Low Potassium Symptoms

While Jeff’s health continued to stabilize, I continued my constant battle against my own health issues. I had a particular thorny battle with my small fiber autonomic polyneuropathy when it flared up out of nowhere. I dropped my blood pressure into the 60s over 30s, and spiked my heart rate sky high. Originally I was conscious in the ER and assumed I just had low potassium again. Then I passed out and woke up on life support three days later. You know you have a chronic illness when waking up in the ICU on life support days or even weeks after you remember last being awake, and it doesn’t surprise you anymore.

After three weeks, I was discharged home, but I was only home for a week. During one of my cuddle sessions with Jeff, I started feeling pins and needles, as prickly feelings in my fingertips and cheeks.  By then I knew enough about my body that I could tell that I had a critically low potassium level.

Jeff’s Sixth Sense for My Low Potassium

Even before I had even realized it, Jeff knew that I had something wrong with me. All morning he asked me if was okay. This was even before I noticed the tingling. I was confused about why he asked me over and over. He had an almost sixth sense for when I had low potassium levels as well.

Once I noticed the tingling, I immediately dialed Dr. Rose’s number. By now I had it memorized.

Dr. Rose’s Orders Lab Orders to Check for Low Potassium

“I’m going to call your visiting nurse and have her draw stat labs on you,” he told me.  “If they come back that you have low potassium but it’s not yet critical, I’ll have the infusion company deliver you a bag of IV fluids with a larger amount of potassium in it.  If they’re critically low you’re going to have to go to the ER and probably have to be admitted at least overnight to replenish your potassium,” Dr. Rose told me.

“I hate this,” I told him.  “It’s always something. This disease stinks.”

“Yes, but you are amazing, you take it in stride, you keep a positive attitude almost all of the time, and you are so knowledgeable about, and in tune with, your body.  I have never had a patient quite like you before.” He told me.

I could feel my cheeks get hot and red as first-degree burns with all his compliments.

“Anyway, let me get off the phone with you so that I can get your nurse over there to draw your blood so that we know how bad this low potassium actually is.”

Knowing My Potassium is a Critical Low

My heart was racing. Jen got there within an hour. By then I was so shaky and the tingling was even more intense. My whole body was like partially set Jell-O.  By then I knew with almost 100% certainty that my low potassium was a critical low, and that I was headed for a hospital stay. When you’ve been sick pretty much your whole life you learn your body’s signs better than anyone else

“You are definitely looking like your potassium is low again,” Jen said when she arrived. My face was pale but my cheeks were flushed bright red.

“It’s my kidneys,” I explained to her.  “They refuse to retain potassium, even now that I have that bag of sugar water with potassium, saltwater, trace elements, and vitamins running into me constantly.  I just can’t win”.

Low Blood Pressure

“Well, let’s start off by checking your vital signs.” She suggested.

I felt like we were just prolonging the inevitable, I knew with my low potassium, none of my vital signs would be normal.

She wrapped the pediatric cuff around my arm and proceeded to pump it up.  When she deflated it she shook her head.

“Well even if your labs aren’t critical I’m still going to have to send you to the hospital.” She told me.

“Why?” I asked, afraid to know how low my blood pressure had bottomed out.

“Your blood pressure should be around 120/80 and it’s 66/51.”

“Is she going to be okay?” Jeff asked.

I could sense fear in his voice, nothing ever phased Jeff, Right now, however, his voice tremored slightly.  That in itself scared me more than anything else.  I could feel his arm wrapped around me in my hospital bed at home. They tightened slightly.  It was almost as if he thought if he held me tightly enough he could protect me from the Small Fiber Autonomic Polyneuropathy Monster.  We were currently both acutely aware that our brands of diseases were life-threatening and life-limiting.