Chronic illnesses at Christmas

Every spoonie will know that Christmas time is a hard one; 1. Chronic illnesses do not stop for the holidays. 2. For whatever godforsaken reason, our illnesses all like to flare up at Christmas. Why? I have no idea. But it just seems to be the way.

For me, I’ve had a bit of a wild one this Christmas already in a few ways. The first and main thing that’s impacting me is shockingly my tonsils; I’ve recently – this year – had a few issues with my tonsils and my throat, getting recurrent infections, but before that I’ve been fine. But a few weeks ago I got diagnosed with another bout of tonsillitis – so fun! – and given phenoxymethylpenicillin. They started giving me quite intense side effects actually and it was horrible, but it was a few days in that they became so intense and I became so unwell we had to call an ambulance. We realised that the effects were an intense allergic reaction to penicillin (not anaphylactic but my body reacting in another way) as the paramedics informed us of this upon examination. I had an extreme ice pick headache, chest pains and more, and it was intense. Luckily they were so understanding and one of the paramedics even has first hand experiences with one of my main conditions, and they knew a lot about my other ones which is refreshing as sometimes I’m a walking educator despite being the ill one. They had realised how my condition contributed to the reaction and how it all worked together and it was really helpful to hear an educated (and not gaslight-y) perspective from a medical professional. They were able to call up an OOH Doctor and change my antibiotic to Clarithromycin which I was given a further 5 day dose of. When that dose finished, a day later I was feeling like I had tonsillitis symptoms again – it was a Sunday, 22nd December, so a nightmare to get any help, but I went to the pharmacy in boots for the pharmacy first scheme (which I cannot fault) and they said I couldn’t have more anti-biotics from them due to already having been treated by them over their limit and I’d have to be seen by a doctor – but there was my problem – on Friday I registered for a new GP. So on Monday I rung my new GP; not yet a patient. I rung my old GP; not a patient anymore. I rung my new GP again; ring 111. So I rung 111 – 111 offered me 2 options – it was A&E or the Urgent Treatment Centre. I’d been to A&E last week for the next thing I’m going to get onto and holy hell, it was a nightmare. I never want to go to A&E generally again, but if I can avoid the QA again always it would be my most favoured thing. So off to Gosport Urgent Treatment we went and we were booked in for our 11:20 appt. The sign said the wait would be 2 1/2 hours but I guess that is for walk ins as we only waited 1 hour 10 mins until we saw a Doctor. She told me I had tonsillitis still, as well as a throat infection, my ear was inflamed and my lymph nodes were up… so onto antibiotic 3 I am currently! Which is azithromycin. Like the others, it wipes you out. I was a nightmare to get up on Christmas eve and after I finally did get up my Dad was like ‘no, go back to bed’ but as I was up I insisted on not wasting the day. But was I exhausted? Absolutely! And as ever, Christmas Day was exhausting… I don’t know if that was a Christmas Day thing or an extra-ill and anti-biotics thing, but god I was gone before the extra early Doctor Who! I mean I made it through the episode without having a nap until after, but I was running on special interest fuel and the pure vibes of my Carolina Dress Room Dalek dress that I got for Christmas from my uncle

The post DW nap was solid though and did pull me through for the rest of the day. On Boxing Day we awoke at midday too, and were in bed for a nap by 5pm! It’s a tiring time. Even more tiring probably because you have to use up all your social spoons! Chronic illnesses don’t pause for Christmas, infact they’re probably heightened in some aspects. I’m bloody exhausted and due to family dynamics we’re still celebrating several days until New Year!

But here’s for story two. Bloody typical that after a long stint out of hospital (ayyyyy! That’s good still right?) my first admission (and first welcome to the Queen Alexandra Hospital after living here for 3 months was at Christmas time (though luckily not on Christmas or Boxing Day like last year’s very un-fun antics). Totally unrelated to the tonsilitis and reaction to the antibiotics, out of no where, I got a very strong stabbing pain headache behind my ear. It very quickly radiated all over my head and I suddenly felt a stabbing pain at the base of my skull. I caught a temperature as the headache overwhelmed me and out of no-where my neck stiffened and I couldn’t move or turn it or anything. I had no idea what was happening, it was quite scary actually, and I just knew something was wrong. I just said to my wife “I don’t know what’s going on, but this isn’t just a normal migraine, I don’t know what to do” so we decided to ring 111. We did so and they put us through to an ambulance who said our case was urgent, but the wait would be 7 1/2 hours. I got a call back about 5 mins later from a 999 doctor saying “your case is urgent*, a doctor needs to see you within an hour, you need to get to the hospital” so my wife and my Dad did their best to support me to the car and we made our way to A&E to find out it was living hell. Em stayed with me for 6 hours and despite there being a report attached to my name, was I seen in 1 hour? No. Was I seen in 6? Nope? Was I even triaged? Nope. It got to those 6 hours in and I had been crying out in pain involuntarily prior, but managed to stop and nod off for a bit and awoke to my name. “Why aren’t we going anywhere?!” I protested to Em as to why we weren’t following someone to a room, surely we were finally being called, but no; we were being told we were 30th, yes, still thirtieth on the list to be seen and it would be hours before we even spoke to anyone, got any blood tests taken, maybe got a cubicle if we were lucky (we wouldn’t; a man going to a surgical ward was in chairs – how absurd!). A while after that, I felt a slight ease in my neck – due to the pain of the stiffness (despite it being unable to move) it was being supported by a travel pillow, and I felt it almost ease into the pillow. I moved the pillow and put my hands on my neck and I was able to move it. It was sore and, but the pain had started to ease up a little (helped by my own pain medication and I think the recovery of the situation) and I could move my head! As I said, the pain was also slightly more tolerable. Due to the fact we’d not be seen until, they suspected gone midday, we decided that we’d go home and ring the GP at 8am for an appointment that day. Especially because *The urgency was because 999 suspected I had meningitis which does not recover on its own like my symptoms did – I was in the clear for meningitis – thank goodness – so I could go home and wait to see my GP (though it did have to be a same day appointment still. I did get a same day appointment for my GP at 2.30 that day, and we were all pleased it was in the afternoon. My wife sat in A&E with me all night and my Dad didn’t sleep from worry and was our transport (we didn’t get home until 6am so had little sleep before ringing the GP at 8am) so getting a few hours was helpful (especially since my GP was still in Basingstoke so we had to drive up!). My GP said she thinks that my neck spasmed to cause this and that CCI caused a rare kind of migraine from said pain. She wants me to see a physio for my neck and see if it helps. So that’s my story 2!

Am I the only spoonie who is chronically daunted by Christmas? I just feel like I’m always more unlucky at Christmas, I can be fine for months and at Christmas I will just always end up in hospital or around hospital for something. Even if it’s just within the few weeks, not on the day, though I do usually feel poorly somehow on the day too! But I do just always end up in hospital for Christmas and I hate my luck for that

This was very much a ramble so my apologies for that but I hope someone can relate (though I’m also sorry someone can) and I hope you’re all doing well these holidays and happy Boxing Day!

Stay safe, stay strong, and look after yourself,

Love always,

Laur x