7 Weeks

     It has been 7 weeks since I fell ill and a few people have asked how I am doing. Over the course of the past 7 weeks a lot has happened. I've seen many doctors, I've had blood tests done, and I've had medication adjusted more than once. I am not the same person I was before I took Levaquin, but I am strong. I've taken 5 sick days, I've quit my after school job, I've seen the doctor 3 times, my blood has been drawn 3 times, and I've had 2 EKG's, and 2 medication changes. I will win this battle against Levaquin. 

     I have seen a doctor more 3 times more than I would like to admit in the past 7 weeks. During the first appointment to see the doctor for what felt like death, the doctor did and EKG and some blood work. The doctor assured me that I was fine and that I probably had a virus of some sort. During this visit the EKG was normal and the blood work was not. At this time, I had severe anxiety, a low grade fever (99 or 100.4)  that depended on which ear you checked. I also had episodes of hot flashes with sweating. The blood work showed me as having a CO2 level of 21mmol/L when the normal range is 22-32 mmol/L. My AST was 49 U/L when it should have been between 10-35 U/L. Lastly my ALT was 94 U/L when it should be between 10-35 U/L. This blood work was collected on 10/11/18. 

    After a week of dealing with what the PA thought was a virus, I continued to feel the same: severe anxiety, sweaty hot flashes, muscle tension, and jerkiness. We decided to see the doctor again. At this appointment which occurred on October 20th, the doctor suspected that I was suffering from Mono or Hepatitis. All Mono tests came back normal and my liver enzymes still looked high, but had come down. At this point everything looked normal except for a high AST of 88 U/L. The doc wanted a follow up set for 4 weeks. 

     On the night of November 2nd or the early morning hours of November 3rd, I woke up in bed with what felt like my heart pounding out of my chest as my heart was racing. We immediately contacted my PCP at this time who asked me to set up an appointment with a doc for a holter monitor. On Saturday November 4th, the doctor placed a Zico patch on me and informed me that I may have a heart arrhythmia. At this point in time it is being determined whether or not I have Paroxysmal Atrial Tachycardia which means that my heart may have an extra fiber. I have since found out that Levaquin can cause long QT intervals of the heart which can cause cardiac arrest if not resolved in time. If I have a heart arrythmia, a surgical procedure is imminent. 

      Yesterday, I had a follow up blood test done. My AST is still abnormal, but I have made it down to 54 mmol/L. I occasionally have the hot flashes. I have heart palpitations or pounding at night.  I have stopped taking my birth control and my mood seems to be manageable. I see the doctor on Tuesday. I am currently continuing to work full-time.