Thursday 21 June 2007

Bad Health Scare

I apologise for just replying/acknowledging your comments on my last post, please forgive me.
I reckon some Nigerians have been enjoying the imposed NLC strike.
Sadly, hubby and I have had a bad health scare!
So bad was the scare that hubby was placed on admission in our family hospital.
It all started on Tuesday when hubby returned from work.
He said he had to go to the clinic @ work because he had a pounding headache.
He was told his Blood Pressure was very high and he had to rest and take some medication.
He wasn't feeling any better on Wednesday so we drove to the clinic to check his BP, the nurse took her time checking and rechecking, then she went to get a colleague to recheck.
I was fasting, the last day of 3days fasting.
The nurses started whispering: 'What did you get?' 'No, tell me what you got first' 'What I got is very high'......
Hubby snapped: What did u get?
Nurse 1: 210/140
Nurse 2: That's what I got too and it's dangerously high sir. You'll have to see the doctor.

I dint understand what they were talking about, so I chatted with hubby as we waited for the doctor who called us in not long after.

Doctor: Good afternoon, Mr O and Mrs O? (Me: Yes). Please take a seat. I am going to have to check your BP again as what I have here is dangerously high. Infact, some people have stroke on 180/90 (Alarm Bells!!!!), if this BP is correct, then I am going to place you on admission immediately and monitor you till evening....Mmmmmh, indeed it's 210/140. Excuse me..(He made a call and gave orders for some intravenous injections to be prepared and taken to a ward for Mr O)Mr O, do you drink alcohol or smoke?

Hubby:
I drink occassionally

Me:
He used to drink and smoke heavily a few years ago

Doc:
Are you urinating normally?

Hubby:
(to me) I guess so? (I nodded)

Doc: Have u been under any stress/pressure from home? Work? Change of environment?.....

Hubby:
No

Doc: Any medication?

Hubby: No, just occasional painkillers and i saw a doctor yesterday who prescribed Lexotan because my BP was high

Doc: You made a good decision by coming to check again. I am placing u on admission straightaway. There' no way you can leave the hospital in this condition...but there's no cause for alarm, high BP is a very manageable condition, there are drugs that can help you, okay?

We nodded

Doc: We are also going to do 3 tests: diabetes, cholesterol and electrolytes, Sodium precisely. In the mean time, you have to cut down on salt, fatty foods and exercise more

I tried hard not to panic as I thought: High Blood Pressure? Stroke? Where from?
Hubby was checked into a ward and the first intravenous injection was administered. His BP was checked after 10mins: 190/130 still high.
The second shot was administered. His BP after 10mins was: 186/120, still high
The third shot was administered. His BP after 10mins was 180/110
The fourth shot was administered. His BP after 10mins 176/100

The doctor said hubby could relax till evening.
He was going to be placed on medication.
He insisted hubby had to exercise more and cut down on fatty foods, salt, caffeine and alcohol and that I should help as much as I can.

We were discharged at 10:47pm, and while we were waiting to pay our bill, something terrible happened.
Hubby is okay, thank GOD but there's a thin line between life and death and u won't believe how careless some doctors are.
This month of June should just go away.......



1 comment:

princesa said...

Babe just when i was beginning to smile that the Bp finally came down, you had to come with "something terrible happened", What was it abeg no bad news o! Going to read the later posts.