Another Medical Update - August 26th 2018

This time last week, I was in hospital.

The dizziness got worse on the Friday (August 17th). It had been about the same, so I was all set to do what my surgery told me to do when I called that morning about having my blood levels checked the following week, which was to call on the Monday morning (August 20th) for a doctor ring-back, and ask the doctor for the papers I'd need to get the test done by the surgery. But then we decided to go out for food. The cafe we chose wasn't far from here, and there were plenty of options for me to sit down and rest if I needed to on the way there and back, so we figured I'd be OK. I mean, it's not like me going for walks when I'm dizzy is a new experience. I was fine too. Until we started home, and the dizziness got so much worse it was only the fact I tend to hold Kelly's arm even while using my cane that kept me on my feet, and even then I was only just on them.

Kelly got me to the nearest bench, and we knew I wasn't making it much further. Even if I made it back to our building, there was no way I was getting up all those stairs.

So we called an ambulance.

Except, the dispatcher decided I didn't need one, and refused to send one out. Well, she said I could be put on some non-priority list if I absolutely insisted I had no way to get to the hospital myself and had to go. However, she also told me the ambulance services were busy dealing with people who really do need their help, so it would be about a four hour wait. So... I'm feeling like I'm about to pass out, can't even stand without someone helping me stay upright, and stuck out in the street in that state, and she thinks I don't need an ambulance. Um... O-k-a-y...

It's not like I call for an ambulance all the time. In fact, other than the time when I couldn't breathe back around Easter, I've been getting myself to the hospital via taxi. But we were reluctant to use a taxi when I couldn't even stand on my own two feet, since Kelly couldn't come with me because of Lilie. So it's not like it can be that they think I'm one of those people who calls an ambulance for the least little thing, because I don't.

Luckily, our friends Lorna and Andy were able to take me to the hospital.

They helped me inside, made sure I was all checked in, but couldn't stay. I don't mind though. I was just grateful someone was able to help me get there in the first place. I still can't believe the emergency dispatcher didn't think sat on the side of the street fighting not to pass out qualified someone for an ambulance. But there you go.

Anyway, I was on a bed within ten minutes of being at the hospital, and they checked my blood again. The results hadn't changed from the Wednesday - still 79 for my HB level - but I was in worse shape. The doctors I saw over the weekend still can't believe I was even sent home on the Wednesday, and were disgusted when I told them about the ambulance not coming for me.

I had a blood transfusion. They gave me two bags of blood on the Saturday morning, but it only brought my levels from 79 to 84. But about that time the shot finally kicked in properly and stopped my bleeding, and that combined with the bag they gave me Sunday morning got my HB level up to 94. Still low, but good for me, and much better than it was. Plus, it improved the dizziness issue, which helped.

They also gave me an iron transfusion on Monday evening, before I went home. Apparently that's something they don't do much. The stuff even had to be specially ordered. But they figured it was needed in my case. I've got to go as an outpatient on Tuesday (August 28th) to have another iron transfusion. Then they want to have my bloods checked again in a couple of weeks.

Basically, what happened to have me bad enough to be in the hospital is that the shot didn't work first time. Which apparently can happen. It's officially meant to work from the first shot, but it's not all that unusual for it not to kick in until the second one. Well, duh! I'd already figured out it didn't work first time. Nice of them to warn me about the potential delay in it working though. *Sigh* Anyway, that fact combined with my levels already being a bit low, and then me doing things to get my blood pumping quickly - like exercise - caused things to get worse for me. In short, what happened is exactly what we suspected was happening, which they chose to ignore was happening when I went to A and E on the Wednesday. So... Yeah...

Anyhow, if the shot keeps doing its thing, I should be good until they do the hysterectomy. Not that I'm feeling amazing, but at least I'm not so dizzy I feel like I'm going to pass out any second. Not right now anyhow. My arms and hands are quite sore from all the being jabbed with needles though, which wasn't helped by the fact my veins weren't feeling very co-operative, so I got jabbed with needles more times than I otherwise would have while they tried to persuade my veins to co-operate with them. Not fun for me, let me tell you! Oh, and I even tried asking my veins nicely to behave, but it didn't work. It was worth a try though, right?

They'll be keeping an eye on my levels over these next few months... They want them checked regularly until at least after surgery is over and done with. They actually should have been keeping an eye on them to start with, but whatever.

The good thing is, though they do still want some weight off me if possible - I do understand why, and told them I do agree it would be better for me, for the surgery, and in general - they're now actually agreeing the surgery needs to be done sooner rather than later, no matter what. If they change their mind, I know who I can talk to about getting them to change it back, since Kelly spoke to our doctor while he was having his appointment, and he's actually annoyed they haven't done it yet. So, if they give me issues about getting the surgery done, I'll just have to hold out to spacifically speak to my own doctor, and he'll make sure it gets done. Starting to wish I'd done that in the first place. If I'd known he'd be so much on my side - he's angry it hasn't been done yet - I'd have waited the couple of weeks to speak to him personally back in May. Oh, well.

Speaking of Kelly's appointment:

I was still in the hospital when Kelly was meant to go for his appointment. Luckily, Lorna and Andy were able to have Lilie for a few hours so he could still go to it, even though I was in hospital. But I'll let Lilie tell you about that herself.

The lump thing on Kelly's head appears to have been a cyst. A rather large one. It's been sent off for testing, just to make sure it's nothing worse than that, but the doctor is pretty sure it was just a cyst that won't be causing any more issues. Kelly had to have a couple of stitches in his head, which he gets out a week on Monday (September 3rd). If the cyst was anything more than just a cyst, he'll find out during that appointment.

So, we have my second iron transfusion on August 28th, Kelly's stitches coming out on September 3rd, my third shot on September 7th, and me having my blood checked again the following week (exact date not yet arranged).

All this, combined with the issues with the neighbour - who still insists on banging for the least little thing, day or night, and has started being verbally abusive to delivery people too now - means my stress levels are quite high at the moment. That might have been a contributing factor as well, since stress has your blood pumping quickly too. They know at the hospital I'm struggling with my anxiety levels right now, because I had a bad enough anxiety attack while at the hospital that I had a few minutes in a quiet room, and the nurse was worried enough to send a doctor to check on me after a couple of minutes. I might have been OK, but one of the other patients in my room wasn't easy to deal with, and after three nights with almost no sleep, and a couple of days of being poked and prodded by doctors, it all got too much for me.

The anxiety attack had been coming on all night. I'd been trying to keep it from getting bad with trips to the bathroom (where I could get a few moments alone). But it wasn't helping, even though I was able to do that as often as I wanted or needed to, since I'd been placed in a bed where it actually was possible for me to get myself to the bathroom, so I started doing that once the dizziness wasn't quite so bad, and there was less risk of me ending up in a heap on the floor.

At least my asthma is under control right now... That's something.