Bellyaching Weekend

We've just faced another of theses perfect weekends with warm but not hot temperatures and almost never ending sun. My plants on the balcony are sprouting like there is no tomorrow. It was one of those weekends that shouts at you: Get up! Get out! Enjoy me! And what was I doing? Bellyaching every bleeding day of it.

It started early Friday evening. A pain was building up in my abdomen. Slightly but steadily. It was at it worst between 10pm and 2 am. I took a painkiller and sipped tea but it seemed not to have any effect.

In the morning after I finally found some sleep. My stomach still ached but not that bad. My health insurance has this call service where you can consult a doctor. I was not the only one who was seeking advice. I took more than an hour until the telephone doctor called back. I explained the nature of my pain and he advice me to see a doctor immediately, because it could be my heart!

Of course, I obeyed and rushed with my caring Toño at my side to a doctor that is open even on weekends. Again, I was not the only one in pain. The waiting time lasted two hours. The nice female GP took it again very seriously, touched me all over my belly and asked for my blood and urine. After they drained both of my arms and my pee shines did not get in the way, she presented me the results: every thing is fine (even my heart), only a value called C-reactive Protein (CRP) indicates inflammatory disease. She reckoned I could be experiencing a beginning Appendicitis and referred me to the hospital.

With a letter in my hand and Toño at my side, I drove by tram and bus to the hospital where I was put in a cubical and given one of this hospital shirts without spine coverage. The doctors were all good looking, made a competent impression and made again lots of test. I learned that my stomach, pancreases, gall bladder, normal bladder, both kidneys, intestine and liver seem all in perfect health. They could not entirely rule out the Appendicitis, but claimed that I look a bit too healthy for that sort of thing. Because they found no better explanation, they reckoned it could also be a Gastroenteritis, despite the missing diarrhoea and vomiting.

However, I did not complain and went home with a full day of medical experience to stay the rest of the weekend mostly in a horizontal position and endure the bellyaching of unclear origin. All the time Toño took perfect car of me, except when he put the hot chilli pepper in the oatmeal soup. I have to agree, it gave it the extra touch and I can highly recommend it, when the belly is far from aching.