Wheningitis

"I've just thrown up in front of 20 students. How's the tennis?” I received this txt at about 4:30pm as I left work yesterday, heading out to meet Bronwyn near the tennis stadium. We'd decided we weren't going to live in Wimbledon for another year and still not have gone along to the tournament.

Fortunately the school receptionist had given Bronwyn a special kind of bag so vomiting on the 493 bus in front of kids was just slightly less bad than it might have been. But obviously we didn't go to the tennis last night. Bronwyn also had a very sore neck, back and head, and we were concerned enough to ring NHS Direct (the 24 hour phone health service) and spoke with a nurse at about 9:30pm. She was satisfied with Bronwyn's condition but said if it got worse or didn't improve, see a doctor.

This morning Bronwyn was not better—neck perhaps a little more sore and stiff—so I arranged for her to see our GP down the road at 10:30am. With a mound of reports on the original agenda, I went to work for my only pre-booked appointment of the day—9:30am—and then got a colleague to bring me home and take both of us to the Doctor. We waited an hour to see our GP but after a 10 minute examination she recommended getting a taxi straight to the A&E department at St George's Hospital. (Interesting to see the NHS from the other side for once.)

We got a taxi—I jumped an extended queue waiting for taxis to the tennis by talking to the Marshall, and getting the reluctant cabbie to take me (instead of perhaps more lucrative tennis fans?) after police intervention—and we picked up Bronwyn again and headed to A&E.

To cut an epic story long, Bronwyn was seen by further nurses and an SHO (junior doc) and had blood tests, urine tests, throat swabs, blood pressure, temperature and heart beat monitored, and had a chest x-ray. We were at A&E for about 3.5 hours. The conclusion is that she does not have meningitis, that she has some other viral infection, and that there is no treatment required other than over-the-counter painkillers, rest, fluids, and time.

We are of course relieved that this is not more serious. While Bronwyn didn’t have some of the other common symptoms of meningitis (photophobia, red skin rash that doesn't disappear when you press a glass against it) there was genuine grounds for concern. I am glad to have her home again now.

Meanwhile, her father David may not have had any sons (other than by marriage) but his daughter sure takes after him—Bronwyn currently sees no impediment to her worship leading at our church on Sunday! Hmmm... we shall see about that.

Thank you for any prayers you say for Bronwyn this weekend.