Do Not Underestimate Covid... Like I Did
A very normal Monday night turns unexpected
Covid went so easy on me! I was done with symptoms and tested negative in a week! I was feeling so grateful.
Until…
I realized the stomach discomfort I had started feeling the night before testing negative was still there almost 24 hours later. Reluctantly, I went to the urgent care around 6:00 PM on Monday. It was my first outing since testing negative.
Actually, I went to three urgent care centers. The first one told me that for anything stomach related, they sent you straight to the ER, but I didn't think I needed to go to the ER. The second one didn't take my insurance. The third one turned out to be free with my insurance. Jackpot.
I was convinced it was a spasming colon, which I'd experienced a few years before and which was fixed with a simple medication. But this particular ER was very hardcore and wanted to start off with an IV (!) and blood draw. I was incredulous. And upset. I was already tired from having Covid and did not think this simple urgent care visit was going to be a big deal. I started to tear up in my frustration, and I insisted on talking to the doctor before letting them do anything.
She said they would want to do a contrast CT scan, so the IV would be needed. I very begrudgingly agreed, even though I still thought it was unnecessary. (IVs are one of my least favorite things.)
So, they take this CT scan (the IV part of which makes your body feel like it's suspended in warm water), and came back to tell me that the scan showed I either had a kidney infection or an infarction in my kidney caused by a blood clot.
What in the holy hell?
They told me I should go to the ER and not expect to leave there that night.
Obviously, I was freaked out by this. I knew I did not want to go to the ER alone if they were possibly going to admit me, so I called my friend, who is a nurse and who also lives close by, to see if she'd be willing to go with me. She met me at my house, where I grabbed a few essential things, and drove me to the ER.
It was an interesting exercise to decide which friend would be the best in this situation. Not everyone likes hospitals or has the right temperament to be a level-headed presence for you in an emergency medical scenario. Nothing against those who don't as everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and all my friends are wonderful in their own way.
Out of the three people who made my list, only one was in town, and she was just wonderful to have with me. As a nurse, she also was able to look at my test results and give me her opinions on things, which was incredibly helpful.
The urgent care had called ahead so I got to see a nurse right away, but it was a minute before anyone else saw me. The doctor who finally did seemed very optimistic, which was nice.
My friend stayed with me until at least 11:00 pm, but I sent her home after that because she had to work the next morning. It was so comforting having her there when I arrived and got checked in, though.
I got another CT scan with greater detail, and the doctor said it was definitely an infarction… which was false. I've seen the scan results, and they were still inconclusive as to whether it was a kidney infection or caused by a blood clot. I have to say that it was pretty awesome that I could look at the results of every scan and blood draw as they were entered into the hospital's system through their patient portal. I’m a person who wants all the granular information, so it made me feel better to have this access.
I was eventually transferred “upstairs" but apparently was not formally admitted. Instead, I was put into a hospital limbo area where they're still evaluating you. They started me on an IV anticoagulant.
I was still in discomfort that night and wasn’t able to get to sleep until around 2:00 am, even after which they continued to draw blood and take my vitals every few hours. I thought for sure I would only spend one night there.
Until the second night… which I also spent there.
The second day was rough because I wasn't expecting to need to settle in, so I got kind of stir-crazy. They actually didn't let me eat for 24 hours because they were not sure if I'd need surgery! I was legit starving and asked them several times about eating. Finally I got a meal, and I had to eat it left-handed because of the IV in the crook of my right arm. What I ordered was delicious, and I ate it slowly so I didn't give my empty belly a reason to feel bad.
While I was laying there being miserable, a nurse handed me a book. I thought maybe they just passed out books, but a friend had dropped it off for me! So sweet! Then another friend, after taking care of my kitty (who was probably very confused as to why I was not home), came to visit me for a while later in the day.
On the morning after I got there, they gave me a second IV in my left wrist for saline fluids, antibiotics, and pain meds. They did loads of blood draws throughout my entire stay. I told the last guy I was empty. No more blood!
On a side note, that wrist IV was super tight. It hurt like balls going in because of where it's located, but it never moved or hurt after that. The person who put it in did an excellent job. In fact, all the staff I dealt with at St. Anthony's were very sweet and skilled. I can't say enough about them.
I got a tension headache in the afternoon that went up to a pain level of 9/10. Probably partly because my blood pressure in a hospital setting is super high (and also lack of food). So, I had to get some Ibuprofen and more of the good drugs (Dilaudid) the second night. That shit put me in a good place and gave me amazing sleep!
By the next morning, I was feeling good, and all my original symptoms were gone. A friend visited and brought my migraine meds (just in case) and my tablet.
However, I’d not heard any plan to get me out of there. I spent the day trying to talk to the right people who could break me out.
In the end, the doctors I spoke to could not, with 100% certainty, confirm whether it was an infection or a blood clot, so they were treating me for both. My biggest issue is that the anticoagulant drug interferes with some of my headache cures, which puts me at risk of being in pain without relief. I hope to get this resolved. The doctor assigned to me thinks it was a blood clot caused by Covid since I got it seven days after testing positive for Covid. And honestly, there’s no other reason why I should have any kidney issues or blood clotting issues.
They discharged me with an anticoagulant medication, an antibiotic, and, just for good measure, a statin. They also gave me a prescription for Percocet, but I had already taken a Percocet while in there, and it did nothing but worsen the headache I had. I took one at home, just to be sure, and it was the same thing… like eating a Tick Tack… if Tick Tack's give you a headache. Apparently other people have a MUCH different experience with Percocet if it's a gateway to heroin, but it sure does nothing for me. (Except give me a headache!)
I didn’t think I needed Percocet, but you know what? My body was still crazy tensed up two days after discharge, and if it had worked, that would’ve been great. I got in with a doctor on Friday, and we decided I would take two codeine every six hours (or less often if I wanted) for a few days. He also gave me a sleep aid for seven days. I think that will definitely help.
So, that's it… Covid likely gave me a blood clot in my right kidney!
I now have to go on a bunch of follow-up doctor visits, take an anticoagulant for 3-6 months, and try not to bruise or cut myself during that entire time! Plus, I have to deal with the side effects of the medication and find new ways to manage pain without cupping and Ibuprofen (neither of which I'm supposed to use while taking a blood thinner).
Fortunately my prognosis looks very good and I should be back to normal in a few months. I got lucky.
First moral of the story: Listen to your body. If something doesn't feel right for 24 hours, go get it checked out. Listen to doctors who have experience. They've seen it all at urgent care. Let ‘em poke you to check for stuff. Many things don't have the symptoms you think they will.
Second moral of the story: Covid is still out there and can still do scary shit. Covid is running rampant right now, and it can still do terrible and sometimes irreversible things to your body. Take care of yourself and try to avoid getting it. The “cold-like” part of Covid is sometimes just a tiny part of it.
Third moral of the story: Capitalism sucks! One of the most frustrating parts of all of this is that I'm a single-income household. I can't afford to lose all this time from work or to pay these expenses. This will be my first time ever maxing out my yearly out-of-pocket maximum on my health insurance, and it couldn't come at a worse time. It is depressing that we live in a country where people have to worry about money when they’re sick and trying to recover. We’re the only developed country where this is the case. Why do we tolerate this? Why do we let greedy capitalists run our healthcare system?
⏰️ Currently
💻 Trying to feel good enough to resume working on web stuff and my book.
🌻 Also trying to be gentle with myself and patient as I work through this medical episode.
🩹 Feeling grateful that I have access to quality medical care even if it is a financial burden on me.