I hadn't heard back from my Rheume doctor about the follow up on my numbness to my right leg and hand and the past headaches. On Friday, while I was at work, out of nowhere I felt nauseous and I couldn't breath. No matter how hard I tried to tell my brain to tell my lungs to breath it wasn't working. Luckily I'm in the same office as my co-worker/good friend. I told her I don't feel good, I can't breath. I had to lie down on the office floor because I was ready to collapse. She called 911 and by the time the ambulance got there I had already started to catch my breath. They asked if I still wanted to go get checked. I said yes, because I had never felt what I just felt ever in my life. It really scared me.
All the EMT's kept saying to me was if I was under a lot of stress, that I probably just had an anxiety attack. The nausea, shortness of breath were common symptoms. I kept telling them no, no excessive stress, seriously!
The ER doctor same thing, after checking all my blood work, chest x-rays, and a CT scan all was okay. I kept telling them, I lost my breath I could not breath. I've been having this problem with shortness of breath even at night I have to breath with my mouth open. They never checked my lungs.
I went ahead and made a doctor appointment but my own primary doctor was out on vacation so I was fortunate to get another internal medicine doctor to check me the next day. I told him the symptoms I felt were in my lungs or my nervous system possibly from the headaches. I could not breath. It was not shortness of breath.
He had me breath in and out and with his tethescope said he could tell my lungs were tightning. He then had me breath through a tube/meter reading thing and he said I was not getting enough air in my lungs. Thank you for listening to me! He said I had an asthmatic attack and asked me if I had asthma. I told him no and I don't smoke either. He said even the allergens in the air can cause it or a viral infection (not bacterial) can also affect my lungs. No antibiotics would help this. He prescribed me a MethyIPREDNISolone 4mg pack to help loosen up my lungs and Proventil (Albuterol Sulfate Inhalation Pump Spray)which is an inhaler.
That kind of freaked me out. I feel bad for people that have asthma. I've seen asthma attacks from my own family and friends. I didn't have the wheezing symptom but now I know what I felt was that same feeling in not being able to breath. I asked the doctor if this was going to be a forever thing now for me. He said we would have to find out when I am done taking the meds. If my body can function without them later then it was just a passing thing. When I move to Texas and loose my health insurance for six months, I'd be afraid not to have an inhaler around if I need it.
This was three days ago and the inhaler has really helped me breath a whole lot better. I hadn't been able to take a deep breath in a long time. I forgot what that felt like. I thought it was just part of having Lupus. I also can sleep at night through my nose now.
I'll say this again, we know our bodies, and no matter what others might tell us, it's not all in our heads. It's not always anxiety or tension headaches. I knew it was not a heart attack or stroke I kept saying it was my lungs but all they kept checking was my bloodwork and my heart.
My kids were there for me which I was very thankful. My daughter spent the night with me when I asked her too because I was still pretty shaken up and my son would check up on me to make sure I was okay. I just told my friend at work, she would have needed to give me CPR soon if I didn't come out of it and she wasn't so sure she could have. I really want to be a Nurse so bad I hope I still can...and of course, I need to learn CPR.
