Saturday, March 08, 2008
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Surviving Dengue
Currently Watching
Paris Lover (Korean TV Drama DVD W/ Eng Subtitle)
see relatedFirst, let's have some activities for our fingers. Do some clicks for reference: here for Typhoid and here for Dengue.
It's sad to know that in the Philippines, there's about 1500 people hit by Typhoid Fever. It's been declared as an outbreak already and health officials are rushing for the cure. Otherwise, this will result to death. What''s its connection with dengue? Well, little did we know that Typhoid Fever, commonly known as "Typhus" is the initial stage of a deadlier disease called Dengue. How did I know? I was once a victim. It has taken Asia by storm as I've read in other related news. I never thought I'd be a victim.
It was last year, December 10, 2007 when I thought I could happily celebrate my birthday. I was wrong. I spent the day lying on bed instead due to high fever and body pains. This day started it all. Join me as I recount my December 2007 days ... short notes for easy reading!
- December 6 (Thurs) - my period stopped finally! No more tummy pains woohoo!
- December 8 (Sat) - noticed a big, red boil on my thighs. I ignored. Looks like a normal mosquito bite (they love to bite me, ei? coz of my fair skin?)
- December 10 (Mon) - Fever at 40. Took Tempra Forte tablet for headache and fever. Fever cooled down. But too late ... my birthday passed and I cannot recall who greeted me. I was in deep hallucination ...
- December 11 (Tue) - Fever gone. I went to work thinking I was ok. Middle of the day, I started having headaches. No medicines. I decided to complete my shift. I went home and took Tempra forte again, thinking it's just a relapse. I slept without fever but my head was spinning.
- December 12 (Wed) - Thought I was fine. Went to work though my head aches a lot ... crazy! I still had this belief that a paracetamol could cure me so I took another one. The medicine made me sleepy. I wasn't able to work my full shift.
- December 13 (Thurs) - Fever at 40. Had abdominal pains. Felt like dysmenorrhea. Felt like I had LBM. Felt like I have ulcer. Can't describe it best. Take note, these were coupled with headache ... so severe that I felt like my skull's gonna explode into pieces. Can't even stand. I was literally falling back down when I tried to stand or walk. And there I go again ... took paracetamol for cure.
- December 14 (Fri) - Fever still at 40. Not much headache. I went straight to Chinese General Hospital for checkup. Doc said I looked anemic. Doc squeezed my amrs and he was leaving marks ... Doc said possible dengue. To be sure, I had CBC with Platelet Count. I was told that my platelet count should reach 350+ to be considered normal. Otherwise, it's a dengue scare ... That afternoon, I had to return to the hospital and get my results ... wasn't able to due to recurring headache. Mom got my results. My count? 251. Doc said continue paracetamol and return should I get lower than 350 count.
- December 15 (Sat) - I returned to the hospital. Went to the same doc ... fever at 40. Doc feared ... uh ... I feared. Didn't know why he was so scared that he had me get another blood test run. My platelet count this time? 201. This day, I felt like vomitting. I told the doc ... he said I might be pregrant. Whoooaaaa! How can that be? Immaculate Concepcion part 2? Oh well ... he told me to go home and observe another day. I was able to get up so he said it's a good sign.
- December 16 (Sun) - Fever at 38. Coupled with severe headaches again. Abdominal pains present (remember ... I can't describe it best lah) Still felt like vomitting. I had rashes which looked like mini-mosquito bites all over my thighs and arms. Rounded red spots ... as if I had chicken pox! They weren't itchy. I thought I was ok. Tried to stand up ... I fell down ... felt so heavy inside. Mom rushed me to ER at CGH. Nurses gave me Aenil (Uh ... nurses help me ... did I say it right? That injectable paracetamol w/c makes you ache like hell?) Nurses took my platelet count. Wanna know the count today? 176. I got admitted ... A series of unfortunate events ... nurses can't find a vein ... the IV was hard-headed hehe. My veins were hiding.
- December 17 (Mon) - Boring hospital. Same symptoms. Same injections. Fever back-and-forth. Couldn't eat. Gah! Still felt like I'm gonna throw up. Platelet today? 160. Fever playing at aroun 38 to 40. I'm so thankful that I have a private nurse. No other than my younger sister who is, well, a nurse!
- December 18 (Tue) - Platelet count? Borderlined 150 ... a real dengue sign. Rashes, ab pains, etc. were the same. This day, the pains were worse. Then, my period started again. Uh oh ... I thought it ended! I really felt like it's the end of the world this day. Everything was ... well, worse to worst! Ever felt near-death-experience? I think this was my experience! Thought I was about to say goodbye ... dreamt about my dead relatives too ... all on the same day? Too cruel! Doc referred to another doc ... this time in the Infectious Disease section. Lah! I felt I was contagious! Worst? The lady on the other bed, who has breast cancer passed away! Creepy! I was scared ... too scared and felt it was a sign ... Plus, I saw blood rushing on my IV ... oh no I pulled it! IV disconnected! Bad! Bad Chai!
- December 19 (Wed) - I was just waiting for a miracle! Platelet still the same at 150. Same symptoms. Visitors dropped by. I felt I was loved. With that, and my family members caring for me, I felt I had to fight to live. Doc finally gave me findings. Said it wasn't dengue but typhoid fever. Plus, according to some tests they kept on running, all other disease wants to be positive on me! Whoooaaa! He said my body was just resisting them, probably due to the vitamins I was taking. Today, I was given other medications like antibiotics and other paracetamol. Doc said I was still in danger coz my platelet count hasn't gone up. Plus, having my period again is a sign of internal bleeding ... a more dangerous form of dengue (remember fever vs. hemorrhagic one from the links I gave?) Nurses couldn't find a vein ...
- December 20 (Thurs) - Fever going back-and-forth. Pains sometime disappear but recurs in a few ... I felt it was like a miracle! Platelet? 151! Cool! It increased by 1! My prayers were so hard plus inside, I was fighting to survive ... Good news! Bleeding stopped! Finally, a nurse who's so lucky found a vein and the dextrose and I were joined again! LOL!
- December 21 (Fri) - I was finally able to get up. Symptoms come and go. This day, I finally tasted food again! Solid food! Yum! I drank a lot of Gatorade and fruit juices. Yay! I was gluttonous I guess! Imagine ... you were unable to eat for 10 days?
- December 22 (Sat) - Rashes went away. Fever went away. Bleeding gone. Ab pains persistent but normal cramps alone. Platelet count? 286! That went up in a flash, ei? Doc for Infectious Disease was so happy and excited that she signed my forms for release immediately without getting back to me! Lah!
- December 23 (Sun) - My company's Christmas party. Finally got released! Felt like I'm human again! Still weak but at least, I could eat and stand up and walk, ei?
- December 24 (Mon) - Bed rest. Medications continued.
- December 25 (Tue) - Christmas day without fever! I am so grateful.
- January 3, 2008 - End of bed rest!
I can never forget how my December 2007 went. Lucky me, I'm still alive and able to post here on Xanga. Hehe!
Morale of the story? Don't take fever for granted. Paracetamol won't cure it. Seek a professional's opinion for proper cure. Don't wear clothes that reveal your skin at day (uh ... does this count as a tip?) so the dengue-carrying mosquitos can't make you their next victim. Remember? They are day-biting! It may start as typhus but it might be dengue so again, ge t a doctor, will ya? And while there are no reported casualties yet in the current outbreak here in the Philippines, I just pray that the victims will get the soonest possible cure. I feel for them ... I felt the same symptoms (well yeah, they have the same symptoms, almost everything is the same except for the bleeding part I guess!) Hope we won't run out of medications for them. I was lucky coz I survived it but a lot have died coz of it. I remember just last January, my colleague's 9-year-old daughter died coz of the same sickness. 2 days she had high fever. Next thing the parents know, the kid's nose was bleeding. Even before blood transfusion, the kid died ... I am so sad just by recalling this ...
PS:
My post was an instant fame. Thanks for all the feedback! People asked and/or mentioned there were no fakers here in Xanga yet. Uh ... I was befriended by one. Hmmm ... lookey! Who's wo? Alona or Ashley? Uh ... Ashley 2?Click their links and let me know. It's pretty obvious though! And yeah, I still haven't gotten over my work load. Office life ... lah! And to all my friends here ... I'll visit your pages and read 'em ... in the days to come okay? Muah!
And yeah, if you want to get into this contest, let me know. It's kinda fun. I'll send you an invite. Clickey: http://chai.howfamous.com okies?
Chai
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Comments (19)
wow, sounds pretty crazy.
What an interesting post. I've only been seriously ill once, and doctors never actually figured out what the problem was - though for a while they thought it was gloccocal meningitis, and I was finally diagnosed with something called reactive airway disease and given an inhaler - which turned out to be totally unnecessary and inaccurate. Finally they gave me a strong anti-biotic and a steroid and after a week or so I was able to get up and around again. I'll never know what I had, but hopefully it's not important.
-ND
I am sooo glad that you are ok! That sounds like a terrible disease (we rarely have any typhoid cases in the States, and I never even heard of Dengue until I read this). I agree with you on not delaying to get medical attention when you are really sick. For someone training to be a nurse, I am actually very anti-medications/doctors. I think a lot of people overreact to the little stuff, and the doctors just give people antibitoics when they are not needed (hence the huge problem with antibiotic resistant bacteria over here in the States). It's all about knowing when it is serious and you need to get help. I think that training to be a nurse has helped a lot, b/c I have a better understanding on when I should get medical attention (or I should tell others to do so, or when I have children, I will know when they need help). I am glad that you realized that you were sick and that you got the help you needed! I remember when I was little, I got bacterial pnemonia. I went to the doctors and they said I had a cold. The next morning I woke up with a fever of 104 (40), they then ran a bunch of tests and figured out what it was. I was down for 2 months! It was awful. Are you watching Lovers in Paris? I LOVE that drama. I hope you have been well, and sorry for this super long comment!!!
wow i had a similua thing when i was like in the 5th grade. we got this new kitten and she turned out to have a diesease that was called Pittarious Rosia. its like the chicken pox n i had to be put under quarintine cause it was so bad they didnt know what it was till i started having seziures. we had to get the whole house cleaned and put our kitten to sleep. So yeah i couldnt eat fo like a month due to that my throat swelled up as well they had to feed me through a tube I feel 4 ya.
Dear Chai,
great page and thanks.
ryc: surely will do so and have a wonderful week
K.
i took mine for granted, but at the same time i am happy to hea hat you are ok , and thanks for words, i appreciate it . i will be looking to hear from you. take care.jose oliva and a nice dinner. thanks
C iao, sono/Je suis martino digesu, un Cinese che abito in Hongkong, Cina. Sono un voluntario per i andicappati. Possiamo essere amicizie? Dio ti ama immensamente. Auguri. my blog is網誌是http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/mar-gesu，謝謝你，願主的平安及祝福常與你同在。耶穌基督無限的愛你，祂為你我的罪惡而釘死在十字架上贖罪，來訪認識祂吧。God loves you so much that He dies for you. Trust Him.
I've never been in deep hallucination... aww...
But anyhow, the second time you get featured is when you actually make it. For some reason, people who get featured for the first time rarely make it past 100 comments. People can be so snooty sometimes...
Thanks for the mini! ^_^
Meds usually take care of the symptoms, not the actual sickness, since fever is a good indication of an onset of something more sinister than what you think, it's always a good call to seek help. And I'm glad we have vaccine for Typhoid, one less illness to worry about...
And oh fishing for veins is great. I usually use a local anesthetic to prep for it though. I gave my friend an IV in his vein right over his knuckles. 2 minutes of fun.
omg that sounds soo freaky, im glad ur okay now =]
haha ive been crazy sick like that before. sometimes i question my health and its ability to maintain a strong immune system to fight back illnesses. lets not forget to mention how disturbing being sick for a longgg time can be. hate it so much. but u survived. hooray!
p.s. lovers in paris < wonderful
btw, yes...it was one of the biggest hugs ever that ive received. isnt technically the "biggest" one. but its a hug that meant the most to me at the moment. we're supposed to see each other at the banquet this saturday but im extremely anxious. exciting no?
hey, atleast you're ok now.:) you should consider yourself one lucky person, kasi dengue's very dangerous disease because of it's fast penetration. buti na lang.:) take care always.:)
Thanks for the encouraging words.
Will be back on soon.
Sorry to hear about your colleague's daughter. I hope the family is doing well and coping. It's hard to lose a loved one especially when they are so young.
In other news, I apologize many times for such a late response to your comment. Life gets in the way from xanga sometimes. = )
I am familiar with the Philippines and actually have a few friends from there. I am, however, not very familiar with the government there. If you have any questions about how any of the government or election stuff works here in the States, I'd be happy to answer.
i have frequent headaches, but they go away after a while (and after a few aspirins later...) anyway, my friend had dengue fever too! i know the whole thing sucks, but i must say, the post result is fabulous! she lost like, tons of weight! that said, i wouldn't wish dengue upon anyone. and im glad you're alright now.
Wow that is awesome that your sister was able to show you pictures! I am starting to love nursing more and more each day. When I started school I hated it! I am glad that I stuck through it. What is your job? I don't think I ever have asked you that lol.
aww how did it got lost..@@;;
haha thank you huun* =]
hey!!! ur birthday is on 10th december??????