Heather Dugger

My health nightmare began back in February of 2016, was
moving from Andover, KS to Columbus, KS during this. With running a really high
fever, rash on my arms, hands, feet, legs, nausea and a little tick on my
stomach. Didn’t think much of it, took Tylenol and got a lotion for the rash.
During this time was walking/jogging 1 to 3 miles a day, trying to get into
shape and getting healthier.  Started
having a lot of pain on my right side to where I could not breath or move.  Was unable to eat or drink anything. Even
water tasted like blood. Black out pain. With having no insurance, I was scared
to go to the ER. On March 7th, went to St. Joseph in Wichita, KS.
They did a CT scan, saw nothing. Saying it was either my gallbladder or a
parasite. The nurse there left me in the ER room without a call light to check
an order for two hours. My Dad wasn’t allowed to come back until she magically
showed up again asking why I was still there. Needless to say, was upset. Had
another order for a bag of IV and some more oxycodone, which upset her, she
hooked me up and started squeezing my IV bag, right then my Dad came into the
room, stopping her before she blew a vein. Was sent home with pain medicine and
zofran.

March 13 ER Pittsburg KS severe pain in side continues with
unable to eat or drink really anything. Very sick, very high fevers up to 105.
They do an ultrasound, find nothing. See I go to the community clinic down in
Columbus, decide to let me go because my doctor will do something. Go to the
doctor the next day, they ask why they didn’t do more at the ER.

April  14, 25th,
29th doctor where they sent me for gallbladder tests (scans, hida, etc).

May 4th Dr Dunbar Followup for Hida. Schedules
endoscopy and colonoscopy.

June 6th woke up with some vision issues and
balance was going off. Had to take my Ranny to her Colonscopy. Felt like a
migraine and it was normal. Gets much worse as the day goes on. Last time to
drive.

June 7th bad bad headache/migraine, went to
regular doctor but saw Nancy who gave me a shot for migraines. Got onto me for
going to the ER so much because if they haven’t found it, nothing is wrong.

June 8th test results for scopes, no bleeding to
explain passing blood or throwing up blood or why I cannot eat or drink
anything. Esophagus is red and swollen. Followed by ER at Pittsburg due to not
being able to walk, see really, hearing things, etc. They don’t know. Give me a
cocktail of medicines, which I am crying in pain still. They wait to give me a
different cocktail of medicine with morphine, which still awake. Still in a lot
of pain. Just high and in horrible pain. Send me home, saying for me to get
with my regular doctor to do some tests. Because they need to do them, not the
ER.

June 14th Nancy again, begged her to take my
blood to check for tick diseases. Gives me a hardtime for going back to the ER.
And how nothing is wrong. And she is proud of me for losing so much weight in
such a little amount of time. Tells me to just drink liquids or milkshakes and
I will be fine.

June 21st got the call that I have Rocky Mountain
Spotted Tick Fever. Start doxycycline (capsules), very very sick from it.
Vomitting for 24+ hours.

June 22nd birthday, go to Freeman ER in Joplin,
MO because pretty sure Via Christi is trying to kill me. Admitted into the
hospital due to brain lesions. Only do MRI because I told them my migraine
keeps flipping sides, which I said at the other ER as well. They say it could
be MS, could be from taking birth control, could be nothing. During my stay
spinal tap, another MRI on neck and upper back, draw lots and lots of blood.
Released on the 25th.

July 5th Doctor appointment for followup. Still
can’t walk by myself, blacking out, falling down, losing feeling in my arms and
legs. Still can’t see. Hearing things now. Actually got to see my regular primary
care. He is very concerned and trying to figure it out.

July 14th EEG test, negative.

July 26th MRI with and without contrast. Same
crew from when I was there last. Takes 10 times to start an IV, hard stick. Blow
both hands veins.

August 2nd First appointment with Neurologist. After introducing himself, tells me I have full blown MS. And tells me and my
mother to get busy doing research on medicine and also MS in general.

August 3rd get IV PICC. Start steroids. Later
that night, have first seizure. Simon alerts me to it and continues to do so
with Malcolm with every seizure since then.

August 9th Another EEG, one with the light.
Redoing another one because of the seizures. And it is negative. Talking about
doing a sleep one in my home.

August 10th Go back to primary care, tell my
doctor I have MS. And he tells me more than the neurologist really did.


September 4th started taking Avonex. Had the horrible flu symptoms. But hardly have tremors now.

This has been my medical nightmare. Hoping that it is gets better and so much more happened. But this is the bones of it. Glad that they put me on Cymbalta, being depressed, somewhat blind, can’t walk etc is not a
good combination.