melloworca6 said:Which specific bacteria were you dealing with in your throat?
And do you have a constant fever, or did it just flare up again recently?
I’m not really sure why everyone is fixated on the thyroid; I don't think it actually causes swollen lymph nodes. A thyroid issue might make it swell enough to affect swallowing or breathing, but affecting the nodes—especially under the arm—doesn't seem right to me...
As for feeling exhausted, it’s probably just because your body is worn out from constantly fighting something off.
The thyroid can definitely impact lymph nodes... where are you getting that idea? If her bloodwork came back normal, I'm assuming things like white blood cell counts and lymphocytes are okay too? Thyroid inflammation can mess with the lymph nodes...😉
melloworca6 said:It doesn't necessarily have to be your thyroid. It could just be some kind of bacterial infection somewhere else causing the lymph nodes to react like that.
I’d start by getting a full blood count, including ESR and CRP. If everything looks okay there (since inflammation usually bumps up the ESR, CRP, and white blood cell count), then I'd look into the thyroid...
Yeah, obviously the first step is a CBC and whatever other tests the primary care doctor orders... They aren't going to hand over a referral to an endocrinologist right away. You'll probably spend months jumping from one clinic to another...😉
And you might not even get a diagnosis for another two, three, or five years...😬
rapidviper29 said:My CRP was high when I had a bad bacterial throat infection. Once I finished my antibiotics and got my blood work done, both my CRP and white cell counts were back to normal. My labs came back fine again after testing yesterday, and my nasal and throat swabs were clear too. So why all this talk about fibroids and stuff... it's gotta be the thyroid...😕 ...for sure...
Just try not to panic...🙂 Even if it is the thyroid, it's not the end of the world...😉
rapidviper29 said:It’s almost certainly related to my thyroid, I really need to get that checked out... I have an appointment tomorrow to look into the lymph nodes, so we'll see 🤷
It’s very likely the thyroid... there's been such a huge spike in thyroid issues over the last 15 years or so... probably just stress and stuff like that...☕
I think mono played a part in this. Ever since I dealt with it, my immune system just hasn't been the same 😳 I also went through those stretches where I was constantly catching colds and viruses; once, I had a low-grade fever lingering for maybe three months 🙄
Actually, it's similar to what you're going through. I was on antibiotics about three months ago, then had a five-day virus a month and a half back, and now here we are again... though for me, it feels mostly like a thyroid issue now...
It might not be a bad idea to get your thyroid checked out!
Also, for as long as I can remember, I sleep with socks on. My nose is always freezing, and my partner is constantly teasing me about having ice-cold hands but a warm heart 😍
Angela Wright said:Oh, please don't be ridiculous 😳! What, were they supposed to just guess she was fine and send her home? What good would that have done? Maybe people should skip the doctors and just go to wise geniuses like you instead 🙄
Grace Lewis6, my mom went through all the standard procedures. She had symptoms pointing toward some serious diagnoses, so they ran tests to rule those out. Regardless of what virus it turned out to be, she received the right care. If she’d been sent home without an IV, things could have gone south really fast... and who knows how that would have ended. And yeah, those "harmless" viruses aren't actually harmless if you don't handle them properly.
I don't even have the energy to respond to the post above 🙂
And Ivanicapeca, thank you so much. I know I might have stirred up too much drama in my first few posts, so your advice actually helped settle me down...
She was discharged with an enterovirus suspicion and a few other minor diagnoses... She's fully recovered now!
James Kelly said:It sounds like your mom just picked up some stomach bug or something, honestly... no need for all this drama. As long as she's okay, that's what matters 😉
There was actually suspicion of meningitis, so they had to perform a spinal tap. I'm definitely not overreacting here...☕
Angela Wright said:Look, she was showing symptoms of meningitis, and if meningococcal sepsis kicks in, things can turn fatal really fast. They did everything they could. Don't look at it that way right now. If it had actually been meningitis, she'd be lucky they caught it. Just be thankful it turned out to be nothing and everything went okay. She’ll just have to stick to hospital food for a bit and work on clearing up that fatty liver issue.
And one more thing: your mom really needs to get those gallstones taken care of ASAP! Stones can cause serious trouble once they start moving. Since I work with an oncology nonprofit, I hear stories all the time from patients and doctors we partner with about how long-term gallstones causing constant inflammation can eventually lead to malignant changes in the surrounding tissue and trigger cancer. Most people don't even have symptoms, and by the time they do, doctors are often just dealing with the aftermath...
Man, I know I might sound childish, but it’s honestly so hard to see her like this. It feels like she was in better shape when she first checked into the hospital than she is now. Or maybe I'm just wrong...🙂 Do you happen to know how long it usually takes to recover from a spinal tap? Would a quick drive home—maybe 10 minutes—be bad for her, or should she stay put in the hospital for a few more days? She could rest at home, though I feel better having her where she is for now. Actually, I got a little spooked because I was Googling and saw that one complication of a puncture can be meningitis... It's scary... Her head is still killing her, she's vomiting, she won't eat, and she's on an IV...
Hey there. Just wanted to share a quick update from today: The ultrasound looks fine, her EKG is normal, and she doesn't have a fever. It’s likely just some kind of enterovirus. They were worried about meningitis for a bit, but luckily the spinal tap came back negative... BUT! I am honestly so frustrated. I really don't know if that spinal tap was even necessary, because Mom is feeling terrible now. She has these awful headaches and can't even move from lying down. She was vomiting today, too! The doctor says it's all a reaction to the procedure. They really put her through the wringer, and it looks like they probably won't even be discharging her tomorrow...
I was just at the local infectious disease ward. Honestly, I’m still processing everything. I had a chat with the doctor, and she said the liver enzymes are borderline, but the blood work looks fine for now. They have her scheduled for an ultrasound tomorrow. Apparently, it isn't an emergency since there's no fever today and she's feeling alright... I did bring up the possibility of sepsis, but the doctor mentioned that would have shown up by now...
nimbletinker10 said:What do you think they meant by "shot"? Are we talking about an injection in the back or something else...
Can't you just confirm an infection through a standard blood test?...
I didn't mean to scare you with that talk about the spinal tap... My mom was admitted to the infectious disease ward yesterday because they suspected meningitis—though it wasn't from a tick or anything—so they had to do a puncture and test her spinal fluid...
I'm not really sure how they test for meningitis after a tick bite... maybe a spinal tap isn't even necessary in those cases...
Angela Wright said:It’s entirely possible she has gallbladder inflammation caused by stones. My mom actually went in for surgery to have hers removed, and they didn't even realize it was inflamed until they actually opened her up. She hadn't shown any symptoms at all.
Do you think her current symptoms match up with an inflammation like that? About ten years ago, she had one last attack—the worst, most painful one yet—and they were already getting her ready for surgery, but then everything just stopped 🙄 And she ended up deciding against the operation... Gosh, I don't know, I was really hoping we'd get some actual answers today...
Swine flu is finally out of the picture. Now they’re focusing on a different symptom, because this dandelion-yellow diarrhea has cropped up... My mom usually deals with gallbladder issues and stones, but she hasn't had an attack in years! She isn't even feeling any abdominal pain right now. She was diagnosed with fatty liver last year, and apparently, today's liver function tests were right on the edge. She's heading in for an abdominal ultrasound tomorrow... The doctor mentioned hepatitis, but didn't specify which kind? I'll be heading up there around 2:00, so I'm hoping I can get a bit more information then...
I I'm thinking (and hoping) it's just a basic viral thing... The fever part is weird, though. Earlier this year, I had some minor virus and ended up dragging a low-grade fever around for two months. It wasn't there every single day, but it kept coming back 🙂
The doctor's appointment is supposedly around 11, so hopefully I'll know more then!
Hey! I'm guessing you haven't been tested yet? I think that's really the only way to know for sure if that tick actually passed anything dangerous on to you, like meningitis or something similar...
Angela Kelly said:They really need to figure out if this infection is viral or bacterial first
If I were you, I’d ask them to run an influenza A test. If that's what it is, she needs to start antivirals right away. I'm just speaking from my own experience since we're seeing a huge outbreak here in the States, though things aren't quite as bad as they are elsewhere...
Yeah, it would be great to know if it's even infectious, and if so, whether it's a virus or bacteria. But hasn't the doctor visited yet today? Back when I was dealing with mono and tonsillitis, they used to wake me up at 6 AM to check my vitals 🙄
So, no fever today, but there's some diarrhea...
I don't think it even crossed their minds to test for H1N1 since there aren't any respiratory symptoms!
Angela Kelly said:How can they tell if it's infectious?
Has anyone else in the family gotten sick?
They haven't even ruled out an infection yet, which probably includes just a basic virus! That double spike in fever is suspicious, so they ran tests for meningitis. Though Mom wasn't exactly out wandering through the woods 🤣 (or do ticks just fall from trees??) Besides, no one else in the house is sick, and she hasn't really been anywhere crowded, like riding the subway or anything...
So, I have an update, though I don't feel any smarter for it! They’ve ruled out meningitis, and they're still waiting on her blood and urine results, but she won't even see Dr. Miller until tomorrow anyway... She’s on a standard IV drip right now and has to lie completely flat without a pillow to help reduce the pressure in her head (?) I did ask her if the doctor mentioned whether this is definitely an infection or if they suspect something else entirely—like maybe she should be at a different hospital altogether... I guess we'll just have to wait and see tomorrow 😢
Angela Wright said:Nothing can be confirmed without blood work and a spinal tap. You just can't tell if it's actually an infection or something else entirely. As for the medical bills... man... I know someone who didn't have extra coverage and ended up paying about $667 for just a week in the hospital. It all really depends on what they end up doing with her, specifically the tests and their costs. Food and the room seem like the cheapest parts...
Yeah, the waiting for results is the absolute worst... I'm heading up there in about two hours, so I'll check back later with more updates! I just hope it's nothing serious. We'll figure out how to cover the costs somehow...🙂