Just a quick update, as I am currently in my bed, taking it easy after an exciting 13 hours in a Quebec hospital!
Only recently, I posted that I wasn't going to waste the hospital's time going in for a stomach ache, and that I would eventually get to see a doctor at the clinic, rude receptionist or not. Luckily my friends made me go to A&E on Sunday evening, as it turns out my simple stomach ache is not, as the first doctor suggested 3 weeks ago, constipation, but is in fact kidney stones! How exciting.
Going to the hospital for non-serious injuries and illnesses is much more acceptable here (culture of entitlement I guess). Most of the people in the waiting room on Sunday evening didn't seem all that sick to me. I suppose the human kebabs of my last post were probably brought in by ambulance and not made to sit in a waiting room.
I spent 7 hours in A&E on Sunday evening (I eventually left at 3.30 am) having various tests. I now have some very exciting bruises to show for a simple blood test - it took both arms and the back of my hand to get enough blood to fill a wee test tube or two. I suppose I'll be grateful for slow moving blood if I ever sever an artery! Every cloud has a silver lining, eh? I was also x-rayed, poked and prodded but to no avail. It wasn't my gall bladder, uterus, stomach, liver... almost every organ had been checked off the list when the doctor sent me home at 3.30 and told me to come back the next day for more tests.
So, after 2 hours nap, I presented myself to the receptionist again at 8 am the next morning. At which point I was presented with a cup and pointed towards the water fountain. My instructions? The literal translation was "drink until your eyes turn yellow" which I translated as drink until you think your bladder is about to burst. So, following orders, and much to everyone in the waiting room's amusement, I proceeded to drink about 3 litres of water in an exceedingly short space of time. Then I was whisked off to another waiting room upstairs to have an ultrasound. But not until I had sat there for at least half an hour, my legs crossed, grimacing and squirming uncontrollably from all the water. The ultrasound revealed I have an inflamed right kidney, probably caused by kidney stones.
So, I was prescribed lots of tasty tablets to aid the removal of said stone and I have to go back in 2 weeks to see if it has gone. If not? Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I feel much better now I know what the problem is and I have some medicine which seems to be doing the trick.
I've had the day off school today, catching up on sleep and having some much needed rest and relaxation before going back to school tomorrow (I am nothing if not dedicated to my kids - they will improve, come hell or high water!) Although when I say relaxing, I have actually been planning lessons all day - the poor little things are going to get some culture in the form of Shakespeare. Even the film version of Romeo and Juliet has got to be better than nothing!
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