Not a great start...

So its my second night here right? I had a wonderful evening chatting with my new house mates and playing some cards, chilling and listening to some good music (mostly mine.) I say my good night's and head off to my room, a bit of computer, an hour of reading, and I guess I drop off at about 2am.

I awake at 4am experiencing the most pain I have ever felt in my life, it is hard to describe, kinda like trapped wind except there is no position you could get in to ease the pain, it just persists. The pain was very local in my lower right abdomen, which as you can imagine gave me instant images of appendicitis, which scared the hell out of me, not the thought of dying from a burst appendix, but the idea of going into hospital and what not (don't ask me why, I'm just not a fan of going to hospitals.)

I got up and searched the web with my symptoms (typical student, and very daft of me, I know,) and got worried when nothing really matched them, at about half four when I was feeling nausea, dry mouth, cold sweats and violent shaking, I decided it was time to ring for an ambulance. So in the most casual (albeit strained, shivered) voice I could muster, I asked for an ambulance to Castle Irwell Student Village. They arrived in about 20 minutes and the paramedics were very friendly (for 5am in the morning.) By the time the ambulance arrived the pain in my stomach had become a dull, heavy ache, but my lower back just behind my abdomen in the same place was in an amazing amount of pain (more than usual, I normally have some lower back pain anyway) but I was able to walk a little straighter and was no longer feeling nausea or having cold shivers or fever (besides from actually being cold, hey, it was 5am!)

So I got into the ambulance and this lovely big black guy called Paul checked my vitals, I was trying to keep a stiff upper lip with my usual form of nervous humour, but didn't get much of a reaction (remember, this guys on night shift) but we got some friendly chatter going, that's when I found I was actually going into hospital. I started to get a little anxious at this, I don't like hospitals and although I know that the pain probably warranted a checkup, I was also hoping he would check to see if I was fine then let me out and I could see a doctor in my own time, but either way I'm glad how things went... I'll continue. We arrived at Hope Hospital, and I have to say they were very quick in seeing me, I only waited about half an hour to be seen, and all they did was re-check some of my vitals for their records (and for the doctor to see.) I was checked on by a chubby nurse called George who was friendly but a little less chatty, again I put this down to it now being about quarter to six. Vitals checked normal, so I saw the out of hours GP, who asked me some questions, poked my stomach and my back, and sent me to piss in a pot. I had to go anyway so it wasn't too hard, although weird because I tend not to piss in small pots, especially ones I am holding (I have no idea how girls manage!)

He checked it out with a strip of paper which changes colour, and curiously mentions "There's blood in your urine", I think he was speaking to himself, but he made me a little nervous at this, mostly because it must have been so dilute and trace in its consistency because my wee just looked like normal everyday 'over-the-counter' urine. All puns aside, he seemed a little bit stumped, but mentioned casually that he thought it is probably kidney stones. Kidney stones! I suppose there is worse to have but still, the most pain I have ever felt in my stomach and he casually rallies it off as kidney stones, as if it isn't a big deal (then again, I imagine it wasn't a big deal to him.) He has sent my lovely warm sample off for analysis to confirm what it is (or more appropriately he mentioned, "what it isn't") and prescribed some classic kidney stone tablets to stop inflamation.

Ah, but thats not where my evening, or rather morning ends! After thanking the Doctor for his time, and the Receptionist for showing me how to get out of the building by pressing a big green button on the door which said 'open' (hey, 6am remember?) I was free, but I was free at Hope Hospital after a long ambulance ride with no windows, and no obvious, momorable landmarks. I was totally lost, luckily Id remember to grab the essentials before hobbling to the end of the road to wait for the ambulance; keys, phone and wallet. So I had the money to get back, and the phone to ring a taxe, but the receptionist gave me a decent bus route to Castle Irwell and so I put my faith in the public transport system...

..and it payed off! the bus driver was such a lovely chap (I didn't ask his name, I feel bad about it now though) and he told me that the bus I got on (the number 10, for those interested) went straight to Castle Irwell Student Village and even charged me a cheap fare, I was so pleased that after a rough start with severe stomach pain, everyone from the paramedics, nurses, receptionists, doctors and bus drivers in the area were so nice and accommodating, it really has warmed my heart.

I went to bed at around half six/sevenish with the intent to wake up at 11, ready for my induction at half one. I woke up at one oclock and missed about fourty five minutes of my induction, and a lot of information to boot but I think my mitigating circumstances have me taking a more placid approach to the whole thing. Other than that it was an uneventful day... I am of course joking, we managed to get a friend sorted on his uni course, and to celebrate had a lovely cheap lunch in the student bar.

So there you have it, kidney stones. I can still feel a dull pain, and I will need to visit a pharmacy to get the pills I need which I think will get rid of the pain a bit more. I am a little bit afraid to go to sleep tonight incase it happens again but I have no choice! all I can do is hope it doesnt feel as bad as it used to, maybe I should go home for a day or so to steal some tablets and try and rest up. Or maybe in times like these when Im ill I just want to be near family, yeah, its probably that.

How moving!

I have Just got back from a wonderful day out in manchester with my friend Chantelle and her fella Trevor, and I had such a splendid time!

I admit that it has been a while since I was in manchester sampling the delights of the city (which in this case means a lot of gassing, window shopping and watching an old man dancing on the street.) Actually speaking of that man on the street, there were a lot of people videoing it, I might look on youtube for cinematographic evidence...

..Anyway, all distractions aside I really did have such a good day, just hanging with my friends, in the city, it was nice. It gave me a taste of what uni life is going to be like, but the taste is short lived as as soona s this friday I will be living it! Thats right, come this friday I shall be moving an amount of my stuff from this small bedroom at the back of the house to a slightly less-small bedroom just outside manchester city centre. I am certainly looking forward to the adventure, and meeting a whole host of new people, I can't help but feel that I will be leaving a lot behind though (regardless of th fact that I will be visiting home weekly.) I suppose I shall have to just go with the flow (as I did at Bolton university, which I didn't believe was actually going to happen until I stepped on the train to my first lesson, october 13th last year.)

Oh look, heres a video of that dancing old man!

You know what's odd? although we saw him today, that video is three months old, now thats dedication!

EDIT: You know after watching the video in more detail, I notice that the man we saw today, although the same as that man in the video, was looking much thinner, posatively gaunt compared to the chubster above. I hope somebody in manchester takes note of that and makes sure hes eating properly.

Sye's Online!

Just a quick note to let you all (well, all three of you) know I'm back online again.

I guess its testament to how terribly dependant on technology my life is now, having no internet feels like having a limb removed, I have to catch up on a whole weekend's worth of net!

That means no time to blog, gotta jog!

The storm before the calm?

I have been quite unwell for a few days now. What I thought was a little tickle in my throat on Wednesday turned into a horrendous swelling on Thursday evening, and even had some of the youth workers asking me whether I was alright (at the youth group that I go to, not just in the street.)

I was running a rather high fever and couldn't cool down, then went into cold shivers which almost never happens given the extra layer of fat I have covering every inch of my body. My throat was burning and scratchy but at the same time lined with muscus and swollen to the point where it hurt to talk. Couple this with the aching I get in me teeth and the horrible pounding I get in my ears, and the headache, and I was definitely not feeling top form on Thursday evening.

I felt a little better Friday morning and after getting some good old ibuprofen and paracetamol down me I was right as rain, although the lack of Internet has been a pain. At the moment I am writing from my brothers computer, he has gone to sort something out with his bike. Its been quite bad actually because I haven't been able to occupy my time with my usual non-illegal drug, the World of Warcraft.

Instead I've been playing a game that I reserve for when I do not have access to the net. It used to be that I would play Abe's Exodus (was and is still a fabulous 2D side scrolling game) but I now play Neverwinter Nights when the doors to the internet is closed. Its good because it satifies my need for RPG game play and the need for a good story (as you play through the NWN campaigns its like your character is unraveling a mystery.)

I finnished the biography of Julie Walters; That's Another Story, which is a damn good read not just for people interested in going into performing arts, but also for people who come from working class backgrounds, I could really relate to the kind of life Mrs Walter has had and found her retelling of the parts of her childhood to be very entertaining and endeering. I am now reading the Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks which is a jolly interesting read on how to survive the zombie holocaust (for anyone who doesn't know, I love all things to do with zombies; books, games, movies, stories, anything!) although I have to say I am looking forward to check up on his references, as I'm reading it I cant help but feel that hes just telling a story to take advantage of the zombie-ists out there. The next thing I have lined up is An Utterly Impartial History of Britain: (or 2000 Years of Upper Class Idiots in Charge) by John O'Farrel, which looks to be a good and humerous read into the history of britain and the pomposity of the upper echelon, I will review that book once I have read it!

My Lovely Literature List

Incase you haven't seen (or haven't scrolled down that far) not only is there, ad always has there been a links list (you lazy fool) but you might also notice a new gadget, this is my Reading list. It is just a short list of what I have recently read, and also what I would recommend reading.

Books such as the QI books of numerous facts, and Stephen Fry in America I even read again and again simply because not only could you possibly remember everything in them, but they are full of such interesting information that you get something new out of it every time you read.

I tend to stick to non-fiction, keeping to books with information I can take away and use rather than stories to entertain me (I'm one of those lucky people who actually enjoys seeking knowledge, and gains pleasure merely by learning.) However there are few occasions where someone will recommend a work of fiction (for example, the War of the Ancients) that I will enjoy and you will probably find those on the reading list as well.

I may even find a book that I will want to review in depth if I have been perticularly effected by it, but we shall have to see what the future brings!

PS; I have set some posts to go online at a certain time over the weekend, so while my internet is down, it will look lik I am still posting!