"Joann! Sam!" We heard people calling for us.
We broke away from the kiss and Sam answered, "We're here!!"
Soon we saw faces looking at us from above.
"We're police and we're here to save you." A middle-aged man introduced himself.
"Okay, I'm going to need your help. I need you to jump and catch my hand." The guy instructed us.
"Joann has sprained her ankle. She can't jump." Sam cut off that officer. "But I can lift her up."
The officer suddenly disappeared before appearing again.
"Okay."
I looked at Sam, doubting if this will actually work. He seems to be able to read my mind.
"Trust me." He said while giving me a kiss on my cheek and squad down. I hop onto his shoulders with his help and soon I was out. Surprisingly Sam was able to get out of the hole on his own.
"You can come out on your own?" I asked him when we were in the ambulance.
He smiled and nod.
"Then why didn't you get out last night?"
"I hate to see you all alone and hurt."
This guy sitting beside me, with his hand in mine, was certainly not the same guy I met 3 weeks ago.
----
Sam's POV
I watched her as she got pushed into the emergency room. The scene of her kissing me couldn't stop replaying in my mind.
"Sir, please follow me. You need to do a check up too." A nurse came up to me.
After the boring check up, I sat in the room waiting for my results. Sigh, can't wait to see Joann. But this thing is just… slow.
"Sam Taylor?" A doctor walked in. Well, he looks old. Like around 60 years old?
"Yes sir."
"Your medical report is out." His face seems to be… sad? Something isn't right and it's freaking me out.
"Is everything fine?" I asked.
"I'm sorry but you're suspected to have gotten the POEMS Syndrome."
----
POEMS syndrome is a blood disorder that affects many parts of the body and causes many symptoms. It affects both men and women and usually begins after age 50, although it may occur at any age. It is not known exactly how often POEMS syndrome occurs because it is difficult to diagnose correctly. The cause is unknown.
Symptoms
The acronym POEMS stands for:
P – polyneuropathy, meaning nerve symptoms such as numbness, tingling, and/or weakness of the hands and feet
O – organomegaly, meaning enlarged organs, usually the liver, spleen, or lymph nodes. About 15 percent of individuals with POEMS syndrome have Castleman disease (a lymph node disorder).
E – endocrinopathy, meaning changes in hormone production. Symptoms such as diabetes, impotence, stopped menstrual periods (amenorrhea), low thyroid levels (hypothyroidism), and/or breast development in males (gynecomastia) may be present.
M – monoclonal gammopathy or monoclonal plasma proliferative disorder, both of which mean abnormal blood protein cells
S – skin changes such as: increased skin pigment (hyperpigmentation); increased body hair (hypertrichosis) on the face, limbs, and chest; skin thickening and tightening, swelling (edema) of the legs and feet, whitening of the nails.
Individuals may also experience, fatigue, generalized aches and pains, or changes in vision, among other symptoms.
Diagnosis
A diagnosis of POEMS syndrome may be made based on a patient's physical examination and his/her medical history. Blood tests such as a complete blood cell count (CBC) and serum protein immunoelectrophoresis are done to look for abnormalities, as is urine testing. Thyroid hormone levels, blood glucose levels, and estrogen levels in the blood are tested to identify abnormalities. A bone marrow biopsy and/or bone x-rays may be performed to aid in diagnosis.
A person is considered to have POEMS syndrome if the “P” (polyneuropathy) and “M” (abnormal blood proteins) are present along with either sclerotic (scarring) bone lesions or Castleman disease. Many individuals will have other symptoms of the syndrome as well. Because many physicians are not familiar with POEMS syndrome, the abnormal blood test results often result in a misdiagnosis of multiple myeloma, or the polyneuropathy symptoms lead to a misdiagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP).
Treatment
The treatment of POEMS syndrome depends on the treatment of the underlying blood cell disorder. Most individuals receive a combination of treatments such as:
Radiation therapy
Corticosteroid medications such as prednisone
Chemotherapy
Hormone replacement for hormones which are too low
Physical therapy
Bone marrow transplant
Specialists such as a neurologist (nervous system doctor), hematologist (blood disorders doctor), dermatologist (skin doctor), and endocrinologist (hormone gland doctor) are usually involved in the care of an individual with POEMS syndrome.
