That was a week that was!!!

Well what a week.
About this time last week it all kicked off. here is my log of what happened.

I checked in to the Hotel about 8PM changed and went down to the Restaurant. But I didn't just feel tired I felt a bit under the weather. Tender skin, Swollen Glands and hint of Headache. I eat my meal and went to bed to sleep it off. However, I couldn't get to sleep. By 4AM I started to think may be I'll just call the customer and drive home. I don't think I slept at all. Anyway I didn't phone in I tried to carry on as normal. But I told the customer I had a Bad Night and I felt unwell. Adding If I'm not feeling better by Lunch I'm going to head home So that I can miss all the Traffic and get back in a reasonable time.

As it happened they had Major issues with one of the systems (Not one I was to work on) and he could not really give me any time anyway. so I tidied up the work from the day before and set off home.

Got home a 3PM and went to bed feeling like I had a cold (Bocked nose etc). When the other half returned home she made me some soup. That perked me up a bit and felt I could at least put the Bins out for collection.

I woke Thursday morning to find I had Bags under my eyes. (Big ones as well. I could actually see them without a mirror as they blocked some of my vision.) I managed to clear my right nostril and that seemed to allow my right cheek to go down. But I still felt really bad. I stayed in bed and phoned in
sick. At lunch time TOH returned home and the swelling was back and also looked inflamed. So we tried to call out the Doctor. They said
the best/fastest way to see the Doc is to go to the Surgery at 16:40. So that's what we did.

When I walked in his face was a "picture" apparently. I couldn't really see as I didn't bother with Specs. His immediate diagnosis was straight
to hospital for IV antibiotics to treat "Cellulitis" and explained it was serious since it was on the face. He asked us to wait in the Waiting area while he arranged things with the Hospital. I said I'd rather wait at home as it would be more comfortable. He reiterated it was serious and I had to get to Hospital ASAP. Explaining that the swelling could well be inside my head too and that there was on a small gap around the brain. I'm not sure if he was saying it was Life threatening or Brain Damage threatening.

Anyway ten minutes later I'm in A&E and have to wait in line for nearly 20 minutes to register but then only a short wait for a doctor. They start taking Blood samples Nasal Swabs and put a Cannula in to my arm. Next they've pumping Antibiotics in followed by a Saline drip. Plus I was given some pain killers Blood Pressure was good Pulse O.K but temp 39.5C. Initial Blood test showed a high White Cell count.

By 20:00 I was on the Ward and being seen by the Consultant. He drew on my face so they could track the progress of the infection and see if it
was increasing of decreasing. My temperature was dropping. and was close to normal by midnight. They woke me at 04:00 to pump Antibiotics and pain killers into me. This was to become a six hourly way of life for me.

The following morning (Friday) I woke to be prodded and poked again. I was even worse. A new set of lines were drawn. Though I felt better, pain
killers are good for that. I saw the Senior Consultant who wanted swabs from my eye. He asked asked if he could take a photo for some lectures
to GPs. He also recommended switching to some other High strength Antibiotics Later that morning they could see I was drinking plenty and eating so took me of the drip. By 16:00 the new Antibiotics were being pumped in. But I was running out of Pain Killers. So by 22:00 my temp was going up and had reached 39 again and by know I looked absolutely ghastly almost unrecognizable. They took more blood and the Doctor increase the amount
of pain killers I could take.

When Saturday morning came I felt that things had gone down. But when Iooked in the Mirror any reduction in area was minimal I still looked like I'd done 50 rounds with any boxer you care to name and not been defending myself. All of the imflamation was Bright Red. But it did feel better so it was sought of a step in the right direction.

When the Doctor saw me he said it would be Monday before they would think of letting me home. By the afternoon things were better and
the Nurses were saying they could see I'd improved over the course of the shift. Each time I went to the Bathroom I could see it was less inflamed and the swelling going down. In fact the rate of improvement was increasing or so it seemed. The only thing now was the skin was dieing in places and so starting to flake off in quite large chunks. They gave me a cream to help relive the itching and the dryness.

Sunday morning I woke and I could sort of make out my face again. When the Doctor came he said I could go home if I wanted. But I'd only been
on the high power new Antibiotic for 24 hours and it really needs 48 hours so I elected to stay. Beside I would have to go 24 hours with
no antibiotics at all. So it was really a no brainer. I was no longer in pain so elected to not take the pain killers.

By Sunday Evening I felt well on the road to recovery. Even if I still looked like a bag of sh*t that had gone off.

So Monday morning came. The Doctor confirmed I could go. They would be giving me a course of Antibiotics to take and also prescribed some
antibiotic ointment to use on the dry skin just to make sure.

I asked how I might have caught the infection. Only to be told it was "Bad Luck.".

So here I am none the worse really apart from some slight aches from the sites of the Cannulas and of course the itches and redness on parts of
my face. I sure don't want any more Bad Luck like that for a few years.

T