What a Week I'm Having!

UPDATE: 

So, instead of the ultrasound tests, I did what I should have done in the first place:  I went to the ER yesterday morning.  My next door neighbor, an ER nurse, was my triage nurse.  It was wonderful to see a friendly face.  They were having a very busy day at the ER and it took another hour and a half before I got in an exam room, but I expected that. After waiting a while, the doc came to see me; he nixed the ultrasound and ordered a CT scan.  He also disagreed with the Urgent Care doc starting me on antibiotics immediately, saying they complicate the picture.  I had an IV inserted and waited another hour and a half to get the CT, then another 45 minutes after the CT for my diagnosis. Turns out I have an ovarian cyst.  However, the doc also said the antibiotics could have been masking an appendicitis and if I got worse I should come back, so it wasn't 100% that it was the ovarian cyst.  I was given a script for pain meds and released to home with instructions to follow up with OB/GYN for the cyst.  Yay, no appendectomy for me.  So I celebrated at home by having some real food--get this--a small portion of white rice with chicken broth and a few crackers. Woot!  I think the upper stomach discomfort is like bruising on my stomach from being distended and rubbing against my ribs.  Also, I think the antibiotics were bothering my stomach a lot.  Now that those have been discontinued, I can take some ibuprofen for the discomfort and gradually work my way up to a regular diet.  I have a follow up appointment with an OB, and hopefully the cyst I have is one that will go away on its own.  I had polycystic ovaries and pelvic pain when I was 21, which resolved with no treatment. Fingers crossed!  Feeling better today though still a bit weak and woozy if I move around too much.  Tomorrow I'm going back to work, but will drive myself in case I can't last a full day.

FYI NOTE TO SHERRILL:  It seems every time I reply to your comments gets bounced back to me--I even tried leaving a comment on your blog directly and that got bounced back too.  Just wanted to let you know I wasn't bypassing your lovely comments!

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What a week I'm having!--one of my favorite lines from the movie "Splash", uttered by Eugene Levy's character.

I started out last Monday working a partial day so I could drive back to town and have a regular mammogram.  Cross that off the list (it was normal).  Then Tuesday I worked a regular day.  In the afternoon my throat started to get sore and swollen, and when I woke up on Wednesday I was not surprised that it was more sore and accompanied by a pounding headache.  I called in sick.  After some hot tea and Advil it wasn't so bad, so I puttered around finishing up the Christmas decorating in between rests on the couch.

Thursday I woke up early with my throat not feeling any better, but as I walked downstairs to call my manager, I noticed but I had a new problem:  a very distended tummy and pain in my right lower abdomen.  Thinking this might be turning into a stomach flu, I went back to bed.  However, six hours later, the pain was still there, I had fever and chills, and decided I'd better see my family doctor.  He was not in, naturally, so I ended up at Urgent Care.  The doc was very nice and she did some palpation tests that didn't entirely rule out appendicitis, but said it might be diverticulitis except my pain was on the opposite side of normal.  Great!  I was advised a liquid diet/bland foods and placed on precautionary antibiotics.  The doc ordered ultrasounds of my pelvis and abdomen.  However, by late Thursday afternoon I couldn't get scheduled in anywhere until Monday, despite calling three different facilities. 

So this was my view most of the day on Friday:

At least I got to use my new quilt first! 

Saturday I felt a bit better and by the afternoon was able to be upright for longer, even getting some sewing done.  Moving around and bending forward made the pain worse, but I could stand and iron for short periods.

 A whole pile of flying geese for my grandson's quilt.

 Love the fishes.  

And the raccoons. All the geese that had been cut got sewn.   My grandson is due in 10 weeks, my daughter texted me yesterday, so I gotta get moving.  

However, today I felt awful and had a new pain, high in my stomach under my ribs.  A full day on the couch and only managed to take my pills and eat one Popsicle.  I haven't had very much food since Thursday and am beginning to get a bit unsteady on my feet.  I had hopes that after tomorrow's tests I could go to work but I don't think that's going to be possible.  My DH waits on me hand and foot but hates it that he cannot help me feel better.

Of course all of this is happening during a holiday season in which I have only managed to get the house decorated and buy a few gifts.  No cards have been sent and certainly no holiday baking has been done.  I hope this all goes away soon so I can enjoy the rest of the holidays and even eat some Christmas dinner.  Wish me luck!