Fever fever go away !

Oh man, how should I get this started ? Even now as I am writing this blog, I am still running a fever of 38.3 deg celsius with a relatively bad sorethroat and occassional cough. Today was much better compared to yesterday at a very high fever of 39.4 deg celsius!

This influenza started last Thursday at about 10pm plus. I was really feeling unwell. The oral thermometer showed I had a fever of 37.7 deg celsius. CK gave me a panadol to eat but somehow after swallowing the panadol I felt that the panadol was "stuck" on my right side of my rib ! CK decided that we should proceed to the nearest 24 hour clinic. We reached the clinic at Chua Chu Kang and there was a long queue of patients even at this hour. Finally, it was my turn and the doctor just spent about 2 minutes with me ! He seems to be in a great rush ! Anyhow, my temperature has increased to 38.0 deg celsius at the clinic. The doctor just gave me some panadols and cough syrup and 1 day MC for Friday. I was a bit shocked because I knew that I definately won't be able to go back to office next Monday with my condition!!!

On Friday, I could hardly got out of bed ! My bones were all weak & aching and I was running a high fever ! I struggle myself out of bed after much later to take a piece of plain bread. Not that I have appetite but because I need to fill up my tummy before taking medicine. I felt totally knocked out yesterday ! I don't feel hungry and I don't feel thirsty at all. No wonder I am having a bad sorethroat now !

My temperature kept soaring even when I put ice wrapped in cloth on my forehead. I called CK at work and asked him to come home. He came back about 12 plus and we went to a Pandemic Preparedness Clinic at Bukit Batok. (near HS's flat) I was glad that Dr Quek is a patient doctor. He spent quite a long time with me asking me some related questions. When I asked him if I have H1N1, he said that clinics and all hospitals no longer take any SWAB tests for patients. H1N1 was already treated like a common flu except that the patient's fever are very high. So even at this point of time, I do not know whether I have contracted H1N1?

Thank God that Dr Quek gave me a 7 days MC. He was surprised that the clinic at Chua Chu Kang only gave me 1 day. He said for such cases, patients need plenty of rest and should stayed away from crowds. I lamented to him that my high fever did not subsided even after taking panadols. After contemplating the situation, he decided to give me tamiflu to fight the virus.

I ate the tamiflu at 4pm and was supposed to take the tamiflu at 4am everyday till I have completed the anti-biotics. (12 hr cycle)

Yesterday, I was dozing most of the time after eating the tamiflu. I felt weak as usual and have no strength at all. While on bed, CK took my temperature again. He was very shocked to see that my temperature reached 39.4 deg celius ! I really thought that if no one has woken me up from my sleep, will I have slipped into unconsciousness ? We went to Tan Tok Seng hospital Emergency and I could not help crying in the car. I just felt totally helpless and even after taking tamiflu, how come my temperature did not go down ? Instead it went up even higher !

There were so many people with fever at TTSH ! My blood pressure was ok and the doctor suggested that I should go on drip. I told her that I do not want to. She is a very nice lady, I was quite comforted by her. She said the same thing as Dr Quek has mentioned that hospital does not do SWAB test on patients as H1N1 is so common now. However, she drew my blood to run some tests to ensure that there are no other illness like Dengue fever. The blood tests showed that I have a virus but no bacteria. If my fever still did not subside after 5 days, I would need to go TTSH again.

I showed the Doctor all the medication that the Dr Quek has given me. She said those medicine are good enough and she would not subscribe any medication for me.

Guess there's nothing much for me to do now except to monitor my temperature and take the medicine.

Hmm.. did not know that tamiflu got some serious side effects. Dr Quek called while we were at TTSH. He just wanted to caution us that for very rare cases, patient who has taken tamiflu might hallucinate and do funny things like jumping down from a buidling etc. Sounded terrifying !

I'll rather not have the 7 days MC but I am well enough to go back office to do my work. This is a terrifying experience for me.

BTW, I have received an SMS from someone in the office. The SMS said "Because of you, now everyone sick". I remembered that I received this SMS while waiting to see doctor at TTSH. I nearly burst out crying ! I just wanted to tell you that your joke has went a bit too far ! How could anyone be so insensitive to say such things to a patient who was fighting virus with all her might and was so sickly !!! I MUST put this remark behind me and concentrate getting well !!!

To all my friends who has shown their concern to me, thank you so much. And to my mum who was extremely worried ...