We had been gone the past week to visit my daughter and granddaughters in Connecticut and had a wonderful time with them as usual.We started out from Greenwich Saturday morning and headed south down the N.J. turnpike to visit a farm in south Jersey. Saturday afternoon we were heading back to Georgia planning to tag-team drive all night as we usually do (we hate to make overnight stays in motels … such a waste of time). Sunday was a day of rest and recovery.
I had a “to-do” list a mile long that I had planned starting Monday morning, but that was not to be. After making the call to say I wouldn’t have a column for last week’s paper, my fever steadily climbed throughout the day until it hit 105° late Monday afternoon and my entire body broke into uncontrollable shakes that I had never before experienced.
My wife had seen these exact symptoms before when her mother was attacked by an e-coli virus, so she said “We’re going to the ER right now!” I didn’t and couldn’t have put up a fuss if I wanted.
She half carried me to the car and raced to the ER as fast as her car and flashing lights could go, horn blowing at every intersection. I was still shaking uncontrollably in the right seat. Within 15 minutes I was in the ER. My wife and I gave them the history and symptoms as fast and as best as we could and they went to work.
After all the usual checks of bodily functions, the ER doctor ordered a CAT scan and discovered the main culprit: an acutely infected prostate gland, probably brought on by the non-stop drive and lack of adequate fluids on the drive back from Connecticut over the weekend.
So, five hours, three IV bags of antibiotics and a catheter later, I was dismissed to go home at 2 a.m. and was I ever thankful I didn’t have to stay. Hats off to the Crisp County ER staff for such a fast and professional job!
So what’s the moral to this story? Two: 1. probably at our age we shouldn’t be doing marathon drives like we did, but if so, during any long drive, still get plenty of fluids; it’s worth the extra “rest stops.” 2. Consider a one button Guardian Alert to call 911•.
I can say without any exaggeration, if my wife weren’t there to help me I wouldn’t have made it once those shakes started. Even if I could have found my phone, I couldn’t have dialed 911. That’s how violent they were.
I’m still weak and recovering but feeling like a totally new person again and VERY thankful for it.
See you next week!
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Bill Milby, CSA, is a Certified Senior Advisor and a Director of Visiting Angels® of Macon, a non-medical, living assistance service for seniors. If you have questions or comments about this column you can reach him at william.mercylink@gmail.com or search for us at www.facebook.com/VisitingAngelsMacon.
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