Mom's in infectious disease ward :(

Hey there.
Just wanted to share a quick update from today: The ultrasound looks fine, her EKG is normal, and she doesn't have a fever. It’s likely just some kind of enterovirus. They were worried about meningitis for a bit, but luckily the spinal tap came back negative...
BUT! I am honestly so frustrated. I really don't know if that spinal tap was even necessary, because Mom is feeling terrible now. She has these awful headaches and can't even move from lying down. She was vomiting today, too! The doctor says it's all a reaction to the procedure. They really put her through the wringer, and it looks like they probably won't even be discharging her tomorrow...

Grace Lewis6 said:Hey!
Just wanted to drop a quick update on today: blood work looks fine, EKG is clear, no fever. It’s most likely some kind of enterovirus. They were worried about meningitis at first, but luckily, the spinal tap came back negative...
BUT! I am absolutely livid! I honestly don't know if that spinal tap was even necessary given how miserable Mom is feeling right now. She has these excruciating headaches and can't even move from lying down. Plus, she was vomiting today! The doctor claims it's all just a reaction to the procedure. They really put her through the wringer, and honestly, they probably won't even discharge her tomorrow!

Look, she was showing symptoms that mimic meningitis, and if you're dealing with meningococcal sepsis, there often isn't a way back. They did what they had to do. Don't look at it through that lens right now. If it actually *had* been meningitis, she’d be thanking them for catching it. Instead, try to be grateful that it turned out to be nothing serious and everything went okay. She'll just have to deal with hospital food for a bit longer, which will help clear up that fatty liver.

And one more thing that's critical: your mom needs to get that gallstone dealt with ASAP! Once those things start moving, they can cause massive trouble.
Since I work with an American cancer advocacy nonprofit, I hear stories constantly from patients and doctors we partner with about how stones left untreated for years—causing constant inflammation—can actually trigger malignant changes in the surrounding tissue and lead to cancer. Most people don't show any symptoms until it's too late, and by then, the doctors are just playing catch-up with a crisis.

Angela Wright said:And one more vital point: your mom needs to get that gallbladder stone dealt with immediately! If those stones start moving, things could go south fast.
Since I work with a non-profit dedicated to cancer patients, I hear stories all the time—from both patients and the doctors we partner with—about how chronic inflammation caused by stones being left untreated for years can actually trigger malignant changes in the surrounding tissue, leading to cancer. Most people don't even realize they have symptoms until it's too late, and then we're just looking at cases where surgeons are having to deal with much larger problems.

Stop being so dramatic about an already stressful situation. Scientifically speaking—statistically, even—there is no established link between gallstones and tumor development, which, by the way, is on the rise but still incredibly rare. There was a study conducted right here in the USA that tracked roughly 2,500 patients with gallstones. Over a 13-year period, only five of them developed gallbladder carcinoma. So, let's skip the old wives' tales. Of course, frequent inflammation can theoretically assist tumor growth, but the reason these things get operated on urgently isn't because of cancer; it's because they cause bile duct obstructions, gangrene, perforation, and sepsis.

Angela Wright said:Look, she was showing symptoms of meningitis, and if meningococcal sepsis kicks in, things can turn fatal really fast. They did everything they could. Don't look at it that way right now. If it had actually been meningitis, she'd be lucky they caught it. Just be thankful it turned out to be nothing and everything went okay. She’ll just have to stick to hospital food for a bit and work on clearing up that fatty liver issue.

And one more thing: your mom really needs to get those gallstones taken care of ASAP! Stones can cause serious trouble once they start moving.
Since I work with an oncology nonprofit, I hear stories all the time from patients and doctors we partner with about how long-term gallstones causing constant inflammation can eventually lead to malignant changes in the surrounding tissue and trigger cancer. Most people don't even have symptoms, and by the time they do, doctors are often just dealing with the aftermath...

Man, I know I might sound childish, but it’s honestly so hard to see her like this. It feels like she was in better shape when she first checked into the hospital than she is now. Or maybe I'm just wrong...🙂
Do you happen to know how long it usually takes to recover from a spinal tap? Would a quick drive home—maybe 10 minutes—be bad for her, or should she stay put in the hospital for a few more days? She could rest at home, though I feel better having her where she is for now.
Actually, I got a little spooked because I was Googling and saw that one complication of a puncture can be meningitis...
It's scary... Her head is still killing her, she's vomiting, she won't eat, and she's on an IV...

fadedmarlin402 said:Stop being so dramatic about a situation that isn't even that dire. Scientifically speaking—statistically, even—there is absolutely no proven link between gallstones and tumor development, which, by the way, is on the rise but still incredibly rare. One study conducted right here in the USA tracked roughly 2,500 patients with stones. Over a 13-year span, only five of them actually developed gallbladder cancer. So, let's skip the old wives' tales. Obviously, chronic inflammation can potentially facilitate tumor growth, but you get those things operated on immediately because they can cause bile duct obstructions, gangrene, perforation, and sepsis.

Look, let’s not exaggerate; nobody is being dramatic, and the situation itself isn't a crisis. Everything turned out fine. However, I felt that if I had information I considered important, I should share it. Beyond that, I feel an obligation to do so in my capacity as an activist for a cancer advocacy group. How anyone decides to handle their own health is entirely their business.
If you're interested, I can put you in touch with an oncologist who posts on our forum so she can give you first-hand clinical data regarding how often this happens. I wouldn't exactly call a seasoned oncologist a "grandma"🙄 She even told us about women who drag out an E. coli infection for years without treating it, and then we see the fallout... but I won't go off on a tangent now.
I am finding relevant data suggesting that 80% of gallbladder cancer patients have gallstones. Personally, I wouldn't lean too heavily on the idea that it's rare; if there's even a tiny risk, I'd rather eliminate it entirely.
From what I gather, the woman was scheduled for surgery, but once things calmed down, she backed out. Presumably, they weren't sending her in for surgery just because of some hearsay... unless they were.🙄

Grace Lewis6 said:Look, maybe I’m being overly sensitive, but it’s honestly gut-wrenching to see her like this. It feels like she was actually doing better when she first checked into the hospital than she is right now. Or maybe I'm just imagining things 🙂
Does anyone know how long recovery from a spinal tap usually takes? Also, would driving her home—it's only about a 10-minute trip—do any harm, or should she probably stay put in the hospital for another day or two? She can rest at home, obviously, but I feel more comfortable having her where the professionals are.
To be honest, I got a bit spooked after Googling it and seeing that meningitis is one of the potential complications from a lumbar puncture!
It's terrifying... Her head is still absolutely pounding, she's vomiting, she can't eat anything, and she's stuck on an IV drip...

Just let her stay put in the hospital. You aren't going to be able to manage an IV setup at home, for instance. Things will improve, and once the doctors decide she's stable enough, they'll clear her for discharge. Trust me, if they thought she could head home right now, they would have sent her already. Hospital beds are always in short supply.

Thanks everyone for all the advice. My mom is doing much better! As for me, I'm just going to let this whole thing blow over...

My mom probably just picked up some kind of stomach flu or something, for heaven's sake, yet she's making such a huge production out of it.
As long as everything turns out fine, 😉

James Kelly said:It sounds like your mom just picked up some stomach bug or something, honestly... no need for all this drama.
As long as she's okay, that's what matters 😉

There was actually suspicion of meningitis, so they had to perform a spinal tap. I'm definitely not overreacting here...☕

Don’t go getting defensive on me right away. I was just suggesting it’s probably nothing more than a stomach bug. The fact that those doctors completely botched the diagnosis just goes to show how incompetent they really are.
Next time she has a toothache, they’ll probably try to pull her kidney out too. You shouldn't be running to the ER unless there's an actual, legitimate reason to go.
I still remember one time when they tried to pull something similar on me... I managed to make a run for it at the last second.

James Kelly said:Don't go getting all defensive on me right away. I was just suggesting that it’s probably nothing more than a standard stomach bug. The way those doctors absolutely butchered her just goes to show how incompetent they really are.
If she keeps ignoring this toothache, the next step might be a kidney transplant. You shouldn't be running to the ER unless there’s an actual, legitimate reason to go.
I remember when they tried to pull that stunt on me... I managed to slip out just before the final curtain fell.

Give me a break. Seriously. 😳So what, they were supposed to just take a wild guess, decide she was nothing to worry about, and let her walk right back through the front door? What exactly was the plan there?
People would be better off heading to geniuses like you instead of wasting their time at a doctor's office. 🙄

Buckley, my mom went through the full standard protocol. She was presenting symptoms that pointed toward some pretty serious diagnoses, so the doctors ran every test available just to rule those out. Regardless of what kind of virus it actually turned out to be, she received exactly the level of care she needed. If we had tried to manage this at home without IV fluids, her condition would have spiraled, and who knows how bad things could have ended? People tend to brush off "minor" viruses, but let’s be real—they aren't harmless if you don't handle them with the proper medical rigor.

Angela Wright said:Oh, please don't be ridiculous 😳! What, were they supposed to just guess she was fine and send her home? What good would that have done?
Maybe people should skip the doctors and just go to wise geniuses like you instead 🙄

Grace Lewis6, my mom went through all the standard procedures. She had symptoms pointing toward some serious diagnoses, so they ran tests to rule those out. Regardless of what virus it turned out to be, she received the right care. If she’d been sent home without an IV, things could have gone south really fast... and who knows how that would have ended. And yeah, those "harmless" viruses aren't actually harmless if you don't handle them properly.

I don't even have the energy to respond to the post above 🙂

And Ivanicapeca, thank you so much. I know I might have stirred up too much drama in my first few posts, so your advice actually helped settle me down...

She was discharged with an enterovirus suspicion and a few other minor diagnoses... She's fully recovered now!