This morning I awoke at 2 a.m. in considerable pain. It was abdominal pain. I assumed it would pass, so I paced, I sat on the throne, I paced. The pain went on and on, and then it got worse. By this time Attila was up for the day and getting ready for work. We pulled out of the driveway at the same time this morning, 6 a.m., Attila on his way to work, and me on the way to the emergency department at the hospital.
My hospital visit was a good one. My blood pressure was elevated, but since I know now that it will be like that when I go to the hospital emergency department, it was of no particular concern. They gave me pain killers and muscle relaxants intravenously, which took about thirty minutes to kick in. Blood was drawn, blood sugar was read, a urine sample collected. And after all that, the nurse covered me with a warm blanket and I fell fast asleep, for two hours. My problem was a UTI (urinary tract infection). I’d suspected this for weeks, but thought I had conquered it with cranberry juice and lots of fluids. I was wrong. They sent me off with a prescription for antibiotics, which I immediately filled at a local drug store. The whole adventure was done and dusted by 10 a.m. Fasting was required for the ultrasound, and by the time I arrived back home from the emergency department it was too late to eat, or drink anything but water. The appointment in the city for an ultrasound and bone density test were scheduled for 2 p.m., but I needed to leave the house by 12:30 p.m. to get there on time.
I was very tired by the time I had to leave to drive to my appointments, and kept myself awake by reciting rhymes and talking to myself. Not only had I not had much sleep the night before, I hadn’t eaten since suppertime yesterday, AND I hadn’t had my morning cup of coffee. The hardest part about the tests was drinking three glasses of water before leaving home, and trying to park in the city lot while distracted by my bladder, which was under considerable strain by then, considering I have a bladder infection on top of everything else. I was grateful that the violent sneezing portion of my cold had abated, that would have added a whole new level of stress to my parking efforts. Thank goodness for small mercies.
By the time I had made my way home again, I was exhausted. As I was unlocking the door to come into the house, Attila drove into the driveway, and we walked in together. He looked as bad as I felt, the common cold is still affecting him. We are both exhausted.
Attila says this cold is making the rounds where he works. Its characteristics are violent sneezing, persistent cough, runny nose, and significant eye irritation. One of Attila’s coworkers had to stay home from work with this cold last week, because his eyes were so irritated that it affected his vision. My eyes were very bad for one day, and have slowly been recovering.
It looks like we will attempt to have an early night tonight!
Tomorrow I have another Doctor’s appointment in the city. This time a pesky mole will be removed and biopsied. The only thing that concerns me about the visit is where to park the car! We aren’t that familiar with the city yet, and downtown parking is hard to find in busy traffic, with impatient drivers and aggressive pedestrians everywhere. Still, it has to be done, and eventually we will get used to it, and be able to find our way around with confidence!
Hopefully tomorrow is the last of this recent round of tests. Next are the doctor’s visits for the follow up after the results are received. I have my finger’s crossed that they all come back within the normal range!
If the weather was nice today I would not have noticed it! I think it was relatively nice, warmish, cloudy, with some rain. When I walked out to the car, to go to my appointments, the birds were singing and the breeze carried the faint scent of blossoms. I also noticed that our lungwort is up and beginning to bloom.
Worldly Distractions
Weather
9°C
Date: 6:00 PM EDT Tuesday 11 April 2017
Condition: Mostly Cloudy
Pressure: 101.9 kPa
Tendency: Rising
Temperature: 9.2°C
Dew point: 8.5°C
Humidity: 95%
Wind: NE 13 km/h
Visibility: 16 km
Quote
“I wanna hang a map of the world in my house. Then I’m gonna put pins into all the locations that I’ve traveled to. But first, I’m gonna have to travel to the top two corners of the map so it won’t fall down.”
Mitch Hedberg
1968 – 2005
I haven’t had to go to Emergency for some time, but remember it as unpleasant, with very long waits! It seems you saw someone right away, and had good care. That doesn’t always happen, so I’m happy for you! Glad your infection is treated. What an experience!
Diane, you are so right, pleasant experiences at the emergency department do not always happen! My previous visits were horrid. I was very lucky this time. When I went in there was no one else waiting, and after a short wait for the triage nurse, I was ushered in to a bed. I was in a lot of pain, it was quite unmistakeable, as I was chilled and shaking from it; I think that is why I went right in. They gave me a bed, but I was in too much pain to sit or lie down, keeping on my feet and silently rocking. Thank goodness they weren’t that busy. There was one other gentleman on the next to me, had been thrown from a horse last night and was pretty banged up. Later more people arrived. I must have hit a sweet spot in my timing! I had the option of driving to the city to the walk-in clinic for 9 a.m., but I was afraid to try driving when in that much pain, and am glad I didn’t try.
I would love to have a family doctor! I have been at the top of the waiting list for more than a year now, at the local clinic, and a year ago there were 400 people behind me on the list. I am very pleased with the walk-in clinic doctor, after we got off to a bit of a rough start, I think because he had trouble believing me about the anaphylaxis, he seemed to change his mind and has been very respectful and very thorough.
Hope you feel better! Just curious as to what antibiotic they gave you at the hospital. If it was Levaquin or Cipro be careful…I’ve heard that they are sometimes given for UTIs and they can have some nasty side effects…first hand experience here! I really enjoy reading your blog.
Eileen, it is Cipro they prescribed. I just read the list of side effects on WebMD, they sound awful! I’ve taken day one now, so far nothing unusual going on, although I note that one of the side effects is diarrhea that can occur WEEKS after taking the medication. Yuck. I can’t take many antibiotics because of the non-medicinal ingredients (allergy) so my choices are very limited. I took one years ago that was quite scary, one of its possible side effects was permanent diarrhea, dodged that bullet, that time. Fingers crossed that this one works and the side effects don’t get me!
I am glad to hear you like reading the blog! I began writing a formal journal regularly in 1991, but didn’t take up online journalling until 1999. Gee, I guess that means I’ve been writing this journal/blog for almost 18 years! Time flies when you are having fun!
Oh Maggie, your day sounds so distressing! I have only been to an Emergency Room once in my life, when I was eating an apple and didn’t chew up a piece of it enough and it got lodged down my throat a ways… it just felt like something too big was stuck there, all night long… and I went to the ER and got studied… and no one could find anything wrong!!! I got home at around 5 a.m. and went right to bed for a couple of hours (I had to be at work at 8) and then I swallowed once and felt that piece of apple go down and it was all better! But the whole time I was in so much pain from that thing being stuck there!
xox
Eileen, I just went through my medical records, and back in 1998 I did take Cipro, without ill effect. I hope I am that lucky this time.
I just read online that one can outgrow an allergy to penicillin. I am going to pursue this line, see if I can be tested again, it has been a long time since I was diagnosed as allergic to penicillin, maybe that isn’t a problem anymore. Worth exploring.
Bex, that stuck apple sounds horrid! It is a lucky thing you didn’t choke!
I don’t like going to the emergency department, but without a family doctor, there is no other local choice, I was in too much pain to drive 40 minutes to the walk in clinic.
It was a pretty miserable day, I am glad it is over! The bone density test was really interesting, and involved nothing more taxing than lying on my back on a table. The ultrasound was somewhat uncomfortable, with all that water consumed before the appointment. Tomorrow is another day!
Sorry to hear about your hard day, hope things are better now.
It’s not easy at all to have so much going on and being sick at the same time. You’re handling it all admirably!
Thinking of you and wishing tomorrow is a much better day.
PS. Shame on them for making you drink all that water at once. You don’t have to drink that much or that quickly, it just makes your bladder fill too quickly and painfully.
Thanks Teri! We had an early night last night and we both slept well, so today we are both feeling lot better. Today is the day of parking downtown, and at least I won’t be driving Tank. Tank is a real challenge to park in tight spaces. I don’t think I was cut out to be a truck driver!
Maggie, I was given Levaquin for pneumonia about two years ago and still suffer from the side effects…muscle weakness and pain, tendon pain to name two. I had to use a walker and cane and go to physical therapy to be able to walk again after taking Levaquin. There are a few Facebook pages dedicated to educating people on the horrible side effects of Levaquin and Cipro and others in the same family of drugs. Praying that you escape the horrible side effects. I was debating saying anything to you but felt I just had to let you know because I didn’t want anyone else having to suffer the side effects. Not trying to tell you what to do as you know your own body better than anyone else. Best of luck. 🙂
Eileen, I do appreciate the heads up! I will be watching myself for any signs of the THREE pages of miserable side effects for cipro. In my case, a UTI, the cure may be much worse than the disease! I would rather take penicillin I think, even if I spend my days while taking it sitting on the white throne.
I don’t have many options when it come to antbiotics, my allergies don’t leave me many choices. Another one I was on when I had an infection in my head had a side effect that said “seldom lethal”, I lived through that one thank goodness. I will talk to them today about being tested re penicillin again.
Wow! Thank goodness it was nothing more serious than a UTI; even that sounds like quite an ordeal! -Kate
Kate, yes, good that it was just a UTI. It was quite the day, hopefully it is now just onward and upward!