Chest pain and aches

It all started with an innocuous pain on the left lower chest. Then it turned into sharp pounding pain with each deep breath. Next, the pain spread to lower left back. The pain was aggravated with each movement. I could hardly twist or turn. I could hardly walk straight. I could not lie down.

I had fever.

The best and wise thing to do was to see the doctor.
The doctor could not identify the cause and advised me to go for a chest X-ray and blood test.

X-ray showed pleural effusion, which is explained as excess fluid that fills up the fluid-filled space that surrounds the lungs.

There are many causes for pleura effusion.
One of them is pneumonia.
But it couldn't be pneumonia as I didn't have any cough.
So the GP advised me to see a chest specialist.

Oh yes, and I remembered that I crashed my chest into the marble counter top in the kitchen while doing work the other day. But there was no bruise in sight. So this cause was also ruled out. (btw, I have concluded that I should wear an armour when I work in the house..)

At the specialist, I was told to do another blood test for mycoplasma.
The result was negative.
So it couldn't be fungal infection.
Maybe it was other unknown bacteria.

I was prescribed with Avelox, an antibiotic which made me nauseous, giddy, blur, sometimes high, sometimes low, and more..
The pain was gone immediately after I saw the specialist.
The side effects of the drug was still there nonetheless.

Then, on the fifth day of antibiotic, I woke up with the pain on the right side of my back.
It couldn't be bacteria then.
And this warrant an immediate visit to the specialist.

Another X-ray taken...
The hb was with me all these while.
He was worried.
I knew he was thinking what I was thinking.
But we never spoke about it.

I tried very hard to focus on the positive.
But I broke down and cried when no one was around.
It was the thought of separation that brought me to tears.
the thoughts of leaving behind my hb and two young kids..
the regrets of not doing enough for the kids..
the agony of not able to watch them grow up..

That was even before I took my second X-ray.
I was so silly. But the thoughts were depressing.
We never know when in life we are going to fall ill and die.

Thankfully, the second X-Ray showed improvement in the pleural effusion.
Phew. It wasn't as bad as we thought.

I am well.
The rest are history..

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