However, I soon found myself waking, curled up in a fetal position, shivering almost violently, teeth chattering, jaws locked. At some point, I got up to turn up the heat in the house. With each step my legs locked at the knees. It was a struggle to get to the thermostat. I noticed it was near midnight. I went back to bed, but the shivering continued and the back of my neck started to hurt along with everything else. Ric woke to my groaning and quickly called my oncologist. I have little memory of the discussion. I know I was becoming more and more frightened and told Ric to call 911. I remember being carried to the ambulance. I recall being at the ER at CAMC and hearing them say my temperature was 103.9. I was freezing!. How could I possibly have a fever? The rest of the night and most of Sunday are pretty much a blank. I remember barely waking up a few times, always feeling secure to hear Ric's voice, whether he was talking to me or to someone on the medical staff. I believe it was late Sunday evening before I was fully "conscious." Ric had been there the entire time.
Diagnosis: Severe Dehydration and Neutropenia - an abnormally low number of white blood cells. A normal WBC count is between 4.8 - 10.8. I was admitted to the hospital with a .6 count. From Saturday night to Tuesday at noon, I received lots of IV fluids and antibiotics, plus two injections of the drug Neupogen, to help raise the white blood cell count.
Whenever I've heard someone had to be packed in ice to bring down a fever, I always pictured someone sitting in a big tub of ice.... yikes!!!! Well, I found out how it's really done - ice packs are wrapped in towels and placed in what I assume are "strategic positions" all around one's body. Not the least bit uncomfortable!
I felt pretty good as soon as the fever was gone, but had to stay in the hospital until the WBC count was near the normal range. The Neupogen apparently worked well... on Monday the count was up to 1.8 and by Tuesday up to 9.
I have to say a great big THANK YOU to the 5 South nurses at CAMC Memorial! Each and everyone of them was kind, thoughtful, and professional. I felt safe and secure in their care! They eagerly answered all my questions. On Monday and Tuesday, I was walking the halls with my IV pole (in order to keep the blood circulating to prevent clots) and if the nurses weren't in a patient's room, they were standing at their portable computers inputting information. Hardworking seems not a big enough word. The "paperwork/computer work" they had to do surprised me. Although, none of them rushed a conversation with me, I could tell that each of them would have preferred to spend more one on one time with their patients. Their caregiver personalities were obviously what led them to choose this career. I know from friends who are nurses, that this inability to give more hands on care to patients is one of the heartaches of the nursing profession. Although no one complained of this to me, I could sense it and see this predicament in action. So, THANK YOU, 5 South Nurses... for providing amazing care and healing to the people who fill the rooms on your floor. I left there loving you.
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