I took a bit ill in August 2010. Sorry about the words...
Started at the weekend with some flu-like symptoms; fever, sweating, tiredness, neck ache, leg ache and a cough but I just got the fuck on with it and kept going to work (I work with teenagers who have behavioural problems so this mostly meant sitting playing PS3 and watching films).

Friday morning I wake up busting for a piss and off to the toilet I go. Only... There's something wrong... something that in my half-asleep haze it takes me a moment to realise... then it hits me... WHY THE FUCK ARE MY NUTS THE SIZE OF GRAPEFRUITS?! I did what any man would do and panicked. Called the Dr, got an appointment and got told I had a virus which had caused some swelling (no shit) and home with pills.

That night I'm in the bath and I see all these spots running from my feet to my knees. The Dr had said any changes to call NHS24 so that's what I did. The lady on the phone was lovely but more concerned that I was having pains when breathing (something I hadn't really registered until she asked) than my spotty legs and giant testicles. Ambulance is called for me and off to hospital.

Turns out I had swelling, not just around the legs and balls, but around my heart too. Viral Myocarditis. The infection had caused the lining of my Heart to swell, causing it to beat oddly. I had a group of student Doctors all listen to my heartbeat one after the other as it had a triple rhythm. This had caused my lungs and chest cavity to fill with fluid, causing the difficulty breathing. This wasn't aided by the Hospital believing I was dehydrated and putting 3 IV units of fluid into me. Apparently my Chest X-ray over that weekend were completely white due to the amount of fluid in me.

On Sunday I was told that, IF I stabilized, I would require a left ventricle assist device or a Heart transplant so they wanted to move me to Glasgow as they were better equipped to do the procedures if it came to it. Only problem was I wasn't stable enough to move, at that point I was on 19 litres of Oxygen a minute and the Ambulance could only provide a maximum of 15. I was told (but I don't remember it) that I was Gravely ill and my Mum was told that I was a very, very sick man and to be prepared for the worst.

On Tuesday the decision was made to move me anyway, I had improved slightly due to me spending hours on a CPAP but my Blood Oxygen level was still in the low 70%'s. My heart rate had been 150+ for 3 or 4 days now and I was on an intake of 1.2 litres of fluid a day and pissing out 4.5L. I got a sexy yellow Aeroplane to fly my from Aberdeen to Glasgow.

Once in Glasgow things changed quickly. For the best. I got all the excess liquid out, lots of injections, MRI's, X-rays, lots of pills to drain fluids, regulate heart beats etc. And spent a total of 2 weeks in Hospital. No transplants or anything. In 20+ years of being a Cardiac consultant my Doctor says it's the quickest, fullest recovery he has ever seen and he was still astounded to see me walking around after 2 weeks as most people in my condition ended up in bed for 6 months and would be very lucky to go back to a "normal" lifestyle again.

This wasn't my most terrifying thing, as most of it passed me by in a blur. My most terrifying thing happened about a week after I got home and the full reality of it all hit me. I was just sitting watching TV and then I was lying on the floor sobbing my eyes out, shaking like a leaf. The next few months were shit too... I felt weak and scared to go to busy places, every time I had a cough or felt under the weather I would start to get one up. "Is it happening again?", checking my pulse and freaking myself out. My pills made me lethargic and tired out easily. Even climbing the stairs left my breathless and dizzy, which didn't help as by that stage I was "sick of feeling sick".

I still get freaked out by it all, especially when I think about my daughter and what could have happened, but I'm better now. No pills; heart rate of 82 beats a minute, reasonable blood pressure; my own heart; still alive lol.
( Maffers I flow kinda strange like Spina Bifida footprints, Mon 9 Apr 2012, 11:23, 22 replies)

After all that
You do realise that you'll never be unwell again? People either get lots of little things or one big thing.

That's how illness works.
(judgetheobscure used to sweep in butchers' shops., Mon 9 Apr 2012, 11:35, closed)

Hahaha.
Here's hoping!
( Maffers I flow kinda strange like Spina Bifida footprints, Mon 9 Apr 2012, 11:42, closed)

farking hell!
glad you're well now.
( h3donist tryin' to play me out as if my name is Sega.., Mon 9 Apr 2012, 12:18, closed)

Cheers dude.

( Maffers I flow kinda strange like Spina Bifida footprints, Mon 9 Apr 2012, 13:46, closed)

A real man
would've walked it off.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Mon 9 Apr 2012, 12:32, closed)

Prove it
MM.
Thought not.
Pussy.
And a tip 'o the hat to you Maffers. Keep on kicking on.
(Misery McUglywife an attention seeking sociopathic fuckstain., Mon 9 Apr 2012, 13:22, closed)

Thanks.

( Maffers I flow kinda strange like Spina Bifida footprints, Mon 9 Apr 2012, 13:52, closed)

Even lying in bed not moving was like running a marathon.

( Maffers I flow kinda strange like Spina Bifida footprints, Mon 9 Apr 2012, 13:47, closed)

You fat ballbag

( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Mon 9 Apr 2012, 15:19, closed)

Here.
I'm not a bald monkey.
( Maffers I flow kinda strange like Spina Bifida footprints, Mon 9 Apr 2012, 16:04, closed)

I like that fact that you ended that piece with a 'lol'
LOL!
(Nitrous Nitrous, Mon 9 Apr 2012, 16:47, closed)

It was a nervous lol.

( Maffers I flow kinda strange like Spina Bifida footprints, Mon 9 Apr 2012, 18:05, closed)

I had something similar
when I was 17: bacterial endocarditis exacerbated by a congenital heart defect. Had all the symptoms as described here www.csun.edu/~hcmth011/chaser/article2.html and ended up in hospital for a month over the summer of 1986. A fine way for a teenage lad on the cusp of life to spend the summer! And like you I was more or less OK when in hospital, but a week after, I completely collapsed mentally. Total nervous breakdown. Was convinced I was still ill and was gonna die. They had to put me on valium and librium until I recovered. They told me it was like soldiers who have post-traumatic stress disorder: during the time of crisis, your mind copes, but afterwards when you're safe, it goes, "OK! Time out!" and crashes. So does the body rule the mind or does the mind rule the body, I dunno. Oh am I...
(Dr Skagra glorious glargzhem, Mon 9 Apr 2012, 18:12, closed)

A month?
Christ. I really struggled to cope with two weeks in Hospital. If Glasgow's Golden Jubilee Hospital didn't have a relaxed attitude to phones (they were amazing about letting me use it, especially as I was in a Coronary Care ward) I'd have gone fucking loopy.
( Maffers I flow kinda strange like Spina Bifida footprints, Mon 9 Apr 2012, 18:51, closed)

It was a month
because for the first week or so they didn't know what was wrong with me and I had to undergo endless blood cultures, tests, etc. The worst one was when they took fluid from my spine - absolute agony. They were about to test me for Aids - seriously! - and me a weedy virgin of 17! - when they managed to diagnose me properly. Apparently my immune system was doing such a good job of battling the endocarditis that the infection wasn't showing up on tests and they only caught it by chance.

Medical science has come a long way over the decades but it's scary how much of it is still hit and miss and chance.

I'm OK now though apart from manic depression and chronic alcoholism.
(Dr Skagra glorious glargzhem, Tue 10 Apr 2012, 15:28, closed)

My first few days I was told it might be mumps (even though I had already HAD mumps) so I wasn't allow to see my Daughter.
They caught it quick enough after my chest X-ray though.
They still don't know what caused it, just "a virus". Anything from the Cold, to Herpes to Clamydia to Aids can cause it. Not helpful.

:(
( Maffers I flow kinda strange like Spina Bifida footprints, Tue 10 Apr 2012, 16:56, closed)

It's still weird to think you nearly died
and I told you to man the fuck up and deal with your manflu :(

/Wicca
( Amorous Badger NAKED BEA ARTHUR PHOTOS 4U, Mon 9 Apr 2012, 23:44, closed)

It was still good, solid advice though. Haha.

( Maffers I flow kinda strange like Spina Bifida footprints, Mon 9 Apr 2012, 23:52, closed)

Fucking hell.
I had to save a friends life once, he contracted pneumococcal meningitis after an ear infection, the paramedics refused to carry him down the stairs I couldn't get hold of his parents so I had to gamble with the called out doctor whether or not he was allergic to pennicillin. It was fucking terrifying. my adrenaline at the time gave me the strength to carry him down myself. I am really glad you pulled through maffers. Really glad.
( skeltonator Needs some new daps., Tue 10 Apr 2012, 15:00, closed)

Thank you.
When the ambulance turned up to my house I met them outside. NHS24 called it, not me. The Paramedic couldn't have been nicer but the driver kept telling me that I should just carry on with the pills the Dr gave me as I'd not given them time to work, get some rest etc.
When I was transferred from my town to Aberdeen the Doctors told me if I had done that and gone to sleep, chances are I wouldn't have woken up. I was asked repeatedly to make an official complaint by the guys boss but I didn't do it. I regret not doing it now. He still got a bawling out by his boss. I went in to the Ambulance station when I got home to say thank you to the decent ones.
( Maffers I flow kinda strange like Spina Bifida footprints, Tue 10 Apr 2012, 16:53, closed)

'Is it happening again?'
Know that feeling. Hate it.

I'm glad you recovered without any major long-term effects!
(louveciennes , Volvospotter, Wed 11 Apr 2012, 0:20, closed)

Thanks!

( Maffers I flow kinda strange like Spina Bifida footprints, Wed 11 Apr 2012, 0:35, closed)