A Night In The ER Really Gets You Thinking

Image courtesy of joncallas

How do you go from feeling like all is well, to staring at the GE logo of the emergency room CT scanner in a matter of hours?

Monday evening seemed like any other day until I started feeling the onslaught of abdominal discomfort.  I went to bed concerned, but not enough to keep me from drifting to sleep.  By about midnight I became very awake as my stomach felt like it had been injected with some form of toxic solution.  Within minutes I was in excruciating pain and began to pray that I would be OK.  I was scared.

I spent the next hour or so rocking and moaning, all the while debating the trip to the ER.  By about 1:30am Liz woke up and quickly convinced me that we needed to go to the hospital right away.  I made little argument, as my subconscious had been awaiting her approval.

Our first thought was my appendix.  We had gone through a similar song and dance a few years ago with her and it turned out to be just that.

We arrived at the emergency room with the fabulous realization that we were the only patients in need of immediate assistance.  The waiting room was completely empty; something I’ve never seen in my entire life.

Within a few short minutes we found ourselves in our own little corner of the ER, me rocking back and forth on the ground, in too much pain to lay on the bed.  The nurse came in and immediately said, “Looks like the kidney stone dance to me.”  Apparently I was partaking in a ritual that a select few men get to enjoy, and I somehow knew the moves quite well.  But still we knew nothing until some tests were performed.

Taking pictures of my abdominal area with the CT scanner was what the doctors needed to rule out or in my potential ailment.  To do so I had to drink a concoction of fluid that would allow the scan to produce the proper imagery.  When Liz had to do so she was given a milky mixture that was flavored with banana and berry.  Can you think of a more disgusting mixture when you’re insides are bursting with anguish and nausea is only ONE of the side effects?  Apparently these doctors liked me a bit better than she as I was met with a Sunny Delight flavored version that was light and fruity.  But wait, I forgot to mention the fact that you have to drink, like, 5 GALLONS of the stuff!  OK, maybe not 5, but it was A LOT!

DRUGS, DRUGS and more DRUGS!

Shortly after I arrived I was given and IV and offered Morphine for the pain as well as something for the nausea.  I’m not very big into chemicals in my body, but let me tell you, I was VERY thankful for the instant relief.  After a few hours of wondering if your body is rejecting you, you are quite partial to the idea of a little escape time.

All the while, Liz was by my side, there when I needed her, in the background when I needed space.  It was wonderful that she got to experience the same as I only a few years after our roles were reversed.  I even mentioned (once the Morphine kicked in) how our strong friendship is revealed in times like these.  How if we weren’t the best of friends we would struggle during these times, not grow closer.

Time for the CT.

The nurse wheeled me into the room with the scanner (I must admit that riding on your back, through the halls of a hospital, high on drugs is quite an experience!)

There I lay, staring at the magnets as they circled my body, making that almost soothing whooshing sound.  The machine told me when to hold my breath and when to breathe.  They even provided you with a cartoon image to show you how it’s done…I guess for those who forget.

The test came back and apparently the liquid I had consumed hadn’t traveled far enough down to get a proper reading on my appendix so it was another hour of waiting and then another CT.  “Nurse!  More drugs please!”

Liz had already consumed a bag of peanuts, a Nutri-Grain bar and a few bottles of water by now and we were nearing breakfast time.  Still hungry I encouraged her to go get some eggs and oatmeal (the cafeteria specialty) while we waited.  So she made her way downstairs and I slept a bit.

The second scan was a success and showed no issues of concern.  So the doctor called me a big cry baby and sent me home.  Not really, but he did suggest that I could either have a partial blockage in my stomach or some kind of bug that was causing the pain.  Basically, he had NO IDEA.  Before I left I ended up throwing up the previous nights dinner and soiling my pants, all at the same time.  Kind of a two for one.  (Sorry if I’m breaching the whole NEED TO KNOW line.  Hey, it’s all part of the experience, right?)

So we finally made our way home at about 10am.  I still felt nauseous and my pain meter had only dropped from a 10 to about a 7, but hey, that’s progress, right?!

I forced a needed shower and then went straight to bed.  My ailments seemed to substantially subside as long as I was on my back.  I then slept for most of the day.  Liz, tired as she was, took care of her normal daily duties as well as tended to the pitiful patient.  (Can I just say that I REALLY LOVE THAT GIRL! )

Other than forcing down some necessary Gatorade and Saltine Crackers, I continued my fast until the following day.  It was during that next day that I visited my regular doctor who proceeded to confirm what the ER doc had stated.  “It is (I) probably (have) some kind (NO) bug or (IDEA) something.”  Surprisingly, this actually reassured Liz and I and helped us just try to get back to our normal daily lives and assume the best.

So far so good.

Here it is, Thursday evening, and I’m doing MUCH better.  I still feel very bloated ALL THE TIME, but Gas X is helping in that department.  The nausea left me by days end on Wednesday and I expect the bloating to do the same very soon.  What the heck was all this, we do not know.  We are testing some recent diet change  possibilities to see if my system is just reacting to too much or not enough of something, but too much stress is also on our radar.

This leads me to the whole ‘got me thinking’ part of this post, which…I’ll be sharing in the coming days.  Until then…

Eric