The short answer to that question is we STILL don't know and neither do the doctors yet? All I know is that I am quite unwell, the symptoms I have are quite frightening and to be honest I'm over it!
The looong answer if you are wanting to know what happened and is happening is....
It began on the night of mother's day. We had a lovely day together, the girls as always showered me with gifts and love, plenty of cuddles and kisses, delicious breakfast, a walk to the park and Shane made us one of my favourite meals for dinner (chicken and chorizzo paella), and in the evening we watched a family DVD together.
After the movie I sat on my bed waiting for our girls to brush their teeth, so that we could pray with them and tuck them in, and that's when my heart began to race. It felt as though I had gone for a jog, instead I was just sitting on my bed. After praying for our girls and tucking them in, I went to bed hoping as I relaxed my heart rate would calm done, it didn't.
I knew something wasn't right and I had to get to the hospital (anyone who knows me well, knows I avoid going to the doctors/hospital, so me saying I needed to go, was a bit of a big deal).
Well once we were at the hospital I became much sicker (if you don't want to hear some yucky/embarrassing details skip the next few sentences, or maybe the next few paragraphs). My heart rate was going up, it ended up going up to 160. My body was behaving as though it was even higher than that...I was clammy, sweating, uncontrollably shaking, extremely thirsty, my stomach would ache and burn, causing me to have constant loose stalls, my heart just kept pounding in my chest.
I was quickly connected to a ECG monitor (heart monitoring machine that keeps an eye on the activity of your heart), the ECG monitor was connected to my chest and limbs, my blood pressure was checked on regular intervals, urine was taken, blood was taken and a cannula was put into my arm (a thin tube inserted into my vein on the inner part of my arm/elbow so that medication could be administered through it).
Myself and Shane were quite anxious, and I kept worrying about my girls in the waiting room. I actually thought on numerous occasions that I was going to die. It was a horrible feeling, Horrible!
The doctor needed to get my heart rate down quickly. It was remaining high for hours and I was just getting sicker, nothing would get it down. The doctor wanted to inject me with an injection that would get my heart rate down fast, yet it would make me feel as though I was dieing for about 15 seconds... I freaked out, went to the bathroom and got on my knees and prayed to God for intervention... I didn't want that injection, I just wanted my nightmare to be over, and I was desperately trying to remain calm for my girls and Shane.
When I returned, it was decided that I would be injected with a beta blocker through the drip which had a similar affect as the other injection except it takes longer to take affect and shouldn't have the I'm about to die feeling. Within minutes my heart rate slowly calmed down significantly and I was finally able to relax for the first time in about 4 hours.
Shane and I reassured our girls as best we could, I settled in for the night at hospital and Shane took our exhausted girls home to sleep.
I was monitored throughout the night, a whole lot of blood and urine tests were done and I was then sent home the next afternoon with a plan for follow up care... It was thought that I had SVT (basically the heart doesn't working as it should).
Within hours of leaving the hospital, I returned with the same symptoms, all of them...it was once again horrible, but we continued to put on a brave face for our girls, reassured them and desperately prayed. More tests were done, many, many blood tests, another cannula was put into my inner arm/elbow, I was connected to the ECG monitor again and was again closely monitored. Every doctor available became involved and very interested in my case because they couldn't work out what was wrong (still can't, but hopefully getting closer).
The doctors believed it could be one of three rare diseases/illnesses. Firstly they thought that maybe I had a bad virus that attacked my heart (I had been to the doctors clinic about 1 week earlier because I had what seemed to be sinus issues, pussy bumps on my head, a big lump behind my ear and one on the roof of my mouth), so I was pumped with antibiotics through a drip and a few other medications where given to me for a few different things. So for a few more days one arm was connected to a drip and the other to the ECG monitor, lots of blood was taken from me and I even had to have a painful injection in my stomach because the doctors thought there was a chance I could have a clot travelling towards my lungs. If you know me...you know I hate needles, and as of today believe it or not, I've been jabbed around 15 times in about a week... ARGGHHH!
I remained in hospital for about 4 nights, and I then asked if I could go home. I was worried about my girls and how hard it was on Shane, and just wanted to go home to love them and cook for them and take care of them. So I went home with a care plan of seeing my doctor every week, going to all my appointments in Mt. Isa, and going into emergency if anything else occurred again.
The tests I've had so far have been...blood tests, urine tests (including a 24 hour urine test), diabetes tests twice while in hospital, xray on my chest, I also had to be transported by ambulance 1 1/2 hours to Mt. Isa hospital for a CT scan on my lungs and a thyroid ultra sound.
Since leaving the Cloncurry hospital I've had to return 4 times with similar problems. I've also had to return to Mt. Isa hospital on a few occasions for a heart ultrasound and for a 24 hour ECO monitor test (basically you have a small heart monitor connected to your chest area for 24 hours to see how your heart is behaving).
I still have a few more tests that need to be done in Mt. Isa over the next few weeks, including an ultrasound on my adrenal gland, I'm looking forward to having this scan over and done with, and we are all hoping and praying that the tests return with no problem in or near that area.
The doctors here are very interested in my case, and have been taking good care of me. The doctors and nurses here in Cloncurry are wonderful, compassionate, capable and I am glad I am in there care...although I desperately want this whole ordeal over for my family and myself!
One of the problems is that Cloncurry has a small hospital. So most tests are done 1 1/2 hours away in Mt. Isa. Some tests need to be sent to Townsville which is about 10 hours away and can and have taken weeks to get any results back to us here in outback Cloncurry...another ARGGHHHHH!
It is frustrating for us all!
The symptoms I continue to have go from mild to down right scary... I at times have a racing heart (this can be short lived and mild and it can also go on for hour after looong hour), loss of appetite (I actually lost about 6 kilos in less than 2 weeks), nausea, a tickle cough, loose stools, clammy, sweaty, restlessness, irritability, anxiety (the anxiety can be mild and it has also been quite extreme and VERY scary, I've never experienced anything like it before), blurry vision, breathlessness (this to is a horrible feeling), aches in my chest area and thyroid area, tiredness, sleeplessness and the list goes on, and on, and I'm still having new symptoms occur through the weeks.
Even with these symptoms after having 5 days off work, I was told I could return to work by my doctors and my employers told us my job was secure. The night before I was to return to work the caravan park managers replaced me, and told Shane to tell me the reason was because I was in hospital and because of future doctor appointments that are in Mt. Isa..yep, another ARGGHHHHH!
After 5 months of working my bottom off and doing a FANTASTIC job for this caravan park, I was very disappointed with how these people have treated myself and Shane, although I wasn't completely surprised. Since these new managers started working here about two months ago...well let's just say Shane and I have had to cop quite a bit of work place bullying.
Don't get me wrong, we've had some great highs here in the Curry, however, there have been some lows also, as there is in life...we just now want me to get better quickly, because even though part of us will he sad to say goodbye to our outback home, we know it is time to go!
I Thank everyone who has prayed for us xo Please continue to do so, for my health and healing and also for my husband and our wonderful daughters. Our daughters have shown such strength and resilience in such a difficult time. They both amaze us.
Please pray for healing for me, and for Gods peace, love and joy to fill Shane's, Elissa's, Serena's and my heart and mind...Pray for God to continue to be with us, guiding and directing our path. We need your prayers...Thank You Sooooo VERY much...your support and prayers are SOOO VERY much appreciated xo
Lots of Love, and Take Care!
Dimi xo
