Fourth times the charm? Maybe....

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Some of you might know that I have been to the ER a few times over the last couple of months. This past Sunday was the fourth time that I have been seen in the same ER for the same issue. A few months ago I got really really sick. Actually all of us were sick. Well mine lingered longer than every one else's. They put me on antibiotics and steroids and some other stuff. They said it was acute bronchitis then, and I was satisfied with that answer. Until the cough and shortness of breath didn't ever go away. And things got way harder, breathing sucked. Everything hurt. So we went back like a month later. And they said acute bronchitis again. So they gave me different steroids, different meds and a inhaler. Two weeks ago it got to where it felt like I couldn't breathe/swallow etc. So we went back. I was told it was the lingering effects of RSV. Which was funny to me, since I had never been diagnosed with RSV. They did a XRay, and a bunch of other stuff. Sent me home with a breathing treatment, a cough syrup and some more anitbiotics. Sunday I went back, they did blood tests, they hooked me up to heart monitors and all kinds of other stuff. They did another Xray and said that my lungs hadn't gotten any better than the visit before. Then the doctor said that there was lung damage from what was probably undiagnosed Covid. So I have had both RSV and Covid apparently without knowing it or it ever getting diagnosed correctly. The doctor said my lungs looked like I had smoked a pack a day for sixty years. I quit smoking almost four years ago. There is damage to my lower left lung. Damage that I may have to have medicine for for a long time. Possibly for the rest of my life. Which is not exactly what I wanted to hear. I tried to make a follow up appointment to go to the doctor because I want to talk to an actual doctor and get the real diagnosis and whatever else can be done. Even if it is long term. They sent home a antibiotic, a steroid and also perscribed a cough syrup and a inahler. Winn Dixie doesn't have the inhaler in stock yet, and they wanted $128 for the cough syrup. So I have been trying to get ahold of the doctors office to see if they can perscribe something else. Because apparently insurance wouldn't cover that cough syrup. So this whole mess is not any fun. I am not having fun. It's hard to breathe and all kinds of stuff. I have to do meds four times a day, breathing treatments four times a day, and have to figure out what cough syrup they can perscribe me that I can actually afford. Because my cough hurts, my chest hurts. Everything hurts. So that's what I've been dealing with.