So back in October, 2020 I was busy like I am normally am with the kiddies and work, but I was stressed and anxious as my cousin who was 38 years old was dying after years of battling cancer. Kellie was my first best friend, we grew up together closely like sisters. It was totally unfair, she was far too young to be dying. Kellie was now in a hospice for end of life care and it was horrible thinking it was just a waiting game. I really wanted to see her and I was lucky enough to go and spend a few hours with her, we reminisced, hugged and kissed. She is the strongest woman I have ever known.

Anyway back to October, I noticed a rash appearing on my neck and it was really itchy. I had put this down to being stressed and worrying about my beautiful cousin and family. It got worse over a matter of weeks, so eventually had a video appointment with my GP who thought it was an infection so gave me antibiotics. These did not work and the rash got worse over the next few weeks and started appearing on my chest and at the back of my ears. Other than it being really itchy and annoying, I was fine in myself and did not feel ill at all.

After a few weeks and finishing the antibiotics I was due to have my flu jab, so whilst I was at my doctors I asked if I could see my GP for five minutes. I wanted to show him the rash in person, when he saw it he gave me different antibiotics to try and a steroid cream to use. After a week of using the cream and taking the antibiotics there was no change, if anything it had just got worse. I called my GP, he decided we needed to do a full blood count test to see if anything was showing. This was on a Friday so had the blood tests booked in for the following Tuesday. All whilst feeling fine apart from this annoying rash.

I had a normal weekend with the family, busy house as usual with three children, a husband, a dog, nine chickens and a hamster. On Monday, I dropped the kiddies to school as normal and headed into the office, had my morning coffee and felt absolutely fine. At about 3pm that afternoon I came over really dizzy and said I needed to go home. I went home and rested but still felt dizzy, I drove to my children’s school to pick them up at 4.30pm and managed to get them home. When I got back I just kept feeling worse, I took my blood pressure thinking maybe it was low for some reason but it was really high! I managed to feed the kiddies and at about 7pm I collapsed in front of my son Jack. He was a little star, without thinking he grabbed my mobile off the table and called my husband. Luckily Andy was a few minutes from home, when he came in he called 111, I was uncontrollably shaking it was the weirdest feeling.

Cut to later that evening and I was in hospital being told I just had a urine/kidney infection, just to take more antibiotics and was sent home. The next morning I called my GP to explain what had happened and if I should still come in for blood tests, he said I should definitely come in for the blood tests. I couldn’t drive because of the dizziness and shakiness so I got a lift to the doctors. I had all my blood tests and my doctor had asked for a urine sample to be taken and sent to be tested properly in a lab. The urine sample was dipped at the appointment as well and not showing any infection, this totally confused me as the night before at hospital I was told I had a urine/kidney infection!?!

My blood tests came back the next day showing that my liver enzymes were higher than they should be and my doctor wanted to me to come back four days later to see how I was. I just got worse, all of my joints started aching, it felt heavy to walk, I was totally shattered, zero energy and started getting a few pains in my side and tummy. I was walking like I was 100 years old with not a huge amount of balance and the shakiness continued.

When I went into see my doctor four days later, he couldn’t believe how weak I had become and decided to do another set of bloods to see anything had changed, I also had an antibodies covid test as he thought I may have had covid at some point and this was the after effects! Blood tests came back the next day and within five days the blood tests showed that my liver enzymes had risen even more. My antibodies covid test came back negative, so I had never had the virus. He decided to refer me to see a Liver specialist, so I had to wait another 6 days until my appointment with this Liver specialist.

(Please note I am lucky enough that I have private healthcare insurance that is worth every penny, just in case you were wondering how that I was referred quickly and how my blood tests came back so quickly)

To be continued…

Some photos of when I had the rash, still enjoying my daughters birthday at Legoland and a few photos I took of my rash. Unfortunately I didn’t get any of when it was at its worse. Also a photo of my blood pressure not long before collapsing.