Who do you see when you can't get to clinic?

[Jeana_Lynn]

I live 3.5 hours away from my CF clinic. I realize that this may not be the norm. I need to see someone, but I'm not going to be able to drive three and half hours to get to clinic, and then there's a weekend. Who do you see in this case? Do you see a family doctor or a pulmonologist? Or do you just go into a care clinic (non CF) or the emergency room? My particular concern right now is that I coughed really hard and now my ribs are hurting and it hurts to breathe. I have been tolerating it for about 48 hours but it seems worse today and I feel like I need something stronger than Tylenol. I have never seen anyone other than a CF doc unless it did not pertain to my CF at all, like an Eye doc or something.

 

[jshet]

We see my sons pcp when we cant get to clinic. My sons pcp is great friends with our cf doc. This works great because if we cannot get there to clinic, they speak on the phone and decide how to best treat him. I really like that when they are talking about my son, they both know exactly who they are talking about. Both can put a face to the child they are talking about.
maybe you should call your family doctor and try to be seen. If not, maybe a trip to the ER is needed. Especially if it hurts to breathe. Wishing you good health snd a speedy recovery.

 

[2005CFmom]

I would call your clinic and see what they want you to do. Maybe they will call in a prescription for you and/or order a chest x-ray. That is what we would do if we thought it could wait a few days until we can get the clinic. If it feels more urgent than that, you may need to head to a local doc or the ER.

 

[peter]

Try wrapping a wide elastic band around rib area of pain. It could be an intercostal muscle strain, costo-vertebral joint, costo-transverse joint, diaphragm strain (it is a muscle) which a competent physical therapist with manual skills might be a proper solution. Often moist heat using a wet proof heating pad with a wet hand towel over the area may also provide relief. If you have osteoporosis then even vertebral body fracture is possible. Don't panic. Most musculoskeletal problems resolve in 72 hours and just being comfortable is sufficient care.

 

[kmhbeauty]

This happened to me. Really bad pain by ribs in a specific area. I ended up coughing up a small amount of blood and pain was gone. I believe it was a mucus plug. Whenever I am bad enough, my doctor just says to go to the emergency room for basically anything. I try to treat myself and if that fails, I go to the ER

 

[windex125]

I agree with Peter, used the moist heating pad several times wait probably 100's of times it works for me I hv a lot of dry hacking in the morning 2-3 hrs. I've tried several different things for that, but nothing really works. though now I started taking a slug of CVS day quill lets see how long this will last. I also use pain patches Liocain or Lioderm I forget the exact name for my lower back pain, they work great. Just got out of the hosp. last wk another acute pancreatic attack second in less than a year was PS my whole life till last May. So upped the enzymes with every meal, worst of all had to give up my red wine with dinner. I am sooooo upset you have no idea. I may sound like I belong with AA but I hv such few pleasures left and I wld only have a glass in a half 2 tops. NO more than that must I really give up the wine too. Just turned 60 last month. CF the disease that keeps on giving AHHHHHH Pat