Day 5 - Not Good!

Saturday 29 May 2010

The pain in my back was progressing.  I couldn’t sleep.  The pain is so strong that it takes my breath away.  Dan’s a little concerned.  I was feverish and everything that comes with it.  Just stepping out into the cold sets the pain off.  We went to the local After Hours.  Eighty bucks later! Argh! I was diagnosed with pleurisy.   A pain one would feel as you inhale and  inflammation in the lining of my lungs sticks to my ribcage.

At home, the pain starts up again around 10.30pm.  Much earlier than the night before.  I try to calm down but just the sight of seeing Mum (Dan's mum) made me feel vulnerable and I started to cry.  I felt like a sick helpless child crying for her mum.  That is something I love about mums.  No matter how old you are you will always want your mum around especially when you feel sick.  There is nothing better than medicine other than your mum taking care of you, massaging your aching body and putting a cold flannel on your head.  


I felt for Dan though he seemed so helpless and wanted to do something but whatever he did it just didn’t seem to work.  I was so proud of my little sister Liz (Dan's sis) she was on the go, running up and down our very steep driveway keeping an eye out for the ambulance.  I felt really looked after, even if it was for a short period of time.  


In all the excitement, I could see my eldest daughter (6yo) through the corner of my eye walking into the lounge, half asleep.  My poor darling, I was hoping that all the excitement wouldn't wake up my girls.  You know for those of us who are parents, we try so hard to protect our children from as much as we can.  But it is always difficult because they always seem to catch a glimpse of something.  As long as our children receive love and feel loved and supported by family they will can never find nor want to look for love elsewhere.

The ambulance staff were so good to me.  It was the first time I had ever ridden in the ambulance.  All the equipment seemed very high tech.  I was impressed by the service I received.  I was impressed by the confidence the attendees had on the night.  Knowing what to check, what questions to ask, what medication to give me.  It gave me confidence to rely on their skills and knowledge and to feel that I am in the right hands. I was lying in pain and trying to breathe steadily because apparently (as I'm told later by a nurse who looked as though she had a hard night so far) by taking quick short breaths you could end up feeling quite sick and want to throw up.  I soon found out that was true.  I was lying on the bed in the ambulance, with my head board propped up then suddenly I fell back which sent a jolt up my spine I wanted to scream.  I turned around and saw Dan’s hands in the air looking at me apologetically.  Sheesh!  Oh how I love my husband, reminded me of the time I was ready to give birth and just watching him run around like a headless chicken forgetting things while I'm just about ready to push out one of God's creations onto the floor of our car still parked in our garage!


The look on his face also reminded me of times when he expresses this amazing attitude that  when he finds himself in bad situations he always says “It’s best not to get involved at all!” so when you tell him to move back 2 steps he moves back 20 steps! J He makes me laugh.  And I laughed that night J

We arrived to the hospital and waited in the emergency department to be taken to one of the side rooms until the doctor’s came to talk with me.  I was taken care of by some very good nurses it didn’t matter how late it was through the night the staff were cheery and alert.

I was taken through to have a chest x-ray and MRI scan and the results came back with having fluid in my lungs and some infection.  A lot of blood tests were taken, which I will soon get used to.  I had been pricked so many times during the night because they were having trouble trying to find the right vein to draw blood from.  It was amazing how quickly bruises appeared on my arms.  


I kept dosing off between the doctors visiting and having blood drawn from me.  I knew it was very late into the morning and I kept glancing at Dan trying to stay awake.  God bless all those partners, husbands, wifes, children, grandparents, parents who stand by their loved ones.  It is not easy to feel like there is nothing that you can do especially in situations where more than a plaster is needed.  Bless you all.....


The doctors returned at around 4.30am after giving me more pain relief and advised that I will need to wait for a couple of hours for another specialist to see me and advise whether I need to have a CT scan which can take a clearer snapshot of my lungs etc.....


Later I'm told that the CT scan is not necessary .....