What a day!
Cut for some icky things you didn't want to know about me...
So I've had this UTI for a few days. Those are no fun. But guess how easy it is for a person with no insurance and no money to go somewhere, pee in a cup, and get some antibiotics? Oh that's right it's pretty much impossible. So I was trying to make do with the over the counter stuff and lots of water, and things seemed like they were working themselves out, but... well. It moved up into my kidneys. BOTH of them.
Completely separate note - my lower back. For the past couple months my lower back has been really stiff and sore, and I went to the chiropractor a few times and got adjusted, but it was still really stiff and painful. And I figured THAT would also work itself out after a while, but... well. Here follows the BEST DAY EVER!
I was supposed to work today from 2am-2pm, so I was planning to go to bed around 4 yesterday. That didn't happen. I was sitting on the toilet peeing at around 3, when... I tried to stand up and I couldn't. I couldn't move. I was stuck. My lower back hurt SO BAD when I tried to put any of my own weight on it that I just couldn't move. So I called for Brandon to come help me up, and he did. And he helped me pull my pants back up and flushed for me. And then led me over to my computer chair, where I stared crying. Here I was, completely crippled and kidney infections, no money no insurance, what was I supposed to do? I can't go to the ER, that's WAY too expensive. So I called my daddy. He said, don't worry he'll take care of me. Brandon got me dressed (a lot of work to dress someone when they can't even support their own legs in the air or lift up their bottom to better accommodate pants!), I managed to brush my teeth sitting on the floor and using the toilet, and soon enough my dad got here.
I scooted on my butt down the stairs (why did we have to get a house with stairs?) where Brandon got my boots on me and my purse ready. Then with both of their help, we got me up and to the car. Now keep in mind, I can't support ANY of my own weight. So they can't just lift me up by my arms because my back can't handle any stretching or movement of my spine. I had to kind of move very slowly and in strange ways because only I could feel what was hurting my back. Anyway, my dad drove us down the street (really only like one minute away) to the urgent care, and went inside to get a wheelchair for me.
We rolled on inside, and waited. During the time we were waiting, I went from mild pain in my kidneys and most of the focus on my back, to feeling like I had the flu. I got chills and aches in every muscle and every joint in my body. My head started to hurt. I felt a little nauseous. Finally they called my name and we got into an exam room. This nurse asked me a few questions and took my temperature and my blood pressure. Blood pressure was low-normal but I had a temperature of 99.6. She wheeled my down the hall with Brandon following to help me pee in a special pan that suspended in the toilet (since I couldn't bend over to pee in the cup), he helped me get back into the wheelchair, and we headed back down to the exam room. Where we waited...
And waited...
And waited...
I mean how long does this take? All they have to do is dip a test strip in the pee to see that I have an infection and give me a prescription for antibiotics, right?
Wrong.
The doctor came in finally. He leaned me forward and POUNDED on my kidneys. Which of course HURT, and made me jump, and tweaked my back, so I screamed. I mean, someone comes in and says they have a kidney infection and are suddenly half paralyzed from back pain, you don't come in and bend over behind them IN THEIR WHEELCHAIR and punch them in the kidneys! And then he told me some very very awful bad news. I definitely had an infection, but he needed to do further diagnostics. ON MY BLOOD. Just a prick of the finger right? No no no, we need to use a needle. A big needle, with a big tube. ldkfcnid GAH I can't even think about it. My infection had progressed so far so fast that they needed to see my white blood cell count. Too high, and I'd have to go to the hospital and be on an IV drip antibiotics. For 3-4 days. I finally agreed that one prick was better than 3-4 days of sheer torture.
The nurse who came in to do it was the same poor nurse that we got in the hall to collect my urine out of the toilet pan. I felt so bad for her. I told her I might throw up or pass out or both. She suggested I get up on the table for the passing out bit, and here's a bucket for the throwing up bit. She was on top of it.
She was fast though, too. I have very very small arms and very VERY small veins, but she was quick and I honestly barely felt it. No passing out, no barfing. She went away with me still lying on the table (it took us about 5 minutes for me to get up there, and I decided to just stay for the time being!). Then we waited...
And waited...
And waited...
Finally Dr. Useless came back in with the good news - I was barely okay enough to go with a prescription and not get sent to the hospital. But, what about my back? Well the only thing they can do at the urgent care is take an X-ray, and that won't tell them anything. I'd have to go into the hospital for an MRI, which can cost thousands and thousands of dollars. The only thing I can do is take 800mg of ibuprofen three times a day religiously and that will prevent my sciatica from acting up. Sigh, I'm going to be a cripple for the rest of my life.
So we left with a scrip for cipro. My dad got it filled at Fred Meyer and got us home. Miraculously I could actually walk on my own again. VERY slowly and VERY carefully. But I can walk. I probably won't be skipping or dancing anytime soon.
I still feel like crap, but the cipro is a very good antibiotic that I'm NOT allergic to (unlike every other one out there!). I don't have a fever anymore at least.
So there you have it. The best day ever.
So I've had this UTI for a few days. Those are no fun. But guess how easy it is for a person with no insurance and no money to go somewhere, pee in a cup, and get some antibiotics? Oh that's right it's pretty much impossible. So I was trying to make do with the over the counter stuff and lots of water, and things seemed like they were working themselves out, but... well. It moved up into my kidneys. BOTH of them.
Completely separate note - my lower back. For the past couple months my lower back has been really stiff and sore, and I went to the chiropractor a few times and got adjusted, but it was still really stiff and painful. And I figured THAT would also work itself out after a while, but... well. Here follows the BEST DAY EVER!
I was supposed to work today from 2am-2pm, so I was planning to go to bed around 4 yesterday. That didn't happen. I was sitting on the toilet peeing at around 3, when... I tried to stand up and I couldn't. I couldn't move. I was stuck. My lower back hurt SO BAD when I tried to put any of my own weight on it that I just couldn't move. So I called for Brandon to come help me up, and he did. And he helped me pull my pants back up and flushed for me. And then led me over to my computer chair, where I stared crying. Here I was, completely crippled and kidney infections, no money no insurance, what was I supposed to do? I can't go to the ER, that's WAY too expensive. So I called my daddy. He said, don't worry he'll take care of me. Brandon got me dressed (a lot of work to dress someone when they can't even support their own legs in the air or lift up their bottom to better accommodate pants!), I managed to brush my teeth sitting on the floor and using the toilet, and soon enough my dad got here.
I scooted on my butt down the stairs (why did we have to get a house with stairs?) where Brandon got my boots on me and my purse ready. Then with both of their help, we got me up and to the car. Now keep in mind, I can't support ANY of my own weight. So they can't just lift me up by my arms because my back can't handle any stretching or movement of my spine. I had to kind of move very slowly and in strange ways because only I could feel what was hurting my back. Anyway, my dad drove us down the street (really only like one minute away) to the urgent care, and went inside to get a wheelchair for me.
We rolled on inside, and waited. During the time we were waiting, I went from mild pain in my kidneys and most of the focus on my back, to feeling like I had the flu. I got chills and aches in every muscle and every joint in my body. My head started to hurt. I felt a little nauseous. Finally they called my name and we got into an exam room. This nurse asked me a few questions and took my temperature and my blood pressure. Blood pressure was low-normal but I had a temperature of 99.6. She wheeled my down the hall with Brandon following to help me pee in a special pan that suspended in the toilet (since I couldn't bend over to pee in the cup), he helped me get back into the wheelchair, and we headed back down to the exam room. Where we waited...
And waited...
And waited...
I mean how long does this take? All they have to do is dip a test strip in the pee to see that I have an infection and give me a prescription for antibiotics, right?
Wrong.
The doctor came in finally. He leaned me forward and POUNDED on my kidneys. Which of course HURT, and made me jump, and tweaked my back, so I screamed. I mean, someone comes in and says they have a kidney infection and are suddenly half paralyzed from back pain, you don't come in and bend over behind them IN THEIR WHEELCHAIR and punch them in the kidneys! And then he told me some very very awful bad news. I definitely had an infection, but he needed to do further diagnostics. ON MY BLOOD. Just a prick of the finger right? No no no, we need to use a needle. A big needle, with a big tube. ldkfcnid GAH I can't even think about it. My infection had progressed so far so fast that they needed to see my white blood cell count. Too high, and I'd have to go to the hospital and be on an IV drip antibiotics. For 3-4 days. I finally agreed that one prick was better than 3-4 days of sheer torture.
The nurse who came in to do it was the same poor nurse that we got in the hall to collect my urine out of the toilet pan. I felt so bad for her. I told her I might throw up or pass out or both. She suggested I get up on the table for the passing out bit, and here's a bucket for the throwing up bit. She was on top of it.
She was fast though, too. I have very very small arms and very VERY small veins, but she was quick and I honestly barely felt it. No passing out, no barfing. She went away with me still lying on the table (it took us about 5 minutes for me to get up there, and I decided to just stay for the time being!). Then we waited...
And waited...
And waited...
Finally Dr. Useless came back in with the good news - I was barely okay enough to go with a prescription and not get sent to the hospital. But, what about my back? Well the only thing they can do at the urgent care is take an X-ray, and that won't tell them anything. I'd have to go into the hospital for an MRI, which can cost thousands and thousands of dollars. The only thing I can do is take 800mg of ibuprofen three times a day religiously and that will prevent my sciatica from acting up. Sigh, I'm going to be a cripple for the rest of my life.
So we left with a scrip for cipro. My dad got it filled at Fred Meyer and got us home. Miraculously I could actually walk on my own again. VERY slowly and VERY carefully. But I can walk. I probably won't be skipping or dancing anytime soon.
I still feel like crap, but the cipro is a very good antibiotic that I'm NOT allergic to (unlike every other one out there!). I don't have a fever anymore at least.
So there you have it. The best day ever.