Chronic Illness – The Straws Accumulate

The name on the file was “Bronchitis” but it was so much more than that.

Trenna died nearly three years ago and, maybe as a coping mechanism, I have been enjoying telling people of her achievements and of events in her life. She did a lot.

But occasionally I remember something, or I see something that reminds me of what she went through, and how at times it was so, so hard for her.

I recently saw a file on her iPad that was named “Bronchitis”. I was expecting it to have perhaps a few notes about the condition, treatments she might have tried and perhaps the dates on which she suffered Bronchitis.

As I read through it I saw it was all of those things. But it was much more. It was a women on the edge. The edge of death. Being given one more challenge in an already shitty set of circumstances.

Trenna had a very long list of chronic illnesses and co-morbidities and by 2015 they were really taking their toll. She could cope, and to many she would appear to be quite normal. But at times a small additional burden could tip the scales the other way.

In July 2015 there was one such tipping point – and it threw Trenna, and me, into a spin.

My Invitation to You

I invite you to read Trenna’s contemporaneous notes, below.

It takes you on a rollercoaster ride through two weeks of worse health in a life of ill health.

Whether you have experience with chronic illness or not, it gives a pretty good insight into one person’s suffering. Both the physical and the emotional.

I think as the story ends, it also gives an insight into Trenna’s resilience and tenacity. It’s not easy reading, but I invite you on that journey.

The iPad Entry

BRONCHITIS

14 DAYS 27/7/15 – 9/8/15

Mon 27/7/15 – chesty cough increasingly worse. Greg bought some ‘safe’ cough medicine – it did reduce my cough “EXPECTORANT MUCOLYTIC.”

GM in 2023: I had gone to the pharmacy where Trenna got all her drugs, gave them her circumstances, including that she took warfarin, and that is the cough mixture they sold me.

Tue 28/7/15 – awoke RACING AF [Atrial Fibrillation]. Stopped medicine, Greg discovered on Net it had pseudo ephedrine in it. Very sleepy. Slept most of the day, cold/hot temp, sore ribs from continual coughing. Coughed up thick brown sputum on several occasions which helped lessen coughing for a short while.

2:10 pm racing AF stopped, flushed medicine? YES

Wed 29/7/15 – Today more coughing & sputum, laboured breathing, sleepiness.
CHERRY CONSULT: I have a slight fever 37.8 (normal 36.1 – 37.9) Checked my ears, chest & throat, diagnosed Bronchitis – an inflammation of the bronchi (airways) of the lungs. I have all the symptoms. A chest cold! People ‘like me’ should take precautionary antibiotics. Augmentin Duo for 5 days. Another week if symptoms persist.

At bedtime, I was so congested I found it hard to breathe. I did sleep until 1:30 but awoke coughing & struggling to breathe. All through the evening I had experienced a continual gurgle at the back of my throat that sounded remarkably like the finale of distant fireworks. There was no finale though.

It continued & around 3:30 I got up & gargled hot salty water, whilst inhaling the steam from the glass. Greg rubbed Vicks [VapoRub] into my chest & throat nothing brought a stop to the chesty cough, my ribs & stomach muscle felt like they were being shredded. I took 2PF [Panadeine Forte], rearranged pillows several ways but could find no relief.

At 4:25am I had a D [Diazepam], used a lounge cushion for my pillow & fell asleep.

Thur 30/7/15 – Greg let me sleep until 8:30 & then the coughing started all over again. Am drinking plenty of water today. Am also giving herbal lemon & ginger tea with honey a try. Attempting to do light housework.

Greg set me up with lunch & left for work 12:15pm. During the arvo, I noticed I was blowing my nose more than coughing, a good sign I thought.

Our new puppy wore me out when we were outside I picked her up (nearly 4kg) & went into AF! I immediately put her down, the AF only lasted about 1min, but with all further movement I had a thumping heart with ectopic beats. By the time I had got her inside & cleaned up I was utterly drained it was about 3:45pm.

I sat on the lounge & couldn’t move off it until Greg arrived home at 6:15. I was unable to wash my hair or shower, put the clothes washing away, empty the bins or anything else. Greg stood by while I had a shower (unbelievably weak). I managed to eat slightly less than half my meal only a sip of wine.

Flopped on the lounge until bedtime had 2PF & 1D 9:45.

Fri 31/7/15 – 4:25am I awoke unable to breathe. Woke Greg who boiled some water & I did a 5min inhalation to move phlegm. It did. I went back to bed. I got up @ 7am coughing & wee’d uncontrollably. I felt like death, sweating, shaking, very slow movements.

7:00am diarrhoea. Went to breakfast had usual drugs + antibiotic with a small glass OJ, could only stomach 2 spoons of yoghurt & half slice of toast – coughing & nose blowing relentlessly.

Cherry rang Greg 8:40 to give him his blood test results. Perfect, he can now drink alcohol. [GM in 2023: I had had a temporary liver problem.]

I spoke to Cherry about what I could do to improve my lot, she was surprised that codeine which relaxes the airways hadn’t helped more. She suggested I get a Ventolin inhaler with a spacer & or to try some very old medicine called Senega & Ammonia Mixture.

8:50am 2nd bout of diarrhoea. Don’t know if my heart pills went through me(?)

Greg bought an inhaler & spacer. I had 2 puffs at 10:25am. Seamed to clear well. Dried my mouth out too. 10:45 3rd bout of diarrhoea for the day. Rested, had a lemon & ginger tea with honey.

12:20pm I ate half a pie then 12:50 4th bout of diarrhoea, fatiguing! 2:30 had 2nd couple of Ventolin puffs & managed to make the bed, have a shower, wash & blow dry hair.

3:20 Jacky [a neighbour] came over to get her mail, I was able to chat with her about her Italy trip for about 20 mins. I set the table & then decided after a short game/train of fetch with Charlie to go back to the couch. I successfully ate more than 2/3rds of my Kheema & drank a 100ml glass of wine.

… there in lays the fuck-up

Then 9:20 5th bout of diarrhoea. I slept through the night.

Sat 1/8/15 – awoke took a clear breathe, no gurgle. Then a tickle at back of throat, then usual coughing began. Got up 8:20 1st bout of diarrhoea. Had small amount of OJ with pills + 100ml yoghurt. Then 2 puffs Ventolin, 1st didn’t work, 2nd I didn’t taste or feel my mouth fill with the Ventolin. I ate 2 bites crêpe + 2 bites bacon, couldn’t stomach coffee. Had water instead.

Greg & I had major enraged melt down, me chucking stuff, him getting incensed with the state of each others health. I see that now would be a good time to exit this shit-hole of a life, he wants to continue to be in this shit hole & me there with him & there in lays the fuck-up.

I don’t feel depressed, I feel disempowered that I can’t just go as is my wish.

Ventolin hasn’t worked this morning am continually gasp-coughing for airways to clear, coughing up plenty of sputum & nose blowing. 10:40 2nd bout of diarrhoea.

My bum feels like I have been shitting razors

Greg made me a lemon & ginger tea with honey, it’s peppery but is better than milk tea. It does seam to make my nose runnier & I cough up sputum more though. Greg feels for me!

11:55 3rd bout of diarrhoea. 12:15 1 puff Ventolin as my coughs are continual – every several seconds. I must feel the Ventolin in my mouth & feel my mouth become dry. The coughing will stop.

Stopped coughing for awhile, coughs came back momentarily. Only just coped with an impromptu visit from Jacky, Amelia, Mareeka, (Evelyn’s daughter), Raq & baby Sara all over to visit Charlie.

When Greg returned from buying a paper, I sent him off to park with A & M. My pill alarm went off which prompted J & R to go. A bit too much! I rested for an hour or so. Then 4:30 4th bout of diarrhoea. My bottom is raw!

4:45 1 puff Ventolin. Shower. 8:10 5th bout of diarrhoea. 9:20 6th bout of diarrhoea. My bum feels like I have been shitting razors.

Sun 2/8/15 – 6:25 1st bout of diarrhoea. 6:40 2nd bout of diarrhoea. 1 puff Ventolin 6:40. 9:00 3rd bout of diarrhoea. 9.00 Last day Augmentin Duo – withheld! breakfast OJ, yoghurt, toast. 9:25 4th bout of diarrhoea. Water, water, water. 10:20 5th bout of diarrhoea.10:50 6th bout of diarrhoea. Water, water, water. 11:40 7th bout of diarrhoea.

1pm RPH GP CLINIC re: diarrhoea. [GM in 2023: This was a government funded, emergency medical service aimed at reducing pressure on hospital Emergency Departments. Without it we definitely would have gone to the ED] May be from Augmentin, don’t take last 2 pills but maybe from virus spreading to gut. Sputum should be brought up as much as possible rather than swallowed as it will spread the virus. Drink lots of water + Hydralytes eat plain unsweetened yoghurt to restore good gut flora, stop Ventolin as cough is now dry as is throat. Rest, do stool sample to ensure not contagious bacteria. Cough could last a couple of months, sent details to Cherry. 9:40 8th diarrhoea. Did stool sample.

Mon 3/8/15 – 7:30 1st diarrhoea. 7:40 HB INR + STOOL. 8:45 2nd diarrhoea. Nauseous, weak, dry cough yoghurt @ breakfast & drinking water + Hydralyte. 10:00 3rd diarrhoea. Rest of the day similar symptoms, cough more wet.

Saw Cardiologist, Susan thought I sounded still chesty & suggested I still use Ventolin when cough wet. OK’d me stopping A-D said I should check INR regularly, steam inhalations, buy Yakult. High BP but not concerned virus not in lungs or heart, had ECG given the all clear.

Tue 4/8/15 – Fri 7/8/15 – Symptoms remained mostly the same, sometimes wet cough, sometimes dry cough. Rested mostly all day on cough listening to audio book & sleeping in day & sleeping in until after 9:00am.

Greg took the entire week off as he had contracted a slightly different symptomatic version of my Bronchitis.

Sat 8/8/15 – Day 13, I only have a tickle in the back of my throat & a ‘pathetically lame’ dry cough. Rested up most of the day just to be sure.

Sun 9/8/15 – Day 14 Although the tickle & dry cough remains as does an occasional runny nose. I have done my 30 min exercise program as a start to my full recovery.

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