Day 2 in the land of the sick and the crazy.

When I was admitted yesterday they struggled to find a free bed in the whole hospital.

Then one came free in the "short stay unit" and that is where I have been since.

Originally I was sharing a space with five other patients. All elderly men. Today they have all been discharged and I am now sitting on my bed in this large open space alone.



This area isn't really a room, it's an open space at the end of the corridor. However there are other single rooms not far from me and I'm guessing that's where the rest of the patients are. I've not really seen many on my trips to the bathroom. I have however heard one of them on a regular basis. There is a woman in a room not 5 metres from me who is clearly suffering from some sort of mental health issues. She is prone to out-bursts of hysteria, yelling and ranting complete nonsense. They have posted a security guard outside her door, I'm not sure if it's for her protection or ours.



I've seen both the Haematology and Infectious diseases teams today and both appear to be stumped. All they can do is await the blood cultures and run more tests. I did mention that I had a theory several months ago that it could have been radiation induced pneumonitis and that other doctors had discounted it especially after the bronchoscopy. However the doctor I was talking to said that it was still a possibility and that it would not necessarily have shown up on the bronchoscopy (camera inserted into lungs).

I'm a lot better today than I was yesterday. I've been allowed paracetamol to break the fever and I almost feel normal again. Yesterday I was pretty sick I can tell you!
Last night I decided to let the fever run it's course through the night. My thinking was that if I took anything for it I would soak the bed and have a miserable night between wet sheets.
The first hour I shook uncontrollably with the "chills" and then I fell asleep where upon I became delirious and had this weird recurring theme running through my sleep that somehow the number of my coughs had to add up to an even number or they would not stop. This surreal dream-state was punctuated with severe coughing fits that had me throwing up twice. Fun! Fun!

Finally around 6am the fever broke all by itself and I ended up having to get up and change my shorts and tee-shirt for dry items anyway, then return back to cold clammy wet bedclothes.

Tonight I think I'll try taking something for the fever even if it's just to avoid the crazy dreams.