77. Ambulance Ride #3

Things you don’t want someone to say to you - 

“38.2°C fever, you are definitely fighting something”

“you’ve got covid”

“You have a UTI”

“I’ve hit a valve, I’ll have to put in another cannula so we don’t blow a vein”

“You’ve got blood on your shirt”

“You have a bolt in your front right tyre”

All of these charming sentences have been said to me in the last few days and week. The start of this I am pretty sure was Tuesday 16th when I went to get an ultrasound on my chest wall to prepare for my 6 month check up with my breast surgeon. The waiting room was packed and they were running 45 mins late. I should’ve had a mask with me but I didn’t. I had heard a few small coughs and sniffles in the room. It was stuffy. 

The ultrasound itself was usual. Lots and lots of gel slathered on my chest and under my arms and the technician smearing it around looking at my insides. She asked me did I know I had fluid buildup on the right. I said I did know and I think it’s smaller than it was 6 months ago. I also mentioned that when I am driving and go around bumpy corners I can feel it slosh side to side inside. It’s a rather strange feeling.  She agreed that would be strange. There is a little tiny round pocket of fluid on the left. She measured both sides of fluid.

We had a discussion about my diagnosis and what’s happened since. She was concerned that they had missed the lymph nodes on the first ultrasound and I told her that the breast surgeon didn’t think so, the cancer was very invasive and quick. I asked if a 15mm tumour could’ve been missed and she said highly unlikely. She looked up who had done it and said that lady was super thorough, especially with a mammogram showing a lump. 

She took all the pictures she needed to take, all the measurements she needed too. She said the final report would be ready for my visit to the breast surgeon next week but she couldn’t see anything obvious or sinister. 

On Wednesday night I didn’t have a very good nights sleep. Joint pain and aching. I had run out of the Boswellia complex I had been taking for my osteoarthritis pain and had ordered a new bottle to pick up on Thursday. I was going to be down looking after Aneira and Zaeli so that is close to Jon Gamble’s clinic. They weren’t open but the bottle was out in their pick up box. 

I hung out at Dylan’s with the girls. We had a swim and some lunch. They had specifically gotten me an apricot at the fruit market knowing it is my favourite fruit. Even though I had heard they might not be good food for people with breast cancer as they can promote oestrogen (still researching those claims) I ate it as the girls were very crestfallen when I told them that apricots might not be good for me. One apricot won’t be a massive issue and it was yummy!!

I took the girls with me to get the boswellia complex on the way to their house. Aneira put the code in the pick up box and Zaeli freaked out a bit as she has stood near an ants nest and they were swarming her feet. Bottle collected, ant attack averted and back in the car to take them home. By this time I was really starting to feel quite tired and lethargic. It was hot and humid and I hadn’t had a good nights sleep. 

After hanging with the girls & Shell a bit longer I went and met a friend for a walk along the beach. Ros texted to say she’d picked up the conjunctivitis that’s been going around and did I still want to do the walk. I said if she was still up for it then no hugs or close contact and I’d be ok for a short one. It turned into a nice walk even in the heat. There was enough breeze and the ocean water on the feet was cooling. I had an invite to check out a new fish and chips shop at Coledale for dinner but by this time I really needed to go home and sleep. I did and was in bed by 8pm and had an ok night with minimal times I woke up. 

Friday I felt ok after getting up around 11am. I did my exercise class instead of Saturday morning as Lewis is away next week. I had good energy and felt really good after. Later that afternoon I started to feel a sore spot on the outside of my right calf. It was a bit lumpy and hot. On Wednesday I had found a weird lump near my right shoulder blade as well. That was sore and hot too. 

I’ve been on alert for side effects for the Abemaciclib tablets and lower leg pain, hot, red, swelling is all part of it. By Saturday morning there was a golf ball sized lump and I had a bit of a headache. The whole family was meeting at Audley cafe for Rach’s birthday party. I really didn’t feel like eating but that isn’t unusual these days so I ordered a small bacon and eggs with avocado, no toast. I ended up leaving half the bacon as I was feeling a bit nauseous. Suddenly I got really hot and my headache got excruciating.  I also had a pain shoot across my right side chest. I needed to pee so went to the toilet and after took my temperature.  It was 37.9°. That’s very high for me. I was worried about blood clots. Luckily Shell was also in the toilets and when I sat down and started crying and showing her my temperature and told her about the headache she asked what I felt like I wanted to do.  To be on the safe side I decided that an ambulance would be best.  Especially seeing as 38° fever and above is a warning sign for my red card.  My head felt like it was going to split in half and that someone was standing over me with a heater.  My face was burning.  I did manage to walk a bit outside of the toilets to some steps nearby while Shell called the ambulance.  I do remember that Zaeli was looking a bit scared so I asked her for a hug.  I’m not sure how long they took to get there, maybe less than half an hour but a few minutes before I had to lie down as I was getting dizzy.  

When the ambulance got there half of the family group was also waiting with me.  38.2°C.  I did manage to get up and walk the few steps to the bed and get on it ok.  I was strapped in. I look at the footpath at all the little nieces and nephews waving as I was pushed up into the ambulance.  A bit different from my other two ambulance trips where it was dark and middle of the night pick ups.  Mither came with me.  I was given two panadol.  I was also getting chills and asked for a blanket. I wasn’t allowed one cos of my fever but the ambo asked the guy driving to turn the air con down a bit.  Considering I usually like air con on the ‘arctic settings’ it was another indication that I was unwell.  

I didn’t have to wait too long to get a bed.  Cannula in, the usual place just inside my elbow.  Blood taken. Urine test.  Covid RAT.  Questions asked about what had happened when and how I was feeling.  38.1° now.  BP 140/89. Mither is allowed to come back from the waiting room again.  She’s messaging the family, all of whom had gone back to our place.  After about 15 minutes Mither checks the RAT and says that it’s only got one line.  “At least I don’t have covid” I say.  However, when the nurse come and checks he says “You’ve got covid.”  He shows me the test and there is a very faint 2nd line way up the top.  That probably explains the tiredness, aching and then the fever and headache escalation.  It wasn’t too long until I saw a doctor.  He was very thorough asking questions and said that the strip test was negative for a UTI but the lab test was showing positive.  I didn’t have any symptoms but there is such a thing as a silent UTI.  So, covid and a UTI, plus my lymphocytes were down to 0.13.  The doctor said with my cancer, surgeries, and medications he thinks I would be eligible for anti virals for covid but he would have to check with the big boss of the emergency department. No wonder things got crazy pretty quickly.  I was given neurofen as well and after a couple of hours my temperature was down to acceptable levels and my blood pressure was down too.  

Seeing as my temperature was down my headache was much muted and I was starting to feel a bit better.  The doctor wasn’t too sure about the leg lump or the back lump and referred those up the chain too.  The second doctor did come and he didn’t seem too concerned about the lumps.  The one on the leg wasn’t very big anymore but it was still hot and sore.  I wondered if they were related to covid, lymph nodes maybe?  Rachel drops off some stuff for me, phone charger, medications, contact solution and contacts holder, toothbrush and toothpaste.  Just in case I was doing to stay overnight.  She takes Mither home.  

I get the ok for anti virals but I’m not allowed to take the abemaciclib medications while on it as they could mix badly according to the oncology consult.  I’m glad that they actually consulted the oncology department this time, unlike my first hospital visit.  I was given a chest x-ray as well, all clear, and they put all the heart monitor stickers and leads on me, ok too but with a few slight blips.  I’ve been having a few more heart palpitations and some dizziness again in the last week again.  Probably because my body is under stress being sick. 

I’m given the ok to go home.  I’m to make a GP appointment for 3-5 days to check the final blood and urine results and how I’m going.  Just to make sure that the antibiotics are ok for the UTI and that the UTI isn’t a resistant strain.  I look online and my usual GP isn’t available for 11 days but the other GP in the practice has some on Wednesday. I make an appointment for 11.15am.  I get my paperwork, medication scripts for anti virals and antibiotics (for UTI) and Rachel comes collects me.  We stop at the late night pharmacy on the way home as it is now around 7.30pm.  I’m pretty tired but I want to have a shower to wash off the hospital.  I take the first of the anti virals and antibiotics and am in bed by 8.30pm and asleep not long afterwards.