A MEDICAL DRAMA

I am still not up to snuff. [Wow I wonder where that expression comes from] I am well enough to believe this story has a happy ending.

The drama: Jamie had the flu, or whatever the crud was that was going around, about two weeks ago. I was sure I escaped it until Saturday, when I began to notice a discomfort in the back of my throat. I doubled my doses of vitamin C both Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday I complained that I had to pee every half hour. I don't think Jamie thought too much about it, because I am always complaining, that I just sat down, and I have to get up and pee. She did mention, that it could relate to the virus, that seemed to be growing in my body.

I didn't feel bad, but by evening, [we were watching the Academy Awards], I started to get the chills and then the violent shakes. It took two wool blankets and a quilt to slow down the shakes. They were especially bad after I got up to pee. I couldn't last out the award ceremony and went to bed. I kept my clothes on and covered myself with two quilts. I thought if this keeps up, I am going to need to go to the hospital. When I had that thought, I saw picture of myself with a catheter inserted and getting intravenous fluids. It occurred to me that I may be dehydrated, because I peed so much during the day and I didn't drink as much water, as I usually do. I always have a big glass of water at my elbow and I know I didn't drink as much, because it was tepid at my last sip. Since I was still having urinary frequency, although the volume was greatly reduced, I drank a glass or two of water every time I got up. It cured the chills.

I was flattering myself that I diagnosed my problem correctly and blamed my continued urinary frequency on my increased water intake. But now I was getting warm, rather than having the chills, and I was getting up about every fifteen minutes, so I went downstairs and sat in my chair. I thought, I might have less need, to get up, every fifteen minutes, if I sat up. It didn't help much, I moved to the North Room where I was closer to the downstairs bathroom. Somewhere in the wee hours of the Morning, I thought, there has to be something majorly wrong and it was Doctor time.

I didn't sleep much and was worn out, but except for the urgency and frequent urination, I didn't feel too bad. I continued, to drink a lot of water, and was not quite convinced that, it had little do do, with what was going on.

Then about 8AM I noted, there was blood in my urine. My much beloved younger brother, Garth, saw blood in his urine, and he died four month later, just before his 80th birthday. One can imagine what went through my mind. I guess I could sum it up by the phrase; Oh! Shit!

I did a little research and discovered that, this didn't have to be a dire symptom. I figured I would wait a couple days, and see how things were turning out, before going to the doctor. However, Jamie made an appointment for me and insisted I go. I did not tell Jamie about the blood in the urine. I did not want to worry her until I knew the prognosis.

I had a one of the new clinic doctors, he was young enough to be my grand child, but he exuded confidence and he was warm and friendly, besides. From my story, I told him pretty much what I wrote here, and a urine sample, he determined that I had a kidney infection, that began with a bladder infection and moved up. [Dysuria and Pyelonephritis] He reassured me that it was doubtful that I had cancer. I was given an antibiotic to take for ten days.

On the way to the pharmacist, I confessed to Jamie, the blood in the urine. She said, I should have told her, because then she would have known it was a UTI [urinary track infection].

Despite the fact that I had, almost no sleep, and in fact, was quite ill, I was high as a kite after leaving the clinic. I am not afraid to die, but not yet, and not that way. Hey! I still have work to do. I want to live to see the awakening take a firm hold in the world. I want to see paradise dawning.

So, with this piggyback bacteria, on top the virus that was developing, I am not perfect. It feels more like I am struggling with the crud- but who knows- I don't know what it feels like recovering from a UTI. I no longer have blood in my urine.

I wouldn't mind if you said a prayer for me.

I hope to be back to my usual blog on Friday.

Love and Peace, Gregg