Thursday, May 20, 2010

Notes from the couch

well I didn't think I would find myself here again

but the comedy of errors played themselves out again - uti - fixed? hmmm not quite fixed...back for more antibiotics, busy GP forgets the repeat, I get sick of the script not being ready every time I turn up at the practice, I wait a few more days, get the repeat...too late...take it anyway, feel ok carry on, get a fever...think hmmmm must be getting the flu, I'll wait till Monday see my GP...sunday night end up in A&E wracked with pain and fever...play the A&E guessing game, discuss my history, ignore their disdain when I tell them most of my investigations have been carried out by a private specialist (to take pressure off the public system !!) confirm to them that I do actually know what I am talking about when it applies to MY kidneys and finally get a little respect.

I was constantly confused with another pyelonephritis patient on the ward, picked up for a chest x-ray..."a what?" "why?" when told I was going for a CT, picked up for a CT when told I was going for an ultrasound. I learnt damn quickly to speak out loud even though I was weaker than water - "what is that?" and always "why? why?why?" my veins collapsed everywhere from the prehistoric Gentamyacin, 8 hrly Augmentin (apparently my bug was some form of Enterococcus - not a usual UTI bug) injections ("please slow down") and 4 hrly bloods (bless the darling phlebotomist who stuck bandaids with red crosses over my one good vein - so it wouldn't get mangled) The nursing staff were caring but completely overrun.

Anyway, I'm home now - with my lovely family, being nursed and served nourishing food. I had a new little treat in the wings just before I was admitted, it is being test knitted at present but here is a photo:

Ember

6 comments:

Sue said...

I couldnt believe that I just read that you had a very bad experience of UTI. This last week I have spent in bed unable to move very well and feeling as though my whole body was aching! Last Wed I went to the doctors where they proceeded to tell me I had gastro, then later that night being rushed back to a 38 temp and UTI, feeling as though I was in the middle of a labour contraction that wouldnt stop. I have never had one before and hope to never do so again. I really feel for you and I am hoping after 9 days that I can get back to some sort of normalcy. I got to the stage where I didnt want to eat because I was worried the pain would come back.

Ruby Girl said...

I am glad to hear you are on the mend, take care of yourself. I can't see the picture for some reason, I bet it is gorgeous as all your work is.

Ruby Girl said...

Well now I can see the picture and I was right in saying it is gorgeous. Don't know what happened there, it wasn't there and now it is.

Unknown said...

Sorry to hear of this Jussi - I got some idea on twitter that you'd been in hospital ... I really hope they get to the bottom of this very soon.

Co-incidentally, I had my neice (who lives with us cos she's at Wollongong Uni) at casualty all Saturday with a kidney infection too - and we had a very similar hospital experience. They put her on a saline IV, gave her pain meds and put her back in the waiting room for several hours. We'd originally been to a GP who diagnosed appendicitis! Lucky though once they gave her the ultrasound she was given IV antibiotics and sent home with a catheter in her wrist - no beds left for admission, so we had to go to the GP to get the IV antibiotics every day this week. She's only just feeling better now.

What a horrible week for you - I hope you can recouperate on the couch, glad to see you're getting the tlc you need too.

Jan said...

Hope you are feeling better by now. UTIs are horrible things. Mum was admitted delirious twice with one. That's what they can do to elderly women.

It's not an uncommon complaint, particularly in women. I wonder why it's often misdiagnosed?

Lots of rest and TLC will help. Take care and I hope it's soon gone completely.

Jasmine said...

oh no, that doesn't sound like fun!! Glad to here the family looked after you. See you soon!!