For pretext I’m a half Japanese person living in Tokyo, everyone else in my family besides my grandmother lives in the states. I have a history of asthma and an allergy to penicillin and aspirin. To make the story easier to understand I’ll list it out via dates.
Friday: My grandmother contracted a fever
Saturday: Her condition worsened and she could barely walk, I went to bring her groceries and supplies then went home and isolated.
Monday: I went to work (night shift) got home Tuesday morning and went to bed.
Tuesday: I woke up after only a couple hours with a slight fever and cough. I started taking acetominophen. Later that night I receive a LINE from my grandmother stating she had tested positive for covid. I call the 発熱センター line and they told me the clinics in my area are closed so to stay home and call again the next day.
Wednesday: I woke up with terrible symptoms and a 40.3C fever. I call the line again and they tell me to book at a nearby clinic, I get a reservation for 16:00. After the call I ordered fluids and such off of Uber eats and in the way to the door to get it I collapsed and fainted. When I came to I had lost feeling in my hands and feet so I called the line again and they told me to call for an ambulance. The ambulance comes and wheels me on, as I can’t walk or stand by myself anymore, then takes me to Setagaya Chuo Hospital (1.9 star google rating btw). I tell them my medical history, my allergies, that I’m a close contact case, and my symptoms. They put me in a wheelchair and take me to an examination room where they test me for covid. The results come back and they said it’s just the flu and not covid. They bring me flu medicine and aspirin (which I’m allergic to). After reminding them I am allergic they bring me acetominophen which I was already taking anyway. At this point I’m passing in and out in the exam room and they tried to send me home even though I still have a 40+ fever and cannot walk. After begging them to let me stay they finally agreed to put me on an iv drip and my fever went down to around 38.5. After resting for an hour or so they wake me up and told me they called me a taxi then escorted me to it (I can barely walk at this point) and sent me home.
I’ve been home in bed since then with zero energy and the exact same symptoms as my grandmother, and my fever has climbed back up to a 39.8. Before they kicked me out of the hospital they told me that if my fever is still 40C after 3 days to contact them again but I honestly think that’s absurd.
What can I do in this situation? I’m taking the acetominophen like they told me but my fever is climbing back up. Do I just have to sit at home and suffer for 3 days ?? Has anyone else had a similar experience? Sure the hospital visit and medication was cheap but they just handed me over the counter stuff I already had and sent me home.
5 comments
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I’m sorry you’re feeling so ill but, I don’t think there is much you can do. What more do you want them to do? It’s the flu, you just have to ride it out. They gave you an IV and medication which means you don’t have to leave your house to buy your own which is a bonus considering how crap you feel. No hospital is going to admit you unless you have severe symptoms like breathing difficulties. Like they said, if you still have a fever in another few days then call back but just keep drinking fluids and rest.
This isn’t going to be what you want to hear but it’s not for you to decide if you should be hospitalized or not. Being ill can be both stressful and painful, but unless you’re about to keel over that’s just what it is – stressful and painful – not deadly. Make sure you top on fluids (pocari and similar sports drinks is preferable to water imo) and consider some of those nutrient jellies if you can’t find it in you to eat. Nothing seems outrageous about the way this went down to me but I can sympathize.
The hospital wasn’t wrong. You are not an emergency, you do not require their assistance, you certainly don’t need to stay overnight for influenza unless you present more serious symptoms. You just need to follow their instructions and let them keep their beds free for people who really need it, like potentially your grandmother.
I think the advice others have written is rather spot on. I’m sorry you are feeling bad and I hope you feel better soon, but if you can coherently write a post like this with the flu, you probably don’t need to be hospitalized.