Wednesday was a strange day. I went to lunch with my coworkers at a nearby vegetarian restaurant (which we love) like any normal day. Throughout lunch, I noticed that my head kept rolling backward and toward the left without me doing anything. In fact, I have to really concentrated to right my head again.
So after lunch, I asked my coworkers if I could go back to the office to lie down. But on the way back, I already felt like nothing is improving. My dear friend and coworker, Lidia, suggested that she drive me home to rest since I clearly was not doing well. I agreed. On our way to the parking lot, my bottom jaw started to turn violently toward the left which hurt tremendously. So I told Lidia that it probably would be a good idea if she would drive me to the emergency room instead.
So she drove me to the emergency and we checked in. By that time, my jaw was so misaligned and my throat had clamped up so much that I couldn't speak normally. The nurse checked me in and I had just called Priyanka to let him know what was going on. He came and met me at the emergency room and relieved Lidia of her duty to me.
The emergency doctor, Dr. Emblad, looked at my list of medication and knew right away what caused my horrible muscle spasms. By this time, I couldn't control much of my head and when I tried to smile at Priyanka, my face just twitched uncontrollably. I could barely talk without slurry my words anymore. I basically looked like I was possessed which was pretty funny considering that it was Halloween.
Let's take a break to pedal back a bit. I have been taken an anti-nausea medication called Ondansetron to help curb the horrible nausea I get from taking my chemo drugs. But I have forgotten to refill it on time so I went to the backup medication called Compazine (prochlorperazine) which I also have taken before for the same anti-nausea effects. What I didn't know was that I have a terrible reaction to the class of drugs called phenothiazine (which is the Companzine I was taken).
Apparently, this is a fairly uncommon reaction to this drug and it caused a dystonic reaction. And that was why I ended up in the emergency room.
The doctor was able to scan my medication list and notice right away the culprit. Thank goodness for Kaiser. People can diss Kaiser all they want but Kaiser had saved my life since last year. The fact that I can go to a Kaiser emergency room and the doctor there are able to have full access to all of my medical records have made it much easier to treat me.
So they gave me some drugs similar to ibuprofen for pain, antihistamine, and muscle relaxant to help with the painful spasms. I got knocked out right away after the muscle relaxant and slept for some time. I had no idea how long I was sleeping. Next thing I know, they woke me up and told me it's time to go home. Priyanka was there to hold my hand throughout the whole thing because he is what he is and that is a wonderful person.
I was able to be lucid enough for a while to call my parents and my sister to let them know what was going on. I didn't want them to be very worried about me since they couldn't be there with me. I know if they could, they would fly across seas to be with me and hold my hands, too.
I got back home and slept some more. I woke up the next day feeling much much much better and more relaxed/nimbled than I have ever felt in months!
I want to take time to thank Lidia for recognizing that I needed help and offered it. I also want to thank Angelica for allowing her supervisee, Lidia, off to take care of me. My coworkers are just wonderful people. I have made a lot of great friends at work and I'm forever thankful for having them in my life.
That is all for now.
So after lunch, I asked my coworkers if I could go back to the office to lie down. But on the way back, I already felt like nothing is improving. My dear friend and coworker, Lidia, suggested that she drive me home to rest since I clearly was not doing well. I agreed. On our way to the parking lot, my bottom jaw started to turn violently toward the left which hurt tremendously. So I told Lidia that it probably would be a good idea if she would drive me to the emergency room instead.
So she drove me to the emergency and we checked in. By that time, my jaw was so misaligned and my throat had clamped up so much that I couldn't speak normally. The nurse checked me in and I had just called Priyanka to let him know what was going on. He came and met me at the emergency room and relieved Lidia of her duty to me.
The emergency doctor, Dr. Emblad, looked at my list of medication and knew right away what caused my horrible muscle spasms. By this time, I couldn't control much of my head and when I tried to smile at Priyanka, my face just twitched uncontrollably. I could barely talk without slurry my words anymore. I basically looked like I was possessed which was pretty funny considering that it was Halloween.
Let's take a break to pedal back a bit. I have been taken an anti-nausea medication called Ondansetron to help curb the horrible nausea I get from taking my chemo drugs. But I have forgotten to refill it on time so I went to the backup medication called Compazine (prochlorperazine) which I also have taken before for the same anti-nausea effects. What I didn't know was that I have a terrible reaction to the class of drugs called phenothiazine (which is the Companzine I was taken).
Apparently, this is a fairly uncommon reaction to this drug and it caused a dystonic reaction. And that was why I ended up in the emergency room.
The doctor was able to scan my medication list and notice right away the culprit. Thank goodness for Kaiser. People can diss Kaiser all they want but Kaiser had saved my life since last year. The fact that I can go to a Kaiser emergency room and the doctor there are able to have full access to all of my medical records have made it much easier to treat me.
So they gave me some drugs similar to ibuprofen for pain, antihistamine, and muscle relaxant to help with the painful spasms. I got knocked out right away after the muscle relaxant and slept for some time. I had no idea how long I was sleeping. Next thing I know, they woke me up and told me it's time to go home. Priyanka was there to hold my hand throughout the whole thing because he is what he is and that is a wonderful person.
I was able to be lucid enough for a while to call my parents and my sister to let them know what was going on. I didn't want them to be very worried about me since they couldn't be there with me. I know if they could, they would fly across seas to be with me and hold my hands, too.
I got back home and slept some more. I woke up the next day feeling much much much better and more relaxed/nimbled than I have ever felt in months!
I want to take time to thank Lidia for recognizing that I needed help and offered it. I also want to thank Angelica for allowing her supervisee, Lidia, off to take care of me. My coworkers are just wonderful people. I have made a lot of great friends at work and I'm forever thankful for having them in my life.
That is all for now.
