Are you ok with feeling better in 24 hours or less????

[susandennis]

I waited and waited for Dr. Lung's office to call me back and crickets. Finally I went to get pizza and stopped at Trader Joe's and had a major coughing attack every time I moved... from the house to the car... cough, from the car to Trader Joe's... cough, cough, cough... etc.

Finally I got my stuff and made it home. Sitting still or moving slowly is the only way to not cough.

But, just now I got the call. The nice lady said "Dr. Lee says it sounds like a COPD exacerbation and he's recommending prednizone if you are ok with that..." Ok with breathing and living like a normal human??? SIGN ME THE FUCK UP!! But, what I said was ohgodyes. So I'm waiting 15 minutes to call and see if the prescription is ready.

I do not get all the prednizone drama. I have taken the stuff now about 4 times and at least 3 of those 4 times I've gone - nearly instantly - from horrible to fabulous. (The 4th time, I was pretty healed by the time I finally got some so not horrible.) I even studied the side effects last night on the internet. Long term and short term. The short term don't happen to me and the long term are all things that I'm willing to chance. Really. Am I OK with it? I am not ok with antibiotics handed out because maybe they might work. But no one asked if I was ok with that.

I'm going to be having a chat with Dr. Regular next time I see him. No more of this pussy footing around prednizone again. Gimme or I'll get it on the street.

I also need to ask one or the other of them - probably Dr. Lung since he's likely the one I'll see next - about whether to swim or not or walk or not when I get an attack like this. I still didn't get that answer. But, since I'll be better, I'll swim tomorrow for sure.

Not sure why this LJ cut won't work. Just scroll on by, I guess.

TMI

So when you are an old lady (and, I understand this also applies to young ladies who have had kids) and you cough, you leak pee. If you cough a lot and or have coughing fits, you leak a lotta pee even when your bladder is empty. No clue how that works and don't care - just wish it wouldn't work at all. It's horrible, uncomfortable, smelly and messy. It's nearly as bad as the actual coughing. I've had to wear Depends (or actually equivalents which are much more comfortable) every day all day and at night. Diapers. Lovely. So when I don't cough, not only do I sound way more human and healthy, and my rib case doesn't scream with hurt, but also I'm not peeing all over myself.



I just called and not yet. I think I might just go get in the car and go over there and sit and wait.

Comments

[nattalie-m.livejournal.com]

Normally I pee every 1 or 2 hours because I drink so much water, I guess it's good for everybody that I hardly ever cough!

[rejectomorph]

So far coughing has never made me pee, but it does sometimes make me fart. Then I usually have to laugh, and that makes me cough again, and I get caught in a vicious circle: cough, fart, laugh, cough, fart, laugh. It's very annoying. I blame my crude and rowdy boyhood companions for making me think farting is funny.

[susandennis]

I can see the cycle... farts don't make me laugh BUT... come March, I turn 69 and I'm expecting to giggle about that for 12 months straight.

[sweetmeow]

With this cold and cough I have now, peeing has become an hourly event. If I don't - well - like you said... I was just thinking that maybe it's because I'm getting old and that ye old sphincter muscle is - shot. I get where you are.... :-/

[susandennis]

yep. welcome, sister. may your cold be gone soon!!

[coffeeguy777.livejournal.com]

Your LJ cuts works here.ive had prednizone many times in the 90’s for a chronic sinusitis & Nasal polyps.it works well opens those sinuses right up.But didn’t like the long term effects.One for me was change in personality & being very short with People.Making me feel like I’m always on edge.Also makes you insanely hungry all the time which I didn’t mind cause I’ve always been Thin.

[susandennis]

Good to know about the cut.

I think I understand the problem now... I'm always hungry and have been all my life but, mainly, the being short with people thing... as anyone who knows me IRL will tell you - it does not require prednisone to happen :)

[twicet.livejournal.com]

There have been some underpants getting great reviews as they absorb the pee and you don't feel any dampness. I don't know the name but am sure if you goggle they will come up. there is now one for heavier leaks. Sorry I don't have any more info, but if I came across them again will let you know.

[susandennis]

I actually got some like that from Amazon. Not too bad. A little pricey but they do work.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B005H2J5E8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

I only got one pair for testing. Seems like asking for laundry day every day, tho.

[lifeinroseland.livejournal.com]

Cheers to fabulousness! Or like we say in Spanish, Salud! (Health.) Good luck.

[shutterbug.livejournal.com]

Re: peeing: Pelvic floor muscles get weak and/or less reactive like other muscles in the body do when you age. Sneezing and coughing are just sudden enough that the reactivity of the muscle isn't enough anymore. Did you know they make little weights you can use to train your pelvic floor muscles?

There's your randomness for the day.

As for prednisone, yeah, it has issues but it's mostly about long-term use from what I can tell. I think you're fine, but I'd like to know what your docs say about it. Personally, I figure the quick effect it has on the problem is worth it.

[dunlinumbriel.livejournal.com]

excellent

[howeird]

From what I have seen long ago on LJ, you're lucky to be able to take prednisone and get the good results and not the bad.

Years ago there was a friend of a friend on here who had AIDS, which affected his lungs similar to COPD, and he had all the anger issues associated with steroids. He kept going back and forth between taking it and swearing it off, and the withdrawal symptoms were ugly.

As always, wishing you the best.