About the Author
Margaret Dunn
Hello everyone! I am a Headhunter/website builder/and aspiring internet marketer. "Headhunting" is what I've been doing for the past 20+ years. (Visit
Job Search 101) I've been a website builder/internet markete
Before last week I had no idea what Pericarditis was or is. I never knew the symptoms of pericarditis because it isn't something that you think an 18 year old teen might have. After this past week, I know all too well what pericarditis is.
Our journey toward a diagnosis started about 4 weeks ago when my 18 year old son complained about a bad sore throat, a headache and overall tiredness. He was having intermittent chest pain, but it was mild. He does get quite a few sinus infections and has been to the hospital for more than his share of times because of injuries from his dirt bike, but other then that, he is quite healthy. He also has a mild case of exercise induced asthma. I did take him to the pediatricians office, they checked him out, did a strep test which was negative and told us it could just be a virus. They never mentioned that he had symptoms of pericarditis or had any idea of what else it might be. However, since we were getting ready to go on vacation, the doctor decided to prescribe an antibiotic which he was to take just in case he was feeling worse or the symptoms happened to increase.
A week went by and the antibiotic seemed to be helping. The sore throat was diminishing and so were the headaches. Pericarditis symptoms or a diagnosis of pericarditis was still something we were totally unaware of.
We were off to Ocean City Maryland for a week at the beach. All went well until the last day or two when he started to complain that his sore throat was coming back. Two days after we were back, I took him, once again, to the pediatrician. Once again, they said it was probably a virus or maybe a mild reoccuring case of his mono that he had a year before. Just in case, they were going to change his antibiotic. I told them again that he was complaining of mild chest pain. We later found out that was one of the major symptoms of pericarditis. I went later that night to the pharmacy and filled the prescription, bought a new thermometer and Advil Liquid Gels since the Tylenol wasn't taking his fevers down to normal.
By the third day we were back home, and one day after we had seen the pediatrician, my son got a high fever. It started at 101 and even with extra strength Tylenol his fever progressed to 103.5 during the night. He had a massive headache and chills and said that his chest hurt. (more symptoms of pericarditis) He talked himself into believing that the chest pain was from the fever. The Advil Liquid Gels seemed to do the trick. The fever went down to about 100 and his chest pain subsided. Advil has an antiinflammatory agent in it. Pericarditis responds to antiinflammatories.
The next day my son was laying on the living room couch. I told him he didn't look too good. He told me that he was ok except for his massive headache, fever and chills. I kept looking after him. Early in the afternoon he started to complain about mild chest pain. Thinking maybe it was his asthma (as oftentimes infections set off asthma attacks), I gave him a puff of his albuterol inhaler. An hour later he said it didn't help. I asked him if he wanted to visit the pediatrician again. He told me he was too tired and that he would wait and see. (tiredness, shortness of breath, chest pain all symptoms of pericarditis).
A few minutes later, and after checking on him again, he yelled out to me and started crying and clutching his chest and told me that his chest felt like it was caving in. He was holding his head and his chest at the same time. He was telling me that this was the worst pain he had ever felt. I rushed to get my shoes on and told him we were going to the ER but I couldn't move him from the couch (he's 6'1" tall and over 200 lbs. He couldn't even move himself. I called 911.
The ambulance came. Part two of pericarditis continued to be continued . . .
Published by Margaret Dunn on June 22, 2007 11:51 PM
