A hospital stay

Too much detail for most people!

Generally I am quite healthy (apart from mh issues) but I do tend to get ill the same way. My tonsils and my glands swell up. This has been happening since seondary school and back in sixth form I remember being really ill. I've got pretty good at looking after myself and when the first signs come I rest and look after myself. I've had a cold for the last couple of weeks, well I thought I had got rid of it but it came back again and by friday I was having the hard to eat problems. But I didn't feel too bad. Friday night wasn't great and neither of us got much sleep but Ali headed out for ice-cream on saturday and I started to feel better. Saturday night I slept loads better (although I did wake up twice for painkillers). But on sunday I was a little concerned by how little I had to drink and I was really struggling to talk no matter eat. This is when the excitement started.

We decided Ali should ring NHS direct, I expected to be told we were doing the right thing and to go to my GP tomorrow. Initially Ali spoke to someone who took the information and said someone would ring back within four hours then a nurse rang about an hour later. Lots of encouragement to get me to try and drink, eat ice-cream etc but she said she would be forwarding me onto my GP's out of hours service and to expect to hear from them within two hours. It was probably only 15minutes when an out-of-ours GP rang and after speaking to Ali asked me to come in for an appointment at 9:50pm (about and hour and a half later). So I had to make the effort to get dressed and head out. At this point I thought I was wasting everyones time and really I should just have waited till monday morning and made an appointment with my GP as they were likely to just give me anti-biotics. We weren't waiting too long to be seen and he said he wanted me to go to hospital as I probably had a Qunisy (apparently the difficulty talking and opening my mouth are giveaway symptoms). I thought he meant on the monday till he checked Ali was okay to take me there and then got on the phone. I started feeling a little dizzy so he had me lie down while he sorted out for me to be seen. Back on the chair and he started to take my blood pressure, I went really dizzy and the next thing I knew is I was on the floor, oops. The Dr was shouting for some help and Ali was telling me I was fine. I was actually embarrassed to find myself on the floor and wanted to get up but was told I had to stay there and an ambulance had been called. After taking my blood sugar levels and blood pressure again I was allowed to move onto the bed and put on oxygen till the ambulance got there.

So that was how I ended up getting taken to hospital in an ambulance, they took me to the ward that the Dr had organised but there were no beds so I was taken to another. Left there waiting for a Dr. I wasn't allowed anything to drink and noone was sure if I was staying or not. The dr took 3hours as she was on call and so had lots to deal with. Once I saw her it was clear I wasn't going anywhere, she got the nurse to start me on IV fluids, anti-biotics and paracetamol. Ali was told to go home and that a Dr from ENT would come and see me before 9am in the morning. So Ali left me at 4am and I was left in a hospital bed on my own for the first time ever.

I didn't get much sleep before the lights were on and breakfast was being done, I was down as getting nothing till I had been seen by the Dr, to be fair I didn't feel like eating much but it would have given me something to do. The Dr came just after 9am, she said she thought it was a Quinsy as well and that it would probably need to be drained, lovely. She said she would be back with her boss later. I asked about eating and she said that I was welcome to try and eat as much as I could. Ali came and dropped me off some books and some PJ's but she couldn't stay as it wasn't visiting hours. She promised to come back at 2pm and went off to work, she must have been shattered. The Dr and her boss came back, they would try and drain it at about 12noon and before then I was to have a steroid injection which would help reduce the swelling - I was still on all the IV stuff. Lunch came and I was given soup, not really enough for me but I did actually find that hard enough and didn't finish it. Ali turned up saying mum was on her way just before they came to take me up to ENT for the draining. Ali was allowed to come with me, which was great as we were waiting up there for ages. Dr Kat struggled to get the local anesthetic on as my mouth just wasn't opening and they had to try a number of needles before they could reach. Apparently they got 2mm out which was a lot, I don't know my eyes were shut and it hurt a lot.

Back to the ward and I was told I could eat what I want and to keep trying to drink. Mum and Ali had to go but came back for evening visitng. I had managed sausage and mash for tea, the trick was cutting everything up small enough to get it into my mouth. I was still really struggling to drink but at least managed to go to the toilet for the first time within 24hours, I was really dehyrdrated. That evening I was moved up to ENT and once there fell asleep, I was so tired. I slept through most of the coming and goings on the ward as well. That morning I got my weetabix so I was happy. Dr Kat came to see me again with a number of other Dr's and explained they were going to try and drain some more later. I was beginning to feel a lot better and getting bored. They came for me before lunch this time and got about 4mm of lovel yellow pus out this time. She was just going to get another needle to have another go, apparently there was still lots there when I started to get dizzy, next thing I know the chair had been lent back and the nurse was taking my blood pressure and heart rate (44bpm which suprised me as I felt like it was racing!) they laughed when I asked if I was going to get to go home that day.

More IV fluids and another day of reading, Ali brought me a chocolate brownie that evening to make up for the lack of cake which was good. Another reasonable nights sleep, once the nurse finished all the medications at midnight and I was feeling quite perky. Dr Kat commented on how well I looked. My mouth still wasn't opening but I was not managing to drink. So the decision was taken to allow me to go home with anti-biotics. I was suprised as I thought they would try and drain again. I had instructions to come straight back to hospital if it got worse or my voice went funny again. So Ali was rang and she came to collect me.

So now I'm at home. Think it may be a little while before I am out on a bike though.