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....