December 15, 2006

My Fun Friday in the ER

I woke up this morning in an uncommonly good mood. I had my company holiday party and a hockey game to look forward to. I'd knit a fun Santa hat for the occasion and had chosen a cute little outfit for the party.

I was so looking forward to it that I got to work 20 minutes early to finish up the end of year powerpoint presentation that I was preparing for the party. I was bopping around, hyper and happy, enjoying the "Nice Hat Santa" that everyone kept saying as they walked past.

Then, at about 9 o'clock, my stomach started to hurt. I thought I was hungry so I nibbled on a bagel. Then my stomach started to really hurt. By 10 I couldn't stand up straight. By 11 I was fighting tears.

At noon I was in the hospital, fully expecting to have my appendix removed or something. After being poked TWICE for an IV (I have shy veins and my body does not like to give up blood) they had to inject me with two shots of some crazy strong painkiller before I could really function. Then I couldn't function anyways because I was doped up. My dad came into the ER and the first thing I said to him was a hazy "Drugs are bad Daddy..."

The doctor came in and mused at the symptoms. They ruled out appendicitis and decided to check my gall bladder or something like that. So I had an ultrasound. Thankfully they didn't see anything that needed surgery.

Finally the doctor told me I have Gastritis. Basically the lining of my stomach was inflamed and unhappy. Then he told me to stick with bland food and stay away from spicy stuff. Everything I eat is beige already... if I go any blander I'll be drinking watered down broth and 0% milk. And they gave me a GI cocktail. Which is mylanta and a couple other stomach medicines mixed together. I told the nurse, quite plainly "I can't drink this, it looks like a booger." (It did. Green with clear gloppy chunks. But I had to. And it was nasty. My dad was cracking up.)

It was 5:15 when they formally discharged me. But I had to wait for a ride because my car was back at the treatment center. (It was closer than the hospital and I know I wouldn't have made a longer drive without getting into an accident. In hindsight I should have let my boss call an ambulance when I told him in tears that I needed to go to the hospital.) The nurse came in and asked "How would you feel if I offered you a turkey sandwich?"

Now, I hadn't eaten since 7 the night before, except for the fourth of a bagel I nibbled before the pain got too bad, so I responded "I think I'd love you forever."

Mom came and picked me up from the hospital and I did what any sensible adult who had spent 6+ hours in the ER would do.

I went to the hockey game.

We won 9 to 1 and there were 2 fights.

I regret nothing.

But my stomach hurts again....

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

So sorry about your tummy! At least the hockey game went your way!

Oh & great santa hat! :)

mrspao said...

Oh no! Your poor tummy- hope you are better now!!

Diane said...

What an awful way to spend the afternoon. Hope you are feeling much better and it never ever happens again.

Chris said...

Oh no!! How scary - and what a terrible way to spend the day. :( Did they give you any other treatment info other than eat bland food?! In my 2-second reading just now, there are several different causes. Did they test for h. pylori?

Peevish said...

Oh sweetie how awful!! If your stomach starts hurting again, you go right back there and demand they do more tests!

Deb said...

Are you better now??

Anonymous said...

*LOL* You my dear, are my kind of girl. One tough cookie. Well I hope your tummy feels better and that you don't have to do any more booger shots. Stinks missing the company party, but cool that you got to go to the hockey game.