I’m on my feet again. I slept completely through the weekend of April 25 & 26. Had a disturbing day Sunday when my AM blood sugar was 204 for no reason, and at noon it was still high at 171. How could it be so high? I took my meds and ate right and just crawled back to bed. I woke up late Monday morning and raced to my assignment 50 miles away making it there by 7 a.m. (we were supposed to enter at 6:45). I was barely conscious, and felt like my whole body was lead and every bone and joint hurt. By 10 AM I was sweating and had a cough, by 1PM my nose had become a faucet and by 3 PM I had vomited and now had diarrhea. My blood sugar at supper time was 200. Again why???? I’d eaten only string cheese and tuna.
My boss called me while I was driving home and asked if I was sick. I said I felt like I was catching a cold. He said stay home tomorrow and go see the doctor, I would be replaced by another nurse on my assignment. My 1st thought? Hey wow! Boss’s orders to take a day off. No problem. Then I got home and turned on TV for the 1st time in more than a week.
Swine Flu. And while limited so far (as of April 27) had cases reported in every US city I’d been trapped in trying to get home the week before. Shit! Thursday through Monday - exactly the average incubation period, and the news was so dire! Not me though, not possible. It was just a stress and overtired related cold.
My temperature was 102.4 and I was coughing and leaking from every … well you get the idea. I got up Tuesday morning at 6:30 to get to my doc’s by 7 so I could be one of the 1st appointments. My AM sugar was 324 - I had eaten almost nothing in days. I hadn’t had the ambition to eat either supper the night before or breakfast that morning. The office was full, everyone with kleenex boxes and sniffles.
I got in at 11 AM. Lab work showed I had a low grade bacterial infection but the slight increase in my white cell count couldn’t account for my fever or the high sugar readings. Swabs were taken and sent off and I went home with a script for an antibiotic (too late for antivirals they should be taken within 48 hours of onset of symptoms which for me was apparently my totally lost to body aches, bone and joint pain and feverish weekend).
I don’t remember much about last week. I know my friends called me every day, some called me several times a day. I missed quite a few calls probably because my snoring drowned out my phone. Everyone has told me I sounded awful. I vaguely remember feeling worse than that. I also remember getting really scared when my blood sugar hit 404
I got cleared to go back to work this Wednesday, still a bit stuffy headed, but no more fever and feeling much better. I jumped right into a neat sounding assignment and walked into a can of worms. Definitely interesting but one of those things that will will take me some time to get it written up. Before I left yesterday, something came in, and since I was handy, today I started on a new assignment that is even more involved. I’m really appreciating the mind exercise and the chance to step out of my personal life - you know???? when you really like your job and it helps you keep perspective instead of tipping it out of kilter?
Mostly I’m amazed. Swabs results came back finally today, and I had Swine Flu and recovered in only 14 days. My last cold laid me flat for a month - cold to sinusitis - to bronchitis - to sinusitis - bronchitis. I’m on my feet excited about work again even though I’m still a bit tired.
I still have some stuffiness in my head, no sniffles or sneezes just that weird feeling like my ears are almost blocked but swallowing clears them.
Aaaaaand
my blood sugars have been normal consistently since this past Monday.
Aaaaaaand
yesterday my new printer/scanner/fax/copier arrived. With luck come Saturday I’ll find the time to get it set up and installed….. and some new artwork up for you.
Aaaaaaand
Chances are good that I have more spankings in my future within another few weeks….
I hope you’re all well. I hope you all escape the flu.
:) patty
p.s. I’ve learned that unexplained high blood sugar is a warning sign of serious illness….