Tuesday, March 04, 2008

For crying out loud!

If it’s not one thing, it’s another. I can’t wait for 2007-08 to be over!

I’m in the throes of this week of events. It’s a little terrifying – soooo much. Never again will I take on so much at once. I feel like I’m doing two full-time jobs. Professorial, and then a whole other job of events planning, which involves food ordering, publicity, media interviews, squiring about visiting speakers, designing flyers, booking equipment and space, etc., etc. This would be okay if it was for one or two events...but it’s for five events. No thank you.

So that is par for the course, would not be enough to justify a whiny blog post. Except, what pops up in the midst of it? Bizarre and scary health problems. Abdominal ones. Bad enough that on Monday morning I was writhing around in pain on my bed, unable to get up, thinking I’d have to cancel my class and go to Emergency. That insane severity passed – I was able to get up and go to work – but the pain has not passed altogether. I went to a walk-in clinic yesterday afternoon. The doctor did all sorts of poking and prodding and really fun exams, and they were excruciating. So painful. She is both confused and concerned.

She said my options were to take myself to Emergency, which would mean I could get imaging done right away, or to get ultrasounds requisitioned by her, which of course takes a lot longer. I opted for the latter, since it didn’t seem that it’s acute enough to justify going to the hospital. But it continues to come and go – it’s certainly not gone. The ultrasound is not booked until April 14 (so there, Michael Moore, with your weird idea that Canada’s health care system is perfect...all your weird notions about Canada...Note the fact that I can't get a family doctor here.). I may try and see if I can reschedule it for sooner at a place that I’d need a car to get to – I’d either get someone to drive me, or rent a car.

If it doesn’t improve at all, or if I have another severe intensification like yesterday morning, I’ll go to Emergency.

But honestly; what did I do to deserve this bloody year??

11 comments:

PG said...

I hope the pain goes away. I was having wierd abdominal (maybe spleen/ovaries?) pain last week too. Spent two days in bed taking T3s. I ended up going to a walk-in clinic (I don't have a GP either). He told me to go for an ultrasound too. The pain went away, so I didn't book the ultrasound.

Wierd and scary.

Good luck getting through the rest of the week.

Margo, darling said...

Do you think it might be an ulcer? That would make sense, with all the intense stress you've been under for quite a long time now. I'm so sorry.

T.E. said...

Oh, no! Listen, don't hesitate to go to the hospital if it's not improving, ok? And remind me how long this year lasts?? You definitely deserve a break or three.

Maude said...

yes! take care of yourself! i think an ulcer could most definitely be the culprit, as margo, darling suggests. but i think if the pain persists, the emergency room is the place to go.

i'm thinking of you.

you certainly deserve more than a break or two.

Hilaire said...

Psychgrad - Oh no!! HOw awful! Hope you're feeling better? Ish? My doctor thought it might be a twisted ovary or something too. Though mostly she was stumped.

Margo and Maude - Yes, I thought of an ulcer, too. The doctor didn't mention it as a possibility, though - and I did mention that I'm feeling extremely stressed lately. Also, there seems like there might be some sort of uterine component...details will be TMI, but you get the picture. Ugh. Of course now I'm full of images of uterine cancer or endometriosis.

I did get the ultrasound rescheduled for 2 weeks from today, at the place that's harder for me to get to. This is good!

But I promise, Maude and T.E., that I will go to Emergency if it isn't improving. Cause I have so much time this week. :)

T.E. - My classes end April 10. Not a moment too soon!!! Cannot wait!

What Now? said...

Hilaire -- this is scary news; I'm so sorry to hear it. Good news that you've got an appointment in a couple of weeks, but I'm glad you've promised to go to the ER if the pain gets worse in the meantime. Take care of yourself.

medieval woman said...

Oh god - I hope you get it figured out! And I hope you feel better soon, my dear.

Go to the emergency room if it's not better quick!

((hugs))

Brigindo said...

Here's hoping it all goes away soon--the pain, the year, just all of it.

Anonymous said...

agreeing with all. and hope you feel better soon! re: this year, mine has sucked too, maybe the number 2007 is cursed?

Bardiac said...

I'm with the rest of the gang, hoping the pain goes away fast and isn't anything serious. I hate being a useless sort of doctor sometimes.

Margaret said...

Good freaking god. You poor thing! Maybe you have unwittingly taken on bad karma for the rest of us for this year? Because My. God.

What about gall bladder? My mom had terrible terrible abdominal pain... and then had her gall bladder removed.