July 2012

 I really think more hospitals should have gorgeous murals on the walls. I didn't actually paint one on mine sadly, but I had it plastered with get-well cards, so that's just as good.

This was pretty difficult to do. I always shy away from being too personal about my work; silly British sensibilities, I suppose. But I've got a  few reasons for making this; for one,  this was the kind of thing which I think warranted a personal response. I want to get past it, move on, and this seemed like a good way of starting that.

For two, I wanna explain to friends and folk who are interested more or less what happened. Comics seem a more fun way of doing that.

For three, I found very little non-heavily-medical info on endocarditis - very few anecdotes, survival stories, etc. I wanted to provide this to anyone else unlucky enough to find themselves with the condition. Things totally do get better, much better. <3

So anyway, last month is one of those things which came completely out of nowhere, knocked me for sideways and taught me the lesson that no, in fact, I am not immortal, and nor is anyone else. I'm actually out of hospital now, though I started this while I was in it and thought it was nicer like this. c:

I didn't really include it here, but I'm gonna take this opportunity just to say how damn thankful I am for the NHS. I don't even want to imagine what my medical bills would have been if I were in the 'States.

In other news, minor brain damage is a strange thing to have. For all the sensation my right foot lacks, it totally still has pain, and I've totally rammed doors into it on a few occassions from not knowing where it is in space. The vertigo thing has started to repair itself - but not how I was expecting. Now I get it if I move my head from right to left, but not the other way around. What the hell, brain? What the hell?

Friends and family and work have been beyond incredible.

Finally, some information on infective endocarditis for folk who, like me last month, haven't the first clue what it is. Heart valves have no blood supply of their own and thus no means of fighting infections; therefore if they do get infected, they can't do a thing. It builds up into something called a vegetation (gross, I know) and eventually fragments off into the system, causing organ damage, as well brain damage, effectively micro-strokes. I'm seriously lucky to have gotten away with relatively few lasting effects. I also didn't need heart surgery, Fff yeeeeeah. Just, like, all the IV antibiotics ever.

Certain people are at more risk than others; if you've got an abnormal heart valve, you're much more likely to get it. Apparently, mine's a slightly weird shape; it works fine, it's never affected my health before, but seemingly that's all it takes. No way of knowing if you've not had a heart scan.

Endocarditis is a risk anytime bacteria could enter the bloodstream. Dental is a common cause, so are tattoos or IV drug use. Mine probably came from an infected mosquito bite about two months ago, which is what we call reeeeeally bad luck. Symptoms are a lot like meningitis; fever, fatigue, etc. Y'know. Exactly the sort of thing you'd go 'LOL I'M FINE IT'S JUST THE FLU' about. -facepalm-

But don't worry, you'll probably never get it or meet anyone with it. xD Apparently in the UK, only about 1200 people get it each year.