Steriods

February 28^th I decided it was time to go see the Dr. My head felt like it was going to explode from pressure. The left side of my face was so sensitive that I couldn't touch it. I couldn't hold the phone on my left ear as the receiver brushing my skin caused pain. I had no sort of shooting pain going down into my ear but knew there was something wrong. I wanted to take a Q-tip and shove it in my ear as far as it would go in hopes I would pop something and the pressure would be released. Perhaps water had gotten in my ear and was trapped and had caused an infection. I had to get some relief immediately because Thursday I was taking my grandson and our two Rottweillers to Texas to visit my husband. Taking a 3 year old and two large dogs on a four-hour trip takes some patience.

I called to get the appointment. My regular Dr wasn't in that day but there was someone there to take her place. I made the appointment with no worries at all. All I needed was an antibiotic and I was sure I would be fine. Wait a minute, when my mom lived with us she had gotten an antibiotic that had made her sick and she hasn't taken it all. I thought I would just grab that and take it along to show the Dr and if indeed I needed an antibiotic I would ask if I could use this one.

Into the office I went. The Dr came in and I described my symptoms to him. He looked over my chart and made a comment on the amount of allergy medicine I take. I told him I knew it was odd to take 2 24-hour medications a day but that is the combination that we had found worked and I didn't want to mess with it. He smiled and began the examination.

He looked in my ears and told me I had quite a bit of fluid in my left inner ear. There was a little redness but no infection yet. He looked in my right ear and it was fine. He turned off the lights in the room. I was a little surprised and asked him what he was doing. He told me that an x-ray would work best, but this was the next best thing. He then took the light he had looked in my ears with and pushed against several areas of my face. My forehead, my eyebrows, and my cheek. He told me if the cavities were full, he would be able to tell because it would look cloudy. He said they were cloudy and surmised I had a sinus infection on my left side.

Again he looked over my chart and noted that my regular Dr had given me Prednisone, which is a steroid and an antibiotic when my allergies would get out of control. I confirmed that yes I had taken them twice in 5 years. He then mentioned a couple of antibiotics. It was then that I produced the antibiotic Byaxin from my purse. He looked the pack over, noting there were 2 gone and also checking the expiration date and when they had been prescribed. He told me they would be fine although I would probably need 2 rounds. In the pack you take 5 days worth but the medicine stays in your body for 10 days. With most sinus infections a person needs more than 10 days or the infection doesn't complete go away and comes back at a later date to kick your butt again.

I went to the pharmacy and picked up my packet of prednisone. The Dr had thought it would be easier for me to take in the pack because the antibiotics were also in a pack. I had never had a pack before, just the little pills in the brown prescription bottle. Along with the medicine the pharmacist told me to take them as prescribed as a person is not to get off them too quickly. No problem with me, I always do as I am told.

I had my medicine, went home, packed the truck, and went to take my first dose of medicine. The instructions were to take 2 before breakfast, one at lunch, one at supper, and two before bed. Well it was 3:30 when I went to the Dr and now it was almost 6. I called the pharmacist to ask if I should wait until the next day to start. He said no, take 3 now and 3 before you go to bed. Again, no worries because I remember my mom was on something like this and they told her the same thing. So I did as I was instructed.

The next morning I took the medicine as was written during the day and prepared for the trip. I noticed I was a bit more agitated than normal but decided it was anxiety about taking the dogs on the trip and went about my preparations. Everything was loaded including the child and the dogs and off we went.

After 2 hours of driving and having to have the windows half way down because the dogs had some major gas going on and the constant noise from the wind coming in the windows I was feeling more agitated than before. But again, I blew it off as anxiety and noise.

My husband was glad to see us and met us at the door. He could tell I was aggravated but he thought it was probably due to the trip and welcomed me with open arms and a kiss, which I brushed off. As the evening wore on, the more aggravated I became. All I need is a good nights sleep and I will be fine.

Unfortunately that wasn't was happened. The next day, I wasn't agitated or aggravated any more, I was annoyed with everything and everybody and told them about it. The 3^rd day wasn't any better. My stomach was bloated, I didn't want anything to eat, I didn't want to move, and I didn't want to hear any noise as it aggravated my senses. By that 3^rd night, I noticed a burning sensation when I went to the bathroom and actual pain when I wiped. The 4^th day was a terror for me and all those around me. Anything set me off. The littlest things such as the dogs wanting outside caused me to cuss them. And my poor husband and grandchild were also catching my wrath over the smallest things.

I exploded. I cussed and said things that I would never say now. I talked like an angry fisherman who had been out to sea for 3 months and came home with an empty boat. I didn't care who was around me or who heard me or what I said. I wasn't angry, I was mad, hateful, and wanted to hurt somebody.

At the times that this feeling would come over me, it was as if a cloud or haze had descended over my eyes. I couldn't see straight, my mind whirled, I was vicious. I wasn't me. The outbursts would last only a few minutes until I could see and then I would stop and start apologizing to those around me. I picked up my grandson who didn't know what to think, and would hug him and tell him I was sorry for yelling and that I loved him. He looked at me with those big blue eyes and said, "Nanny, why are you so mad?" I fought back the tears and told him I didn't know why I was so mad. I did the same to my husband apologizing after every time that I bit his head off. He told me there was something else going on inside me and he knew I wasn't acting like myself. Our trip was cut short I had to get home to the Dr and find out what was happening to me. The anger would not go away and the itching and burning was driving me nuts. Monday morning I loaded up my grandchild and the 2 dogs and we headed home. I called my daughter in law to have her call and get me in to see the Dr as soon as possible.

I sat in the Dr office cussing and kicking my feet like a child. The Dr came in and her first response was to ask me why my face was so red. I explained to her the outbursts and hot flashes and itching and burning and the anger. She told me, "it's the steroids." I got angrier and told her she had given me those before. She patted my leg and said " Vonnie, it's the steroids. Yes you have taken them before but I usually have you take them over a 10 day period, not 5 day period like what's in the pack." She looked me over and also confirmed I had a raging yeast infection that went from my mouth to the other exit points on the body.

I asked her how long this anger was going to last. She told me there was no way of knowing, the steroids would have to work their way out of my body. After prescribing the medicine for the yeast infection she told me to go home, lock the doors and not talk to anybody for a couple of days. And if I did get out and the mob caught me, before they burned me at the stake make sure they call her so she could explain that I wasn't a demon from hell. I love my Dr.

Today is March the 7^th. I have literally been in the house for 2 days. I am feeling better although not so angry, now I am just pissy. I know what the cause is and I guess knowing the information is helping me to control it. I notice that when I move around quite a bit such as house cleaning or laundry, that I feel I want to throw something but not kill it. It is getting much better I can tell.

I will never forget our drive home from Texas when I really had a fight with the steroid monster. Not saying I would have done this, but the thought was in my head for 4 hours. I would look at my grandson in the car seat beside me with this thought going through my head. " If he wasn't in here, I swear I would ram this truck into a pole."