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I would have loved to have written to everyone individually, I also would have really liked to have given my appreciation straight away but it wasn't really possible in hospital.
Firstly, I have to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who wished me a speedy recovery and offered advice and support. I also want to say a big thanks to those who kept me in high spirits. (No I'm not just talking about the morphine. The alien gestation would have to be my favourite. Although Dave telling Erin I was suffering Douche-syndrome does come a close second.) Laughter really is the best medicine and I'll admit it was a little scary for me. I guess I'm not always the big toughie I like to think I am. Previously I had only been in hospital to have the kiddo and even then I had a little person in the room with me. This was my first time in an ambulance. My first time being admitted in to hospital from emergency (That I can remember anyway.) My first dose of morphine (Didn't affect me like I thought it would. At least with the gas during childbirth I was damn funny.)
I also want to send an extra shout-out to the friend who called me in the middle of the night. It really perked me up and even though I got told off by the nurse for being on the phone at almost 2 am (Hey, I was alone in the ward. I wasn't disturbing anyone.) It made me feel great and even the getting in trouble part really perked me up. It made me feel like a naughty school kid.
I had also better mention the person who reported my alleged hospital escape on twitter. Thankfully the doctor released me because it may have been hard to escape with people on the lookout for me.
I would also like to say a big Thank you to my Mum for not only calling the ambulance for me but also for looking after the little guy so Dave could come with me up to the hospital and with saying that I also MUST thank Dave. I can totally understand it must have been scary having your partner rushed off to hospital but goddamn it you didn't have to be an attention seeker and steal my glory :p
(He is not one for hospitals or pain and especially not medical procedures so once the doctors started poking and prodding me he went white and began sweating profusely so much so they put him in the emergency room next door and put him under observation. I'm sorry Hun I know you don't want me sharing this with the world but it shows you care and I'll be honest it did help me a little at the time. It took my mind off me because I was more concerned about you.)
I know a lot of people like to whinge about the public health care system but I have to say from my personal experiences... It is pretty damn good. Although I was told I was not on the critical list so may have to wait up to half an hour for my ambulance. It arrived within 10 minutes of the original call. The ambulance officers were great and shared a few laughs. (Both the medic in the back with me and I were joking on the trip that the driver was deliberately hitting all the bumps because he enjoyed hearing my groans.)
The emergency staff were great (we laughed in between waves of pain.) and the doctors and nurses on the ward were wonderful. Hell even the janitor was great and had a little chat with me.
*Medical Update for those interested*
Ok well I know not everybody would know the full story so I will try to keep it brief.
The little guy had been sick from Sunday, vomiting and headache with pains in his stomach. By Thursday he had perked right up and was basically ready to go back to school but I decided to keep him that extra day just to be safe. In the afternoon we went for a walk to the shops. We had probably only gotten a few hundred metres up the road when I started getting a chronic wave of stabbing pain through my stomach. I stood for a minute and the pain passed. Then again while in line at the checkout I was overcome with this stabbing pain. ***TMI ALERT*** I'd had a little bit of diarrhoea earlier in the day and I had just written it off as being the result of wolfing down a KFC burger the night before. (I hadn't had KFC for over a year so was trying to convince myself my tummy was just intolerant to it now.) The pain and toilet visits continued through the night and I ended up going to bed early even though it was Dave's Birthday. (Felt bad for being a crappy girlfriend but also felt too lousy to do anything about it.) I had a lousy night of sleep and had a bit of a fever. (Need the doona, don't need the doona, need it, don't, repeat through night)
On Friday morning I woke up feeling lousy. I looked down and noticed the size of my tummy, it was huge! Being the toughie I am, I decided I would be fine and bundled the kid off to school and came back to get ready for work. I did have one issue with getting ready. I couldn't fit in my work pants but luckily I have a wardrobe of hand-me-downs and found a pair of pants that were a few sizes bigger than normal so I put them on and headed off to work. After an hour or so I realised I had probably made a big mistake in coming but Macho Trish told me I must continue. The pain and toilet trips continued and again on Friday night I was in bed early and up many times through the night.
At this point you're probably thinking I'm a big wuss but mind you I've had Bali Belly, I've been in labour, The current pain was much worse.
When I woke Saturday I knew the worst had yet to come. I felt like crap and the pain was getting worse. I started packing my bag early and pre-warned Mum and Dave that I may take a turn for the worse. Yes in theory I possibly could have gone to a doctor at this point but it was a Saturday and my normal doc was only open for a few hours and is always booked out. I knew there was no way I would be able to make it to a doctors surgery as I couldn't sit up for more than a few minutes at a time without being overcome with pain. So I did the next best thing... I went back to bed. The pain wasn't as bad when I was flat in bed.
I got up again around lunch and I was worse. ***ANOTHER TMI ALERT*** I had a bad case of burps. I couldn't stop and well here is the yucky part. I couldn't smell them but Dave told me they smelled like poo. This is not a good sign. a few hours later it had only gotten worse in all ways so I asked Mum to make the call. The poo smell is what really worried the 000 workers.
When I first got into emergency they began the examination while Dave was giving the admin staff my details. They prodded at my tummy and yes it was painful and I winced and groaned (perhaps let slip a few swear words as well.) Dave came through and a second emergency doc ha been called over for a consult. again this was quite painful repeat more of same groaning and wincing. They were under the impression it may be my appendix and called for a surgical consult. This was when they noticed how pale Dave had become and the sweat pouring off him. After he was cleared he was wheeled back out to the waiting room. I had a drip hooked up and was being pumped full of saline and buscopan to stop the muscular spasms.
I'm a drip! errr I mean I have a drip.
The surgical doctor made his way down and repeated the stomach prods and this time I was reduced to tears. I have a pretty high pain threshold so even I knew this wasn't good. The doc gave me a tissue and assured me he wouldn't prod me anymore but he would have to admit me to keep me under observation. They gave me a shot of morphine and while it did knock the edge off the pain. I was still hurting. Dave was brought back though and I gave him the news. I was wheeled up to the ward. This was when I noticed I was being wheeled in to the surgical ward. Very scary.
The ever so sexy compression stockings everyone in surgical ward must wear.
After an hour or so Dave had to leave (visiting hours had finished at 8 and it was well past that.)Luckily for me I had my phone and charger and had been told by the nurse I was allowed to use it. (I think I would have gone nuts without)
I had a second dose of morphine but it really didn't do anything for me. So I decided then and there if I could help it I wouldn't get any more. (Needles are my one weakness. I will admit they are the one thing that will make me crumble.) I was hooked up to the drip all through the night and into the morning. This time being pumped full of potassium. I had a bit of a fever through the night but was able to fight it off with the help of a few panadol and the imodium helped too.
Morphine injection site
When the doc came around in the morning he gave me the once over and did the tummy prodding again and while it still hurt a lot it was a vast improvement from the night before. I was taken off the drip and put onto light meals and was told if I could handle the food I might be able to go home later. That made my day.
No longer a drip!
I had my lunch and did ok with it.
Roast Chicken and veg followed by Jelly. Yummy, yummy jelly.
Around 3pm the doc made his rounds and gave me another check-up. he was happy with my progress and gave me 3 options.1) Stay in until the next day to wait for test results
2) Stay for Dinner and next round of check-ups see how I'm doing
3) Go now.
You can guess what I chose. I missed my family. I was sick of being sick and again I'm a big toughie, I can manage this on my own.
So I was giving my list of pills to take a strict instructions on what not to do over the next few days, what I can eat, What I need to be on watch for (If this happens come back.)
I was also told that they were releasing me on the diagnosis of severe gastroenteritis and may be down for up to 10 days. However if test results showed it was something more serious they would be in contact with me
*Most recent update*
Well yes I am home. It is Monday and while my belly is still huge I am not currently having pain other than movement pain (when I get up from sitting, when I laugh or cough.) Oh yeah, did you read that properly? When I sit up!!! I can sit upright again and last night other than a quick run to the loo to pee I slept through the night and looking at my sleep cycle stats the majority of it was deep sleep. I guess I needed it. I actually felt like getting up and having a shower whereas yesterday when they brought me a towel in hospital standing in a shower was the last thing I wanted to do.
***Third TMI Alert*** I also haven't had to poop since last night.
Mentally I feel human and excluding my belly being big I physically feel fine too. However I am not going to be silly. Dave took the little guy to school this morning and I still don't know if I will go to collect him this afternoon. On one hand I do want to be out and about but on the other I really don't want to overdo it and end up back in hospital. The good thing is with the arvo pick-up we're not on such a tight schedule. I can leave a lot earlier and we can casualy stroll back. I guess we can cross that bridge when we come to it.
Again I really want to say a big thank you to everyone for being there for me. It was much appreciated.
I love you guys (See you don't need to be drunk to say that.)
>>>On a side note, an 80 year old lady was admitted to my ward on Sunday with severe pancreatitis. She was only in my ward for about half an hour before they transferred her to the intensive care unit. when the ICU doctor came down he told her and her family that although her fever was dropping it would be a close call and she may not make it due to her age and prior ailments. My thoughts go out to her and her family.
