Day 2-4-Hospitalization--OWWW

Gee Whiz, I reread Day 1- Hospitalization-ER visit and noticed the many  misspellings, grammar errors, etc! I am so sorry.  I DID read over it several times before I posted!

Anyway, here's the continuation of my hospital visit. I will try to keep it simple.

The staff was just outstanding in every department I encountered. They were professional but compassionate.

 As Burly  transported me upstairs he joshed with me as I continued to dry heave. He assured me it would get better, and the room he was bringing me to would be more comfortable. He was true to his word!  I was able to defrost, there was a BIGGER bed and actually a PILLOW

 It was a typical hospital stay with much of the hospital staff not letting me sleep and vampires collecting blood in early mornings  The Sounds of machines beeping was heard and voices as they passed by my door.

The first two days were needles sticking my arms, fingers and stomach! Fluids making me use the bedpan every few minutes. Big x-ray machines coming to my room to take pics as well as ultrasounds. (I hate when they turn the screen so I can't look!)

I was downright miserable for the first few days.

The first night they finally gave me enough IV fluids and sugar to alleviate the nausea. I ached  all over..Oh..and when they did my vital signs the first time on the floor, my temperature was 103.5. I normally do not run fever even if I am sick. NEVER SAY NEVER!

I began a mantra to mom, "I just wanna curl up and die! Someone just needs to shoot me and get it over with."

At first the patient Mom she is, shushed me waving her hand in the air sorta dismissing me.

I continued my self pity mantra and still trying to be the patient person she is made an attempt to  encourage me, "We've been through worse We'll get through this too. Just rest. GO to sleep."

I sarcastically responded, "Yea! Right! We're in the hospital MOM." She shushed me once again.

A few minutes later,  I restarted my self pity, God just take me mantra again. But she was closer to me and SLAPPED me on the arm. It wasn't hard. She demanded, "STOP IT!"

Needless to say, I continued my prayers and wishes silently  thereafter.

As I am writing this I do recall in the ER when I would half wake up I saw her with her rosary in her hand pacing up and down our Storage Room.

We called our ER room the storage room because it seemed someone knocked and walked in to get something like blankets, IV poles, etc every few minutes.

I will stop here because I do not want this to be a drawn out post...Stay tuned to Meeting the Doctor(s)

DAY 1: HOSPITALIZATION--ER VISIT

Disclaimer: If you are squeamish suggest you skip this post. 

Tuesday 12:30 am:  I vomited everything I ate. I was alone. MyLove was earning the big buckaroos. . Luckily I made it to the "Throne". I felt achy and generally awful.I crawled back into bed and half slept performing the deep breathe technique to soothe nausea my Pediatrician taught me eons ago.



1:30 AM to 4:30 AM- Repeat above. Except once, I didn't get up fast enough and as I was sprinting, half of it went into my hand and left a trail from bedroom to "Throne". It had changed to bile. After I finished, rinsed my mouth, took a wet towel. With brief breaks, I pushed a wet towel over the carpet to clean my mess. I guess I did a good job as MyLove told me he searched when he returned home and didn't find any remnants.

 I thought throughout the night, I need to go to the emergency room but did not want to wake up Mom. I think I drifted in and out of sleep.

After my 4:30 am emesis, the dry heaves arrived. Everything that was coming out,finally ended.  In my book, dry heaves are worse than vomiting. I felt, to put it bluntly, like SHIT. Again, I drifted in and out of sleep.

In the moments of wakefulness I contemplated if I could drive to New Iberia to see my Doc. I decided it was a bad idea as it is a 30 mile drive. I wondered if I should call MyLove but decided against that idea because I didn't want to worry him. Anyway, he was 2 hours away so he couldn't do anything. I thought of calling my daughter but again, didn't want to worry her and she only has a MOPED. I thought of calling my Cuz but again, didn't want to worry her. I did ponder about dialing 911 but didn't want the expense nor hurrah. I know that wasn't good but I am who I am. I wasn't ready to put down my pride.

I also decided when/if I call MOM, I wasn't going to make her drive all the way over here then drive all the way back.

 At 6 AM I called my parents and my dad answered. I asked to speak to her because 1) He is very hard of hearing and would have kept saying, "What? I don't understand?" OR when he would have been translating to Mom, it would have been a chore for him as he forgets one minute to the next sometimes..

She gets on the phone. My mom has had practice for 49 years so she knows the drill.  I started crying. She asked concerned but calm to actually calm ME as always, "What's wrong?"

Deep breath. "Can you take me to the hospital?"

She perked up and said, "I have to dress and brush my teeth. Do not move!"

But I did..I slipped some shorts under my  gown then unlocked the door and plopped onto my chair to wait. . I was so very weak and dizzy. About 45 minutes later, mom arrived. We walked slowly to the car with only my emesis basin and purse .

We make it to the hospital and they triaged me. A bulky RN who reminded me of a big giant teddy bear like was kind and gentle. I wish we would have written these RN and ER docs names.

My blood pressure was way up there, temp was 103.5 and I was shivering with teeth chattering. I couldn't walk because when I stood, I dry heaved. They wheeled me in the wheelchair to the waiting room but called my name within a few minutes.

They put me in a cold room that felt like a freezer.. I kept saying "F--K its cold!"

In response, my devout Christian Mom kept shushing me and reprimanding me. Bulky put 3 blankets with one warm against my skin. I kept telling him he was an ANGEL.

He left and came back. Evidently he had gone to talk to the busy ER Doctor. He returned and explained he was going to start an IV and give fluids, the Vampires and Radiologist. He started my IV, doing a wonderful job and I did tell him so.

The vampires came draw 5 vials of blood. I asked if they were going to leave me any blood. The Tech just laughed and said, "Sorry! Yea, really huh?"

Later, the Radiologist came get me and wheeled me in the bed to X-ray. All of this took place in about an hour or two.

Another RN, a cute little man (I'll name him  Ben as he looked like a Ben )  entered and talked to me about my history, Meds, etc. He told me the ER doctor was going to be coming.

Then we waited and waited. Bulky and Benjamin came in periodically to check on me and Mom. Bulky ended up giving me 2 more blankets. And I still shivered and was miserably cold.

Finally, the ER doctor,(Lets call him Doc) arrived and said my glucose was way low like 59. My weight was 79.5. I really cried when he told me my weight because I've been struggling. He told me he thought it was a virus that went into my intestine. With my immune system and malnourishment I couldn't fight it as well.  I informed him the low immune system is my life story. He gave me this long explanation I understood then but can't explain. He ordered a dose of Zofran IV for my nausea, glucose by IV, wait an hour and go from there.

Shortly after Doc departed,  Ben returned with the Zofran and orange juice with a packet of sugar. I dislike OJ because its so tart, but add sugar..it made me gag but like an obedient patient I drank it. YUCKITY YUCK!

Waiting game began again. Same people checked in regularly informing the ER doc was coming back. Once, Bulky did my blood pressure when I was laying down, then he helped me stand up and checked blood pressure, my BP went erratic. I laid back down.

About 2 hours later and 2 glucose sticks (I hated that little sticker!) later Ben walked in and put up a little bag and attached it to my already big hanging bag. We watched it as it dripped. I slept off and on. Doc walked in while it dripped and said we were going to wait and see how I felt. He said he was concerned about my blood sugar fluctuating  and unstable blood pressure. He gave me the option to go home with nausea meds and I could follow-up with my doctor OR he had no problems admitting me and having me followed by the Hospitality Doctor with IV fluids etc. He told me to think about it.

More waiting ensued ...My mom and I discussed my options. She said she wasn't bringing me to my apartment.She was bringing me home since MyLove was out of tow.n. She was in her take charge motherly mode. I see it as caring and it is automatic to her as she has had to take charge many times.

I somehow slid to the foot of the bed a few times and the two Angels would come and pull me up with the sheet. The first time Bulky laughingly said, "You're less than the wind outside." We all laughed.

I thought about my options. I was scared myself. I finally declared "Defeated". So when Doc came in I told him I was game for admittance.

Two hours later, after 9 hours in ER I was wheeled to my room on 5th floor!

If your stomach is still intact or just plain interested. Stay Tuned :)

FOUR DAY HIATUS

The day after my birthday (Which I had a post scheduled so that's why it was posted with me actually not being here) I went on an impromptu hiatus. It was indeed not a pleasant one!

 I had to visit the emergency room and in turn, was admitted. I gave no arguments with the ER doctor. I felt that sick!


My hiatus will be written in several posts, not necessarily in any order or even consecutively.  


I am home now, still weak and don't feel up to par. But after I'm knocked down like that, it takes me a while to get back to my own "normalcy".


I had written in my last post that I felt like I was getting sick. I had NO idea!

BEWARE: I will try not to be graphic but know how some people have weak stomachs and wouldn't want to give you that kind of effect.


I will summarize in this post and cut it to the diagnoses. 

First, the staff at Regional Medical Center of Acadiana gave excellent care. From the triage nurse to the discharge nurse and everyone in between was awesome! And the hospital didn't seem to smell medicine and it wasn't drab. The bed could have held two of me LOL!

I was referred an Hospitalist Doctor since I have no doctor here in Lafayette because I tried a few specialists in this city and BOMBED big time. I kept my New Iberia Doctors.


Anyway after a slew of blood tests, x-rays and ultrasounds the results were that I had the virus that went to my intestines. In triage I had high blood pressure and a temp of 103.5! The HBP was due to my achiness, fever and hours of vomiting, we assume. I felt guilty for a second because of the patients who were probably there way before me and I just got swooped into the back.


Also, my blood sugars was way down..59. It kept going up and down throughout my stay.


I want to tell you if you have to stick yourself every day to check your glucose. I AM SO SORRY. That crap HURTS. The first time they did it, unexpectedly. I shouted, "SHITTT".  I'm not one to be afraid of needles but I was PISSED.


Wednesday, mom asked him his estimation of my stay and he said as soon as they get my blood sugars stable and able to eat a meal and keep it down. Has anyone tasted their nasty gravy?? 


So obviously I reached his goals and I am home. I feel better but not well. This hit me like a load of bricks! I have to pace myself even more. I feel like I have 10 lb weights on my ankles. And now that everything is over, sorta..I'm in a wanna cry mode. Just waiting for the culprit to hit me.


So that is what was wrong who asked.