Happy 2017 everyone! I hope that everyone’s year has gotten off to a wonderful start. The end of 2016 and the beginning of my 2017 was definitely interesting, but so far things are going great! In my last post I promised that I would tell you all about my lovely post Christmas ER visit. So without further adieu, here you go:

First I should mention that I do not like urgent care, I am not a fan of the doctor, and really really hate the emergency room. I will go to the doctor for yearly check ups, but unless my head is falling off you will have to drag me to any other medical visit kicking and screaming.

A little over a week before Christmas I was sick (shocking I know). I had the nasty cough, body aches, chills, hot flashes; the whole nine yards. However, after a couple of days of being flat out on my back I was feeling a lot better. The cough had other plans though and decided to stick around. On Christmas Eve and Christmas it decided to rear its ugly head causing me to throw up because I was coughing so hard. My husband insisted I go to urgent care, but since I didn’t feel sick and it was just a cough I refused. (I’m super stubborn or just a real pain in the ass. My husband is so lucky).

Anyway, the day after Christmas I got up to go to an early chiropractic appointment and my husband got up to take me. I should have known something was up, because there was no reason for him to drive me 15 min to a 5 min appointment. After my back and neck were once again semi functioning properly (I think all the coughing pulled some muscles) the sneak drove me straight to urgent care. I was not pleased, but he insisted he was worried so in we went where we sat for over an hour to see a doctor. To top off the long wait time I had to wear one of those super sexy masks because I was coughing. It was really hot and fogged up my glasses when I would breath.

When we finally got into see the doctor all hell broke loose because my blood pressure was really high and apparently that’s a BIG deal. Three different nurses and the doctor ended up taking my bloods pressure. They also switched machines and did it manually about 4 times. The doctor determined that I had bronchitis, but because my blood pressure was so high he said he would let me leave (at this point I was seething at Tom. I was starving and now super anxious). The doctor then asked why my blood pressure was high and what I was so anxious about. (Well thanks genius, ask a super anxious women why she is freaking out after you scare the crap out of her and tell her she can’t leave. That always works with someone who has anxiety). 

After all that nonsense he gives me a breathing treatment, which unbeknownst to me had epinephrine in it and cause me to shake uncontrollably and freak out anymore. Finally, hours later, they gave me some blood pressure medication, a pain pill for my chest, an Ativan to calm me the fuck down and sent me home with instruction to go to the ER if my blood pressure didn’t go down. (Yeah fucking right. After that hell I just went through you think I am going to be all willing to hit up the ER). Once we got home my husband put me to bed, where I immediately passed out, and then the plotting began.

Knowing full well that I wasn’t going to willing go to the ER, while I was sleeping, my husband packed me a bag and arranged for someone to pick up the dogs. Once he was ready he woke me up and said that if I didn’t get in the car my brother in-law was going to call the ambulance. That would have been humiliating, not to mention expensive, so I got in the car.

I do have to say that the hospital was much faster, but the whole being stuck with needles multiple times was not my idea of fun. I am not ashamed to say that I cried every time they had to draw blood or insert an IV. Oh, I also accidentally spilled a whole water bottle on the intake desk while checking in. After x-rays, EKG’s, and multiple blood tests I was diagnosed with pneumonia, bronchitis, and once again high blood pressure. Everything else came back normal. They gave me a nice cocktail of meds and I got to watch TV while they waited for them to kick in. Once my blood pressure started going down I was released with strict instructions to stay on bed rest and follow up with my primary care to get this whole blood pressure shit straightened out.

Let me tell you, if you think the idea of bed rest sounds fun, you are wrong. After a couple of days you are so bored. I watched a lot of random TV and I couldn’t read because with the narco they had me on I couldn’t remember the sentence I just read. I would end up reading the same sentence over and over. In fact, I couldn’t remember shit. Other fun side effects, included:

• I had to write down when I took my meds because I had no idea if I had taken them
• When I tried to do laundry I ended up shrinking a few of my sweaters because I had no clue what was going on
• I wasn’t able to drive because god knows where I would have ended up
• Sometimes the sentences that came out of my mouth made no sense
• Pretty sure I watched some movies, but no idea which ones

Doesn’t it sound like a fun two weeks! Thankfully I am much better now and slowly getting back into my normal routine. Although, it did take like a week to get the Christmas decor put away because I would get so worn out doing any little task that I would have to go lay down.

With the new year I am making changes to make sure I am healthier and happier. I don’t really want to stroke out because my blood pressure is too high. (Not really funny, but you have to stay in good spirits, right?)

Until Later!

L