Saturday 16 January 2010

999, Doctor, Doctor, ER - HELP!

To all of my loyal readers I apologise for my absence. And to everyone who has sent me well wishes, cards and gifts I thank you with all my heart.
Despite pain and being drugged to the eyeballs, a blogger is always a blogger, so I managed to get some pictures. I even thought of the consequences of showing peoples faces etc, so what you will see is, well, me! Looking quite frankly crap!
So this is what happened.
The snow outside had continued to fall for a couple of days and hence I could no longer use my beloved MX-5 Betty Blue to get to work. It was now down to shank's pony (that's by foot to anyone who needs it translated LOL).
Friday the 8th came around and I trudged into work, arriving on time and did my full shift. However, after I had returned to lunch I was suddenly doubled over with pain, and laughed it off with the girls as women's stuff - as you do!
An hour later Paul collected me for the end of my shift, so that I didn't have to walk home again - thank god for Paul! As soon as I got home I doubled up again and went to bed with a hot water bottle.
I got home at about 2.15pm, but by 19.30 I was crying in pain and begging Paul to take me to the local medical drop in centre that was open until 8pm.
I threw on a pair of joggers and a jog top, pulled my water bottle to my belly and got in the car. It's OK I thought - coupla tablets and I'll be right as reign.
Having fallen through the doors of the drop in centre and burst into tears on the receptionist, I was being seen by the on call doctor that was there.
Needless to say, I had no handbag, no money, no keys, nothing, nada, zip with me. Despite this I was booked a bed in hospital and sent directly there, no stopping, no messing!
This was not going according to plan - I was only supposed to be out 5 minutes - not 5 days!
By this time it was 20.30 and I was on a ward and in my bed. The consultant and his #1 sidekick came to see me, and were very concerned, considering my history that I may have a burst ovary, if not it was my appendix. I needed a scan. You shall have one first thing tomorrow he said meanwhile we will give you any drug you desire.... well no actually he didn't say that, but I was very happy with the huge bolus of morphine that I received directly into my arm - after that everything was lovely Ha Ha!
They kept me drugged on oromorph all night to help the pain, and I took the opportunity whilst I could to get a glimpse of the snow outside the window. A few minutes later they came to take me for my ultra sound scan.
Chappy decided that my ovaries we OK - relief! But could also find no problem with my appendix - it could be low lying and out of view he said - typical nothing normal for me eh!

Anyway - here I am looking thoroughly miserable , and more to the point morphed up, as I await for the consultant to make a decision from the ultra sound slides he was to receive.

I did not sleep at all well on the Saturday night - probably too many drugs, or not enough, but I wanted to hear the end of the nurses conversation about ghosts and missed is as someone pulled their call button!

My IV became my point of interest at this point LOL.
I was taken to surgery at 11.30am on Sunday morning, and did not return to the ward until just gone 15.30pm. It was a long surgery.
It seems that along with my appendix going bad, (which they removed for me), I also had about a hundred adhesion's (endometriosos) that needed lazering and cauterising. This came as a huge shock to me, as I had only had surgery in April 2007 to remove a dozen or so and thought that was all over.

The long and short of it is that it was a triple whammy! URTI (urinary tract infection that I knew nothing about), appendix bursting and endometriosis adhesion's.

All I can say is that I am so glad my appendix burst as the adhesion's would have taken a long long time to diagnose and have done, just like they did last time.
The doctors were fantastic - I did actually keep telling them this however, and I was actually scoring them out of 1o - to their faces - I even married one off and told him he was so handsome in normal clothes and it was a damn shame he was single. OUTRAGEOUS I KNOW! but how many times do I have to tell you I WAS MORPHED UP!!!
Anyway, they released me on Tuesday afternoon, and Paul's Dad picked me up, as he happened to be in the same block for a appointment himself. I was never so glad to see anyone in my life and gave him such a big hug.
The whole while I had been inside we were on lock down to the Noro Virus outbreak the week before, so only patients were allowed inside the hospital. My friends were wonderful and kept me going with phone calls and texts though.

Wednesday evening Sharon and Chris arrived to see me - and I have to apologise for the state of how I looked, PJ's, unwashed hair, duvet pillows and generally not a welcoming sight for them, but they bought me two bunches of gorgeous roses in pinks and yellows, and Chris had me laughing albeit is very painfully, for the short while they visited me.

Sally-Ann and Mike also visited that day, and I have since received these lovely orchids from them, along with my favourite coffee cake, which will come out once I have an appetite again.
Thursday and Friday have been black!
I spent all day Friday crying, and after a visit from my friend Lorna, who happens to be a nurse, she made me feel better, and confirmed it was normal as I had had quite a traumatic few days, been drugged out of my eyeballs, had general anaesthetic, and been through effectively 2 very painful procedures all at once.
I feel awful but I asked some friends that wanted to visit on Friday and over the weekend that I was not up to it - I'm really sorry guys, but honestly you would not have wanted to see me!
Meanwhile.....

All this time.... Poor Paul had been on nights and was trying to hold it all together - one thing is for sure though, Fred loves his Daddy even more now and won't leave his side - after all Mommy left him for the best part of a week!


15 comments:

  1. WOW! you don't do it in halfs do you...Glad your on the way to recovery and glad your back.x.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh dear. That is an awful tale. Thanks for the translation...I felt it was put in just for me :0)
    My niece has been hospitalized a few times for the problems with adhesions and scar tissue. The pain is so bad.
    Why do we even have a stupid appendix anyways. No one seems to miss them once they are gone.
    Your friends have brought you such pretty flowers.
    The hormonal release of tears is very common. Your body has been through such a lot and it needs a release for all the built up stresses.
    Get better soon.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you for your lovely comment,hope your feeling well...No her eye's were a 100% natural,nice story though...My grandmother and one of my sisters have the same amazing eyes as Bette...Take care x

    ReplyDelete
  4. what makes me smile throughout your tormented time is the fact you took nothing with you but you had your bloody phone and took pics and kept texting facebook with updates....hilarious..you are a star and hopefully new from inside out..see you tuesday if you are up for a visit from moi xx

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a traumatic time you have had,but I am glad to hear you are back home and on the path to recovery.
    Keep warm and look after your self.
    Best wishes Carolyn

    ReplyDelete
  6. Came across your blog, only to find you injured - get well soon - jane o frugal in cornwall

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you for your comment...Yes I have always wanted the large eyes(I got large lip's, would have prefered the eye's)...Hope your feeling much better to day...Will post a photo of my grandmother over next few days, then you can see those amazing eyes!.x.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ladies, thank you so much for all of your kind words and support - I hope that I have responded to uyou all but if I have not come back to anyone, please forgive me, I am still not quite up to speed so to speak.
    I still have some posts to go on with my latest happenings, but it may take me a while - sorry x

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh Joanne! I can't believe that you have been so ill, I hadn't read your blog for just over a week and didn't realise you were so ill!
    How are you feeling now? It sounds so painful and how awful that you couldn't have any vistors to get you through it!! You're so brave!!
    Take it easy and watch some good films, I suggest Made of Honour, the whole series of Pride and Prejudice (Colin Firth see-through shirt in the pond- yes please!!), and of course PS I Love you!
    I hope you feel better really soon!

    Lots of hug to you..... Lucy xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Lucy
    Thanks so much for your comments - and yes I agree about the films, and of course I have all of your suggestions in my collection - excellent choices - methinks Maid of Honour first, then how about 27 dresses, PS I love you then the lovely Mr Darcy.....mmmm LOL

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wow, what a time you've had Joanne. I loved your pics and story of your hospital visit - you sure are a trooper - like someone else said, you hadn't taken anything with you but you had your phone and camera!!! - lol.

    I understood 'Shanks' pony' - something we say in the North East too - (in fact I'm beginning to wonder if you may have ancestors from up that way as you come out with a lot of sayings my parents/grandparents used). When you first mentioned walking to work I thought you were going to say you had a nasty fall.

    My husband's appendix ruptured back in 1999, he had some pains but they sent him away again, he ended up going back to hospital of his own accord, and they then realised what had happened. It wasn't long before we were going on holiday to Florida for the first time (Disney World) but he was allowed to go, although he did keep hiring the motorised buggies to get around as the walking was too much for him - it was quite handy for carrying our bags too!, especially as we had Mn in his pushchair too at the time.

    Hope you will soon be feeling 100 per cent again.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I did wonder, but didn't like to ask, my word you did go for the triple whammy there.... no wonder you were in pain and wanting morphine.. trust me I would have been asking for a knock down dose too....

    Glad you are feeling a bit better, and when you are able would love to have a bloggers meet with you and Sally and will hope that the weather will be kind to us to provide us with blue skies and sunshine xx {{hugs}}

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thank you for your lovely comment...Hope your doing well...

    ReplyDelete
  14. Bless you, that's a dramatic way to start the year off isn't it.

    Hope you are feeling much better soon x

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thank you for all of your comments everyone, and welcome Magic Mummy - not a great state to find me in - I promise my life is much more interesting normally LOL x

    ReplyDelete