hip and joint pain, and an unexpected explanation

[redbird]

My legs and hips started hurting badly on Wednesday, after several days of going back and forth between somewhat painful and OK, and my back also started hurting around then. Adrian said on Wednesday that she thought I should call Carmen, which I actually did yesterday, because I felt no better that the day before.

I spoke to Carmen over video this afternoon, and her tentative diagnosis is RSV, partly because things started feeling much worse on Wednesday, and because my symptom last night apparently apparently low fever (which Adrian remembered to mention, and is based on her noticing how warm my forehead was last night, and diarrhea, both of which are common symptoms of RSV but don't fit with any sort of orthopedic issue.

To the extent that I was expecting anything in particular from this appointment, it was either a referral to a specialist, or a prescription for a muscle relaxant. Based on the RSV diagnosis, Carmen's instructions are just to keep hydrated, and move gently to the extent possible. Adrian sat next to me on the couch during the appointment, and I'm very glad she did, because I hadn't remembered the possible fever, and because she helped me remember what happened when.

Carmen thinks that if this is RSV, I most likely picked it up at the airport on my way home from Montreal, rather than at the dentist's, not that it makes much difference either way. Carmen told me to call back on Monday if I'm still sick, at which point she might want to send me to have blood drawn. If I am feeling better, as we hope, I will send her a MyChart message.

ETA Saturday morning: Per the after-visit summary in MyChart, "patient will call Monday if not improved," which is different from the "call if I'm still feeling sick" in my notes. So, if I'm not feeling better Monday, call. If I am, but not well, either call or a MyChart message, consider the matter on Monday. Right now (Saturday morning) I am a bit better than last night, but worse than at the same point yesterday morning. (I sat in a chair near the stove while the kettle was boiling and the tea was steeping; yesterday I felt well enough to stand up and do some dishes. Adrian was definitely feeling better yesterday evening than the day before, and we bought some paper plates yesterday, both of which reduce the need for me to do dishes--but I wasn't thinking about that while making tea. I was thinking about how my knees felt.

Comments

[anne]

Oh no. I hope you feel better soon!

[otter]

I'm so sorry. That sounds awful. I hope you recover soon.

[pameladean]

That doesn't sound like much fun. I hope it passes quickly. Also yay Adrian.

P.

[redbird]

It is no fun at all.

Fortunately, we now have little folding tables of a height to put next to one's chair and eat off of. Adrian and Cattitude had already done research into those tables, thinking we would use them to eat in the study on really hot days. (On moderately hot days, we can air condition the living room; on very hot days, the AC doesn't make that room cool enough for me.) They ordered three trays from Amazon on Wednesday, and the things arrived after lunch today, so eating tonight's dinner -- the Smitten Kitchen roast cherry tomatoes and white beans--was a lot more convenient than last night's.

Dinner

[sine_nomine]

Ugh! I hope you improve quickly!

[bibliofile]

Isn't it great when furniture already exists for your needs?

Argh on the RSV. I hope you feel better soonest.

[minoanmiss]

*sends eviction notices to the viruses*

[pameladean]

It's nice when timing works out that way. And practical comfort is so important.

The dinner sounds delicious.

P.

[rafiwinters]

I'm glad you had Adrian with you during the appointment. Also yay for telehealth! I hope your symptoms tame down and resolve soon. (offering hugs, but that's optional)

[sine_nomine]

Re your ETA: I suggest you may be being too literal. I think Carmen means for to to call if you are still ill of any flavor, regardless of some value of "improved", which word itself is pretty vague.

Then again, I myself am running on Covid brain so perhaps I am missing something.

[redbird]

At the rate this is going, I will almost certainly be calling the doctor tomorrow--I'm if anything feeling slightly worse, perhaps because I haven't been sleeping well.

[sine_nomine]

Oof. I'm so sorry to hear! Being sick is not fun in any way.