I was feeling pretty rough last week, and what had been a nagging pain in my lower-back developed into quite extreme pain on Saturday and throughout Sunday. At first thinking it was breakthrough, I had been taking extra doses of Oramorph but there was only limited relief. I was in bed most of the weekend, feeling worse by the hour.

I thought I had reached another level in the progression of this disease. I spent some quiet time in prayers for acceptance.

Then I remembered reading one of Janmarie's posts in which she warned of the dangers of putting everything down to the progress of cancer...and how dangerous it was to overlook the possibility of infection.

Around midnight Sunday, I passed blood in my urine. I phoned my GP's on-call service, and they sent a doctor out immediately. From temps and pulse, and the frank appearance of infection as well as blood in a sample urine, he confirmed a bladder infection and gave me Amoxicillin, telling me to see my own doctor if there was no improvement within 48 hours......but the pain had gone and I began to feel quite well within that time.

I don't know how to lift a quote from someone else's thread, but the basis of Janmarie's advice was that we have to be aware, and assertive with our doctors, because so many cancer sufferers die unnecessarily within the first six months because of uninvestigated and untreated infections which run to sepsis and cause organ failure; and that this can happen within a matter of only a few days.
Tragically, this happens because of the mistaken assumption....by both the doctors and the patients themselves.... that symptoms are due to the "progression of the cancer".


I offer my thanks to Janmarie and to everyone else who shares their knowledge and experience in this forum. You are all in my prayers.

Hi-
Oh yes, isn't JanMarie wonderful! She has been so helpful with so many on the posting board. I worry as I do not see a post and wonder what her day might have been like with her mom....hhhmmm.
You take care Ellengrace and good you remembered what JanMarie had said!
Thoughts and Prayers coming your way
Kim

Ellengrace, I am so happy to see that my posts have helped you. I try to repeat that info often so that people that are new to the board are aware of that. It has been my experience that when that inner voice speaks to us and either tells us something is wrong with us or with a loved one that it pays to listen to it as seldom is it wrong. Doctors spend such little time with a person that unlike a family member they miss alot.

I think doctors too often miss bladder infections unless you have the classic symptoms. In my mom's case she did not have them so the doctor told me she did not have a bladder infection and finally ordered the urine test just to get rid of me..and he was wrong. Bladder infections can really wipe you out to the point you become very lethargic and weak and they can lead to sepsis which is deadly in a very short time in people that do not have strong healthy immune symptoms.

As I have said before if my post help just one person here then I have set out to do what I wanted too by sharing my mom's story.

I am glad to hear that you are feeling better and sending lots of prayers your way.;) Janmarie