Last Thursday I broke my proudly held streak of. staving away sickness (although my fever was a by product of infection, not just a typical run of the mill illness!)
I was at work and came down with the chills in the office, then my body went through temperature indecisiveness as I went from feeling hot to cold to cold to hot as the day progressed. I naively took airborne and hot tea, not yet under the realization that I had an infection inescapable by otherwise effective prophylactic remedies.
Reluctantly, I attended a work event that night and once it was over I couldn't wait to change out of my uncomfortable work gear and plop my bloodshot eyed ass on the couch.
Fast forward to late that night: I wake up in the middle of the night, miserable, achy, burning hot with chills. Har takes my temp and it's an alarming 105. He pulls the blankets off me and shoves ice packs under my arms and one between my legs. I'm helplessly lying there, uncomfortable beyond measure.
The next day, Friday, was no better. After a night of unrestful sleep, I wake up no better than the previous day. At this point I haven't eaten a thing because my appetite was shut down. My temp dropped maybe a degree or two, but nothing promising. The next day is my birthday, and try as I might, there ain't no way in hell I was going to make the recovery I was hoping for. Time rolls by slooooow. I'm up early and wake up multiple times at night. My head feels like its about to explode and my lower back felt like what the sensation must be to be stabbed repeatedly. I'm sweating and all I wish I could do was sleep just to get some relief. 7pm...8pm..9pm..10pm..with my fever steadily high Har takes me to urgent care. I reluctantly get up and go outside to the biting cold. We check in and wait. And wait. I fell asleep on his shoulder when finally they call me in.
I curl up on the hard narrow hospital bed and wait. Lucky for Har, this was a nice hospital and my station had a tv w/ cable in it. Thank God for my PPO! Costs a little more but at least you can pick where you go.
I have a PA, RN, and administrator assigned to me. Har gives the PA the report, I explain my symptoms, the nurse takes my blood and they run labs to figure out what the deal is. Turns out I was diagnosed with a kidney infection; strangely I didn't exhibit signs of its annoying little sister, "cystitis" which is the precursor to what I got.
About 7 years ago I was misdiagnosed at Kaiser for a kidney infection. I had a high fever for days and was diagnosed with a simple uti. They gave me antibiotics that didn't work because my fever wasn't breaking and I was miserable. I went back in to urgent care and they claimed I was "dehydrated" and sent me home. The next day I got a frantic call from them saying I need to get admitted in the hospital asap for a kidney infection and risk of sepsis. I was in the hospital for 3 days for intravenous antibiotic therapy. Thankfully I averted sepsis and all the terrible repercussions that go with it.
Anyway, that was my prequel to my sequel experience with my kidneys best enemy. This time I went to a competent hospital. It's 4 a.m., I spend my first few birthday hours in urgent care in total misery, I'm given a prescription for antibiotics and pain killers, and before I leave, a late night birthday gift of a shot of keflex in the ass, that burned like a mutha fo. Not the shot itself but the antibiotic solution. That shit dissapated slower than ice melts. The expression on my face matched the "10" on the pain scale diagram.
I limp out of there with Har's help, he gives me a kiss on the forehead.."Happy birthday baby"..and we go home. It isn't until Monday that I can actually get up and eat. Finally, by Wednesday I'm getting my groove back. Someone told me that women who are super busy and/or have high pain thresholds tend to be susceptible to kidney infection because they aren't shaken by a uti, which gives it a chance to travel. I guess I should take that as a compliment? Haha
Today, I'm feeling even better..but slow and easy is the name of the game.
I don't want to risk a threequel.
Sent via her BlackBerry
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