After three days of lying in bed, I felt that mum's lethargy was fairly unusual, even for a person suffering from the normal post-chemo exhaustion. She was nauseous - also unusual. I called up the hospital, who asked her to come in.
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| Mum having blood tests/being giving fluids at the RMH Oncology Day Clinic. |
Blood tests showed that she had virtually no white cells in her blood, leading to a general lack of appetite and exhaustion. She was given fluids and discharged.
Upon leaving the hospital, she commented that it felt cold. As we walked to a car, the air ambulance arrived at the hospital. I really should have taken the hint.
After arriving home, she lay in bed for three hours. I was due to head out with some friends, but I thought it would be safe to check her temperature. 37.4ºC - quite high. I called up the hospital, who told me to monitor it. Half an hour later, it had risen to 38ºC - a clear sign of bacterial infection.
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| The magical 38ºC - confirmation of my fears and a rush to the Emergency Department. |
Last night was spent in the emergency department of RMH. They gave my mum antibiotics, and a few bags of fluids. She was admitted, and it looks like she will be there for another 3-4 days until her white cells increase. It has been a stressful 24 hours.
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| Upon arriving at the hospital ED, mum was given a mask to stop her picking up any other bacteria. |
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| Mum was admitted at midnight last night. Hospitals are exhausting. |
