Woke up in agony... advice, please!

[DrVonPatak]

Woke up this morning with my entire back in one big stitch! Literally wanting to scream with every inhale, DH had to go fetch some painkillers before work so I could get to the ensuite loo. Employer very understanding, but I have an unpostponable meeting at 1PM and HAVE TO get myself to work by then. Freaking out slightly... I'm not prone to this at all, I mean I have been known to get a very occasional crook in the neck, but this is madness!!! Completely out of nowhere!

Lovely, just got told off for not allowing myself to be sick... Say what?!?

Apparently I have been brewing this for a while, as my white blood cells are just shy of 30 000. I was feeling a bit tired, but work was crazy, so I thought that was why. Staying in for a couple of days, until I'm allowed on tablet antibiotics as I'm on iv ones atm.

I'm just holding out one last hope that wherever they stick me, it's quiet. Not likely, I know. Drat.

When I get pneumonia, it's always pain that hits me, not cough or fever. The first time I was admitted via resus. Amazing how much those first couple of doses of IV antibiotics helped. You're in the right place. Oh, and if it makes you feel better, one time I finished out a shift with a heart rate of 150 because "I didn't feel that bad"...

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Iv antibiotics are fantastic! They will give the pneumonia the old heave ho.
Make sure you don't rush back to work too soon. I hope they feel like shit that you struggled in with that.

I didn't know so how could they? Normally they are amazing about things like these. I wanted to be there and finish it. I don't blame them.

Maybe a vacation is warranted after this...

Just do as you are told it is not something to mess with. Take the opportunity to slack off from your normal life for a while. Read, watch netflix and sleep, sleep, sleep.

I don't blame them but imagine the brownie points

Good job you went to the walk in! I had it when I was 20, no idea I was so poorly just thought it was a head cold until I passed out and ended up in the HDU on a cpap machine with a view to putting me into an induced coma if my sats didn’t rise. Scariest timed my life no being able to breath thought If I go to sleep I won’t wake up. Hope you’re well soon, the recovery afterwards is brutal as well

Oh my goodness. I hope you feel better soon. I'm so glad you got seen.

That's shocking,OP. Thank goodness you didn't wait for the GP.

Can I just ask about the comments re diazepam and muscle spasm?

It works a miracle on muscle spasm for me and the dose is very low so I don't get other side effects. I'd be gutted if I couldn't get it any more. Is it no longer prescribed for muscle spasm?

OP when I read your first post I thought this is exactly what happened to me and I also had pneumonia but I didn't know and struggled through the day til I ended up in a&e by ambulance that evening. I actually thought it was having a heart attack and dying it was that bad. Look after yourself OP.

Oh and I've also had appendicitis and gall stones!! So I can relate in the same way as you how painful this was. Have a holiday and just let yourself be Ill and heal well before returning to work.

So, I'm finally told they've got a bed for me, 23:15!!! As I'm potentially contagious, I needed a side room. At least it'll be quiet, the current A&E noise level is horrendous. There was a very drunk group of blokes, got pretty nasty by the sound of it.

On the "bright side", the cough is starting... oh joy...

Good news on the bed, OP. Hope you feel much better soon & that having a side room means you can actually get some rest.

ah. OP take care of yourself now. It is not great to be so ill. The cough means the antibiotics are starting to work.

Jesus! That’s not how I thought this thread would go. You poor thing. Thank god you got to a walk in. Take care and I hope you get well and get some rest (although hospitals are shit for sleep, I don’t know people manage it...) If you get bored the Classics board is good for a laugh but I don’t want to induce a coughing fit 😊

I was going to recommend physio and being strapped up! Blimey op, poor you.
Once you’re recovered I think a holiday is definitely in order. Until then, relax and take it easy.

Hope you are feeling a little more comfortable today OP

Coughing my lungs up, to be honest. Although the nurses are amazing. I'm the youngest one on the ward by about 4 decades and my side room is becoming a bit of a nurse's lounge.

Get well soon @DrVonPatak

Are you sure you went to a walk in? These centres don't usually have the facilities to take blood for investigations, or chest x-rays and they do not have consultants on site! Now, urgent care centres and emergency departments on the other hand...

It was a walk in, but after the nurse there took my observation she sent me straight to the A&E. Only the fact that my colleague was still there to give me a lift saved me from an ambulance. Now THAT would have been ridiculous.

Will this cough EVER stop???

Fair enough I missed that you moved to an ED. An ambulance with an oxygen saturation of 87% isn't that ridiculous. I feel your pain, I had pneumonia last November & I have never coughed so much in my life, use pillows to splint as needed, get well soon

Are you doing OK, OP?

Coughing my lungs up, but my oxygen is hovering around 94% when I'm off the nasal prongs, so going in the right direction. Consultant is talking about latent asthma as I'm taking a bit longer than normal to get back to the normal range. This is weird, because I never had those kind of issues. But my bloods are doing good 19000 and falling. I'm bored out of my mind though.

My apologies for the delay in replying, I spent most of the past 24h either coughing or dozing off between coughs.

Look after yourself and sleep