Friday, June 27, 2014

Up From Rock Bottom

In case I haven't said it before, hospitals are strange places. They're sort of like airports, or casinos in that they don't have any fixed way of telling the time. You can be in an airport at 3 in the morning and even though the stores and restaurants are all closed there's some buzz of activity. Hospitals are like that too. Sure there are less staff at 2 in the morning but it's a guarantee that someone is going to wake you up at some point.

I had finally fallen asleep around 3:00 after finally getting my record blood pressure down around 170, but exactly at five AM someone came in to get my blood and shortly thereafter the day nurse came in to introduce herself and get my vitals. The word was that maybe I'd get to go home after they ran more tests and I proved I could walk without fainting. This was 6 AM and I had to pee but I was still tethered to the bed and using that bottle so I begged her to let me off my leash. As it turned out the nurse the night before hadn't passed on her comments about letting me off my leash after three attempts at walking with an escort, but Deena my nurse told me that if I promised not to pass out and get a concussion she' let me off. I ran to the bathroom; never has a morning pee felt so good.

Around 9:30 I heard a commotion in the hallway which sounded like Lisa's voice. But it was quickly interrupted by another voice. After a few minutes of whispering Lisa came in looking exhausted and amped up all at the same time. She had a coffee in her hand which drank in her first five minutes and then she asked the nurse for more. 

She was scared and amped up and practically buzzing and it wasn't helping my BP at all. I felt guilty, stupid, tired and feeble and her buzzing was just making me more agitated. It was all very understandable but I think the nurse could sense it and when Lisa went out to get another latte the nurse came back in and said "I know your wife is really upset but I'm here for you. If you feel like you need a break just let me know and I'll take care of it." When Lisa came back Deena, didn't say anything but she did offer me some tips on guided relaxation and suggested Lisa join in.

The wheelie people came in 3 more times for 3 more tests. This time in addition to another CT scan and a chest X Ray I  met with the head of the radiology department who re-did my kidney sonogram. There was a lot of contorting of my body and hmmmming at my pictures and at one point he left to consult someone. He came back smiling and said that it was hard to tell, but it looked like my kidneys were probably okay and it probably looked odd from dehydration.

Around 2 I was told I'd be able to leave once the doctor signed off. I sat there hour after hour in my sweaty little bed, feeling sweaty and disgusting; I hadn't showered the night before this all started and I was really feeling disgusting now. It was apparently a busy day of new patients and I was doing okay enough to drop down the list of urgent need. The one productive thing that happened that day was that Lisa was so jacked up on coffee she knitted my nurse Deena snow hat. 

Finally at 7:00 PM Dr Halpern came in to release me. He did the scary looking behind my eye thing, made me squeeze his hands and then said I was doing okay. The diagnosis was an Extreme Hypertension Emergency. He sent me off with a handful of prescriptions for blood pressure and a recommendation of a low sodium diet and an admonition to see my personal Doctor;  A doctor I had stupidly never seen.

The ride home was almost as intense as the ride home from the street fair. I was very tired and scared, Lisa was scared and still angry. We stopped at Safeway to get some low sodium food. Fortunately I don't like processed meals and food very much anyway, but my big shock was that cheese is loaded with sodium. Well most cheese, for some reason Swiss Cheese is very low. So I loaded up with Swiss Cheese, Tofu, veggies and low sodium tortillas. It would be another month or two before I found a low sodium Soy Sauce that really was low in sodium at an Asian market. To this day I'm still pretty careful about my sodium.

I was terrified those first few days. I was certain that if I sneezed I'd have an aneurism. I pretty much ate nothing and didn't leave the house except to go see my new Dr. I was supposed to be seeing a Dr who had been described as very tough and I wasn't looking forward to it. Both Lisa and I were afraid that that would not help my phobia. But at the last minute I got a call that he was sick and an offer to see another Dr.. Dr B as I call her. She's great. She didn't have any more room on her panel but my case was so extreme that she took me on and I'm very glad about that.

So there I was someone who was certain that I'd completely broken myself. Someone who had developed a horrible Dr. phobia and had record high blood pressure. But that was then. Just like an alcoholic, this was my rock bottom. I have an awesome doctgor. t and I go regularly for physicals and tests. I've been seeing a dentist regularly as well and I even had two sinus surgeries last year to fix a sinus problem discovered by an oral surgeon in an X Ray.  My blood pressure is normal, as is my cholesterol. I even meditate every day which also has a profound effect on my blood pressure and general well being. Even broken things can be fixed with a Little TLC.


No comments:

Post a Comment