The Worst Day

When I went to bed last night, I had so many ideas about what I would do today before the conference started this afternoon. I had picked out the cutest cafe for brunch, was going to do a bit of wandering around the trendy area of downtown for some sightseeing and shopping, and had planned on stopping at a cafe to write my slice while sipping on a chai tea latte. What I wasn’t planning on was a trip to the emergency room.

After a rough night’s sleep, I awoke to severe pain in my back and right side near my ribs. Anything other than remaining completely still and breathing shallowly would trigger a sharp pain. Having a cold which requires sniffling and nose blowing made it so much worse. I tried a few things to make it better, such as stretching, taking Tylenol (twice the recommended dose), and wearing my back brace, but it only got worse. When I asked my friend Wayne, who lives here in Adelaide, about where I could see a doctor on a Saturday morning, he suggested I try a telehealth doctor appointment.

The doctor, after listening to my symptoms, urged me to go to the emergency room, as she started listing all the things it could be, many of which led to death. Needless to say, I panicked. Here I am in a foreign country by myself and I have to go to the hospital. After getting off the phone with her, I called Frances. Once she answered, I was hysterically crying, unable to catch my breath or speak. I managed to tell her what was happening, and she helped me figure out what to do.

Having been in hospitals in many different countries, I appreciated that I was in an English-speaking country this time. It made it so much easier to tell them what was going on with me and for me to understand them. I’m very grateful to have had some very caring nurses and doctors who listened and showed empathy. My favorite nurse called me “sweet,” short for sweetheart.

After my traumatizing ordeal of getting my blood drawn (four attempts and many painful pricks resulting in a needle in my wrist), I endured many tests. The worst one was the angiogram, where they injected me with dye through the needle in my wrist. I felt the pressure of the dye as it flowed through my body, producing a warm sensation everywhere. The machine whirled around me as I had to hold my breath. The second test was an ECG (or EKG in the states). Those, in addition to the doctor exam and blood and urine sample tests, completed my analysis.

As I waited for the results, shivering from the cold and trying to stay as still as possible so that I wouldn’t cause any more pain in my back or wrist, I updated my mom and friends via WhatsApp. As much as I hated going through this alone, I know they hated it too. I didn’t want to worry them too much.

The doctor finally came in with the results. Everything was normal. They ruled out fractured ribs, lung issues like blood clots or pneumonia, and a heart condition. All my internal organs are healthy and in good shape. My blood work and urine analysis were both all good too. He gave me a prescription for pain medication, recommended that I use a heating pad and get some rest, and said I could leave. I’m glad they didn’t find anything major but super frustrated that they can’t find out what it is.

The rest of the day’s been exhausting. On top of the constant, acute pain, I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster, crying off and on. I ate my first meal of the day in the hotel restaurant around 5:00pm and took the pain killers, but they made me extremely loopy and I felt like I was drunk or on drugs. I was very dizzy and lightheaded, so I asked the hotel staff to help me to my room, where I am now. I keep dozing off as I write this slice, so I’m gonna go to bed now. I sure do hope I wake up as a very different person tomorrow.