by a can of Dr. Pepper falling about six feet and bouncing off my severely edema-swollen left foot. OUCH!! Luckily, the only damage was the pain rush. Nonetheless, a fine start to a Saturday. The story really started yesterday with my doctor's visit. There are several changes now. Over the last week, my BP has dropped during the daytime to serious lows, as in 60/50/120 to 50/42/115, etc. Naturally all this happened over Labor Day weekend and since. Anyways, she changed my Losartan from 100mg to 25mg daily, and my Metoprolol from 50mg x2 daily to 25mg XR x1 daily. Also, today I will begin taking Magnesium Oxide 400mg x2 for muscle cramps and tremors. My Prednisone is now down to a maintenance level of 5mg per day starting today! I start PT and OT again next week to get rid of the walker. My muscles are weak as hell. Shoulder joints very sore and strained. Cramps bad. I also got a flu shot and the Pneumonia vaccine #23 shot. Will get the COVID modified booster next visit. They took bloodwork too. She thinks I have malnutrition. The leg rash appears to be psoriasis, which I've had all my life on my arms and scalp, but not the legs, until now. Great. Gotta get the edema to go away. It's in my feet and around my neck. The vertigo/dizziness is still unexplained and unresolved, but is likely BP-related, so hopefully that resolves now. I meet by telehealth with the Gastro doctor next week, and the Pulmonologist hopefully a week later. The power has gone out twice here and my fancy POC battery is no good (lasts less than 30 minutes), and my supplier is slow to non-responsive, so I don't have the POC or tanks to go to the doctor with. Guess I'll have to get the doctor to call them. Lazy bums.
The good news is that the pneumonia is gone, and my breathing is quite clear. Hopefully all that together will get me all my strength back and I can park the walker. I sold my car, as it was just costing me anyway. Got 3 social workers working to help find my next home 20. I have a lot to do but trying to make progress again. It's a lot of changes at once. I guess I will see how it works.
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I was wondering when you would post again and update us on your progress. I have to think at some point things will settle down for you and you can start getting into a daily routine. PT and OT will definitely be helpful. It would be nice if your medical team could find the right combination of meds that doesn't have to be changed constantly. It is good to hear the pneumonia is gone and your breathing is clear. That is a major plus. Now if you could get rid of the edema and the gall stones, things would be looking up tremendously. Hang in there Kloker. Hopefully you will find a nice place to move to. God Bless you Bro!Thanks for the support as always, Dminor9! I can feel the slightest bit of leveling out that could be a huge improvement. I slept better last night. My BP this AM is 105/69/99, which is an improvement. The heart rate is steadier and within the limit, as is the BP. Also, the cramps have faded out nicely too, which is a huge help. Not gone yet but way better. I had a bad stomach Saturday but then it faded too. I think this week will be better. I'll be checking my BP hourly instead of just twice daily. My neighbor is coming over this morning and fire up my new blender to make us some big fruit smoothies, then help me catch up on some housework. The rest of the week will be filled up with my Nurse and PT Therapists. I should also get bloodwork results back this week. Fun! I will see if a better attitude can help me feel better. 
Hi kloker, and thanks for both updates posted here. It does seem like there is progress for you - medications, less cramps, decent blood pressure and heart rate readings - I hope this continues for you!
In your writings, you always seem (to me) to have a good attitude - just keep at it, kloker - a good attitude can always help to manage this disease.
Be well! Looking forward to your next update/communication with us here.
All the best,
Leon (site moderator COPD.net)
, always glad to hear from you! I know constantly changing your meds is tough but it is a good thing that your doctor is adjusting them and hopefully you are on your way to some dosages that are helpful and not making things worse! Let us know how PT and OT go! Hang in there. All the best, Sam S. (COPD.net, team member). sounds to me like you are taking too much losarten if your blood pressure is that low have you told your doctor? that seems awfully low?? New Update - 09/30: I'm now on my third (3!) Main concentrator since my last post. All three went bad within a week's time. I had to use my POC, the one with the dead battery, and which needs service, as it only puts out about 2 LPM, for 3 days, which left me unable to sleep and with a severe headache. Finally, they got me a fresh good unit, and at the same time brought me some 02 tanks. What a disaster! My doctor came yesterday, and since my BP is behaving completely differently now, she took me off the Losartan completely and I am now on only the Metoprolol 25mg. My BP is still not up to normal levels but is slowly getting there - we'll see. The report from my Gastro dr. is that my gallstones are not what is causing the problem - turns out I have a hiatal hernia! I am taking meds for that, which seem to be working better, and I am going in for a full workup (scary!) and testing on Nov. 2nd. I am still having issues but fewer so far. Just what I needed, a new problem. I started the Magnesium Oxide 400 mg x 2 a day, and my hand cramps are gone! So much better! And no side effects.
VPA hired some more staff, so I will have a new and different doctor next month. They will all have better load sharing and fewer cases each. I met the new one yesterday, very nice and older, more experienced - I think we will get along better. I still have to hook up with my new Pulmonologist, but I must have travel arrangements to make all this work. Working on that with my neighbor. I also found a place I'd really like to live if I can make it happen. I will be applying next week. It's in Austin. I am kind of giving up on Waco. My PT and OT started, and I am working on getting stronger so I can get off the walker, which I am still 100% on right now. It's harder this time. But my lungs are doing okay so hopefully, if I can somehow achieve some consistency in my daily life, I can get more mobility going. Anyway, that's all for the moment. I hope you are all well, especially those in Florida. But I do wish we had some of that rain!
Hi, kloker! I hear your frustration, though on the whole it seems like things are turning around a bit, and I am glad to hear that! It's crazy that you have gone through so many concentrators in such a short time. I'm relieved you managed to push through and get a good unit. Fingers crossed it has a better shelf life. lol. Sorry about the hernia. They are so painful! Was there any discussion of surgical correction? I am not sure if I would rather have it be the gallstones or the hernia. The timing is miserable and I hope you are feeling better with the medication and supplements.
It has rained for 4 straight days here in NJ, looking at a 5th tomorrow. I'm trying not to complain because we really needed it, and we are safe, unlike so many. And it's been dropping into the 40s at night. I caved and turned my heat on. I'm a sissy.
Always good to hear from you! -Melissa, copd.net team
Just read your above post about growing up an Air Force brat and it made me smile. My husband is also an Air Force brat, but happened to be born stateside while they were visiting family. My brother-in-law was born at Yakota AFB in Japan. The boys spent several years in Japan, and then moved to Australia to the now-defunct Woomera AFB right at the edge of civilization, lol. Australia had a huge impact on my husband's life and he talks about it all the time. They used to go swimming on Christmas. He wants to bring me there someday, but I need to work my way up to it. I was an absolute baby just flying to California for a wedding. My in-laws teased the heck out of me, as I'm sure you can imagine. 😀 -Melissa, copd.net team
