It is funny because a few days ago Moongazer warned me about being careful so I didn’t end up blogging from the back of an ambulance. Well, there was no ambulance involved, but after several days of extreme pain and fatigue, I allowed my hubby to take me to emergency.
We arrived about 2:45 on Monday afternoon. Because I was dealing with chest pain they got me in right away. They determined pretty quickly it wasn’t a heart attack, but they did many other tests and didn’t want to give me any pain medication until some of the work was done. When they finally did, they gave me a narcotic and gravol, both in pill form. I became nauseous and threw up, not that there was much besides the pills on my stomach.
Next they wanted to send me to get a CT scan with dye contrast. For that they use a larger IV in the inside of your elbow. However, the nurse was having problems finding a vein (as most do with me) and went through it. They tried to do the test anyway and the dye and fluid just ended up in my arm, swelling it up to over double the size before I could get it taken out. They still needed to insert an IV because I was dehydrated and also they wanted to give pain meds through there so I wouldn’t get sick. The original nurse got another one who was trying with no success. I suggested using warm towels on my arms because it has worked in the past. She put them on but never came back. I sat there with my arms stretched out and still with no pain relief for quite awhile. Finally the charge nurse came and said they didn’t need to do another CT so she put it in my wrist of my right arm. I had to keep it straight, plus my left arm was swollen straight with fluid so dealing with the itchiness that comes with narcotics for me was impossible! But at least at this point I could get some pain relief.
The doctor came to say everything seemed normal and he could not find a reason for the pain, but wanted me to get it managed and get the fluids in me before I left. At least he acknowledged the pain which is more than a lot of them do.
While all this was going on, a young man had been put in the bed beside me. He was brought in in hand-cuffs with a police escort. He seemed quite harmless when he came in. He asked about his girlfriend, making it sound like it was a domestic dispute. He was brought to the ER because his blood sugar was messed up. As the evening went on he seemed to get more and more adgetated. He did not want the nurses, or anyone else touching him and he was saying nasty things about them and other patients. Finally, my nurse was trying to fix his IV and he pushed her. The officer warned him and he pushed the officer. Out came the pepper spray and my nurse grabbed me and took me to the next row of bed-chairs. My asthma was triggered by the pepper spray and she gave me an oxygen mask. The young man was taken away and things settled down.
I was discharged shortly after that, but the story doesn’t end there. We got home about 10:30 pm and I was still in a lot of pain. I was able to take more medication around 11 pm and then went to bed. That meant I had about 4 doses of the narcotic. About 4 in the morning I got up to use the washroom. I was pretty wobbly and had to hold onto the walls to go down the hall. Now here comes a little TMI, but I fell asleep on the toilet and when I woke up I sat up fast and hit the tank. What I didn’t know was that I actually cracked the tank. I went back to bed and didn’t know anything until I woke up at 7 to find out my poor hubby had been up for two hours mopping up the water. Thankfully it was just the tank and he was able to turn the water off, but it still made a mess. So now we have to buy a new toilet. At least we have another one in the meantime!
I am getting a lot of sleep and while I am still in pain, I won’t take any of the narcotic. It makes me feel more unsafe on my feet than usual. As long as there is nothing wrong and I know it is just my chronic pain, I can cope with it.
I certainly do not regret going to the hospital as it shows me there is nothing serious wrong – and every time I go there is some “fun” adventure!
Being Lydia! 
Yowzaa, sounds more like a nightmare than an adventure! You seem to take your chronic pain in stride (not saying it doesn’t wear you down) and I think that’s amazing. I’m a complete wimp when it comes to pain – psychic and physical. Hope you’re a whole lot better today.
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Oh I do get worn down, which is why I agreed to the hospital, and the fact that it was in my chest area. But I do try to ride it out with my “maintenance tools” as much as possible. This time it was getting to be a little too much to handle and I wanted to make sure it wasn’t my heart, liver or kidneys and I have had troubles in the past. And thinking of it as an adventure is just another survival tool – it could just as easily been a nightmare. And don’t be hard on yourself in dealing with your pain. I feel like a wimp too!
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That’s awesome they did a workup, I go and as soon as they hear “bipolar” they shove me into a room in the back. 😦 Oh they did an EKG and a little bloodwork but did they try to find out what was wrong? nuh uh.
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That was my experience for several years after my bipolar diagnosis. I had a TIA (ministroke) once and they let me sit in a room for hours without doing anything – my claustrophobia got the better of me and I was getting ready to leave when the doctor came. He told me I had a migraine and then gave me medicine that was known to react with my bipolar meds. But it has been many years since I have been admitted for psychiatric reasons. However, they do pretty much tell me it is just my chronic pain now.
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I’m trying to decide who should play you in the movie – because your life experiences could definitely be made into one! Poor thing! You share my philosophy that we should see things like this as an adventure!
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Ha, ha! I think maybe Tina Fey might be a good fit! But let me get the book written first! Well I have to look at my life as an adventure or I would go back to being depressed. You and I should both write books about our lives!
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I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one with medical claustrophobia. I hate being trapped in a little room. Sorry about your experience. Hospitals generally suck for me. http://lilypupslife.wordpress.com/
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The new set-up in our hospital Emergency is actually state-of-the-art and I don’t get so boxed-in. But yeah, it is not a positive place to be whether you have phobia’s or not. And it is nice to know there are others like you, isn’t it?
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OMG!! Oh no!! (((Lydia))) That sounds awful 😦 ((((((more hugs))))))
I wonder what’s up with so many of us struggling with pain this last week?
You’re like me – you have to be worn down or pulled rank on to go to hospital. I’ve hyperventilated just visiting people in them before now.
And you’ve had hemiplegic migraine! We have a lot in common.
How’s your arm now? I hate those tests where they inject you with things. I once had a kidney x ray where they left me for 45 minutes with a needle in my arm. When they came to get me I’d quietly been bleeding – off the table and all over the floor! Life’s a joy at times lol.
You did make me giggle with the toilet thing tho, sorry. Altho I bet your hubby wasnt amused, bless him. I really hope it all settles down for you soon xxx
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Thanks, Moongazer. I am doing okay. Still very painful, but I am trying very hard not to take the narcotics when I am alone. So far I have not had to. You talk about a hemiplegic migraine and looking it up it does fit the symptoms I had but after the fact they did consider mine a TIA. I am thinking you are more correct and that original doctor was right.
My arm is almost back to normal. I have to get blood tests that my GP ordered but I have been waiting until my arms settle down after all the poking that was done on Monday. I think I will be fit to go in the morning. I have to fast for 12 hours and do that around taking my night meds which have to be with food.
Don’t you just hate that our lives seem to be revolving around our health? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could have even one day without pain, medications, moods, the works?
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Oh yes!! So very much. Just one day of “normal” would be *so* good!
I really dont blame you for letting your arms settle down. They must have been so sore! And I understand that toss up as well with meds and food. No food with the meds and feel nauseous and risk throwing up and heartburn etc. Or skip the dose entirely and end up unable to move 😦 xxx
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We really are a lot alike. It is so good to have someone who understands!
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😀
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Oh, My Gosh !!! This is an amazing story! We use the expression “Keystone Cops” to indicate a reasonable high level of incompetence. True, this is a funny story, no doubt. And yet, my compassion goes out to you, big-time, for what you had to endure! I don’t which is the most crazy. The guy that was brought in, assigned to the bed in your room, in handcuffs ??!!!!!??? Pepper spray??? Wow. This is a post worth reading. You must have a great deal of resilience and an admirable sense of humor. Peace.
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