Having started the week on positive vibes, new shoes, new tights all was good. Muscles and injuries all feeling fine and dandy then what I didn't want happened. My three gorgeous Grand-children have suffered the most terrible coughs and infections. However, the Girls have been by far the worst affected. As I am lucky enough to see them all loads I was aware that I was at risk of picking up a cough or cold. I prepared well I got plenty of fluid and slept well my diet remained sensible all this was to no avail. As I suffer from Rhinitus it can be difficult to determine whether its a runny nose due to a cold or my rhinitus having a flare up. The consequence is that I need to wait to see what it is that I am treating, so I prepared and bought caffeine free flu remedy, sensible to avoid any trigger as I could be poorly with it. So far so good eh !. The following day I woke with my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth unable to get any saliva to wet my throat. My sinuses felt horrendous I put the remedy into full attack mode, lets fight it quickly and get it done with. After taking the remedy for two days I didn't feel a great deal different, but I will take my 3 days worth what harm can it do? Thursday was by far my worst day, I took Mum shopping and before I had even started my trolley was full of crap..biscuits,buns,cakes etc, I felt crap so I may as well eat crap. I hasten to add I didn't, I didn't really have an appetite. My final tablets were heading down, lashings of vapo-rub do or die time. Friday I woke up and felt great apart from indigestion, which could be normal for me, Gaviscon you are my saviour. Little bit odd its didn't work as well as it should, food doesn't seem to be actually going down it feels like its getting stuck below my breast bone..bit odd but it will clear up. By Friday night it really didn't feel normal I had taken more Gaviscon but still no real relief. Over night it got worse the spasms in my chest kept waking me up I had the Gaviscon by the bed but it just wasn't touching the sides. It feels different that any indigestion I have ever had. It feels like a huge lump of pain running under my ribcage up into my throat. 7am Saturday the pain is so bad that the collective we (Mark & Me) decide A&E is the only option, as we both know that if my hernia is strangulating then it was serious. After having a cuppa...I know what I said but even without a decaff coffee I can't operate...without going into detail I paid a "visit" and felt better, had my breakfast felt worse but then felt reasonable.
Our Daughter is getting married and today was a visit to the suit shop, all was going well until the pain in my abdomen started, I was struggling to hide the pain I was in as I didn't want my kids to worry. But the pain got too much and I had to tell them that after I dropped them off I was heading for A&E.
On entering A&E I was wired up to ECG to make sure it was gastrointestinal and not heart related, bloods and even urine taken. Pain relief and lansoprazole given, I hoped this would do the trick back in the waiting room the pain was still there but then seemed to ease...yipee. When I was called back into the exam room I was confident that I would be discharged with lansoprazole in pocket. The Dr did look slightly confused that I was still in discomfort, he decided to examine me, he pressed lightly under my left ribs felt a bit sore, pressed lightly on my right side no pain at all, then he pressed mid abdomen on my left...if it hadn't of hurt so much I would have knocked him clean out. Wow the pain was excruciating he didn't do anything else apart from move me and ask for an xray. Whilst I was waiting I was doubled up in agony, I know he didn't mean to hurt me but I really wish he hadn't done it. The xray just to check if my hernia had strangulated or perished, this was my biggest fear I knew what this would mean and I was scared. After the xray I saw the same Dr who said everything was clear, the relief was huge, but I was given Buscopan and an advisory to visit my GP Monday.
having had time to think over what I had eaten to cause this problem there was nothing, I do have to be careful with IBS and hernia that I don't upset the balance. So I knew it was nothing I had eaten, what could it be then? Then with a flash I knew...cold & flu remedy, it's the only thing I have taken that is unusual, but I got caffeine free it can't be that..can it? On returning home and checking the ingredient list the 1 of the 3 got my attention Guaifenesin, oh boy was I foolish. I suppose I am no different to you I never read the warning leaflet, but this simple action was a great error. The ingredient Guaifenesin has a side effect of gastrointestinal discomfort, if I had read the label then maybe I would have thought twice about taking it. The pain I am feeling is as a result of the remedy that I was sure would just take care of a cold.
With a week to go before the Leeds Abbey Dash I am now unable to run until the pain subsides, if the pain or symptoms don't subside then I will have no choice but to relinquish my place. I simply cannot put my own health at risk for this, there would have been a time I would have run with any problem, but as with many things in life, somethings just have to take a back seat.
I have lived with the symptoms of both IBS and hiatus hernia for many many years but this scared me it's the first time I have ever had a problem. I knew that any operation would have been swift and would mean a stay in hospital, something I just don't want or need.
So I go into a new week carrying something I wasn't prepared for, I hope that by the middle of the week I will be able to pop a couple of 10kms in before the Abbey Dash, my GP may be able to give me more advise on my next steps.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
When you go home tell them of us and say
For your tomorrow we gave our today
Lest we forget.
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