Three things...and please pray for me!

Hi everyone.  Three things:

Firstly, I have been receiving some very sweet comments here and on Dropbox about "To Be or Not to Be," and I really appreciate them.  I'm always so happy to hear from all of you.

Secondly, to GERDINA and LYNN, I would appreciate it if you would please email me at wingedheartohio@gmail.com.  Blogger doesn't give me your email addresses so I can't personally respond to you.

Lastly, please send me some positive vibes and prayers, if you are so inclined.  I spent all day (and I do mean ALL day) in the emergency room Thursday.  I have been feeling poorly, running fevers, feeling weak, etc.  I stumbled and fell into the wall early in the morning on Wednesday but just thought it was my usual back issues at fault. However, as the day progressed, I was in so much pain on my right side and around my back that I couldn't even sit up straight.  It was so bad I couldn't sleep at all Wednesday night and, by Thursday morning, the pain became so severe that I pushed my alert button and called for help.  When the ambulance arrived, I was in tears and my blood pressure was sky high.  The guys were so great...and really concerned.  They started an IV and gave me morphine before we even left for the hospital.

Once there, they did every test known to man!  Urinalysis showed I had a bladder infection, which wasn't surprising as I've had one for the better part of three-and-a-half years.  My blood work was off showing the infection and lab work showed my kidney function was lower than it usually is (which is always lower than normal), but still good enough to have contrast for CT scans.  They did CT scans of my chest and abdomen and ultrasound of my left leg (it was swollen, as is usual), to rule out blood clots, kidney stones, etc.

The good news is that there is no recurrence of the kidney cancer I had previously on the right and had part of that kidney removed.  Bad news is that I have pyelonephritis, which is severe bacterial infection in the kidneys, probably migrating up from the bladder.  It causes swelling of the kidney and, if not caught and treated in a timely way, can cause abscesses and worse issues.  As would be expected, the remaining right kidney is affected more than the left.  They gave me a massive dose of antibiotics through the IV, and more to take for a week at home.  Now, this is risky for me as I've had c.Difficile infections in my colon three times; the first time it was very severe and I literally almost died.  Taking strong antibiotics can trigger this infection again as it kills off the good bacteria which keeps the c.Difficile that is always present in check.  This is why I need your prayers and good thoughts...it would be extremely threatening if I were to get this colon infection again and, I have to admit, I am frightened.  When I hesitated about taking the antibiotics, the doctor explained it was absolutely necessary to treat the pyelonephritis, that there was no choice.  He said I would be risking my life if I didn't and, at the least, it could damage my kidneys permanently leaving me dependent on dialysis.  So I am taking them.  I have been ordered to rest, monitor my temperature and, no surprise, drink lots of water.

Sorry this post has been so long, but I really need to know that you are all thinking of me and holding me up.  I am so very tired of being in poor health in general, and of not having a normal functioning immune system.  It really sucks.  I am grateful for every day I have and I know I will continue to fight to stay here with all of you, and especially to see my great-nephews and great-nieces grow up.

Thank you for being part of my life.

Blessings to you and for YOUR health,
Sally
WingedHeartOhio