Immunocompromised

I’ll start with some positive news. On November 29th I was given the keys to my first townhouse! I am officially the last one to leave the nest. The fact that I am finally able to do this on my own makes me feel incredibly proud.

My second night in my new place however, not one I would like to remember. After moving in and painting all day, while fighting off the flu, I was exhausted. I started to have chills, nausea and a headache. I went to bed hoping I would sleep it off. Two hours later I woke up and the vomiting began. I struggled back and forth to the washroom close to 20 times that night. I spent the next day in bed, vomiting continued. The following day I was still in bed, unable to sit up. My Mom came over and after hours of convincing me to go to the ER, I finally agreed. The EMS workers had to carry me down the stairs to the ambulance. I was brought to the hospital where I work as a Lab Technician.

After 3 hours, bloodwork, bloodcultures, swabs and an X-ray, I was given an isolation room in the Emergency department. I was started on IV fluids and anti-nausea medication, but the vomiting persisted. A CT, ultrasound, urine, stool sample and another swab were done. My breathing became laboured so I required oxygen. My WBC count was elevated and my creatinine was abnormally high. Possibility of a blood clot the doctor said. This was all starting to sound familiar. I hadn’t felt this terrible since the day I was diagnosed with Leukemia.

After many tests, the doctor told me my swab came back positive for Influenza A virus and the X-ray confirmed pneumonia. No blood clot. No cancer. I have never been more relieved to hear that I had the flu. With my suppressed immune system catching the flu can lead to serious complications. Unable to take my medications from the persistent vomiting my body went into a state of withdrawal from prednisone. It knocked me out and had me hospitalized for a week.

With IV antibiotics I very slowly recovered. I was discharged feeling extremely weak,  unable to walk up the stairs or even stand up for longer than 5 minutes. I slowly got better over the course of a week and was back to work after being off for about 3 weeks. I am feeling more like myself and I am finally able to enjoy my new house! Glad I will be feeling good this Christmas.