Really not feeling well...

The following morning awoke with a debilitating headache and felt incredibly nauseous. I forced myself to do my laundry as was hoping to spend a few days with my parents before the tests. Whilst watering my vegetable garden I was engaging in neck exercises which only seemed to make my headache worse. I swallowed some painkillers and anti-nausea tablets, and then tried to do some ironing whilst watching tv. I contacted my folks and my Dad kindly agreed to come and collect me and take me back to the Camp. However, suddenly I felt very weak and unwell so went to lie down. Moments later I began to  vomit and vomited about 4 or 5 times. I then texted my Dad and told him I was too unwell to go to Camp so not to worry about coming to collect me.

It was a long day. Any efforts to try and sip fluids resulted in the fluids being brought back up, making me quite dehydrated and weak. In the afternoon I felt like I had a fever so took my temperature. It was a low grade fever of 37.6C. Unsure what to do I texted Dr Kennedy whom stated to come in to the clinic. I was about to call a taxi when his nurse called me and told me that the clinic was understaffed and would be closed that afternoon so advised me to go to emergency.

I went outside to get some clothes off the line to take with me to hospital and the hot humid weather knocked me for six. Knowing that there would be a long wait in emergency to see a Dr and there would be no fans there, I decided to go back inside and lie down in front of the cool fan and wait until the evening until calling for an ambulance. My friend’s Mum Jan, came by to visit and very kindly put fresh sheets on the bed and helped me pack a bag for hospital.

Around 6:20pm I called the ambulance and one finally arrived around 7:15pm. When the paramedic learnt I was a RN he got me to do a check of the IV Zofran (strong anti-nausea medication) before he administered it. I laughed and said “what, are you putting me to work?!” and he replied “no free rides here” Once at emergency I was checked in and a young nurse probably in his early 20’s examined me and then consulted with a Dr. Upon his return he asked how I felt about PR Panadol!! I looked at him in disgust and he said “oh but you are feeling so nauseous and are in pain-this might make you feel more comfortable” Hmmmm, somehow the thought of a 20 yr old male inserting a suppository did not enter my mind as making Cheryl feel comfortable!!

So the offer of PR Panadol was politely but firmly declined and I was then given more IV Zofran and some Fentanyl for pain relief. That combination was working beautifully until a patient appeared in the corridor just outside my cubicle bay, yelling obscenities at the mass of security guards surrounding him. His voice kept escalating and he would not be subdued, along with my headache.

A nurse pulled my curtain across doing little to keep the noise away from me and also putting me out of the nurse’s vision. I was going out of my mind and couldn’t find the nurse call bell. It of course hung up far behind my hospital bed out of my reach as it always seems to be when I go to emergency. Luckily being a nurse I knew that there should be a call bell somewhere so after having to clamour in and out of bed I clutched it and pressed and waited and waited. In the meantime another mentally challenged patient decided to try and make a run for it and had the security staff yelling at her and her yelling back in retaliation. It was the final straw so I was in the process of taking my IV bag off the IV pole and going to try and find the quietest corner I could, when a Dr entered the room.

She ordered more Fentanyl and explained that the Psychiatric Evaluation Unit was full hence the patients in the corridor kicking up a riot. She then proceeded to ask me a zillion questions and my head was pounding! She apologised for asking so many questions stating that my hospital notes had been misplaced so she had no information about me. It took a long time after her consult to get admitted. Finally at 2am I was taken to the turnover bay which was like a tranquil oasis. The nurses were lovely, making me a cup of tea and showed me how to work the free tv. It was even a flat screen plasma model!! Was impressed! Finally some peace after a long, exhausting day!