17/09/2009
Hasholin Hospital, Petah Tikva
With Racheli's wedding over, and her fever returning within minutes of our return home, Didi was looking decidedly ill. The idea that it was all in her head was fantastic for the duration of the wedding, but that theory now seems well and truly defunct. Her temperature at 3:00 am was 39.1, and the look of utter despair on her face told the story of how she felt. Unfortunately i was of no help - i passed out within seconds of my head hitting the pillow. Upon waking the next morning however, she had added severe nausea to her symptoms, and got Gabi to take her to the doctor. Some doctors are just plain lazy. As for this one, he would probably be a more effective member of this very Jewish society if he opened a Christian bookshop.. After claiming that she might have pig flu, and giving her some piss weak antibiotics, he sent her home. "If you don't get better in 2 days, just go to the hospital." Sterling advice. After 2 days of non stop fever and vomiting, Didi decided it was time. Dahlia and I accompanied her, and sat in the ER for countless hours as they took blood, did chest X-rays and whatever else they felt necessary. Since her local GP had thrown the pig flu possibility in there, the hospital obviously put a surgical mask on her immediately, which really added to the drama of it all. 5 hours or so later, they had confirmed that it was not pig flu at all, but some other strange strain of virus. Still serious enough to warrant a stay in the hospital, they stabbed a drip into her, and assigned her a bed upstairs in the hospital proper.
On arriving upstairs, the nurse on duty got a little worried, and called the ER to make sure that this was where Didi needed to be. Also, one of the patients in the ward was screaming 'Lo po, lo po!". (Not here, not here!) Since no one had advised her otherwise, Didi was still wearing her mask - it is amazing the fear that a mask on a patient can induce in people! For that simple reason (and because there was room), Didi ended up with her own private balcony suite, rather than being crammed into an 8 person suite with the other patients. After a terrible 2 days of fever and vomiting, some things just had to start going right..
So, i am now writing this while sitting next to a sleeping Adi, in the mentioned private suite. 4 litres of intravenous saline solution, 400 ml of I.V. penicillin and over 24 hours later, she is feeling a lot better. She will have to spend another night here, as they want to pump her with a lot more penicillin before they let her out, but at least the end is in sight. With the most important holiday of the year starting tomorrow (Rosh Hashana - Jewish New Year), it would be very nice for her to spend it anywhere other than here...
