Monday, January 22, 2007

Oh, the drama!

Since December and the pneumonia episode that kept me out of work for a week and a half, I have gotten better, but not well. I had some grown-up drugs after being to the ER, and they did make me feel better... but I continued to have setbacks. I've been back and forth to the doctor enough that the staff now greet me by name, and I did two additional courses of antibiotics. It was during round 2 (started on Thursday night) that this chapter begins.
I had a fever on Thursday (which prompted starting the drugs) but it seemed to break, so I went to work on Friday and took it slow. Saturday morning I felt pretty good, so I went to run some errands. It was cold, and I certainly felt the chill, but it wasn't until I was home again that I discovered the cold I was feeling was the fever returning... but more violently. I had 102. By the evening I was miserable - chills, shaking, achy... so it was back to the emergency room. My heart rate was flying (I think they said 140 when I came in?) so they hooked me up to the monitors and did x-rays and took loads of blood.
They found that the pneumonia was still there, and since it had resisted three courses of drugs, the words "infectious diseases" and "public health" came up. We waited for a bed and they admitted me. Considering they weren't sure of exactly what they had on their hands with me, I got the treat of a private room (yay! yay! yay!)... in oncology, of all places.
I will tell you , though - it's the best department in the hospital - the nurses are awesome and it's quiet and peaceful. Everyone is very flexible and helpful and I really can't say enough about them. I really had a great experience, considering the situation. I have responded well to the IV drugs - so well, they let me go home so I can sleep in my own bed tonight. I'll be home most of the week, if not all. It will be good to finally knock this yuckiness out of my system, even if it means I now completely wipe out my personal time and will actually not get paid for part of the week.

There is a silver lining to that last statement, though - I have some kick-az* health insurance, and for that I am truely grateful. It makes the pain of losing a few days pay bearable, since I would be out at least a quarter of my yearly salary if I had to pay for this event out of pocket!

*You will understand the usage when you look at the gallery! :)

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