Weekend Setback
Everything was going so well that DH was finally able to return to work this past week. He worked one complete shift and got halfway through a second shift before he had to take off again. I felt so bad, I cried all the way to the hospital.
I returned to the hospital Friday night. After trying to rationalize new symptoms (nausea, all-over headache, rapid hot/cold flashes, muscle pains/aches) all night Thursday and all day Friday, I started running a fever early Friday evening. I took some Advil, started sipping cold Sprites, holding cold towels around my neck, and decided that it was most likely just a bug that the kids brought home from school. And hey, I'm a nurse, I know how to bring down a fever! So I kept trying. (I know, somebody smack me silly!)
Around dinner time, I finally got the fever back down under 100 when Mom showed up to check on me. She went to the closet to get a towel and kept trying to dab my incision line. I brushed her off and asked, "Mom, what in the heck are you doing?" She said she felt so bad for me..."sweating only on the incision like that" and wanted to dry it but "those sweat drops keep popping up all along your head there." DH had called and was talking to one of the girls during this conversation with Mom. The girls were busily repeating it all to DH; so I didn't even have time to call the doc myself.
DH was "on the horn" to the neuro, who instructed DH to go home and retrieve me and immediately deliver me to the ER, before I could even get to the bathroom mirror to check the situation out to see if *I* thought *I* needed to go to the ER. (Checking for skin color, equal pupil size, changes in eyes and face, fearing increased pressure in the brain, infection or that the "sweat drops" might be spinal fluid.)
Needless to say, it was another emotional ride back to the hospital. I HATE ERs, especially on weekends. And I really hated the thought of returning to the hospital, and feared being re-admitted.
But once again I have been blessed and was released Saturday....less than 24 hours this time! WOOHOO!!! But geeeeez, the amount of testing that can be done in less than 4 hours these days is absolutely mind boggling! I've NEVER been, or seen anyone else, moved through an ER so quickly! They had me in a room, machines hooked to both sides of my body, an IV started and hung, blood drawn, meds running and tests started...all in less than 1/2 hour! I had blood drawn and cultures done from both sides of my body, a chest xray, and yet another CT (Shouldn't I OWN that machine by now?!? I swear my butt print is imprinted on that table from being on it so many times in the past month!)
Long story short, (well, not so short at this point! *LOL*) there was no bacterial infection; it was a virus along with my hypothalamus (the thermostat/regulator of the body) trying to recoup. The doc said my weekend CT looked even better than the one from this past Monday. So my head continues to heal.
I really need to write a letter of praise to the hospital for the ER staff. They did a fabulous job and went out of their way to make and keep me comfortable. It really was one of the best ER experiences I've ever had/seen. Even DH mentioned stopping by hospital admin Tuesday when we return so he can talk to them about the experience. DH is in and out of various ERs constantly with his job. He said he watched one of the best MI (heart attack) responses/times he has seen "in forever" while I was in the CT. And he was quite impressed with how they went out of their way to keep me comfortable and him informed this weekend. Overall it was a good experience for both of us. Now, how many times can one say that about an ER visit??
I returned to the hospital Friday night. After trying to rationalize new symptoms (nausea, all-over headache, rapid hot/cold flashes, muscle pains/aches) all night Thursday and all day Friday, I started running a fever early Friday evening. I took some Advil, started sipping cold Sprites, holding cold towels around my neck, and decided that it was most likely just a bug that the kids brought home from school. And hey, I'm a nurse, I know how to bring down a fever! So I kept trying. (I know, somebody smack me silly!)
Around dinner time, I finally got the fever back down under 100 when Mom showed up to check on me. She went to the closet to get a towel and kept trying to dab my incision line. I brushed her off and asked, "Mom, what in the heck are you doing?" She said she felt so bad for me..."sweating only on the incision like that" and wanted to dry it but "those sweat drops keep popping up all along your head there." DH had called and was talking to one of the girls during this conversation with Mom. The girls were busily repeating it all to DH; so I didn't even have time to call the doc myself.
DH was "on the horn" to the neuro, who instructed DH to go home and retrieve me and immediately deliver me to the ER, before I could even get to the bathroom mirror to check the situation out to see if *I* thought *I* needed to go to the ER. (Checking for skin color, equal pupil size, changes in eyes and face, fearing increased pressure in the brain, infection or that the "sweat drops" might be spinal fluid.)
Needless to say, it was another emotional ride back to the hospital. I HATE ERs, especially on weekends. And I really hated the thought of returning to the hospital, and feared being re-admitted.
But once again I have been blessed and was released Saturday....less than 24 hours this time! WOOHOO!!! But geeeeez, the amount of testing that can be done in less than 4 hours these days is absolutely mind boggling! I've NEVER been, or seen anyone else, moved through an ER so quickly! They had me in a room, machines hooked to both sides of my body, an IV started and hung, blood drawn, meds running and tests started...all in less than 1/2 hour! I had blood drawn and cultures done from both sides of my body, a chest xray, and yet another CT (Shouldn't I OWN that machine by now?!? I swear my butt print is imprinted on that table from being on it so many times in the past month!)
Long story short, (well, not so short at this point! *LOL*) there was no bacterial infection; it was a virus along with my hypothalamus (the thermostat/regulator of the body) trying to recoup. The doc said my weekend CT looked even better than the one from this past Monday. So my head continues to heal.
I really need to write a letter of praise to the hospital for the ER staff. They did a fabulous job and went out of their way to make and keep me comfortable. It really was one of the best ER experiences I've ever had/seen. Even DH mentioned stopping by hospital admin Tuesday when we return so he can talk to them about the experience. DH is in and out of various ERs constantly with his job. He said he watched one of the best MI (heart attack) responses/times he has seen "in forever" while I was in the CT. And he was quite impressed with how they went out of their way to keep me comfortable and him informed this weekend. Overall it was a good experience for both of us. Now, how many times can one say that about an ER visit??
posted by Senati | 11:59 AM
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