Don’t you just love a really wet day?
As long as there aren’t too many in a row.
Is it silly that I even enjoy the raindrops on a window?
Maybe it was the euphoria of being home again.
So what happened?
It’s very boring….
I’ll make it as brief as possible
But it was a bit complicated…
Surgery in September made me anemic.
My stomach cannot tolerate oral iron supplements.
So I was scheduled for infusions 7 weeks later.
Soon, I wasn’t feeling so good.
The iron infusion was not what I was used to.
A lot more, infused in a quarter the time.
They said “you may get dizzy”…
…and I definitely did. That was the Tuesday.
Wednesday things did not improve.
Thursday everything ached. The head throbbed.
Friday it was worse.
Saturday I announced “I am seriously unwell.”
Head pounding, heart racing. Oh damn!
So, with reluctance I allowed Grant to take me to the ER on Sunday morning, arriving there at 0830.
It seemed quiet. I got a room. Got hooked up to monitors and told “a doctor will see you shortly“…
8 hours later….
Having seen no-one in the interim…
A grumpy doctor huffed in and announced:
“We’re going to admit you.”
“Wow!” says I….was I not entitled to details?
So the doc got mad and said a lot of irrelevant stuff and bullied me by offering that my heart rate was dangerously high. “Fine. I’ll stay!” (Bastard.)
OK, so he was tired and overworked.
Never-the-less….
After a while a nicer, younger doctor arrived to pepper me with questions and I had to repeat all of the above again, for the third time.
Nice doctor inquired “do you live in the country?”
“Yes, yes I do. Oh, I had a tick bite about ten days ago.”
“Ah. Well we’ll definitely test for that…”
Meantime, maybe a blood transfusion would help?
Sure, whatever. Or shoot me?
Then I was trundled up to room 174 W (window)
This time was already an improvement over my September adventure.
Much larger room, bed by window, quiet roommate!
And much less noise in general, though a great deal more than I would normally tolerate.
However I got relief for the pain by way of IV Tylenol.
No-one offered any opinions. They just “locked” me in my bed lest I try to escape. If I tried to rise a shrill alarm sounded.
Just what my heart rate needed.
Once they get you there, they will use any excuse to send you for another test, so I got all sorts of views of my heart, in garish colour.
It was like being trapped in a sci-fi flick.
As a precaution, I was started immediately on a course of antibiotics.
When, after 24 hours, I felt a general improvement, I could have guessed. Though when I pressed for information I was told the test for Lyme disease was negative, there are other nasty little gems…
2 days later. Diagnosis: Anaplasmosis and pleurisy.
It’s not something you want to catch.
If I had waited another day, it could have been serious.
But I didn’t, so here I am, writing this boring story.
In all things, one should perceive something good.
Hospital beds hurt because of my awkward back etc.
Those pains always end up being way worse than whatever put me in the hospital to start with.
So this time, I decided to lie flat the whole time.
The pain in my leg and butt that has been plaguing me for months…gone! At least for the duration.
And I was aware enough to appreciate it.
Now where are those wretched Christmas cards?
I hope for you that the pain in your leg and butt is gone for ever !
Every cloud and all that! It’s good that they sorted you out fairly quickly.
I think the doctors here are quite used to seeing tick bite fevers. Wretched things are everywhere. Trust me to avoid them all summer only to be felled at the last post, so to speak!
I’m glad to hear that you are back home now, but wondering if the iron infusion had anything to do with your getting sick shortly after? Did you get a blood transfusion after it was suggested? I agree with you on how uncomfortable a hospital bed is for someone with back issues. I became quite grumpy when I was forced to lie in one position for my last cataract surgery for more than 4 hours.
I thought it was the iron that made me so sick. I’m still not sure what will happen with the second infusion I was supposed to have. No, I didn’t get the blood. When I asked, they said my numbers were improving although I can’t see how as they were practically starving me! I had no appetite, so it didn’t matter but it was a bit strange how little nutrition was offered. My cataract surgeries seemed to be done really quickly. Sorry yours was so uncomfortable.
Carolyn, it was done quickly after I complained that I had lain in the bed, wedged in like a sardine for more than 4 hours before it even started! They finally gave me some fentanyl for the back pain and got started on the surgery.
So sorry you have had troubles again. Not good. Prayers for a good outcome eventually
Sorry to see you back in hospital. Hope you get better soon C Smith! And stay away from those ticks!!!
I try, Susan. Bugs flock to me. Always have.
Tick bites … a very dear friend of us died last year March of complications due to African tick bite fever. I’m so glad you’re doing much better – survived the hospital (once again) and are back home! Take care Carolyn đź’Ś.
Thanks. I’m so sorry about your friend.