More like Sleepless in the Gulag. How sad is this? My library blog has turned into “General Hospital for Geriatrics” instead. Oh well. We blog about what is going on in our lives at the moment I guess.
We managed to get through a VERY FUN weekend with out family and extended family. 8 month old Lila was the star attraction of course.
The breathing “progressed” from somewhat breathless to full-on Darth Vader. Never mind. I have my regular doctor appointment on Tuesday. She will fix it. And she did. I showed up at her office in Darth Vader mode, and she immediately called an ambulance. Off for some fun in the sun…whoops…fun in The Strong (hospital that is…not the Museum of Play).
Strong Emergency Department is definitely NOT the “Toy Hall of Fame”!! Although, 165 mg of prednisone could be considered a form of entertainment I suppose. But really…more like the above-mentioned Gulag, with constant noise, torture with sharp objects inserted in various veins, and sleep deprivation.
Officially admitted at around 4 pm Tuesday. No sleep since 9am Monday. Out of the ER at this point? Silly you. No room in the inn….so two real hospital beds are wheeled in to replace the ER version of the medieval racks that my roommate and I have been enduring. Voila! We are now in a real hospital room….just one the size of a medical closet. Magic!
A fairy godmother finally arrived sometime around midnight to sweep me off in my coach..whoops…my mobile hospital bed…to a REAL room. Yay!! I actually got three 20-minute rounds of sleep. Oh..the joys of breathing and mood enhancing drugs!
Speaking of which…..mood enhancing drugs such as prednisone CAN enhance your mood. Euphoria would be lovely, but that can change on a dime. Wednesday was not too bad….until my meds got mixed up. Prednisone turned Cinderella very quickly into The Incredible Hulk. The nebulized medicine I should have got at bedtime was mysteriously dropped from the computer. This meant 12 hours of wheezing like “The Little Engine that Couldn’t”. Computer glitch discovered at 7 am. Out comes “The Incredible Hulk” on steroids. I informed them that they needed to “GET ME MY MEDS NOW or I was walking out of there and going HOME where I at least could get the meds I need to BREATHE!!! “. In spite of my best effort to be assertive (in a Prednisone/ Hulk kind of way), it took almost TWO HOURS to get me the inhaler I should be getting every 4 hours, minimally. Grrrrr!! Must….work….on….developing…..bulging….green….muscles!
Anyway, continuing with my literary and pop culture references, “all’s well that ends well”. I stayed for another day and a half, full of lovely meds, and was rescued by my handsome Prince Charming Bob at around 3 pm Saturday. Home again for Miss Dorothy….”There’ s No Place Like Home, There’s No Place like Home”!
The main win from this hospital stay was a new-to-me treatment…..inhaling saline solution before using my other asthma inhalation med. It seems to work.
In spite of it all…the staff at Strong is excellent, and so very hard working. It is just absolutely essential to be vigilant and make sure all is being done correctly. YOU are the expert on how you feel.
Still sleepless? Yes…but at least I am sleepless at home, and not in the Gulag!!
Wow, Jacquie. This is kind of scary. I’ll get with you via the forum and email to find out if there’s any rhyme or reason to your having this sudden attack, when I thought things were going fairly well with your treatment.
Dear Jacquie.
you had it rough 🙁 I am sorry And worried. also amazed how bravely and creatively you dealt with it. I love your writing <3 I hope that you are feeling better and I will check later at the Forum as well. I also ask my dr. Phil to help you from above. take care. God bless you.
Thank you Alysia. Especially for consulting “Dr. Phil”. That means so much. And….Writing helps me put things in perspective!!
Anne..thank you for responding, here and on the forum.
I love my Weggie friends so much!! I am off to settle into my own comfy bed….with the assistance of some melatonin to stay calm and sleepy.
Jacquie,
I am quite glad that you’re home and doing better. A Hospital stay is an unplanned destination and one to be avoided at all costs. Take it easy and continue to get better.
Thanks for the good wishes Rosina. i hope you are enjoying retirement!!
oh Jacquie!
I am so sorry to hear what you have been through. Very scary indeed. I commend you for your fight and your sense of humor in this. You are creative in your writing. Hopefully you are the up now.
Don’t worry about responding to this. I got your email tonight…that was a delight!