Fully Alive…Ready to Smile

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March 23, 2009

Erin’s attempt at medical drama

***Looking for the UBP post?  Click here or scroll down*** 

 

I’ve been getting no sympathy at home with this dang cold-death-virus-thing because everyone within hearing range has also been sick.  I had to come up with something REALLY good to make my people realize that mommy’s need some TLC, too.  So today I just created a little drama of my own, landed myself in the ER and VIOLA!  Lots of sympathy.  And a whole staff of people to take care of me.  It was great!  And so easy.  I’ll have to remember this for future reference…as a mom it’s FAR better being sick in the hospital than at home!

I had been feeling completely awful all weekend and even coughed up streaks of blood a few times, so I decided this morning that I would go to the walk-in clinic just to make sure that I didn’t have anything serious like bronchitis or pneumonia or something else that I could possibly use to make people feel sorry for me :D  I was all set to go when suddenly I felt very wrong.  My lips got all numb and my arms and legs were heavy and weak and I felt a little out of body.  Pretty good drama, huh?  I thought so.

I called Jer and told him that I didn’t think it would be a great idea for me to drive myself and that it might be better if we just bypass the walk-in altogether and go straight to the ER.  On the way there I felt breathless and a little like I was floating.  It could possibly have been fun, if it didn’t scare the crap out of me!  Then I got all cold and shivery and by the time we got to the ER my legs could barely support me.  I leaned on the counter and almost fainted right there, but a nice paramedic took me to a bed and the fainting spell passed.  

After ALL that it ended up being a rather anti-climactic visit.  No hot doctors!  Tell me WHY are there no hot doctors??  Do they even really make hot doctors or is that just all tv propaganda?  I’d even take a hot intern or paramedic or cleaning personnel!   Gah!  There were no more out of body experiences and no good hospital drama with anyone else in the ER.  There were hours where I didn’t see or hear anyone.  I guess that’s what you get at a smalltown hospital.  And to make it even funnier, the doctor that I was waiting and waiting to see…”working in the walk-in clinic, she’ll be around to see you when she can.”  I would have seen her faster if I had gone with my original course of action and gone to the clinic.  Not to mention I could have made a scene in the waiting room when I fainted.  

The nurses took my vitals, drew some blood, did a couple x-rays, letting me rest over the course of the 4 hours that it took to do all that and I continued to wait for the doctor.  I guess I wasn’t really an emergency.  Heh.  Well it FELT like an emergency when I couldn’t feel my limbs!  Just saying…

Some more time passed and the doctor finally came in and said that all the tests came back clear and good.  (What?!?)  She said that it looked like nothing more than a bad cold and neglect. (NEGLECT!!!  Well I could have told you that!!)  I was too sick to take care of myself properly PLUS I was taking care of everyone else at home and not resting or eating enough.  She gave me a prescription for 6 pretty pink pills that cost me $5 a piece, told me to rest and drink plenty of fluids and sent me on my merry way.  Not even a fancy name for what I’m feeling so that I can fee less guilty for “taking it easy” as she prescribed.  

I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s some serious awesomeness that I’m not dying or have some crazy illness, but I WAS kind of wanting to yell at the doctor, “NOOO, stick an IV in me and keep me for a night…or 4, so that I don’t have to go home and TRY to rest with wee people running around!!”  Then someone else would take care of me and cook, even if it’s awful, and I could really get better, but nope.      

Ah well, at least I got to ride in a wheel chair and wear a hospital gown.  That made the trip worth it.  And to think I forgot my camera.  

 

16 Comments »

  1. Wow, that’s quite a story! Glad to hear it’s not anything serious and I pray you will feel all better very soon. :)

    Comment by Elleah — March 23, 2009 @ 7:52 pm

  2. I know how it can be , I hate paying the doctors to NOT diagnose me. It makes me mad that they are so willing to charge you and prescribe a med when they have NO IDEA what is wrong!!

    Comment by happyhermit — March 23, 2009 @ 8:02 pm

  3. Well, I’m happy to hear that it’s nothing serious. But I’m sorry to hear that it wasn’t an easy diagnosis that came with a quick fix. Hang in there… Lots of prayers coming your way.

    (You should have asked to be hooked up to a machine. ANY machine! hehe)

    Comment by Lindsay — March 23, 2009 @ 8:25 pm

  4. Sorry that you’re sick – but at least you can still laugh at yourself! And let us laugh at you too~ :) Hope you feel better soon Erin.

    Comment by Jody — March 23, 2009 @ 9:13 pm

  5. I too am glad that it’s nothing serious. And I’m sorry you didn’t get encounter any hot medial personnel; they do exist!

    When my mom got into her accident last June, one of the EMT’s looked just like Josh Groban. I’m sorry now that I didn’t take a picture.

    Comment by Jenene — March 23, 2009 @ 9:31 pm

  6. Isn’t it sad when an over-night stay at the hospital sounds more appealing than coming home? Sigh…such is the life of a mother. It’s true though — we NEVER get a sick day!!

    Comment by Andrea — March 23, 2009 @ 9:35 pm

  7. I got a really hot nurse when I went to the hospital with pneumonia… he had a great bum AND a sense of humour! Made the entire trip worth it!

    Comment by Beth — March 23, 2009 @ 10:38 pm

  8. my thoughts and prayers are with u I hope u feel better real soon

    Comment by jen — March 24, 2009 @ 1:04 am

  9. Gah! That is so the sort of thing that would happen to me too!

    Once, I totally thought I was dying, and it turned out I just had fluid in my ears.

    Some day I’ll get something exotic and I’ll be secretly PLEASED.

    Oodles of sympathy comin’ your way!

    Comment by Kimberly — March 24, 2009 @ 10:01 am

  10. Hope you feel better real soon!!!
    :)
    Hugs

    Comment by Louise — March 24, 2009 @ 10:54 am

  11. I hope you feel better soon!

    I always get the Mr. Rogers looking doctors myself.

    Comment by Swankymama — March 24, 2009 @ 6:30 pm

  12. Oh my word! I don’t know whether to pity you or crack up! haha! I can’t say I share your comfort in hospitals…I’ve never actually been to one for myself (I was even born at home. lol!), but I’ve had sibs and my momma in and out on several occasions, and I absolutely can’t stand the place!

    I’ll pray that you get to feeling better soon Erin! Maybe those kids will settle down a bit and learn to cook while you’re taking it easy. :D

    –Abigail

    Comment by Abigail Kraft — March 25, 2009 @ 12:53 am

  13. You are too funny! I’m so glad it wasn’t anything serious. I hope those are MAGIC pink pills and heal you in a flash!

    Comment by Kacey — March 25, 2009 @ 9:51 am

  14. Well bless your heart! Next time, just book yourself a hotel room and be done with it. Lots less waiting, and better tv.

    I’m with you on the no hot doctors thing…last time I was in the ER, I spent 6 hours sitting there and all I got was a grouchy old man doctor. (Although on the positive side, that was when they told me I only had one kidney, so at least there was a surprise ending). :-)

    Feel better!

    Comment by Quirky — March 25, 2009 @ 7:33 pm

  15. I KNEW IT! Everyone IS sick!

    I must admit, I almost always feel disappointed when I don’t encounter a hot doctor, but I recover well when I meet a really nice dad-like doctor. Makes it less awkward.

    Feel better soon!

    Comment by CuriosityKiller — March 26, 2009 @ 12:41 pm

  16. I can totally relate to everything you just said! Since I’ve been dilating early again this time they’ve been talking about bedrest…at which point I literally laughed in their faces. The closest I’m going to get to bedrest is if I LITERALLY pass out into complete unconsciousness. Otherwise, I have people who expect me to be doing things.

    I am also the only woman I know who is excited about her labor because the three day long visit will be the first “vacation” she’s had in years!

    I hope you feel better soon. You have MY sympathy.

    Comment by Person (also known as Mommy) — March 28, 2009 @ 4:44 am

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