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Having and Attack


12 years ago 0 542 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Carmie,

Thank you for writing me back I look so forward to your replies. Last night was a little better but today the pain is back. I had a very bad nightmare right before I awoke so that did not help my anxiety. My husband scared me today he said the doctor I saw was a "quack" and I dont want to believe that he seemed to do what he could, I think my husband is just frustrated I am still so sick, I have been on the antibotics for eight days Carmie, am I in denial? I keep hoping I am going to wake up and the intense ear pain and hoarseness will be gone, the back of my neck is very stiff too, that may be from tension, and I am very very tired.

Carmie my husband wants me to make a ears nose and throat appt and that terrifies me!! Just the thought of him sticking some camera down my throat sends me into panic and when the words "throat cancer" come I know I will just fall apart.

First I have to see my primary care doctor, that usually takes a week or so to get in then he refers me to a ENT and that may take weeks! just the waiting will drive me crazy, should I just go to ER monday and get it over with? if its something bad waiting three or four weeks will make it worse, I want to just go somewhere where they can look down my throat with a mirror, the fear of these procedures are bad, I am still praying the antibotics will work, if its viral it just had to run its course.

My brother called today and we spoke briefly because I dont want to use whats left of my voice too much, he said he works with a guy who had severe pain in his ear when swallowing and he sounded a "little" hoarse, that made me feel better, not that this poor man is sick but that it could be just a virus, he has been out of work for days, maybe I just have what he has.

The olive oil takes the edge off, thank you Carmie. I hope this just goes away because I really do not think I am strong enough to have a camera shoved down my throat, I would probably faint just walking in the office! I am praying that this ends and I get the strength to do what I have too do.
12 years ago 0 373 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Good morning, Debora,
Just a note to say that I continue to pray for your good health to return soon.  You sound much calmer which I hope will help you to get the rest you need to let the antibiotics and your body work to fight the infection. 
A few things that might help to know
   - I was so tired, too, Debora.  I called the doctor's office a few times because I couldn't believe how completely wiped out I was.  I walk a few steps to go to the bathroom and would have to lie down afterwards.  I have never been so tired. 
   - I was on Penicillin - they thought it wasn't working so I went on the Z-pac.  I got a rash on the z-pac, too.  They switched me back to Penicillin.  Regarding the antibiotics, I wouldn't worry about whether or not you made the right choice, just concentrate on the choice you did make - and getting better.  I know you'll get better soon.
-- Glad the drops are helping a bit. I really think you just need time and rest.
I know you'll be well soon.  Can't wait to hear the good news.  Hang in there - I'll be thinking of you!
 
12 years ago 0 542 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Sunny and Sonia,

Thank you. The ten questions helped especially the one that said "is it 100% true? that one I am trying to hang on too.

I heated up a little olive oil and put a few drops in my ear with a cotton ball and laid down and said a rosary, that helped a little also, the olive oil helped with the external pain, the worst pain is when I swallow through that nothing really helps, when I swallow it feels like little razor blades in my ear?! I guess I should be grateful its normally just when I swallow that it is really bad, the pain is tolerable I guess except when I eat or drink and the hot water helped too Sunny, you and Carmie gave me great home remedies, and I have three more days on the antibotic so I will wait it out, its the weekend and not much more I can do, what I will try NOT to do is panic and freak out, that so does not help anything, castrophizing about the future.

Perhaps I should of gone on the  "Z-pack" the doctor wanted me to go on, but I was scared to try it so I know Keflex agrees with me so I asked for that, I hope I did not make a mistake but I was terrified of breathing and rashes on the other one, keflex has always worked in the past, he said it would work and the pharmisist seemed to be optomistic, now that I think about it, I should of tried the Z-pack maybe it was stronger and more potent but I was scared, but Keflex has been around for forty years and I felt better on that, I pray I did not make a mistake asking for it. I have to think positive and get well and stop thinking bad thoughts. Thank you for helping me. 
12 years ago 0 270 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Debora,

Sunny has provided some great suggestions (using the 10 questions method, rest, etc.) How would you feel about trying one of these ideas out? Would you consider giving it a go and letting us know how you feel?
 
P.S You are definitely not alone! Feel free to vent anytime

Sonia
12 years ago 0 1665 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi D:  Just thought I'd log on and see what's happening and found your post.  Debora, anitibiotics sometimes take more than a wk. to work.  Hang in there and try not to let your thoughts run away to the land of catastrophies.  Have you tried the 10 questions?  If even one question is not 100% true, then you have to see that you may be wrong about your thinking and jumping to conclusions about cancer.  Catastrophizing sounds like what your thoughts are doing right now.  Slow them down.  If you can find something relaxing it will be helpful for your body which is fighting very hard for you right now.  It wants to heal and the stress and tension your thoughts are creating are not helpful.
I am sorry about your pain, it's exhausting and scaring you.  Think about when you first got sick.  You mentioned if only the throat pain would go away, you'd feel so much better because you thought you had a tumour/cancer, and it is getting better and it turned out to be bronchitis.  Ears are often affected when you get throat infections.  Speaking for myself, I would call the pharmacist and explain the infection (bronchitis, etc.) and ask him/her what they recommend for the pain that didn't interfere with your antibiotic.  Worth a try?  And of course, follow up with my doctor concerning the pain.  I'm sure they might give you a prescription for pain if it continues.  
When your body is fighting infection, you naturally feel more tired than usual and need to rest.  I hope you find something relaxing and calm this evening.

thinking of you,
Sunny
  



12 years ago 0 542 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
I am very scared right now I am having a panic attack I am shaking and crying. I have held it together for eight days of this sickness and I am falling apart now, the antibotic is not working and I am no better and I think its throat cancer, if it were not cancer the medicine would of worked wouldnt it? The nurse at the clinic was not too helpful she said "the medicine should be working by now" she said I could come back in but there was not too much more they can do, that was not good too hear I am reaching out for medical help and its not there, my ear is on fire and my voice is gone, all the symptoms and its so very scary.

I know what the next step is I have to go to a ENT doctor, ears nose and throat and they have to probe my ear which will be so painful and then stick a camera down my throat which I can just imagine how painful that will be and I probably cannot get an appt for a few weeks anyway even if I did have the courage to go, thats the only way they can diagnose laryanx cancer.

I have taken antibotics in the past and thankfully they always worked this time they are not and they said they would, they are making me very very tired, I can live with the loss of the voice but the ear pain is so scary and relentless, I am going to try olive oil in the ear as Carmie suggested, when my husband gets home he will get it, I have to stop panicking now its not helping anything and making me feel so much worse! I went to the doctor and did everything right and still no relief from this.

Do antibotics make anyone else tired? did anyone ever have to go the whole ten days before they felt better? Do they sap you're energy? My body aches but I have no fever, this is very strange. I fear cancer and I cannot have anyone putting a camera down my throat just the thought sends me into panic that is why I am panicking I know whats coming. I am sorry too vent I am so alone and scared and sick, I wish I was younger and I would have more strength to handle this. I am so scared.

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