Sunday evening I had such severe stabbing pain in my lower back left side and felt like I was going to vomit any second. Alex rushed me to the ER where we sat for an hour before my being seen. Once in the ER I did begin vomiting and kept vomiting. A CT scan was done to determine why I had the pain and I was admitted. So began the 6 day stay.
Day 1- I was really “out of it” due to the pain medication given. I could barely move, but my stomach wasn’t giving in to the pain, so the vomiting continued off and on. I thought there was nothing left to vomit, but I was wrong. I spent this day mainly in pain along with the vomiting. I had an ultrasound done to determine why this was going on.
Day 2- I learned the ultrasound didn’t show anything that might be causing me to have the pain in my side. So frustrating! I want to know why the pain and what can we do about it. In all this time I was on IV, no food or drink allowed in case they had to operate on me.
Day 3- I learned the blood test done on Day 1 showed nothing new, but the previous pancreatitis was now gone. That was good news, but I still have that nagging pain. It’s a good thing I have some wonderful, caring nurses. I know it’s their job, but they are very concerned for me and expressed it. I was told the doctor in charge of my case, the one who had me admitted, wasn’t happy about not finding the cause of the pain. She seems to think I am a mystery. Just letting my stomach “relax” and still nothing to eat or drink.
Day 4-I have lost count of how many bags of IV I’ve had. I’m more concerned today about the blood sugar levels I’ve been having, mainly due to the IV which doesn’t come in a sugar free choice. There is 4mg per bag going into my blood system, resulting in high blood glucose levels, none of which have been under 235 since I came into the hospital. The IV connection which was put into my hand on Sunday evening had to be changed today (after 3 days they fear the area will become infected, so it’s a standard rule to change it). The nurse who came to redo the IV connection had a problem with my veins. Seems they are small, but she finally managed to get the connection in place. Now the doctor is talking about possible shingles. Since I did have chickenpox as a child the disease can lie dormant in the body until a time when it may suddenly occur. My back and stomach area were checked for the rash, nothing was found. I was told shingles can take weeks to months to appear. It will be itchy. The endoscopy was done today. Nothing abnormal was found. Another test and no answers! By now I am more than frustrated. I am totally stressed out about this. My blood pressure and blood sugar are elevated.The blood pressure levels are over 250 most of the time. The blood sugar levels are still in the same range as the blood pressure. I know this means there is something wrong with my body and I certainly wish the doctors would find what it is.
Day 5- Today I had a test in nuclear medicine, one that should show if my gall bladder is working correctly. The other tests I had on this area only showed the exterior. This test will show the interior and if the gall bladder is correctly working. I get there and learn the test takes 1 1/2 hours. Getting on the metal table my back began to ache again. The first hour I was injected with a radio active matter that basically made my organs glow, like being a human glow worm. The second part a medication was injected to make the gall bladder contract to see if it was working properly. When it came time to get up off the table, I felt like I was paralyzed and couldn’t move. The nurse helped me up, but when she did I heard something pop in my lower back. When I mentioned this to the head nurse on the floor where I was staying she reported it. So, another x-ray to make sure I didn’t do something really bad to my back. That test showed stretched ligaments, so I was taking pain medication for that and having warm compresses on my lower back.The IV is taken away. A victory for me, but the blood sugar levels are still high.
Day 6- The surgeon came in to let me know I wouldn’t need surgery. All the functions the gall bladder was doing were just fine. He felt my problem would be shingles, but still there is no rash. I am also very stressed out. HA! Of course! Wouldn’t you be stressed having someone poke around your body, taking test after test and still no valid answer? Letting me go home today. Great! It’s been almost a week without a shower, taking only baths with a washcloth doesn’t help me feel better. I call Alex to pick me up at 2. Can’t wait to go home. The frustration of this week has gotten to me. I cry, wanting to hit something. There are two things I learned while in the hospital this week- my organs are all functioning properly and I lost 8 lbs. But after I come home, the pain in my back is still there. I came home feeling worse than when I went in, being in more pain now. I can’t sit or stand for very long with my back beginning to feel the deep pain. Plus I still have the pain left side near my kidney.
First day home- my blood pressure came down to a more normal level, but the blood sugar level is still in the upper 200s. I hope it will go down now that I am on my normal medication for diabetes. I am very weak and tired today. Plus the back pain is still there, no matter what I do.
Second day home- Tired, weak feeling along with the back ache. It hurts to sit, hurts to lay down, hurts to walk. I need to check in with my family doctor. I am just not sure what came be done, but the heating pad helps a bit. All in all, the stay in the hospital was frustrating. The bright spot was the nursing staff who all were so wonderful to me and concerned, the ones who listened when I complained, who held my hand and told me it will get better, and sympathsized with me about the possibility of shingles.
21 responses so far ↓
1 Denise // Jul 6, 2009 at 2:49 pm
So sorry to hear this. It sounds very frustrating I hope they find out what the problem really is. If its Shingles should you still be in all this pain? OMG
Hope your feeling better soon!
2 Rosie // Jul 6, 2009 at 8:54 pm
Thank you, Denise. I am still not 100%. I still have the pain, but now on both sides at the kidney areas. This was also checked. I am not supposed to get myself totally stressed out, yet the day I came home I found a letter from my health insurance company telling me they were denying the first two days of my stay. I called the hospital and was told they are working on payment with the company. Today I got another letter. I am going to ignore these, but in the matter of stress, I can’t ignore that.
I have been doing more research on diabetes and other diseases. I intend to ask the gastrointestonal doctor when I see him this week about some of these. I will continue to search until I find any answer, if I have to diagnose myself! It’s very frustrating not to know. The shingles have not appeared, although I was told they can take weeks to appear. Alex keeps checking me to see any of the signs of a rash appearing. Shingles are painful from what I’ve been told. My father had them before he passed away from diabetes complications, so I know what I am up against. Keep checking back as I will continue to post on this. Diabetics have got to stick together! Communication is part of this disease. I just wish someone would find a cure and no one would have to have diabetes.
3 Kim // Jul 9, 2009 at 7:50 pm
I just came from the doctor. Horrible pain in my back right side. Been sleeping with ice packs for a week. She suspects shingles because today I woke up with bumps on my face. If they blister tomorrow she will put me on a med for shingles. My blood sugars have been in the high 200’s all week. Not sure of the connection there. I’m curious to see what you find out.
4 Rosie // Jul 11, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Wow! Sorry to hear this Kim. I still have not had any rashes on my body. It’s been at least a month since the pain in my back left side began hurting. Now it’s also on the right side, yet all the tests showed nothing. I did get a nice “surprise” from Blue Cross- they sent me the copy of the bill from my hospital stay….over $32,000. Ouch! They are still negotiating with the hospital. And I am not supposed to get stressed?? Yeah, right!!! My blood sugars have been up and down, but not as high as 200. When you have an infection your blood sugars will be higher than normal. What is this with shingles? I have been hearing way too much about this disease lately. Until a few years ago when Dad got them I had never heard of them. Now there is a new vaccine you can take to hopefully not get shingles. Another question for my Upper GI doctor.
5 stephanie // Jul 12, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Rosie or Kim,
I’m writing an article on diabetes and shingles. Would like to email and ask you questions regarding your experience.
Stephanie
6 Rosie // Jul 16, 2009 at 6:33 pm
I learned today, 1 month later, that I probably won’t get shingles. That is a relief, but the pain is still with me and now it’s to consult a rheumatologist for me.
7 Beth // Jul 25, 2009 at 8:58 am
I found your conversation very interesting. My daughter has had an outbreak of shingles along with some increased blood pressure and stress. I’ve been trying to research the connection to the blood pressure and other immune conditions that could be causes or a result of it. Actually went to the family doc and learned a bit more than what i’d read. Please post any further info you find out.
8 Rosie // Jul 29, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Beth–Is your daughter also diabetic? Shingles is not something that is easy to go through. I have learned much from my mother who took care of my Dad when he had shingles. I remember all the pain he was in. He had them over his chest and on the left side of his face. You couldn’t touch him without a complaint coming from him. He said they were so painful that he didn’t want to move. I will be posting more information as I learn things. Please post information you have learned. It may help someone else in the future. Thank you.
9 melinda // Oct 27, 2009 at 9:00 pm
I hope by now you are all well. I had shingles in April of this year. The outbreak came about while on vacation and I missed the window of opportunity to take anti-virals. Upon return, my doctor did a battery of tests to rule out any autoimmune disorders. The only thing that came back was a deficiency in Vitamin B-12. Shingles isn’t for sissies, that’s for sure. Take care of yourselves…eat lots of vegies/fruits, fish and grains…meditate, pray, find a time to be calm, read, laugh and enjoy life. I am only learning this now after so many months.
10 Rosie // Oct 29, 2009 at 6:52 pm
@melinda – //sorry to hear you got the shingles. I never got them. My cousin has them now and she told my Mom that she is having a horrible time. She has them on her butt and on one leg. She said the medication doesn’t even help all that much. It’s sad that a preventative medication/ shot can’t be given at a certain age to make sure you don’t get shingles. I have enough problems with my diabetes and I still have that darn pain on either side of my body. Still no answer why I have that. Take care.
11 Tom // Dec 1, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Rosie, I’m in week #4 of my case of shingles. The pain, itching and discomfort are not anywhere near as intense now as they were in weeks 1-3. I started re-taking my blood sugars about a week ago and they’ve been very high…in the range of 180-242. I was thinking there is a correlation between the stress and pain from the shingles and my elevated blood glucose levels. Have you seen any information on this? Thanks.
12 Rosie // Dec 3, 2009 at 7:44 pm
I haven’t seen any information about blood sugars and shingles, but I do know from talking with my endocrinologist that the pain and stress from any diseases will make blood sugars rise. Do you find yourself craving foods you shouldn’t be eating? Sometimes I get the cravings for dumb things like potato chips and will devour a large bag over a few days. Makes me wonder if I just needed more salt in my body. But your sugars are much too high. Have you discussed this with your doctor? Do you go to a diabetes specialist? If not then you should. It’s not good to have too many high blood sugars, even when you are ill. Are you type 1 or 2? If type 1 you can regulate the insulin. If type 2 perhaps you need to take even 1/2 tablet more each day. But do call your doctor first. My cousin just got over shingles and she suffered tremendously. She said it was the worst thing she had ever had. I do feel for you and hope that you can get this and the blood sugars under control. Please keep me informed. I do care.
13 Tom // Dec 3, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Thanks for your reply Rosie. I believe that the additional stress from shingles combined with everything going on during the holiday season has to have some impact on blood sugar levels. I’ll be contacting my doctor to get his opinion as well. I appreciate your concern. Have a very Merry Christmas.
14 melinda // Dec 3, 2009 at 9:06 pm
I don’t have diabetes but….were you eating well during shingles attack? I couldn’t tolerate much more than soup. Besides oral meds, there is an anti-viral ointment (Zovrimax – sp?) that works well on keeping the blisters from spreading and also helps with pain and itching. It is prescription only. Sure hope to never experience this again!!!
15 Tom // Dec 3, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Melinda, I had a lot of pain, tenderness, itching and aggravation but it didn’t seem to impact my appetite. I was taking 800 mg. of Acyclovir (Zovirax) 5X per day for a week because I couldn’t afford the Valtrex that was originally prescribed. I’ve eaten normally and have not really changed my diet at all before or during the bout of shingles. Yet my blood glucose levels have become elevated. That’s why I thought the stress from the shingles may have had an impact. We’ll see what my diabetes doctor has to say.
16 melinda // Dec 3, 2009 at 11:26 pm
I agree that stress plays a huge role in our health. My doctor insists stress is what caused my shingles — WHILE I WAS ON VACATION. LOL She ran a battery of tests and one came back showing low immune system. After ruling out major illnesses, I think it could be caused by a B-12 deficiency. This is something I need to address with her next time I see her. I had horrific pain and itching for about 10 days. The cream really helped as did a lot of showers. Good luck to you with the diabetes doctor. I hope your blood sugar level returns to whatever is normal for you.
17 Rosie // Dec 8, 2009 at 7:46 pm
As you can see by the comments from both Tom and Melinda, stress can take a toll on the blood sugar levels of diabetics. I know lately mine has been elevated. Pain is also a factor. When you have a lot of pain in your body your blood sugar levels can go up. Mine have been over 140 all week. My trigger finger has come back big time and it hurts so bad some days that typing has become more of a chore than a pleasure. Definitely check in with your diabetes doctor. That’s really important before doing anything that might make things worse for you. My telling you to chill out and not stress will not work at all. It’s not something that anyone can do quickly. Take care. I do care about you all.
18 Mark // Apr 23, 2010 at 11:08 pm
Came across this site while investigating why I developed shingles. Was given Acyclovir today, hope it works. I am an endurance athlete that recently went to two-a-day training regiment, so I think my immune system is suffering from the workout stress. Anyway, a few years ago, I had similar pain in my lower back, which caused vomiting and intense pain. Turned out to be kidney stones, which was treated. However, about a year later I had the same back pain….but it wasn’t a kidney stone. I put up with the pain for another year. The pain moved to both sides of my lower back. Then, I got a bladder infection. Turns out I had a kidney infection that moved down to the bladder. Cipro killed everything, and I no longer have any pain in my back. But, like I said, now I have the dreaded shingles. On a good note – I don’t have any pain that is usually associated with shingles. I felt fatigued and had chills leading up to the sores (which presented themselves two days ago). No itching, no burning, no pain at all. Good luck in your search for answers.
19 Rosie // Apr 24, 2010 at 5:24 pm
It’s been almost a year since that hospital stay and I am still finding some days the pain acts up in both sides of my body. Since then I have had some of the back pain, yeast infection, and feeling tired some days. I am not sure what is going on with my body, but it sure has been up and down all year. About 5 months ago my cousin developed shingles on her butt cheeks. She is now better, but she said it was the worst thing she ever went through. I still look for the signs of shingles as I can never be sure I won’t get them. My father had them before he died of complications from diabetes and he suffered so much. I hope that doesn’t happen to either of us. Please take care of yourself. I do hope the Acyclovir works for you.
20 sharon // Aug 16, 2010 at 8:24 pm
I so understand this. It is horrible. I came down with shingles on the back of my head. That was in may. it is now August and I still have one
because I can’t leave it alone. have swollen lymph nodes still in neck under where shingles were. I guess it was stress that brought it on since i lost my mother in Feb. Wow, I know I don’t want them again If I ever get totally over it. Took 2 rounds of antibiotics. Yuk!!! My back also hurts and they say nothing wrong. wonder if that has to do with shingles as well… I hope you feel better soon.
21 Rosie // Aug 25, 2010 at 5:52 pm
You mentioned your back hurting. Have you tried chiropractic? That worked for me. Also the chair I was sitting on needed to have a lumbar pad. Not saying it will work for you, but it’s worth trying and not all that expensive. If you have health insurance many of them will accept a chiropractors fee.
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