Last week began as just a normal week - school, work, studying with Tanner, midterms :( but on Thursday things changed. I felt great all week, I had just gotten over a cold, went running a few times, was getting some good study time in for my midterms... I even woke up on Thursday ready to go on an early morning run and enjoy the weather that was just beginning to warm up, but for some reason I was extremely tired. I had gotten a good 7.5 hours of sleep that night so there was no excuse for my exhaustion, but I just blew it off, snuggled back up under the covers, and went back to sleep.
A few hours later I woke to a splitting headache in my occipital region with the pain penetrating down my neck. But with my Microbiology exam that afternoon and some serious studying to do (microbiology is just not my cup o' tea) I got up and headed to the bus. I muscled through my morning classes, but my body got colder and colder as the day carried on. Before I headed off to my history class I asked Tanner for his jacket and even borrowed a jacket from a girl in class but was still freezing and miserable. While Tanner and I were studying for microbiology during lunch before taking the test, I knew I had a fever, I had a headache, my neck hurt, couldn't focus, and had all the symptoms of the flu....
Feeling even worse on Friday, I would have given anything to stay home, but I had my Anatomy Lab midterm and being on the cadavers, I couldn't have them extend the testing period for me. I pushed through and immediately went home and fell asleep. The flu symptoms, headache, stiff neck, and fever over 100, remained all weekend, so Monday morning I decided I had probably go to the doctor.
A typical doctors’ visit, I assumed I had the flu and they would just give me some drug to make me feel better and I would move on. However, as the doctor walked out he asked the nurse to get a blood sample. I don't do well with such things... I don't mind needles or blood, but for some reason when it's being taken from me, I always get dizzy and have blacked out a few times. Monday was no different. I wasn't feeling well, hadn't been drinking water, and so the inevitable happened. Poor nurse; she was little, pregnant, but so caring as she helped me onto the table to lay down. She put a wet cloth on my forehead, and got me pretzels and water. I felt terrible.
The doctor came back in, told me I had tonsillitis and a bacterial infection, gave me some antibiotics, and couldn't stress enough that I get rest and WATER (he probably told me 5 or more times). He told me that if I wasn't feeling 100% better by Wednesday or Thursday to come back immediately. I said okay and left. Tuesday night I was sitting on the couch with Tanner, not really feeling any better but enjoying the company of a strong handsome boy I hadn't seen all weekend, when I got a phone call. It was the doctor himself calling to see how I was doing. After telling him I was about the same he scheduled me for first thing Wednesday morning to check my leukocyte count. With a personal phone call from the doctor himself I knew that there must be something up, he was keeping something from me. Mine and Tanner's minds whirled as we thought of things associated with bacterial infections and white blood cells - leukemia, meningitis, pneumonia... but we just joked that I could be dying and laughed it off.
MENINGITIS!
I got to the doctors' this morning and the first thing he had done was another blood test. I was prepared though and laid down from the beginning - still got dizzy and started to feel myself fading, but pulled through :) The doctor came back in with good news. He told me with my symptoms he was concerned about bacterial meningitis - the deadly one. He hadn't even told me! Apparently the average leukocyte count is between 5000 and 9000 and my leukocyte count was at 12000! However, today it was back down 7000. A lot of other numbers were down too. I found out later that on the way out he whispered to my mom that if ANY of the symptoms returned to come back immediately. Well I'm glad I'm in the clear... for now anyways...
