Bridget Jones’s Dance with Dengue

Yes, dear blogfriends! I just came home from a 3-day confinement in the hospital for Dengue!  (cries)  I know!  It’s so third world public health! (wails and sobs)

I was not able to go to office on Friday because of a high fever.  I just took the day off, rested, took in a lot of fluids, paracetamol, etc.  The next day, my fever did not go away.  Sunday morning, I woke up with rashes on my extremities and with a high fever still.  So, I thought, maybe this is dengue.  I surfed the internet and looked for symptoms and confirmed that I have four of 21 symptoms.  I went to the Manila Doctors that afternoon with husband and they took four vials of my blood.  When I got the results, the friggin’ doctor informed me that I had dengue and that they wanted to admit me.  I refused, walked out of the door, went to the office to get my Pearl River TLR and went to Baywalk for a photoshoot with husband!  Yes, I did.

Of course, the next day, I still had fever so I went to Asian Hospital because it was nearer and my boss’s son was confined their for dengue and informed me that Asian Hospital’s dengue management program is the best.  So, I went there for a SECOND OPINION. And second opinion, I got…which was the same with the first diagnosis.  Doctor had me on a second round of CBC.  The next day, I called the doctor and he informed me that I need to be admitted because my platelet count fell down to 94.  Oh, dear blogfriends.  I was sooooo frightened because I have this unfabulous image of me having nosebleeds etc!  So they took me in, had me undergo CBC again and platelet count fell down further to 60.  The next platelet count gave me quite a scare because I hit 36, and the doctor informed me that I need to get donors already because they are setting me up for platelet transfusion.  I cried in panic!  It was sooooo unglamorous! (laughs)  But seriously, I did not show my mom and sister but I was really, really scared.

Friends and colleagues from the office went to Asian Hospital to donate blood (which was very touching because there were managers and people I don’t even personally know but went their to volunteer).  For some miracle, doctor informed me that my latest platelet count dropped only to 34 and that it seemed that it had stabilized so I might not need transfusion anymore.  So after 3 more CBC’s (I was punctured for a total of 8 times since Sunday), and a platelet count of 98, doctor said that my platelet count is going nowhere but up.  He discharged me with instructions of a repeat CBC on the 27th.

Whew!  But now I am okay.  I just finished marinating our baby backribs and chicken in my secret sauce.  And I am excited to spend Christmas at home!  I thank God for being there for me and for the friends and new-found friends with kind hearts.  I am still alive!  It ain’t over till the fabulous diva croaks.  Hugs hugs hugs!