I have been sick. For. A. Long. Time.
It all started at the end of June with a nagging cough. At the end of July I saw a doctor since I had been coughing for almost a month. He gave me a brief exam, a chest x ray, a nebulizing treatment, some basic antibiotics, and sent me on my way with a "I hope you feel better" And this was a Respiratory Therapist. Over the next few weeks, my cough morphed into a sinus infection and back into a cough.
About three and a half weeks ago I started to feel a lot of pain in my back, around where my kidney is. I also started a fever. My cough was still alive and well. Not thinking the two were related (I just assumed the cough is due to the long term exposure to the "wonderful" Bandung air) I went to the doctor with what I guessed was a kidney infection. She took some blood, asked some questions, gave me a very brief exam that did not involve any stethoscopes, thew a lot of meds at me, and sent me on my way. I started on round two of amoxicillin, but chose not to take the other meds since they were for symptoms I was not having.
Three weeks later, the fever was still there. I really didn't know what to do. Medical care here is not the easiest thing. First, you have to find someone competent. Second, you have to find someone that speaks good English (since I am not fluent in the local language). Third, you have to find someone that will actually listen to you. Apparently all three of these things were lacking in the previous two doctors I visited.
So there I was, very sick with fevers ranging from 100.5- 105, no idea who to see or what to do. It was a week long holiday here and most people that I would normally ask for advice were out of town. I was starting to get worried since three months of a cough + three weeks of fever + living in a third world country could easily = Tuberculosis. After consulting with a few people, they agreed that that was step number one. I needed to rule out TB and then find out what IS causing the problem.
I went in for a bunch lab work on Monday night (still sick of course) and then I waited. By Tuesday afternoon I was pretty sure it was NOT TB since I had no reaction. I arranged to meet with the Physician's Assistant at our school today (Thursday.) I was instructed to pick up my labs before I came.
The xray work up stated that I had an "infiltrate infection in the lung base." After looking at the blood work, the PA said it was clear that I had atypical pneumonia. After listening to my chest and back, she said it was obvious. So that "kidney" pain I was having was just a "big 'ol hunk of junk." A competent doctor would have noticed that.
The sad thing is that I have been sick for so long that my body stopped trying to fight it off. Three weeks ago when I had blood work done, my white blood cell count was at the very high tip of normal (showing that it was working to get rid of something). My white blood cell count from just a few days ago showed that my count had plummeted to well below normal -- my body just gave up (probably why the fever has been here for 20some days and it has been 8 days since I have been below 99).
So here I am, armed with some powerful antibiotics, an inhaler, and some other pills that are supposed to help with this gunk I have to get out of my system. My PA says I will feel a lot better in 24-48 hours. I can't even imagine what that will feel like. To NOT have a fever. To NOT have a cough. To NOT wonder how I am going to make it through another day. I can't wait.
She did say there is a chance that because I have been sick for so long that these meds won't get it all, but I am hopeful. She also told me I need to rest from today through Sunday. To which I replied, "I will start resting tomorrow. Too busy today!"
This is my life, I will embrace it.
