A Trip to the ER

Well, I didn't reach the 90 lb loss this week; I actually went in the opposite direction with a 1.4 lb gain.  With how exhausted I felt this past week I wasn't surprised with or concerned about the gain.

Monday morning I woke up with a stomach ache.  I've had these before (many times after eating too much cheese) so I just went to the bathroom to take care of it.  While in there I started having stabbing pain in my chest on the right side through my back; it felt like how I'd imagine a sword through the chest would feel.  Pain was worsening not improving when I went back to bed.  I tried different positions and nothing was helping.  I tried calling out to Benny but come to find out he was in the garage so he couldn't hear me.  We got dressed and he took me to the ER.  (Turns out it was the last day University Hospital's ER would be open.)

Benny was thinking it was my liver or lung that was the problem.  He also kept saying it was because I ate spinach almost every day LOL

We got to the ER and were checked in.  I was hooked up to the EKG machine and they started drawing blood.  I've never had so many pokes before!  One of the vials clotted so they had to have an extra draw; I thought that was odd because my blood doesn't clot like that.  At some point they said my O2 level was too low so they hooked me up to the oxygen.  After all the blood was taken and IV inserted I went down for a chest x-ray after peeing in a cup.

 

Where they drew blood from the back of my left hand was swollen most of the day.  It stuck out about 1/2 inch I think and gradually decreased but the bruising spread.  The ER nurses had difficulty getting the needle through my vein; it kept rolling on them.  I didn't even realize they had a double stick on my wrist until I removed the bandage.  My hand remains tender to the touch.

I've never had blood drawn from my forearm before.

The site of the IV irritated my wrist a little bit while it was in.  I never knew they removed the needle with an IV; the nurse said it was more of a catheter.  I think it's weird that the IV site has the smallest bruising.

I had no idea what all they were testing besides the one for blood clots in the lungs (not sure how that's determined with blood work).  Between the urine and blood they tested almost 50 things, most of which I've had tested before.  There were tests for kidneys, the pancreas, and the liver mixed in the bunch.  All the labs came back negative for anything they were looking for...everything was in the normal range or at least my normal range.

Image Courtesy of Boians Cho Joo Young | FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Based on your exam today, the exact cause of your chest pain is not certain. Your condition does not seem serious at this time, and your pain does not appear to be coming from your heart. However, sometimes the signs of a serious problem take more time to appear. Therefore, watch for the warning signs listed below.
 
HOME CARE:

1. Rest today and avoid strenuous activity.
2. Take any prescribed medicine as directed. (800 mg ibuprofen)

FOLLOW UP with your doctor or this facility as instructed or if you do not start to feel better within 24 hours. [NOTE: If an X-ray or EKG (cardiogram) was made, it will be reviewed by another specialist. You will be notified of any new findings that may affect your care.]
 
GET PROMPT MEDICAL ATTENTION if any of the following occur:

• A change in the type of pain: if it feels different, becomes more severe, lasts longer, or begins to spread into your shoulder, arm, neck, jaw or back
• Shortness of breath or increased pain with breathing
• Weakness, dizziness, or fainting
• Cough with dark colored sputum (phlegm) or blood
• Fever over 100.0º F (37.8º C)
• Swelling, pain or redness in one leg

Have you ever experienced pain like I had and were given a diagnosis?

I've just sent a message to my doctor as the follow up so we'll see what he has to say.  Yesterday I had asked Benny if he wanted to come with me to the doctor and he said as long as it wasn't on Friday.  I scratched my head and told him it's the holiday so they wouldn't be open anyway.  Benny wasn't thinking about the 4th...he was thinking about Germany's next World Cup match LOL.  (I couldn't find any other way for him to watch Monday's match than downloading the Univision app on my phone.  German watching game in Spanish was funny looking.)

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