115 – Slowing the Slide Towards Death Part 5: 8 December 2024
Margaret had her 70th birthday on 29 March 2020, just as the Covid restrictions were being imposed. One of the restrictions was the closure of cafes and restaurants. Despite the restrictions, an enterprising lady called Audrey was still able to provide coffee and light refreshments from a caravan parked on North Esplanade next to the Glenelg beach. Audrey baked a chocolate cake for Margaret’s birthday.
The first photo above
is Margaret with her two best friends Sue Chapman (middle) and Anne Ryan on the
right. The second photo shows Audrey’s
caravan. Both photos were taken on Margaret's birthday 29
March 2020 when my life was not yet threatened by deadly coughing. The chocolate cake was delicious.
****
I attended A & E
on Friday 22 May 2020 after the coughing was present throughout Thursday 21 May, but increased
dramatically from about 8:00 pm on 21 May when it became continuous
paroxysms where I brought up white sputum.
Intense coughing on 21 May lasted from about 8:00 throughout the night
up to 7:00 am on Friday 22 May 2020. I
had no possibility of sleep during the night of 21/ 22 May. On other nights since about 3rd
week of April, the coughing had usually died down and I had usually gained 2 hours
of sleep – occasionally I even got 4 hours of sleep.
The coughing was still
present when I typed up a medical history document to take to A & E on 22
May. Daylight seemed to lessen the
severity of the coughing, and in daylight there was a noticeable lessening in the
frequency and severity of the coughing.
After attending A
& E on Friday 22 May 2020 and on recommendation of the A & E doctor, I began using Nasonex Allergy 140 Metered Sprays on a daily basis – 2 squirts
in the left nostril and one in the right nostril, usually three times per day. I also took one tablet per day of Fexofenadine
Hayfever & Allergy Relief.
As at 8:42 am on
Wednesday 27 May, the coughing had shown no sign of improvement.
****
On the night of Friday
22 May I slept from 11 pm until 1.30 am on Saturday 23 May. I completed that night through intermittent
dozing on the lounge room sofa.
On Saturday 23 May, I slept
from 10.30 pm until 3.00 am on Sunday 24 May. I was unable to even doze after 3.00 am.
On Sunday evening 24
May, the coughing was so persistent from 8:00 pm that I didn’t attempt to
go to bed. I spent Sunday night/ Monday
morning coughing on the sofa in the lounge.
I got no letup at all in the coughing at all. I had an extremely long, hard night without
even dozing. The coughing finally eased
at 8:00 am on Monday 25 May.
In the evening of Monday
25 May I slept in bed from about 10.30 pm until about 1.30 am on Tuesday. I then got some intermittent dozing on the sofa.
Tuesday 26 May was
very similar to the previous day – I slept from 10.30 pm until about 1.30 am on
Wednesday 27 May, with only intermittent sofa dozing after that.
****
At that time, I ceased
going to bed until my bronchial tubes seemed to be clear with no rattling
noises. For the nights of 224/ 25 and
25/ 26 May, I turned on an oil column heater in the bedroom for at least two
hours before I tried to sleep. I left
the heater on when I went to bed. I
arranged the pillows on the bed to ensure that I was upright when I went to
sleep. I also sat upright on the sofa
after bed became impossible and I sipped peppermint tea with teaspoons of
honey. The honey helped soothe my throat
and (possibly) helped damp down the urge to cough.
By 27 May 2020, the
sneezing had returned, although on a much smaller scale than before the sinus
operation. In the three weeks preceding
27 May I usually had sneeze attacks twice daily of about 14 sneezes in any one
session. There was no obvious trigger
for the sneezes. Compared to the months
leading up to sinus operation on 25 February 2020, these sneezing sessions were
not significant but I was dismayed that the sneezing attacks had reappeared.
****
I saw Dr Pant again on
27 May 2020. She found nothing amiss arising out of the sinus operation that might explain my coughing attacks. Dr Pant referred me to Dr Vinod Aiyappan, a
lung specialist. This is what she said
in her letter referring me to Dr Aiyappan
|
Thank you for seeing
John who has a history of bilateral nasal polyps. He underwent sinus surgery on 25 February
2020. Please find enclosed copies of
his histology, microbiology and blood test results. He was making a good
post-operative recovery until mid April developed severe nocturnal
coughing. Please find enclosed a copy
of my letter to his GP regarding this.
I am looking forward to your thoughts whether this is to do with a
reactive post viral problem or potentially an undiagnosed lower respiratory
tract syndrome. He is a passive smoker
as his wife smokes, and no past history of asthma. I look forward to hearing the outcome of
his visit. |
****
When Dr Pant referred me to Dr Aiyappan, she yet again saved my life – this time indirectly rather than directly. Just over a year after getting this referral, Dr Aiyappan plucked me back from the brink of death and I have been in good health ever since.
God bless you Dr Aiyappan.
The details set out in this and other Blogs have been extracted from notes I made at the time to try and help the doctors discover what was wrong with me by giving them detailed patient histories. I have NOT simply invented the detail years later and elaborated the invented details to make the story sound better. I have "cribbed" detail from contemporaneous medical histories that I prepared at the time these events were happening. The details I give in these Blogs are accurate.
ReplyDelete