You want to send me to the Hospital? Seriously?

So last Tuesday the 12th of January I mentioned in a posting that my Asthma was flaring up again. I had caught Jack's bug and it went straight to my lungs. I couldn't catch a breath. I started taking amoxicillin and my rescue inhaler and figured I would be fine. Well, by Friday I was still really struggling. So much so that my mom told me (AGAIN) to go the doctor. I was coughing and really rattling. And the wheezing I was doing with each breath in and out was audible to people in the same room with me, not just next to me. But I figured that I would just change medicines. The amoxicllin I bummed from a friend wasn't doing the trick so I jumped ship and found some Augmentin in the cabinet. The medicine was from my eye in December and I had a good 4 days worth of pills left so I thought between that and the inhaler it would work.
Besides, if you noticed I have been busy. Too busy to be sick. Birthday parties, a trip planned since Christmas for me and Sydney to LA, a cookie display to make for church, a room redo for the kids. I wasn't going to let the wheezing and coughing stop me. I felt fine. I just couldn't breath. But honestly I was getting used to the tight, balled up feeling in my chest. The panting was becoming normal. I was taking shallow breaths, like I just ran a race, and I didn't really notice it much, except for all the coughing.
It was on Monday that it all caught up with me. While redoing Sydney's room, the movement of her old furniture tossed up the dust behind it. That was it for me. My airway, what little I had left, really closed up. I couldn't get a breath. I opened every window although it was raining, because cold air make me feel the breath go in. That helped a bit. I ended up sleeping up right that night because laying down was suffocating. I called the doctor Tuesday and went right in.
And guess what?
He listened to my lungs and left the room to get me a bed at the hospital.
WHAT?!?!?
My blood oxygen level was at 63. Anything under 90 and he couldn't let me walk out of the office. He wanted to get things going at the hospital in case I couldn't get more oxygen with his treatments in the office right then. I had no idea it was that serious. I mean, I felt really light headed, had a headache, a constant cough, and burning and wheezing, but I could deal, you know? But it was VERY SERIOUS. So immediately I was given a shot of steroid to open the lungs and reduce inflammation. Then two breathing treatments to open the bronchial. After 15 minutes, I perked up. My blood oxygen level went back to around 89.
And after much contemplation, my doctor cancelled my bed at the hospital.
Whew! Thanks goodness.
Then the lecture came.
Why had I waited so long to come in?
Why am I self medicating?
So I told him the truth. Too busy, too much money for the doctor visit and meds. And really how bad could it really be? I mean I was able to suck it up and take a day trip. Able to push thru and act fine at church. Was able to kinda sing in the choir. Lots of coughing and wheezing but I was able to will my way through the one song. I had to be getting enough air if I could do those things, right? But the dust was the beginning of the end. It was the final straw.
So, very very long story short. I left the office with well over a $100 worth of prescriptions and co-pays. But a $100 is way better than a $2000 out of pocket deductible if I had to spend 2 or 3 days at the hospital. And my doctor and I figured something out about me.
I have a high tolerance for pain.
And that makes me wait too too long to go into the doctor.
I waited to long with my eye and by the time I got in there it was very serious.
I waited to long with my bronchitis this time and by the time I got in there it was very serious.
I waited 6 weeks before I demanded an x-ray of my bottom to confirm the broken tail bone when I had Jack.
And waiting too long gets me into trouble.
So...
good to know huh?
I have to go get checked out when I am uncomfortable. Not when I am so miserable I can't stand it anymore.
So, I am on my way to better. But I am not there yet. I was up till 4 am coughing and wheezing last night. But the steroids and meds should work soon. I am sure of it.
And Iam sure that I will do things differently the next time around.
Darn Asthma. Deadly asthma if it gets too far out of hand.
Who knew?