I feel icky

[Deanne]

I think it's some sort of bug or food poisoning. I blame the dentist since I was there on Monday and got sick on Tuesday. I thought I was just extra tired. I've been gradually swapping my blood pressure meds and figured the tiredness was related to that. Until after work on Tuesday when the vomiting started. I couldn't even keep water down until mid-morning Wednesday. I'm back at work today, but I don't know if I'll make it all day. It's been a couple of days since I've eaten and I still don't want to eat. I'm likely a bit dehydrated and I'm trying to drink a bit today.

What's the right thing to do in these circumstances? I haven't taken all of my meds. I've been keeping an eye on my blood pressure and at least taking enough of my bp meds to keep it somewhat under control. Since even water was making me vomit, I didn't want to take anything that has any chance of upsetting my stomach, and I didn't want to take lasix since I haven't been able to drink very much. I hope the vomiting is mostly over, but since I'm not interested in food yet and my stomach is still feeling a bit upset, I'm not sure if I'm really over it. Any advice? How do you know if it's really a virus and not a kidney failure thing? My last labs were a couple of weeks ago and show me at about 15% function and Creatinine at 3.9 (it was 3.3 three months ago). I assume if I start to feel better in a couple of days, it's a bug and if not, I should worry?

[MooseMom]

If I break a nail, I immediately assume it is due to kidney disease.   I've had some trouble with nausea lately, and I was really starting to panic until I realized it was due to the binders I had just started taking.  So, I understand the confusion that comes when you are ill and you don't really know if it is kidney related or not.

If you don't get any better, then I don't think it is unreasonable to assume that it may be because your kidneys are finally trying to tell you something, and the only way you will know for sure is to contact your neph and let him/her know what is going on.  I think I might also keep an eye out for evidence of edema.  Loss of appetite and nausea are the classic signs of renal failure, but they are also the classic signs of a tummy bug, but maybe edema is one sign that means the former and not the latter.  But this is the time of year when all sorts of bugs are going around, so it could very well be just that.  Gosh, I really don't know what to tell you as I can't see in the future, but believe me when I say I do understand what you must be feeling.  Keep a close eye on yourself and give us frequent updates on how you are feeling.

Did you ever think you'd be hoping you had food poisoning?   This limbo is just excruciating, isn't it.

[Deanne]

Thanks MM! It helps just to know I'm not the only one who feels a bit confused when sick. No edema. Dehydration instead. My weight has dropped by about five pounds this week. Maybe a bit from not eating, but I think probably more because I haven't been able to drink very much either. I wanted to lose 10 pounds, but not this way!

I have considered food poisoning as the culprit. I heard/read somewhere that stomach bugs are often really food poisoning. The last thing I ate before I started to feel "off" was homemade pasta with homemade alfredo sauce Monday evening. Doesn't seem like that could be it, but I'm going to throw the leftovers out as soon as I can bear to look at it, just in case.

[MooseMom]

As much as we'd like to think that our kitchens are spotless, most foodborne illnesses come from our own kitchens, and most of these illnesses are mild, so you don't really think of having food poisoning.

It sounds that since you are back at work today, things are getting slowly better, and I would guess that if your kidneys were packing it in, you would be feeling worse, not improved.  Still, you and I are in that gray area where it is good to be extra vigilant.  Of course, that means that we often slip into paranoia.

[okarol]

Do you have a fever?
Jenna was told that at 3.1 creatinine Should could have one bout of the flu, or an infection, or a period of dehydration to knock out her remaining function, so be careful.
Hope you feel better soon. 

[Deanne]

Thanks Karol - I'm trying to be careful. I worry any time I get sick that it'll cause my kidney function to "take a hit." I didn't take my temperature, but I don't feel feverish. 

I think I'm better - I seem to be over the vomiting anyway. I managed a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee this morinng and I'm back on all of my meds, exept for lasix. I think I'll be able to start taking lasix again tomorrow. I want to make sure I can get my fluid intake back to normal first. I'm still very tired. It's exhausting to raise my arms over my head long enough to wash my hair and I needed to go take a nap after I showered & dressed. I'm hoping it's just residual effects, or from a lack of food/drink for the past few days. If it doesn't get better by Monday I'll call my neph.

[Deanne]

If it isn't one thing, it's another. I feel much better. I can eat & drink normally and no more vomiting. But now my fleshy parts feel a bit bruised. I think they've felt this way for a few days, but I was too busy vomiting to pay it much attention. I imagine it's all related, but it's annoying. My upper arms, upper legs, fanny, breasts, even my cheeks. If I press on them, it feels like I'm pressing on a bruise, but there aren't any bruises there. I hope this goes away soon.

[MooseMom]

I can't imagine what might be causing your fleshy bits to feel bruised!  That's a "symptom" I've never heard before, so you should get some sort of prize!   It probably is all related, and thank goodness your vomiting has stopped.  That was really worrisome.  I hope you can spend the weekend recovering and not doing much of anything else.