Complicated Dec-Jan

[Picture Source: paulclarke.com]

It was started on December, 23rd 2015. After doing final examination on that day, I was not in good condition. Actually, I didn't feel anything. I felt healthy. But, there was something wrong with my urine. It was red and I thought it was blood. Firstly, I ignored it, may be I was mistakenly seeing it. But, after it happened for three times respectively. I was panic.

If there is blood in the urine, it maybe something wrong with the kidney. I decided to go to the doctor accompanied by my father. The doctor diagnosed me, she told, it might be GNA (Glomerulonephritis acute). An inflammation in the glomerulus. So, it was not able to filter the blood well. Normal glomerulus, only can pass water, salts, urea, and pigments. But, I was sure it was not red pigment, it was blood. So after laboratory analysis, it was positive blood in the urine. Also positive leukocyte and bacteria. Then, the doctor gave me Ciprofloxacine (antibiotics), Metil prednisolone, Ranitidine, and Vitamin B complex. 

She also prohibited me to eat fatty meals like chicken, meat, and colorful beverages (only water allowed). I was only allowed to eat rice, vegetables, tofu, and the white part of the egg. Riding motorcycle was also not allowed. Because she thought, the vibration resulted when riding motorcycle can interfere the glomerulus recovery. 

The next day, my urine was not too red like before. Slowly it came back to normal. But I felt pain in my right back waist and right front waist. I never felt pain like this before. I couldn't get good position when lying in bed. Really uncomfortable. I couldn't sleep well also. Luckily, I had 5 days off because of the holiday of Maulid and Christmas. But I felt sad, because I couldn't do anything, I couldn't focus to study because of the pain. While, I would have 4 subjects left for final examination. 

I came back to the doctor, she was different doctor. She touched my waist to diagnose the cause. She said, if the pain was also located in the right front waist, it might be also something wrong with the liver. Mefenamic acid she gave only heals my pain, doesn't cure the cause. So I should take USG to know the cause and the internist will determine the proper medication. But because it was holiday, most of the internists in each hospitals took permit leave so I needed to wait for several days. 

Then, I searched the cause of the pain through internet. I found, the pain might be coming from the medicine I took. I suspected Metil prednisolone as the cause. A source told that, one of the side effects of Metil prednisolone is pain. I told to my parents, "Let's wait until I finish taking Metil prednisolone. If I don't feel pain anymore, we don't need to visit the internist". 

The last two days of final examination came, I didn't have so much preparations. I just took it for what it is and faced the final examination as I could. Actually, my condition hadn't been fit, I was still weak. My father drove me to the college and picked me up after I finished. 

About December, 30th, I had finished taking Metil Prednisolone and other medicines given, and I didn't feel pain anymore. I supposed my condition was better. I started eating whatever I want and I took permission from my parents to ride by myself to the college for the next day because I felt sorry to make my father drove and picked me up again. 

At night of the first day I tried to ride my motorcycle. I felt sad, because it happened again. My urine was red again. I cried, I blamed myself for what I did. I shouldn't ride the motorcycle. I was still not able to do that. I was sure it was because of that. Then, my sister and her husband accompanied me to go to another doctor at hospital at 10:00 pm. Two hours to new year, I was in the hospital. I searched for the internist, but there was only general doctor. The doctor gave me another type of antibiotics, it's Cefixime and he suggested me to come on another day to visit the internist.

It's holiday again, It's difficult to meet the internists. I needed to wait. The internship day came. I still hadn't visited the internists. Finally, at that night, January, 4th 2016, I could meet the internist. Immediately, she took USG analysis to me. She found some small stones in my kidney. I saw it clearly too. The stones was inside my left and right kidney. The stones formed because of my habits. Sometimes I forget to drink much water. My lips usually dry indicates that I'm lacking of water. So, besides of taking the medicine she gave, she reminded me to drink much water. 

About the diagnoses of GNA from the first doctor, the internist said it's not GNA. The USG analysis showed it's only urinary tract infection. Because of the infection, the wall of the urinary tract was bleeding, and the blood was found in the urine and made the urine color became red. It's not GNA. Because GNA is about autoimmune system error, and if it's GNA, the curement is more difficult. The blood in the urine can also comes from the kidney stones. If the stones go down, they can irritate the urinary tract wall and make it bleeding too. So, the infection and the kidney stones must be cured completely to make my health condition better. Even, the internist said, it's okay for me to ride motorcycle. Because there is no correlation between riding motorcycle and this disease. 

The next week, after I finished taking the medicine, I took control to the internist again. The internist took USG analysis again. She said, the kidney stones was better, there was no blockage in the tracts. The infection was also cured. What a relief!

It was a long journey of recovery, I never expected before. It spent more than 4 weeks or about a month. Actually there were a lot of things I had to do. I was responsible as the contest chair and the preparation should be began from the last December to January. But, because of this unexpected disease came, I missed all the things I should do. I didn't make any progression. I felt really sorry to the committees, the participants, and also the president. If the president didn't remind me about the responsibility and the progress, the contest might be disorganized at final. I felt, I was not able to handle it. So, I decided to hand over my position as the contest chair to another committee I pointed. I really thanked to her because she was sincerely willing to take over my responsibility. I believe, she can organize the contest well. 

Actually I felt sad. Becoming the contest chair was one of the things I really want to do. Before this kind of thing happened. I was really excited, even I had planned it a few months before, because it will be one of my great experiences. I couldn't wait the feel of the pleasure. But, I couldn't do it in this condition. I needed to take a rest and eliminate some activities. 

It's not only my health condition unstable but also my emotion. Thanks to my parents, brothers, and sisters who took care of me. My mother and sisters who provided my meals (just meals allowed by the doctor), I know it's difficult to provide that. My father and my brothers who accompanied me to the doctor and anywhere. And also thanks to my friends who cared and visited me. Caring and seeing you guys were also the medicine for me. I hope, this kind of thing never happens again because I don't want to give burden and trouble for people around me again. 

I noticed, everything that happens, there is a lesson learned. Including what happen to me. I should not only take care of other people health condition, but from now, it's also important for me to take care of my own health condition. 

"You can't take care of others if you can't take care of yourself" -Marry Mazzer