Day 6 on the Roller Coaster.... Still in the Hospital

Yes, I was admitted FIVE DAYS AGO and I'm still here.  The outside world must think I have some sort of horrible medical issue for them to be keeping me here this long.  But then when friends visit and see how healthy I really am, we brainstorm ideas of how to sneak me out because I look like the healthiest patient here!

Wednesday started as a bit of a crabby day... I blame it on the rainy weather.  I was still having regular fevers.  They are caused from the infection that has yet to be diagnosed.  I can feel the fevers start out before the thermometer even registers it.  The headache and chills begin, and then I am uncomfortably warm until the Tylenol kicks in.  I try to catch it sooner than later, because it grows fast and the intensity of the pain from headache is nothing I want to mess around with!

The two doctors who have been working with me since Monday finally decided to agree to disagree.  Since NO ONE can figure out what is wrong with me and causing these fevers, and they both have different ideas about what the issue is, they decided to bring in infectious disease doctors for Thursday.  From about 4-7pm on Wednesday they finally had a plan of a new med that I was going to take home with me (involving a picc line - a temporary iv - and 30 minutes of a fluid antibiotic twice a day for 2-3 weeks at home... UMM, no thank you) and made discharge orders for Thursday afternoon.  Well they changed their minds 2 more times with 2 more drugs that evening and I ended up going to bed with no drugs to treat the infection... just Tylenol for my fevers. 


Thursday I woke up discovering that discharge orders had been pushed back to Saturday.  SATURDAY?!?!  Seriously, let's just change my mailing address to Barnes Hospital.  But, I also understood their reasoning considering the night I just had.  It was the worst one yet.  I had a fever come on about 8pm Wed, took some Tylenol, and fell asleep just after nine.  But I woke up at 11 with the chills and it even higher.  Strange, it never broke.  The nurse gave me more meds and I was back to sleep.  But back up a 3am in significant amount of pain.  My fever had skyrocketed to its highest degree yet.  Uh oh, docs are not going to be happy with this news in the morning.  I woke up again at 6am to FINALLY sweating it out.  It took 10 hours for it to break.  I felt like we were moving backwards.  I'm never getting out of this place!


The rest of Thursday wasn't bad.... same 'ol, same 'ol.  Fevers come, fevers go.  I met my infectious disease docs and they asked me a million crazy questions (they were very interested in my vacation to San Diego 3 years ago... ummmmmm, WHY?).  They were in agreence with the other docs that I have some sort of viral pneumonia turned bronchitis.  They suggested a med for Thursday evening and while Maaria and I enjoyed an evening of girl talk and walks (feels good to stretch my legs!) I let the new drug work it's magic.  

I went to bed last night without another fever (this is not typical, my roller coaster was not on schedule anymore).  And I woke up this morning with only a low grade fever!  WOO HOO!!  Something is actually working!!  So hopefully we stay on this path and tomorrow is the golden day!!


SIDE NOTE:  While I was rereading this before I post it one of my docs walked in.... and I might have just squealed at with all my might at him.... oops!  At least he laughed!  He was very happy to hear I made it through the night without a high fever and associates that with the new meds.  He's going to try to move up my next dose to early afternoon (I'm not suppose to get it again until evening) and if I keep my fevers under control then he has no worries sending me home today!  EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I currently have JaRule circa 2001 playing on Pandora and I am having my own personal dance party in my hospital room.  WOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I'M GOING HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!