ER Trip

As most of you know, I have had a dry cough for about 8 weeks now. I only cough when I am at work. I will go all weekend without coughing, and as soon as I get to work on Monday it all starts again. One day last week when I was sitting at my microscope it seemed a little hard to breathe, but I figured it was just from sitting like that all week at work. Last night when I left orientation at The Children's Hospital, I noticed it again. It lasted all night, and into this morning. Kind of a tightness like I had a belt around my chest and could only breath as far as the belt would let me go. Once I got to work it started to get worse and worse. I told my boss I was having trouble breathing incase I started to do anything weird, she would know how I had been feeling. Around 10:00 I started to feel like I was going to hyperventalate because I coudln't breathe. I couldn't even sit still because it made me think about not breathing. Finally I told her I thought I was going to have to go to the ER because I was starting to get a little dizzy from not enough oxygen. She walked me to the ER (a block from my work) and stayed with me until they called me back.

I got a chest x-ray and EKG to make sure nothing was going on there. I don't have any kind of upper respiratory infection or tumor or anything. I also did a breathing treatment of Albuteral and Epinepheran. The Epi made my EKG a little crazy, and they had to call my Cardiologist to fax over an old EKG to compare. It ended up being okay.

The breathing treatment didn't help as much as it should have, so that ruled out asthma. The doctor thinks I am allergic to something at work. He gave me an inhaler to use every 4 hours for two days, then as needed after that. He also said to take Benadryl or Claritin before I go to work and see if that helps, and to wear a mask when I am there. Luckily we move in January, so hopefully I won't have it any more after that. I don't want to wear a mask at work forever!

He told me to take the rest of the day off, and when I got home my heart was really pounding from the Epi. Laying in bed I could feel my heart beating in every place you can feel your pulse. Very weird feeling, and kind of scary.

We will see how tomorrow is at work with my Benadryl, mask, and inhaler!

Ashley

Relaxation

After 7 months of learning how to do woodwork, trimwork, acrylic work, glass work, Aluminum work, plumbing, and electrical work, I get to sit and relax. Besides the initial glass tank EVERTHING was do-it-yourself. All the DIY projects are done with the exception of repainting our front entrance. (long story) Here are the end results. Saltwater fish tanks are so relaxing, I sit and stare for hours. Ashley did all the staining and polyurethaning. She also did the rockwork! Thanks babe!