Hospitalization: Reason for Disappearance

Hey Everyone! Yep! It's littlecajunme!

It has been one hellish week. I saw a lot of comments to be published and a lot of blog posts. I am so sorry I have been unresponsive to these as well as private messages, emails, etc. I don't know when I will be able to catch up so I can't promise a certain day but do know that I will eventually. I love every one of you and don't want anyone to feel ignored. After you hear my explanation I am hopeful that you will understand. Thank you!

For the past few weeks my tummy has been bothering me, but it came and went. I had planned to make an appointment with my GI doctor. 

Last Saturday and Sunday I was feeling drained and my tummy had some dull cramping. 

Sunday, Hubby and I ate pizza while watching the Saints game. It did not stay in my tummy, if you know what I mean. I will not give details. I started dry heaving thereafter.

Monday morning I called my GI doctor. He has an office in Lafayette, nearest me (about 30 minutes one way) and one in New Iberia, where most of my other doctors are (55 minutes one way depending on traffic.). Of course, the earliest appointment in the Lafayette office would be Dec 18th. The earliest in New Iberia would be the Wednesday so I grabbed it.

I was weak, my tummy was hurting and I just didn't feel good. I dry heaved almost nonstop. Literally! I have a history of dehydration after nausea and vomiting. All I was keeping down was water which I considered good because it would continue to hydrate me, or so I thought.

On that day and the next day, we were trying everything to maintain my strength. I was in bed the whole time except to potty. MyHubby was really concerned. (He even told me later that he had tears seeing me this way. I feel so bad for that. UGH!) I was concerned about myself but shhhhh..I'll never admit it.

He bought me Popsicles and it came right back up after consumption. He cooked mashed potatoes which sometimes calm my stomach. It didn't come back up but I was only able to eat 1/4 cup. I  continued to dry heave until I got to the doctor. 

Hubby took off work for my appointment. He had to literally pick me up (He didn't bother trying to change me out of my jammies) and put me on the back seat of the car. On the way, he suggested we should just go to the ER. I told him we're going to the GI doctor, who could figure it out. Against his better judgment he brought me to the doctor's office.

He carried me into the office and sat me down. The receptionist saw me and must've told his Assistant. They called me right away while there was a room full of patients waiting. The Assistant told us to go to the ER. She said I was very dehydrated and malnourished. There was nothing they could do there. I would need fluids and tests. "SIGH!!"

Yes, later on I put my big girl panties on and told MyHubby he was right.

MyHubby picked me up, carried me to the car, laid me back onto the back seat and drove around to the hospital that was next door. He drove to the ER door, got me out of the car and carried me into ER where the ER personnel took over.

Thank God I don't weigh much and he is a strong man!

I was a little incoherent. And the rest of the day was blurry. The people MyHubby said arrived in ER  to see about me is like they were in a dream. I don't remember what neither one of us said. I wasn't even sure if it was real. 

Nurses inserted an IV with anti nausea med and fluids and the dry heaving FINALLY stopped. They poked and prodded me. My blood sugar was very low among my electrolytes.

I was admitted and bedridden with IV, cardiac monitor and urine catheter.

The following days were full of pokes, and prods, beepers, people walking in and out. Some were like vampires taking vials of my blood. I slept in-between everything. I remember thinking I just want to sleep!

By Thursday I was doing pretty good and was being discharged. Someone made a boo boo  and ordered a regular diet. I ate a portion of it and it came up again. Discharge was postponed until Friday night.

There is a lot in between I want to share with you in those days but will do at a later date. I am pooped.

The cause of it all is a mystery. The diagnosis kept coming up as "maybe gastritis," dehydration and malnourished. As MyHubby said the only thing that was take care of were the symptoms. There was never a definitive diagnosis.

I do feel better somewhat. I am keeping soft foods and Ensure down. It's progress.

I was not walking for several days. When I was finally out of the bed it was like learning to walk all over again. It felt like 2 lead weights on my legs. It's hard for me to get from Point A to Point B with LESS then the little balance I already have. So FREAKING FRUSTRATING!

Add weakness, aches and pains from the whole ordeal and you get one sickly half-grumpy little person 

I keep the grumpiness to myself with the exception of a discussion with an insurance representative who won't approve my anti nausea medicine. In the end I can't get that med because doctor is ER doctor and they need a fax to get prior authorization. Yes that is right. I have to get prior authorization for a prescription a DOCTOR who wrote it! I told her they better hope I don't get nauseous because if I do, I will be coming after them when I recover like a bat out of hell! I enforced it with "Don't think this is a threat, it is a freaking promise!"

I have a follow-up with my GI doctor on Monday and a follow-up with Family Doctor Wednesday. 

Such Joy! Not! But I continue on trudging.

Anyway, I hope this is a sufficient explanation of my disappearance. 

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 :)