After much deliberation...should we? shouldn't we? Where shall we go ? etc etc. I finally bit the bullet and booked a few days away in Scotland next week for Me. Mikey and Dad. Didn't cost the earth, but we are sooo looking forward it. Mon to Friday in a caravan in Ayr. Not The Ritz but we all really need a break!
Whilst booking the break and pottering round t'internet, I am trying to ignore the pains in my chest, which I woke up with this morning, and which are getting steadily worse by the hour. By 4.00pm, I needed to lie down. Actually, what I NEEDED to do was phone The Christie hotline and ask their advice about the pains but I didn't want to do that because I knew deep down what they were going to say!! I hung on until Mikey got in from work and then I really really didn't want to phone the hospital because he was so relieved to be home after a crappy day and just wanted to settle down for the evening. However, he insisted I phone the hotline. Their advice was as I suspected...dial 999 and get yourself into a hospital...bugger!!
Mikey phoned an ambulance and they came pretty much straight away. They needed to do some preliminary checks in the ambulance before we set off. Heart trace and blood pressure and stuff. It all seemed ok, so we set off for the hospital. Mike had gone ahead in the car to meet us there. The 2 paramedics ( who incidentally had the combined ages of 26!!!!) were lovely, except I couldn't help but think it was well past their bed time!
Anyhow, they got me there in one piece and we bypassed the triage system. They wheeled me into a room at the back of A&E. They did tests for everything, heart attack, blood clots, blood counts, chest x ray, the works...all clear...however, I noticed that my breast was getting very swollen and red again. The nurse agreed that it looked like another infection....CRAP!!
They said they would be keeping me in over night for observation, only because I am on chemo though. They said they might put me on IV antibiotics, so I would need a cannula and blood tests. MORE BLOODY NEEDLES!! I hate needles! I never used to mind them really but it seems like every day I am having more needles. Its not like its easy, getting needles into my veins. However I perked up at the mention of morphine being injected into my cannula. Morphine is great! I don't find it really takes away the pain....you just don't care about it! I took one jab full and saved one for later. Mikey took the opportunity of me being partially not all there for half an hour, to go and get me some jammies and my toothbrush and bits. He was back in no time at all, but made the fatal mistake of mentioning he had made himself a quick pie! How could he?? Here was I, morphed up in an A&E at 10.pm...starving!!!! There was only one thing for it....MacDonalds! He squared it with the nurse and once again went off hunter gathering for his woman in her hour of need. A quarter pounder, fries and a latte later, with Mikey packed off home to get some well deserved kip, they sent me up to a ward..
It was great. Had a private room with an en suite, offers of food and drink, I've been in worse hotels!
They put a sign on the door saying 'reverse barrier nursing'. The doc explained ( through his mask and gloves and pinny) that it was about not passing on infections to me.
All my test results were ok, even my white cell count was only on the low side, which apparently is quite good. He said oral antibiotics would be fine and I could go home tomorrow lunch time...yess.
After 8 hours of trying to go to sleep, I finally gave up trying and asked for some towels so I could have a shower to relieve the boredom. So, after a couple more blood tests, a quick once over and a bag full of pills, I am discharged! Excellent.
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