I have not forgotten my faithful blog followers. It’s been a rough couple months, and I am trying to get on track.
It started early December when I supposedly had a touch of pneumonia. After being on meds for a couple weeks, the second X-ray said my lungs and bronchial passages were clear. It didn’t make sense to me because I still had a terrible cough and was very fatigued. The doctor ordered another more specific blood test. Lo and behold, I have Valley Fever. By the time I got the diagnosis, I was feeling better, but there was no doubt I had this infection in me. The blood test was very conclusive.
You ask, “What is Valley Fever?” If you don’t live in Arizona, Southern California, or New Mexico, you may never have heard of it. Mayo Clinic states on their website, “Valley fever is a fungal infection caused by coccidioides (kok-sid-e-OY-deze) organisms. It can cause signs and symptoms such as a fever, cough and tiredness.” I never had a fever, but sure had the cough and the fatigue.
This fungus that causes Valley Fever is in the soil in the above states that I have mentioned. If the soil is disrupted, one may breath in these fungus. I was taken off guard. I have not done much outdoor walking this fall or winter, and couldn’t figure out how I would get this. I was told I could get this just walking from my car in a parking lot into the grocery store, especially in an area where there is a lot of construction going on. Yes, we live in one of the fastest growing areas in Arizona, and there are thousands of homes and business being built around us all the time. Because Arizona is dry and dust flies, when contractors are working the ground, they are followed by water trucks trying to keep the dust down. Of course, it’s Arizona, also known for dust storms.
It doesn’t really matter how I got this infection. I got it. I feel a lot better physically. I realized a couple weeks ago that I really didn’t do much in December. I was without energy. That has come back, so I am back to keeping up with the house, cooking meals, and sewing. What I still haven’t recovered from is the short attention span I seem to have. I have trouble sitting and reading a book, even my sewing is done in small spurts. I have tried writing my blog several times to just hit a dead end within the first paragraph. The good news is that Valley Fever is not contagious!
This infection is treated with an anti-fungal medication that I have to take for 12 weeks. Half way through this, I have to have a blood test to make sure it is not affecting my liver function. If all is well, then I continue the last six weeks on the medication. I suppose I get retested after that to be sure we eliminated it. According to my doctor, my blood test will always show from here on out that I have the Valley Fever fungus in my body. She was encouraging by telling me that my immune system looks really strong by the normal blood work I have had done. She said there should be no reason not to have a full recovery.
I’m looking forward to when my concentration is back 100%. I would say I am at 98.5% now. I have only been on this medication for a bit over two weeks. I have a lot more energy to work. I am grateful for that.
Valley Fever can have terrible symptoms and consequences if not discovered early and treated. I was told many people just think they have a bad cold or the flu and they ignore the symptoms until a while later they get really sick. My doctor said she was glad that I did not accept the fact that my lungs were clear from pneumonia, and I questioned why I still felt so bad if it was cleared up.
So, my friends, hang in there. Don’t forget me. I will be back to writing soon. I just need to get my head cleared. Other than that, I feel great!
Andrea Unsinkable 