Feeling sicker…
I was really really really really looking forward to having Cassie & Khea (and their sprogs!) over for lunch today and I had to cancel at the last minute. Over night my cold took a turn for the worst and since yesterday I have had a bad cough. I barely slept and this morning Shun thought it best to take me to the hospital before he went to work so we got up and dressed early but still had to wait over an hour to see a doctor.
It was my first time using a hospital or clinic, other than my maternity clinic, since coming back to Japan- therefore my first time for one in this area. Shun had to go to the doctor`s soon after we moved to Funabashi so he thought it best to take me to the same place because it is only about a 10 minute walk from our place and is a big hospital although I think I am going to be looking for a smaller clinic in the hope that I won`t need to wait so long next time (and have a doctor look at me properly)
We filled in all the forms- thought it was a bit weird that there was no question about whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding on the forms (there usually is!) and waited (and waited and waited)…I went in to see the doctor and explained I have had the cold since Saturday night and that I wouldn`t have come just for a cold but that now it had gotten into my chest and was causing a lot of pain and I wanted to confirm it was not phenomia or something like that. He checked me over and said “It`s a cold. And now a chest infection. Take these medicines” and started to write a script….Shun interrupted and said “Can she take those while pregnant” and for the first time the doctor actually looked and me, then at the bump (which come on, at almost 35 weeks is pretty damn obvious. Maybe he had just thought I was fat) and said “oh….no. Okay, just go home and rest and if cough doesn`t go away or gets worse go to your baby clinic on Monday” – Shun asked if there was ANYTHING I could take that was safe and doctor refused to discuss it with us and said nothing is 100% safe and he will not prescribe anything and said I needed to go to my maternity clinic and that MAYBE they could give me something.
So that was a waste of our morning. I mean I am glad it is not phenomia and the doctor said he couldn`t hear any asthma in my chest so that is good but honestly I have never felt this bad with just a cold before. I had very interrupted sleep last night and woke up a few times because I couldn`t breathe and actually thought I was dying. Might sound a bit melodramatic but I get asthma and there is nothing worse than not been able to get enough air because you panic and that was how I was last night.
So it is back to resting for me. I had a short nap around lunch time for an hour and then another almost 3 hour nap just before and trust me when I say that if I nap during the day it is a sign I really am sick. If I stopped eating, well that would be a sign I am dying because I never feel bad enough to not eat (although all I have eaten today is vegemite toast, which is the best when sick and always what my mum gave us as kids)- Shun messaged me before and asked if I wanted him to bring home an apple. Both our mum`s used to give us apple as kids when we were sick it seems!
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You poor thing! If you are still feeling like this tomorrow maybe you should go to your maternity clinic in the morning and see what they have to say. Feeling like you can’t breathe is definitely not a good thing! I hope you manage to get a better night sleep tonight.
I agree that vegemite on toast is a good comfort food. I used to have it when I was hungover too :-O I also like mashed potatoes when I am sick.
Hi there. Long time reader first time commenting here. I’m sorry you’re feeling so sick. Not that it’s much help but the maternity hospital I went to used to encourage us to go there first no matter what we thought the problem was. When breastfeeding too. If they thought we needed more medical attention they would refer us to another hospital. Maybe that’s why your doctor just assumed you weren’t pregnant?? Cause you weren’t referred I mean. Although at 35 weeks he must have been pretty blind not to notice!
And me too on vegemite on toast as comfort food!
yeah, pretty much go to the ob/gyn for anything here, even after giving birth. i got the best ever pain medication from mine. *hugs* go there tomorrow (if they’re open on saturdays) and get something that will help you sleep!
Poor poor you.Please get yourself over to your gyn/ob clinic tomorrow or even tonight if you feel worse.They are open 24/7 and there is always a doctor on duty.You shouldn’t be feeling so poorly at a time like this.
And we always had marmite on toast with an apple when we were sick too:)
Sending you lots and lots of healthy vibes.
Take care and please keep us updated when you have time.Thinking of youxx
I hope you feel better soon!
what a pity at a wasted morning- and still not getting anything for it! I third (fourth?) the suggestion to see your obgyn. I’m surprised the regular doc didn’t tell you to do so. My ENT wouldn’t even see me while I was pregnant. On the other hand it was the only time in Japan I’ve ever had the kind of one stop shop doctor you get at a GP… Hope tonight is going well!
And apples while you’re sick?? We’re all about the vitamin C here- honey and lemon and an orange on the side.
I get asthma too and I know what you mean. Do you have any asthma spray you can inhale (ventolin) while you have the chest infection? It might help get abit of air through. I don’t think ventolin is harmful for pregnancy, only the steroid based inhalers.
I had the same kind of thing when I was pregnant and my obgyn gave me some foul tasting chinese medicine. He wouldn`t prescribe anything stronger. Hope you feel better soon. Naps are good!
I hate it when the doc doesn`t even look at you! So degrading..hope you are feeling better even with just vegemite toast
The hospitals here are the same way Lulu. They don’t want the liability of potentially prescribing something to a pregnant woman that would cause problems, so they just don’t. Pregnant women go to the OB if they get sick, unless they’re running a high fever, in which case they’re supposed to go to the fever ward to get checked for swine flu. I’m currently on antibiotics for an infection, prescribed by my OB, so if you have an infection there are antibiotics you can take. I would go to your regular clinic and check, because it won’t go away on its own if it really is a chest infection. For the cold symptoms you can take regular Tylenol (paracetemol is safe for pregnant women), which might take the edge off a bit.
Update: Shun rang my maternity clinic for me and they said he could come and pick up some drugs and that they don`t need to see me if another doctor already said it was a cold and chest infection so he is off to pick them up now. They will just leave them downstairs even though he won`t get there before 5pm (when they close usually the clinic part) and he can be buzzed in. YAY for drugs!
I feel a bit better than yesterday but still shocking cough and chest pain. Got lots of sleep yesterday and last night though which seems to have helped.
Kelly, I can have ventolin and I did use it on Thursday night but doctor on Friday said he couldn`t hear asthma in my lungs so trying not to take it unless I really need it. You can take it while pregnant- I was afraid it might mix with the other drug they have me on to stop pre-term labour but I rang my clinic on Thursday and asked about that and they said it is fine.
Thanks to everyone for all the advice- it certainly does seem that going through my maternity clinic was the best bet!
I did take panadol yesterday (same as tylenol I think?) which helped with the chest pain a little. Hopefully the drugs that Shun gets will do the job. I hope so!
Shun & I both agree that the doctor I saw on Friday was a jackass and I am going to look for another local clinic near here that I can use in the future if need be. I need to find a place for bub anyway as I only need to go to my maternity clinic for the first 2 monthly check-ups for him!