It was time for me to return to infectious Disease Doctor down in Concord, NH. A truly remarkable woman, who treats me like a human being!
I had my appointment with her, and we went over tests, she examined me, and we came up with a game plan. I needed two referrals, and will be back to see her in one month.
One thing she and I spoke of, was my allergic reaction to one of the IV antibiotics that the doctors in Boston had used. The reaction was so bad, it landed me back in the hospital for a week, until they figured out what was wrong with me.
The drug was Ceftriaxone. A very powerful antibiotic. They actually gave it to Jack after his amputation and he had no problem with it.
Me? Well, I thought I was going to die! You see a very small percentage of people get what is called “Red Man’s Syndrome”. So, it only seems reasonable, that someone like me who is allergic to almost everything, would have trouble with this drug!
Of course the doctors in Boston allowed me to remain on this drug until I was readmitted with severe dehydration, due to the unbelievable side effects of this drug! The side effects were truly gruesome! Here are the ones I had.
- Redness or rash on back of neck, arms, upper torso or face
- Itchiness of the rash or red blotches
- Low blood pressure
- Rapid heartbeat
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
- Fever or chills
- Hives
- Muscle weakness
- Dizziness or fainting
Now you would think with all of these side effects presenting that the doctors down there would have caught on fairly quickly. But, they did not. In fact when they hospitalized me the third time, I told the doctor I felt like I was going to die. I really did! No one listened. It took them 5 days to diagnose that this was a drug allergy.
My New Hampshire Infectious Disease doctor listens to me, and to her, I am not just another patient.
We now have a game plan to treat me and hopefully all will continue to go well.