Just want to share what happened to me in the past 4 weeks. I awoke up early on the morning of July 27 (Monday) not feeling well but I know that I have to get up because I will be traveling to Baguio for the next 6 - 7 hours. I didn’t tell anyone that I wasn’t feeling well, we just went on. When I reached Baguio, that was the time that I cannot tolerate the muscle pains anymore and the chills (I can usually tolerate the cold afternoon weather in Baguio but I can’t this time so that’s why I knew that something was wrong). I met a close friend (she’s Nay Eden, my mentor) there and I told her that I am not really feeling well. I was holding her arms while we’re roaming around Baguio because I can feel that I might collapse. My Nay Eden said that I have fever. So that’s the start of a month of a series of unprecedented scenarios.
I went back to Iloilo on July 28 not really feeling well that I went to work almost 4 hours late on that day’s shift. My fever went on and off for 2 weeks (July 27 – August 10). It would usually come every afternoon or night and I would know that I have a fever even if I can’t check my temperature because I was shivering. I would call my mom every hour for 2 weeks and tell her what I feel. Telling me to take medicines and going to a doctor was the most that she could do because I do not want her to come here and I didn’t want to go to Manila either because I felt so weak that time (I would just tell my mom, kaya ko pa..) I was still going to work these days because I thought that I just needed rest but every time I go to work, I would just go to the Clinic few times a day because I was shivering and my fever would come back. The doctor at the clinic gave me antibiotics (Co-amoxiclav) and he referred me to a specialist.
St. Paul’s Hospital was the first place that I thought of to have a consultation but they referred me to an EENT because I was complaining of a bump on my neck which appeared 4 days from the start of my fever. The EENT told me to have a chest X-ray and a PPD Test (these are tests for PTB or Pulmonary Tuberculosis, NOW THIS IS THE START OF MY SEEMINGLY NEVER ENDING LAB TESTS). My X-ray came out as negative of TB but the PPD Test turned out positive so the EENT referred me to an Internist. The EENT diagnosed me of having TB even if the test results are INCONSISTENT.
It was already August 4 when I consulted an Internist and he told me that he’s not convinced that I have TB so he asked me to have Urinalysis and CBC. The Urinalysis showed that I have UTI and the Blood Test has normal results so I was told to stop the antibiotics that the clinic doctor recommended and I was given other antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin) to cure the UTI. But since I was already suspected to have TB, the Internist advised me to have rest for 5 - 7 days while I’m under observation. Finally after 6 days (August 10) of taking the medicine, my fever stopped but I still felt weak. This was also the time that I noticed the rashes on my arms but they were not itchy or something that time; I thought that I was just allergic to the medicine. I didn’t go back to the doctor immediately to ask about the rashes because my neck badly aches especially when I’m in a vehicle so I just decided to see the internist again the next day and some of you might’ve seen me here in the office as I wanted to check on my agents.
These were the times that people are telling me to see an ‘albularyo’, telling me that the bump on my neck might be cancer and telling me that my lungs are getting weaker (I was born with weak lungs). I still struggled to be an optimist; I didn’t go to an ‘albularyo’ though I was tempted to but I knew I am willing to accept even if the bump turns out to be cancer. I realized also that I had to be strong for myself. I would go to a doctor alone even if I really felt so weak to stand up. There was one time that I was waiting for a jeep and I was really shivering on the road while waiting. It is true that you will find your real friends when you’re not in good shape. Thanks to all those people who cared.
A friend of mine from Manila (Ate Rachel) told me to spend a couple of days at their house so somebody would take care of me. Thanks to her, I had the most time of rest for 4 days.
Now going back to the rashes, the internist said that I have Viral Exanthem (it’s a viral infection just like measles). Unfortunately, there’s no cure for that. The doctor said that it would go away on its own after 1 week so that’s why I was again advised to rest for another week (August 17 – 21). He was thinking that the bump on my neck is because of that viral infection. I was contagious this time so I had to stay away from others (this is also the reason why I didn’t want to see my mom, I don’t want her to have the same ailment).
Eventually, my mom was able to convince me to go to Manila for further check up and for second opinion, as she’s so worried with my condition. We first went to Medical City and I was asked to have another X-ray, it’s for my neck this time. The result turned out normal again. The bump wasn’t seen in the neck X-ray. The next day, we went to St. Luke’s Hospital, the doctor said that I stop the antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin) because that might be the cause of the rashes. I was again required to have another set of lab tests and examination; ultrasound and my 2nd CBC. My fever came back this day, by the way. I was shivering all the way from Bulacan to St. Luke’s badly. My 2nd CBC showed that I have low white-blood cell count which confirmed that I have Viral Exanthem and the ultrasound in my neck showed that the bump on my neck are chains and chains of swollen lymph nodes but the doctors didn’t know what caused them.
For the 3rd time, I was referred to a different doctor. He’s the 6th doctor that I have consulted in 3 weeks. This time, the 5th doctor referred me to an Infectious Disease doctor who didn’t give me any prescription for there’s no cure for the infection. I was told to stop all my medications and observe if I’ll be having fever again. My rashes started to itch this time and it’s so annoying that I can’t sleep at night. This doctor said that if ever my fever comes back, it would only mean either of the 2 things he mentioned. Either it’s TB of my lymph nodes or lymphoma (cancer). My mom and I went home to our province so she could take care of me. She would all the time make me drink different juices every meal and I would just complain (ehehehe). Anyway, I went back to Iloilo on August 23 with coughs so I went back to the doctor the next day and was diagnosed with Tonsillopharyngitis (some kind of flu, the doctor said and my 3rd illness in just 4 weeks). Again, I was given medications for 7 days. He also asked me to have my 3rd CBC to check if my white-blood cell count has returned to normal. Fortunately, it did so I’m not contagious anymore.
I’m back to work since August 24, the fever hasn’t come back yet and I feel better everyday except for the coughs.
Thank you Boss Kev for encouraging me to go to Manila for check up. Thank you OM Mor for understanding my absence. Thank you Chills for taking care of my evals. Thank you clustermates for assisting my team. (Dxc, Irene, Belen and Ryan) Thank you to all the people who sent messages. Your messages are highly appreciated. GOD BLESS YOU GUYS! Thank You…
With what I thought is the end of a previous Chapter is just a ‘continuation’ of that Chapter that I didn’t want to remember or go back to anymore.
I didn’t expect this ‘comeback’ as I was making a full and positive recovery from last month. My appetite was and is enormous and I was feeling healthy as a horse until this.
My sickness continued its path this past week like a hurricane, SIMPLY UNPREDICTABLE and DESTRUCTIVE. Again, leaving everything in me somewhat devastated. It was a (physically) painful week for me.
It was September 1 when my sickness came ‘waltzing in’ to my life again slowly making my body weak from Day 1 to September 5. It gave its full force at the last part of this battle and that became the most physically (have to stress the word physically out..ehehehheh..coz the emotional pain is another story) painful day for me. ‘QUEER’** (adj. peculiar, odd) is the best word that I’d describe the sicknesses that happened to me as they occur in different events, forms and ways, totally unrelated to each other and would make the doctors in deep thought. (ehehehehe, exaggerating...)
Here is the story: MY 4th SICKNESS IN 5 WEEKS
3:00am of September 1, my team’s lunch break:
I was sleepy so I asked one of my friends to have coffee with me, he said ‘ok’ so we bought instant coffee. I enjoyed that warm, nice cup of coffee as it was my first cup of coffee after more than a month. I felt the effect of coffee a few hours when the muscles in my legs started to hurt but it was tolerable so I went on until the end of my shift. When I was finally home and have slept more than 2 hours, I was woken up by fever and chills and I noticed that I can barely move because the muscles all over my body are excruciatingly painful. The pain was more intense when I move but I still managed to get up and take medicine for body pains. There was no way for me to go to a doctor immediately because it’s really painful to move so I continued my sleep.
What added to my burden this day was that my head was aching and I was vomiting because of my eye problem. Fortunately, when I woke up again, I was not having fever anymore, my head doesn’t hurt anymore and the muscle pains have subsided. I was 4 hours late when I went to work because my muscles still hurt. I had to move slowly as any sudden movement would make me cry out for pain. I went straight to the Clinic when I reached the site. I was asked if I did any physical activity, if I have cough and colds, if it hurts to pee, and etc but I said ‘no’ to all of these. The doctor was thinking that I might just be having flu (trangkaso). For the 4th time, I was told to have CBC and urinalysis (waaaaahh, I’m not going to have these again…).
To my surprise, the fever didn’t come back for a couple of days so I told the doctor that I didn’t have my blood and urine test because I don’t have fever anymore. My muscles are still painful but I just take pain killers to take my mind off it. It surprised me more when I had a fever again on Saturday. The clinic nurse said that it’s possible that I have an electrolyte imbalance and low potassium level when I went there Saturday morning (September 5) after my shift. She told me that I might be having fever again because my eyes are getting red so she checked my temperature. It was 37.4 degrees. I was beginning to have chills during this time and my muscles were in great deal of pain again. The nurse was telling me to rest in the Clinic but I said that I’ll just go home. So there I went even if I was moving like a turtle. In the afternoon of last Saturday, I forced myself to go to the office because I forgot my laptop in the check-in counter and I had to endorse my agents who are going to have their Rest Day Overtime.
Every single move I made that day took heaps and heaps of effort that even composing a text message telling my mom what’s happening to me took a lot of effort because the muscles in my arms hurt when I move my thumb. I almost fell when I was adjusting to the pain of walking. The clinic was my first stop when I arrived at the office (the same nurse attended to me when I was there that morning) because I was shivering. The nurse checked my temperature and it was 38 degrees so she gave me medicine for my fever and told me to rest for a couple of hours there. I agreed. After an hour she checked my temperature again, it’s 38.7 this time. The nurse had to help me when I had to move, get up and walk. This tops the muscle pains that I had in 5 days; this was the worst of all. I told the nurse that I’ll just wait for the medicine to take effect and I told her that I had to leave in a couple of minutes because I had to check on something. She said ‘kaya mo n b?’….hmmmmm, ‘kakayanin’, I thought… Sunday was a good day for me as my muscle pains have subsided, they still hurt of course but the pain is bearable. Because I can’t think of anything to do yesterday, I traced all the muscles that hurt in my body (ahahahhaha). I planned to at least massage them. I found out that there are 24 points in my body that hurts, 9 in both of my arms and 15 in both of my legs. Well, that explains the walking difficulty (ahahha)..
Funny thing..I’m on a Gatorade and banana diet right now. (eheheheh)
Lesson learned?...careful of water therapy…(hahaha) ‘QUEER’ it is!
‘THE END, how I hope this is!
Let me tell you the story of the latest battle that I fought.
If you can remember from last time, I still have Tonsillopharyngitis. Well, this is the continuation of that Tonsillopharyngitis and my hospitalization. I went back to the doctor on September 8 because my fever won’t go away anymore since September 5 and it was always 38.7°C– 39°C accompanied by muscle pains and chills. I brought him my Typhidot and platelet count (my 4th blood test) results. Typhidot will show if you currently have and if you had Typhoid Fever before.
On the other hand, the platelet count with Na, K and Ca will of course show you the blood test result with electrolyte levels. I asked my mom if I had Typhoid Fever when I was young and she said ‘no’. My doctor read me the results of the tests and he said that the Typhidot shows that I had the said sickness before (….weird!) and my electrolyte levels are normal but a bit low in Potassium. He told me to rest for at least 3 days (September 9 – 11) and he gave me another set of antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin) aside from the antibiotics that I’m taking for the Tonsillopharyngitis (Clarithromycin). On the night of September 10, I took both antibiotics with Paracetamol for my burning fever and a few minutes after, I was itching all over my body that I can’t sleep. I also felt hungry, though I just ate 30 minutes ago, so I got up but felt so dizzy that I fell. I looked myself on the mirror and saw that my whole body especially my eyes are so red. I texted my doctor and told him that I’m probably allergic to Ciprofloxacin (which is really odd because I had that medication last month and nothing of this sort happened) and he said that if I really don’t feel well, I should better go to a hospital. So even if I really feel so dizzy, I packed my bag, changed my clothes, walked the stairs slowly and went to the hospital ALONE. My chest started to hurt on the way to the hospital. I didn’t know what to do but pray that I reach the hospital in time. When I reached the hospital, I heard one of the nurses say ‘para kang nag-beach’ (because I was so red). They immediately injected me with antihistamine and asked me to have, guess what, Urinalysis and CBC (my 5th blood test). They checked all my vital signs and I was burning with 40°C of fever. I still managed to text my doctor when I was already in the ER because I feel fine except for the chills. He, then, called the hospital and told the doctor in the ER (whom is a friend of him) to admit me because of suspected Typhoid Fever.
I specifically requested for the IV to be injected in my left hand so I could still text (eehehheheh, the nurses and I laughed when I said that). The nurses would come and go in to my room every 30 minutes that night checking my vital signs so I really didn’t get much sleep or rest. They were so worried because my blood pressure dropped down to 80/60 (80/50 sometimes), my fever was consistently 40° for more than 6 hours and my heartbeat was fast. One of the nurses took blood sample from me again (my 6th blood test) because the blood sample that they took earlier was for a different test (whew). I was fully aware of what’s happening I just couldn’t believe that they are happening because like I said I feel fine except for the shivers. The next day, one of the nurses went in to my room saying that they’ll be getting more blood samples from me again. I agreed, as if I have a freakin’ choice. She took a couple of amps of blood from my arterial veins near my hand and from my arm (they were the most painful of all the 8 blood tests). I didn’t know that they are still to take 3 more blood samples from me in the following days. Three doctors attended to my needs while I’m in that hospital, one is my doctor (the Internist), second is an Infectious Disease Doctor that my doctor recommended because he doesn’t know how to handle my sickness and third is a resident doctor of Saviour International Hospital.
They all come everyday to check on me and it is obvious that they are all worried, especially my doctor. Since I am allergic to the medicine that my doctor gave me, they changed my medication to Levofloxacin which we found out the next day that I am also allergic to so the redness and rashes of my body came back. Nice right?! Even if I’m already admitted to the hospital with all the doctors and the nurses taking care of me, my fever wouldn’t really go away that it was only on the 6th day of my confinement that it went away. Another painful experience that I had is they had to transfer the IV alternately from both of my hands almost everyday because my hands would swell every single time they put liquid antibiotics in my IV. If you see me right now, you would see the 5 dark scars on my hands because of the IV sites. It was excruciatingly painful every time they inject and push the needle inside my skin. I was glad when the Infectious Disease doctor ordered the nurses to remove my IV, as from him it was one of the causes of my fever which proved to be true the next day. It was my decision not to tell my mom everything that’s happening to me inside that hospital. I also wouldn’t complain to my parents of the pains that I feel while in the hospital because I know that would mean more worries for them and I do not want them to live in worries while I’m out of their sight. I told my mom not to come here in Iloilo to be with me in the hospital because, even if the doctors won’t tell me, I know I am contagious. She still insisted in coming here.
But the….
Good thing is she didn’t have to see me in pain of the lab tests that they are doing to me.
Good thing, she didn’t have to witness how it hurts every single time they take blood and inject needles in my skin.
Good thing, she didn’t have to see that I can’t eat sometimes because I just vomit what I eat.
Good thing, she didn’t have to see how painful it is every time they put antibiotics in my IV, it’s like electricity running through my veins.
Good thing, she didn’t have to be there to support me when I almost fall every time I stand up.
Good thing, she didn’t have to hear my breathing difficulty because of my coughs.
THAT’S ALL BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL DONE WHEN SHE CAME.
What made me stronger when I was there were the friends whom I know are praying for me, the friends who visited me and for the nurses who wouldn’t leave my side and listened to my complaints.
Thank you.
I got out of the hospital on September 18.
Thanks to Maxicare and Philhealth, I only paid little percentage of my piling hospital bill. (ehehehehhe)
I’m on the process of recovery right now. The scars on my hands are healing and the discolorations on my face are improving. I’m getting a lot of rest. I came back to work on the 28th.
Oh by the way, I was diagnosed with 3 sicknesses while in the hospital.
I won’t be here anymore sending this email if I didn’t make it to the hospital in time…I almost died because of Anaphylactic shock..
I went back to Iloilo on July 28 not really feeling well that I went to work almost 4 hours late on that day’s shift. My fever went on and off for 2 weeks (July 27 – August 10). It would usually come every afternoon or night and I would know that I have a fever even if I can’t check my temperature because I was shivering. I would call my mom every hour for 2 weeks and tell her what I feel. Telling me to take medicines and going to a doctor was the most that she could do because I do not want her to come here and I didn’t want to go to Manila either because I felt so weak that time (I would just tell my mom, kaya ko pa..) I was still going to work these days because I thought that I just needed rest but every time I go to work, I would just go to the Clinic few times a day because I was shivering and my fever would come back. The doctor at the clinic gave me antibiotics (Co-amoxiclav) and he referred me to a specialist.
St. Paul’s Hospital was the first place that I thought of to have a consultation but they referred me to an EENT because I was complaining of a bump on my neck which appeared 4 days from the start of my fever. The EENT told me to have a chest X-ray and a PPD Test (these are tests for PTB or Pulmonary Tuberculosis, NOW THIS IS THE START OF MY SEEMINGLY NEVER ENDING LAB TESTS). My X-ray came out as negative of TB but the PPD Test turned out positive so the EENT referred me to an Internist. The EENT diagnosed me of having TB even if the test results are INCONSISTENT.
It was already August 4 when I consulted an Internist and he told me that he’s not convinced that I have TB so he asked me to have Urinalysis and CBC. The Urinalysis showed that I have UTI and the Blood Test has normal results so I was told to stop the antibiotics that the clinic doctor recommended and I was given other antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin) to cure the UTI. But since I was already suspected to have TB, the Internist advised me to have rest for 5 - 7 days while I’m under observation. Finally after 6 days (August 10) of taking the medicine, my fever stopped but I still felt weak. This was also the time that I noticed the rashes on my arms but they were not itchy or something that time; I thought that I was just allergic to the medicine. I didn’t go back to the doctor immediately to ask about the rashes because my neck badly aches especially when I’m in a vehicle so I just decided to see the internist again the next day and some of you might’ve seen me here in the office as I wanted to check on my agents.
These were the times that people are telling me to see an ‘albularyo’, telling me that the bump on my neck might be cancer and telling me that my lungs are getting weaker (I was born with weak lungs). I still struggled to be an optimist; I didn’t go to an ‘albularyo’ though I was tempted to but I knew I am willing to accept even if the bump turns out to be cancer. I realized also that I had to be strong for myself. I would go to a doctor alone even if I really felt so weak to stand up. There was one time that I was waiting for a jeep and I was really shivering on the road while waiting. It is true that you will find your real friends when you’re not in good shape. Thanks to all those people who cared.
A friend of mine from Manila (Ate Rachel) told me to spend a couple of days at their house so somebody would take care of me. Thanks to her, I had the most time of rest for 4 days.
Now going back to the rashes, the internist said that I have Viral Exanthem (it’s a viral infection just like measles). Unfortunately, there’s no cure for that. The doctor said that it would go away on its own after 1 week so that’s why I was again advised to rest for another week (August 17 – 21). He was thinking that the bump on my neck is because of that viral infection. I was contagious this time so I had to stay away from others (this is also the reason why I didn’t want to see my mom, I don’t want her to have the same ailment).
Eventually, my mom was able to convince me to go to Manila for further check up and for second opinion, as she’s so worried with my condition. We first went to Medical City and I was asked to have another X-ray, it’s for my neck this time. The result turned out normal again. The bump wasn’t seen in the neck X-ray. The next day, we went to St. Luke’s Hospital, the doctor said that I stop the antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin) because that might be the cause of the rashes. I was again required to have another set of lab tests and examination; ultrasound and my 2nd CBC. My fever came back this day, by the way. I was shivering all the way from Bulacan to St. Luke’s badly. My 2nd CBC showed that I have low white-blood cell count which confirmed that I have Viral Exanthem and the ultrasound in my neck showed that the bump on my neck are chains and chains of swollen lymph nodes but the doctors didn’t know what caused them.
For the 3rd time, I was referred to a different doctor. He’s the 6th doctor that I have consulted in 3 weeks. This time, the 5th doctor referred me to an Infectious Disease doctor who didn’t give me any prescription for there’s no cure for the infection. I was told to stop all my medications and observe if I’ll be having fever again. My rashes started to itch this time and it’s so annoying that I can’t sleep at night. This doctor said that if ever my fever comes back, it would only mean either of the 2 things he mentioned. Either it’s TB of my lymph nodes or lymphoma (cancer). My mom and I went home to our province so she could take care of me. She would all the time make me drink different juices every meal and I would just complain (ehehehe). Anyway, I went back to Iloilo on August 23 with coughs so I went back to the doctor the next day and was diagnosed with Tonsillopharyngitis (some kind of flu, the doctor said and my 3rd illness in just 4 weeks). Again, I was given medications for 7 days. He also asked me to have my 3rd CBC to check if my white-blood cell count has returned to normal. Fortunately, it did so I’m not contagious anymore.
I’m back to work since August 24, the fever hasn’t come back yet and I feel better everyday except for the coughs.
Thank you Boss Kev for encouraging me to go to Manila for check up. Thank you OM Mor for understanding my absence. Thank you Chills for taking care of my evals. Thank you clustermates for assisting my team. (Dxc, Irene, Belen and Ryan) Thank you to all the people who sent messages. Your messages are highly appreciated. GOD BLESS YOU GUYS! Thank You…
With what I thought is the end of a previous Chapter is just a ‘continuation’ of that Chapter that I didn’t want to remember or go back to anymore.
I didn’t expect this ‘comeback’ as I was making a full and positive recovery from last month. My appetite was and is enormous and I was feeling healthy as a horse until this.
My sickness continued its path this past week like a hurricane, SIMPLY UNPREDICTABLE and DESTRUCTIVE. Again, leaving everything in me somewhat devastated. It was a (physically) painful week for me.
It was September 1 when my sickness came ‘waltzing in’ to my life again slowly making my body weak from Day 1 to September 5. It gave its full force at the last part of this battle and that became the most physically (have to stress the word physically out..ehehehheh..coz the emotional pain is another story) painful day for me. ‘QUEER’** (adj. peculiar, odd) is the best word that I’d describe the sicknesses that happened to me as they occur in different events, forms and ways, totally unrelated to each other and would make the doctors in deep thought. (ehehehehe, exaggerating...)
Here is the story: MY 4th SICKNESS IN 5 WEEKS
3:00am of September 1, my team’s lunch break:
I was sleepy so I asked one of my friends to have coffee with me, he said ‘ok’ so we bought instant coffee. I enjoyed that warm, nice cup of coffee as it was my first cup of coffee after more than a month. I felt the effect of coffee a few hours when the muscles in my legs started to hurt but it was tolerable so I went on until the end of my shift. When I was finally home and have slept more than 2 hours, I was woken up by fever and chills and I noticed that I can barely move because the muscles all over my body are excruciatingly painful. The pain was more intense when I move but I still managed to get up and take medicine for body pains. There was no way for me to go to a doctor immediately because it’s really painful to move so I continued my sleep.
What added to my burden this day was that my head was aching and I was vomiting because of my eye problem. Fortunately, when I woke up again, I was not having fever anymore, my head doesn’t hurt anymore and the muscle pains have subsided. I was 4 hours late when I went to work because my muscles still hurt. I had to move slowly as any sudden movement would make me cry out for pain. I went straight to the Clinic when I reached the site. I was asked if I did any physical activity, if I have cough and colds, if it hurts to pee, and etc but I said ‘no’ to all of these. The doctor was thinking that I might just be having flu (trangkaso). For the 4th time, I was told to have CBC and urinalysis (waaaaahh, I’m not going to have these again…).
To my surprise, the fever didn’t come back for a couple of days so I told the doctor that I didn’t have my blood and urine test because I don’t have fever anymore. My muscles are still painful but I just take pain killers to take my mind off it. It surprised me more when I had a fever again on Saturday. The clinic nurse said that it’s possible that I have an electrolyte imbalance and low potassium level when I went there Saturday morning (September 5) after my shift. She told me that I might be having fever again because my eyes are getting red so she checked my temperature. It was 37.4 degrees. I was beginning to have chills during this time and my muscles were in great deal of pain again. The nurse was telling me to rest in the Clinic but I said that I’ll just go home. So there I went even if I was moving like a turtle. In the afternoon of last Saturday, I forced myself to go to the office because I forgot my laptop in the check-in counter and I had to endorse my agents who are going to have their Rest Day Overtime.
Every single move I made that day took heaps and heaps of effort that even composing a text message telling my mom what’s happening to me took a lot of effort because the muscles in my arms hurt when I move my thumb. I almost fell when I was adjusting to the pain of walking. The clinic was my first stop when I arrived at the office (the same nurse attended to me when I was there that morning) because I was shivering. The nurse checked my temperature and it was 38 degrees so she gave me medicine for my fever and told me to rest for a couple of hours there. I agreed. After an hour she checked my temperature again, it’s 38.7 this time. The nurse had to help me when I had to move, get up and walk. This tops the muscle pains that I had in 5 days; this was the worst of all. I told the nurse that I’ll just wait for the medicine to take effect and I told her that I had to leave in a couple of minutes because I had to check on something. She said ‘kaya mo n b?’….hmmmmm, ‘kakayanin’, I thought… Sunday was a good day for me as my muscle pains have subsided, they still hurt of course but the pain is bearable. Because I can’t think of anything to do yesterday, I traced all the muscles that hurt in my body (ahahahhaha). I planned to at least massage them. I found out that there are 24 points in my body that hurts, 9 in both of my arms and 15 in both of my legs. Well, that explains the walking difficulty (ahahha)..
Funny thing..I’m on a Gatorade and banana diet right now. (eheheheh)
Lesson learned?...careful of water therapy…(hahaha) ‘QUEER’ it is!
‘THE END, how I hope this is!
Let me tell you the story of the latest battle that I fought.
If you can remember from last time, I still have Tonsillopharyngitis. Well, this is the continuation of that Tonsillopharyngitis and my hospitalization. I went back to the doctor on September 8 because my fever won’t go away anymore since September 5 and it was always 38.7°C– 39°C accompanied by muscle pains and chills. I brought him my Typhidot and platelet count (my 4th blood test) results. Typhidot will show if you currently have and if you had Typhoid Fever before.
On the other hand, the platelet count with Na, K and Ca will of course show you the blood test result with electrolyte levels. I asked my mom if I had Typhoid Fever when I was young and she said ‘no’. My doctor read me the results of the tests and he said that the Typhidot shows that I had the said sickness before (….weird!) and my electrolyte levels are normal but a bit low in Potassium. He told me to rest for at least 3 days (September 9 – 11) and he gave me another set of antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin) aside from the antibiotics that I’m taking for the Tonsillopharyngitis (Clarithromycin). On the night of September 10, I took both antibiotics with Paracetamol for my burning fever and a few minutes after, I was itching all over my body that I can’t sleep. I also felt hungry, though I just ate 30 minutes ago, so I got up but felt so dizzy that I fell. I looked myself on the mirror and saw that my whole body especially my eyes are so red. I texted my doctor and told him that I’m probably allergic to Ciprofloxacin (which is really odd because I had that medication last month and nothing of this sort happened) and he said that if I really don’t feel well, I should better go to a hospital. So even if I really feel so dizzy, I packed my bag, changed my clothes, walked the stairs slowly and went to the hospital ALONE. My chest started to hurt on the way to the hospital. I didn’t know what to do but pray that I reach the hospital in time. When I reached the hospital, I heard one of the nurses say ‘para kang nag-beach’ (because I was so red). They immediately injected me with antihistamine and asked me to have, guess what, Urinalysis and CBC (my 5th blood test). They checked all my vital signs and I was burning with 40°C of fever. I still managed to text my doctor when I was already in the ER because I feel fine except for the chills. He, then, called the hospital and told the doctor in the ER (whom is a friend of him) to admit me because of suspected Typhoid Fever.
I specifically requested for the IV to be injected in my left hand so I could still text (eehehheheh, the nurses and I laughed when I said that). The nurses would come and go in to my room every 30 minutes that night checking my vital signs so I really didn’t get much sleep or rest. They were so worried because my blood pressure dropped down to 80/60 (80/50 sometimes), my fever was consistently 40° for more than 6 hours and my heartbeat was fast. One of the nurses took blood sample from me again (my 6th blood test) because the blood sample that they took earlier was for a different test (whew). I was fully aware of what’s happening I just couldn’t believe that they are happening because like I said I feel fine except for the shivers. The next day, one of the nurses went in to my room saying that they’ll be getting more blood samples from me again. I agreed, as if I have a freakin’ choice. She took a couple of amps of blood from my arterial veins near my hand and from my arm (they were the most painful of all the 8 blood tests). I didn’t know that they are still to take 3 more blood samples from me in the following days. Three doctors attended to my needs while I’m in that hospital, one is my doctor (the Internist), second is an Infectious Disease Doctor that my doctor recommended because he doesn’t know how to handle my sickness and third is a resident doctor of Saviour International Hospital.
They all come everyday to check on me and it is obvious that they are all worried, especially my doctor. Since I am allergic to the medicine that my doctor gave me, they changed my medication to Levofloxacin which we found out the next day that I am also allergic to so the redness and rashes of my body came back. Nice right?! Even if I’m already admitted to the hospital with all the doctors and the nurses taking care of me, my fever wouldn’t really go away that it was only on the 6th day of my confinement that it went away. Another painful experience that I had is they had to transfer the IV alternately from both of my hands almost everyday because my hands would swell every single time they put liquid antibiotics in my IV. If you see me right now, you would see the 5 dark scars on my hands because of the IV sites. It was excruciatingly painful every time they inject and push the needle inside my skin. I was glad when the Infectious Disease doctor ordered the nurses to remove my IV, as from him it was one of the causes of my fever which proved to be true the next day. It was my decision not to tell my mom everything that’s happening to me inside that hospital. I also wouldn’t complain to my parents of the pains that I feel while in the hospital because I know that would mean more worries for them and I do not want them to live in worries while I’m out of their sight. I told my mom not to come here in Iloilo to be with me in the hospital because, even if the doctors won’t tell me, I know I am contagious. She still insisted in coming here.
But the….
Good thing is she didn’t have to see me in pain of the lab tests that they are doing to me.
Good thing, she didn’t have to witness how it hurts every single time they take blood and inject needles in my skin.
Good thing, she didn’t have to see that I can’t eat sometimes because I just vomit what I eat.
Good thing, she didn’t have to see how painful it is every time they put antibiotics in my IV, it’s like electricity running through my veins.
Good thing, she didn’t have to be there to support me when I almost fall every time I stand up.
Good thing, she didn’t have to hear my breathing difficulty because of my coughs.
THAT’S ALL BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL DONE WHEN SHE CAME.
What made me stronger when I was there were the friends whom I know are praying for me, the friends who visited me and for the nurses who wouldn’t leave my side and listened to my complaints.
Thank you.
I got out of the hospital on September 18.
Thanks to Maxicare and Philhealth, I only paid little percentage of my piling hospital bill. (ehehehehhe)
I’m on the process of recovery right now. The scars on my hands are healing and the discolorations on my face are improving. I’m getting a lot of rest. I came back to work on the 28th.
Oh by the way, I was diagnosed with 3 sicknesses while in the hospital.
I won’t be here anymore sending this email if I didn’t make it to the hospital in time…I almost died because of Anaphylactic shock..
I applaude your friend for being so strong and enduring the journey by herself. Her courage and strength is what kept her going. Her family should be proud to have a daughter as thoughtful as she to not burden them at a time when she needed them most.
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