Prague III

Wednesday, September 24, 2014 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

I woke up at 5:15am with an extremely swollen face again and felt pretty worried. My cheeks and under my chin were puffed up and my skin was very tight and swollen behind my ears. I felt slight pressure on the sides of my head from the swelling behind my ears. I didn't have any pain or pressure feeling directly under my chin, no sore throat, trouble breathing or swallowing.

I couldn't believe it...I was going to have to see a doctor in Europe. What a downer and something unexpected and unfortunate to deal with. I was pretty bummed this was interrupting our trip, but was also worried something was seriously wrong.

We tried to buy tram tickets at the place we were the day before (where we bought the funicular tickets), but it was not open yet. We had no idea of where else to buy tickets besides the train station a few miles away, so we walked 2.5 miles to the outpatient clinic Cody found online covered through Blue Cross Blue Shield.

This is totally embarrassing, but necessary to see the swelling!

The Czech doctor I saw eventually told me she thought I had the MUMPS! (yes, I was vaccinated as a child). However, she was not 100% confident because my symptoms did not match the mumps diagnosis to a T. I did not have any pain, malaise, or a fever which are common symptoms for mumps. She didn't test for antibodies because I did not have time to get the results back (we had plans to fly to Amsterdam the next afternoon) and she said it would be very expensive. So, she asked for a urine sample and drew some labs.





She sent me away with a prescription for Vitamin D in liquid form, vitamin C, echinacea, ginger tea, and another prescription for a "sugar pill" which was an alternative medication I never filled. I also took an antihistamine and decongestant. I was told to be on bedrest as there is no cure for mumps other that to boost my immune system and rest. Hmm...bedrest in Europe?  Not sure about that...
I never felt sick and was not in pain, so we decided to continue our adventure.











I called for my CBC results which showed my WBCs were elevated with everyting else normal. I had to wait until the next morning to find out my thyroid blood results and was open to the possibility of having to stay in Prague. I thought I might be hospitalized for continued tests and monitoring, or even possible surgery. I just didn't know what to think or expect. 

The next morning I felt like I had a lump blocking my throat and it was super hard to swallow. I called for my lab results and found out my thyroid levels were normal. Eventually the difficulty swallowing went away and I thought I would be OK to fly. I made an appointment in Amsterdam at another outpatient clinic in case I needed a doctor when I arrived.

The flight was fine and I didn't have any issues. When I woke up in our Amsterdam apartment the next morning, my swelling came down a lot which was such an incredibly unexpected surprise! I canceled my appointment and decided to wait it out some more. The great news is that my swelling never came back or my difficulty swallowing and I've been fine ever since! Praise the Lord!

We continued on our adventure and headed to Pivovarský Dům for lunch and enjoyed some sour cherry and banana beers! Yum!

Garlic soup again!

We wanted to show everyone pictures of the streets in Prague. They were very memorable as the whole city was covered in cobblestone. No pavement! Some of it was difficult to walk on but it was fun since it looked so awesome!

Goodbye Prague! I'll forever think of the mumps when your name comes up :)