Friday 18th January 2013
Rushed into the Emergency Department at the Epworth Hospital and anxiously waiting for the Triage nurse to see me. As I have had a referral from my Doctor to get an immediate MRI scan. However it being a Friday it was packed and we went in at around 3:30pm and waited a long while. The only seat I could get was next to a vending machine and the sound of it was thumbing my head-away. About 2 hours of waiting we manage to get called up and put into a cubable. Without further questioned the Nurse got me to gown up and lay on the bed untill the Emergency Doctor could see me.
Moments later the Emergency Doctor saw me and asked the standard questions. Who are you? What is youre problem? I explained that I have been giving headaches or migraines. The Doctor must of thought this is a typical thing on a Friday evening for a 19 year old. Asked if I have been drinking or been doing anything stupid lately. I then handed him the referral and the questions kept following. He asked if I have been overseas in the last 12 months and I said yes Malaysia and Thailand but I didn't do anything like mountain climbing or elephant riding. The Emergency room was packed, alot of intoxicated paitents, and paitents with head problems so the Doctor was very busy. He said he would come back and assess me again.
Meanwhile in the cubicle I had a nurse give me several shots of needles and I will never forget it. Firstly got the bun in my left arm following by a massive shot of Morphine which made me go mental in the head and sick everywhere. Never had morphine before and I never want it again. The Doctor came back and got his eye flash torch and flash his light into my eyes while holding my head. His attitude changed and really took me seriously. He literally poked his light into my eyes for half an hour and didn't say a word. He then made the 'clickie' noise like you do with a pen and said 'You will be scanned for a MRI tonight immediately'.
This was about 9:30 and my mother being the best waited by my side to make sure I was okay. Within 15 mins of the Doctor declaring I needed an Emergency MRI I was put straight onto the bed and wheeled a crossed the hospital. Got to the MRI Imaging department, got all gowned up again and got contrast put into me and was placed in the tunnel for 1 hour. They put a safety crash helmet on my face so I could see the radiographers in the room. Allowing me more space. Within 45mins within the session I could start to see a build up of more nurses and Doctors looking at me through the glass. Even my Emergency Doctor was in there and I could see him putting his hands on his hand like if he was stressed or shaking. I knew straight away it wasn't going to be a simple way out of this and the word Migraine was going to be non-existent anymore. The MRI had finished and the Radiographers were so nice I was kinda getting worried. I was transferred back to my ward where my mother had been waiting for me. It was getting around 10:30. 15mins later The Doctor came into my cube and shut the blinds and couldn't speak for almost 5mins. His hand was shaking and he put his hand on my hand and looked into my eyes and said 'I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry', You have a Brain Tumor, I dont know how I can tell you in any other way, it is really big and its in you're frontal lobe of you're brain.
.JPG)
Rushed into the Emergency Department at the Epworth Hospital and anxiously waiting for the Triage nurse to see me. As I have had a referral from my Doctor to get an immediate MRI scan. However it being a Friday it was packed and we went in at around 3:30pm and waited a long while. The only seat I could get was next to a vending machine and the sound of it was thumbing my head-away. About 2 hours of waiting we manage to get called up and put into a cubable. Without further questioned the Nurse got me to gown up and lay on the bed untill the Emergency Doctor could see me.
Moments later the Emergency Doctor saw me and asked the standard questions. Who are you? What is youre problem? I explained that I have been giving headaches or migraines. The Doctor must of thought this is a typical thing on a Friday evening for a 19 year old. Asked if I have been drinking or been doing anything stupid lately. I then handed him the referral and the questions kept following. He asked if I have been overseas in the last 12 months and I said yes Malaysia and Thailand but I didn't do anything like mountain climbing or elephant riding. The Emergency room was packed, alot of intoxicated paitents, and paitents with head problems so the Doctor was very busy. He said he would come back and assess me again.
Meanwhile in the cubicle I had a nurse give me several shots of needles and I will never forget it. Firstly got the bun in my left arm following by a massive shot of Morphine which made me go mental in the head and sick everywhere. Never had morphine before and I never want it again. The Doctor came back and got his eye flash torch and flash his light into my eyes while holding my head. His attitude changed and really took me seriously. He literally poked his light into my eyes for half an hour and didn't say a word. He then made the 'clickie' noise like you do with a pen and said 'You will be scanned for a MRI tonight immediately'.
This was about 9:30 and my mother being the best waited by my side to make sure I was okay. Within 15 mins of the Doctor declaring I needed an Emergency MRI I was put straight onto the bed and wheeled a crossed the hospital. Got to the MRI Imaging department, got all gowned up again and got contrast put into me and was placed in the tunnel for 1 hour. They put a safety crash helmet on my face so I could see the radiographers in the room. Allowing me more space. Within 45mins within the session I could start to see a build up of more nurses and Doctors looking at me through the glass. Even my Emergency Doctor was in there and I could see him putting his hands on his hand like if he was stressed or shaking. I knew straight away it wasn't going to be a simple way out of this and the word Migraine was going to be non-existent anymore. The MRI had finished and the Radiographers were so nice I was kinda getting worried. I was transferred back to my ward where my mother had been waiting for me. It was getting around 10:30. 15mins later The Doctor came into my cube and shut the blinds and couldn't speak for almost 5mins. His hand was shaking and he put his hand on my hand and looked into my eyes and said 'I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry', You have a Brain Tumor, I dont know how I can tell you in any other way, it is really big and its in you're frontal lobe of you're brain.
(MRI Scan - Tumor located frontal lobe of the brain. 9 inch Tumor too close to cutting off my blood supply.)
As I got told this news from the Doctor I couldn't look at him. I starred straight into the wall and went into shock. At first I'm thinking what exactly is a Tumor? Am I going to die? What does this mean? Please someone explain to me what is going on. During this time my sister, father, girlfriend and brother in law are rushing their way to the hospital to see me. As my mother was next to me she needed support and so did I.
The wonderful Emergency Doctor said that I will be sent to the ontology ward with a private room and it will be appropriate for the family. Ontology room? Cancer? Room? Never knew I would be spending a while here. As soon as the Doctor left the room, a nurse quickly put a huge needle of dexameastone (strong steroid drug) into my arm which was 140ml to reduced the growth of the Tumor and pain. Followed by several other injections which made me loopy.
My wonderful family arrived into the ED room and I couldn't have been happier. They were so extremely lost for words and heart broken. It's not everyday a family member gets a Tumor and it was so scary. Got transferred to the new ward and my wonderful partner was allowed to stay. The hospital staff arranged a mattress and organised my room and timetable for which I was going to be in hospital for weeks.
Comments
Post a Comment