argh, how embarrasing, lets see

[Rimjaw]

Originally posted by Ken Rauhl: I dont really suspect I have SARS, but the coincidence gives me a little creep. you know, right before I receive the warning phone call, I caught a cold. well, symptoms, coughing. small cough, not the long inhale/exhale coughing. low fever. normally i always get a running nose for 3 or 4 days, but this time I dont. oh well, maybe it is just a common cold. i will take your advices. btw, I dont know about my insurance, cause I was never sick badly or had any incident. that is very stupid of me, but i think my money will cover the cost now. thank u once again. btw, is there a simple way, u just walk up to some clerk in the hospital and get a test?

Any high fever? If not then you have nothing to fear. The giveaway symptom of SARS is the initial high fever. Trust me, I live in Singapore (the worst hit country after China and HK).

[ 04-20-2003, 11:59 PM: Message edited by: Rimjaw ]

[Ken Rauhl]

in the afternoon, where I was the most eneretic, the fever didnt seem much. it was just the occasional chill. but now, i think the fever came up. well, does it look like a normal cold? thanks for answering, btw. it must suck to live at the place where SARS hit so hard.

anyways, I am going to bed. good night everyone. thank you

[ 04-21-2003, 12:04 AM: Message edited by: Ken Rauhl ]

[Epona]

I think it's very easy to be panicked by all the media attention SARS is getting.

It sounds to me as if you have a normal cold or flu. I've got a cold at the moment, but that's all it is. And I reckon I have more cause to be worried than you do - I met a man last week who was visiting from Hong Kong, and he gave me his scarf which I wore all evening. But I know what I have is just a cold, because I am sure I would feel really ill if I had SARS, and I don't.

If you're that worried, get it checked out, but it sounds to me as if you don't have the symptoms.

[Kakero]

not only fever but do you have a hard time breathing? do you cough as well? if you have coughing is it like there is somekind of fluid inside your lungs that you wanna let out?

my guess is that what you got is just normal fever.

[Rageheart]

Anyway Get Better soon!!!!!!!

[Ken Rauhl]

Originally posted by Kakero: not only fever but do you have a hard time breathing? do you cough as well? if you have coughing is it like there is somekind of fluid inside your lungs that you wanna let out? my guess is that what you got is just normal fever.

after sleeping, my throat hurts like a hell. i cannot speak without starting to cough, and there is liquid inside my throat, not lung, which i believe it is normal. shit, the cough is terrible.

well, i have 2 choices, right? first get a phiscian (i dont have one) and have him direct me to a hospital

second, I go to ER and get a test?

i will go to ER tomorrow... today I am hella tired and cold, darn. thanks everyone.

[ 04-21-2003, 07:54 PM: Message edited by: Ken Rauhl ]

[Kakero]

one advice, go to hospital immediately.

[Ladyzekke]

I agree, go to the hospital, they WON'T turn you away no matter what, especially with SARS going around, I expect they will want to test anyone who feels they have similar symptoms. You probably just have a flu Ken, but best to go fella, see a doctor, better safe than sorry. Take care and let us know how it goes OK?

[Ken Rauhl]

Originally posted by ladyzekke: I agree, go to the hospital, they WON'T turn you away no matter what, especially with SARS going around, I expect they will want to test anyone who feels they have similar symptoms. You probably just have a flu Ken, but best to go fella, see a doctor, better safe than sorry. Take care and let us know how it goes OK?

I took Kakero's advice immediately, and that day I went to hospital right away. now that had been the most bizzare day of my life.

first the urgent care doctor Tang diagnosed me. she didnt even say I had fever, which I had a pretty seriously one. She prescripted me some penesilin or something like that. I went home, took a dose and hit straight to bed, since I was tired and cold and my throat hurted like hell.

when I woke up, I found the lower part of my throat swallowed. understandably, I was surprised. I suspected I had an allergic reaction to the medicine, but I couldnt be sure. so I called Kaiser Permenante (the hospital I went to), and finally when a nurse answered, she asked if I was a Kaiser member.

I said no.

she said, well, I cannot talk to you then, but whats wrong?

I told her my throat swallowed after taking Doctor Tang's dose

She said, I will give you one advice, call 911

I paused, then said "why should I do that?"

she answered in a tone subtlely indicating she doesnt really give a shit either way "because, if your throat swallows, you might have difficulty breathing soon. you might die."

I was like, erh, ok, thanks.

then I called 911. now I thought 911 might send 2 or 3 people with a MD degree doctor among them to check on me, you know? I've never called 911 before, after all. but no, 40 seconds after I make the 911 call, two ambulances showed up, siren screaming. then I heard thumping steps running up the stairs. a female cop run up to me, and put a oxygen mask over my face, "this will help you breathing, ok?"

then 5 more cops showed up, each one was doing his duty carrying a piece of equipment, testing my body temperature, checking my eyes, checking my breathing, heart beat, blood pressure. Asking me questions, does this hurt? how does this feel? let me see your tone? what medicine did you take? let me see your this, let me see your that

I was so embarrased by the attention, but at the same time, deeply touched. if I did have any sort of emergency I would have been saved by their in time reaction. they likely go over these precedure a hundred times a week, whether their patience actually was in dire situation or not. but I did not see any hint of irritation in their questioning, nor slight ineffeciency in their working.

anyways, in less than 5 minutes, they pretty much diagnosed me. For extra precaution, because I belong to the group where SARS was originated, they send me on my way to Kaiser Permenante's ER.

well, the ambulance car has a bed inside, right? the bed's wheels are folded underneath the bed itself. when the cop pull the bed out from the car, they can release the wheels the way an airplane release its wheels for landing. and the patience on the bed does not need to move. just like that, I was pushed into ER, lol

anyways, at the end I was diagnosed again, got Mortrin and another medicine. well, now my throat still hurts like hell if I take my medicine late. but my fever got under control.

PS I just like to say to all the paramedics working out there, they have my deepest respect

[Bungleau]

Wowzah! My condolences on a challenging evening, and my congratulations on continuing to be among us. I hope that things heal up soon enough for you, and you can continue on.

In the meantime, a bowl of chicken soup to make things go. Eight hundred million Jewish and Polish mothers can't be wrong, can they?