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Friday, November 14, 2008

My Recent Adventure

SO....I'm on my way to work last night....feeling not so good...having some achy, tightening, chest pain going on...with a lot of soreness in my neck, arm and shoulder on the left side. Mmmm? What to do. I'm on my way to work...supposed to work at 10 hour shift. I had called of the night before (something I rarely do - have only missed two days this year....) Now what?

I picked up my cell phone and called Dawna. Since she's a nurse and I didn't want to worry my sister (also a nurse) and my Mom (former CCU aide - with masterful knowledge of the workings of the heart due to her former job and life experience with Dad)...I called Dawna. I was hoping she would say that it was probably just gas or something. I knew better. But I was counting on her to lie.

Nope.

She said, "I'll meet you in the ER." - and she hung up and that was that.

I arrived at work and told Sandy in registration (one benefit of working in a small-town hospital - you know everyone) that I was having chest pain and that I was just going to run upstairs to the lab to tell them I was going to be late while they checked me out. Nope. Sandy said, "SIT."

Within 30 seconds, they had me headed toward triage...and before I could take two steps, in walked my friend, Dawna. How she managed to get there so fast, I'll never know. She must've dropped everything when I called and out the door she went.

After the initial assessment, they wheeled me into a room and Renee wired me for sound - Jim started my IV and then some very sweet woman from radiology came and took me for chest x-rays. (wow...someone I didn't know...) I got some morphine for pain and some benadryl for the reaction I had to the morphine, And I even got an oxygen cannula for my nose...which I promptly put in my mouth. (don't ask.)

3 1/2 hours later, they wheeled me into my room in MAC (Medical Acute Care) and wired me for more sound - telemetry for the night.
In those 3 1/2 hours, I tried to phone Brillo Man at least 20 times. He wasn't answering. His cell phone must be out in the truck and he went to bed so he won't hear or see the house phone flashing that a call is coming in. I wanted to call my Mom, but didn't want her to worry - because I knew she would - but I also knew she would pray - but I also didn't want her to worry....ugh. I realize now that I made a mistake in not calling her - she is, after all, the one person in this world who cares about me more than anyone else ever will. I love you Mom, and I'm sorry I didn't call. Truth be told --I really didn't want people to worry and deep down inside was thinking that I'm not worth it - don't worry about me - there's more important things and people to worry about. Now there's a therapy topic for my next session with Lucy....

Anyway - Dawna and I spent 3 1/2 hours, laughing, crying, talking and just being the best of friends...having the kind of friendship that comes along very rarely in this lifetime. There was a time when I thought that we'd drifted apart for good - we took a "sabbatical" from our friendship for over a year. And now God has brought us back together - for reasons that are so clear - just as the reasons we drifted apart are so clear. Suffice to say that God's timing is perfect.

At 1:08am (I know it was 1:08 because I'm weird like that - and notice stupid, little details...) when they wheeled me into my room, Dawna left (without getting my my IPOD from my jacket pocket even after she said that she checked the van over for anything else I couldn't live without after I sent her out for the THIRD time to retreive stuff for me!) (What's up with that?!)

Jim, my ER nurse and friend, took both my hands in his and said with such sincerity that I cried (of course), "Deb, it's been a pleasure to take care of you and God Bless You." I was now in the capable hands of Amy and Sara. (Ironically the same names of two other awesome nurses I know but don't know!)

I still was unable to reach my husband, so I tried without success to sleep. I read my Bible, I prayed - not for me - but for my friend Dawna, for my coworkers who were covering my shift, for my caregivers, for my husband, my daughter, my Mom and the rest of my family. I had a wonderful time enjoying God's presence in the quiet of my room.

This morning, I was informed that while my heart remained in normal sinus rhythm while resting, it went up to 125 whenever I got out of bed to walk to the bathroom - a mere ten feet away. As a result, I will be undergoing an adenosine stress test first thing Monday morning. I'm not looking forward to that. I've had one before. Since I'm unable to walk on a treadmill for as long as I would need to do so (because of the MS and the stupid heel spur in my left foot), they will inject me with medication to simulate the conditions of intense exercise.

I'm trusting that it will all be good. God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all we can ask or think.

The chest pain is gone (99% of the time). Praise God. The racing still continues. Praise God. The fatigue remains. Praise God. ...I have learned in whatever state I am in...
...Praise God.

Thanks for all your heartfelt and continued prayers!

Tomorrow ---the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium awaits! The animals will be having an early Thanksgiving feast with pumpkins, gourds, yams and more!

Olivia is excited! Mom is concerned..."are you sure you should be walking around the zoo?"..."I'll get a scooter, and besides, if anything happens, I'm closer to the hospitals in Pittsburgh which is exactly where I would go if anything serious happened here."

...And I will be thankful, along with the animals, for all God's blessings, for all His faithfulness, for His gift of a true friend, and for the healing yet to come!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

We are praying for you.
Enjoy the Zoo and Aquarium. You'll be right in my old turf! I'm jealous! ;-)

Trish said...

You are in our prayers Dear Friend!
Have a great time with Miss Olivia!
God is sooo FAITHFUL!

Dawna said...

Know what I think Of when I think of you? I always think of smiles. I could tease you about being a wimpo and snotting all over the place and obsessing about not being able to get off the gurney and wash your hands after each "blow", and there it was. You smiled. You are a woman of grace beyond measure. You were so kind to each person who came in. Is it a coincidence that some of my long time dear friends are people you have recently met and are some of your favorites? No. Cause we're sisters of the heart. And when you're done with that lab coat, I still want it. I'll wear it while I walk the dog and pretend I'm still a nurse or something.

It's raining our and you and Randy and little Olivia are at the zoo by now. I look forward to hearing all about it and promise not to say eeeww. Praying for you to have a blessed day with your special family. Are you taking your vitamin C? And some extra Calcium and Potassium wouldn't hurt either.....

Anonymous said...

Praying for you dear friend!
Louise

Mrs. Mac said...

I've been praying for you and thinking about your ordeal so am glad you made a post today. God has placed many generous and helpful people in your circle of friends ... tomorrow, Sunday, will be my focused day of prayer for you as Monday I'll be too dopey having a colonoscopy. Keep us posted please.

Hugs,

Constance said...

Don't you love how God thought up friendships? I have 3 very close friendships, each one different and we all meet different needs for one another! One however, Brenda is particuliarly dear and I am thankful that God has graced us to be friends.

Praying that you are feeling, "up to snuff" soon. What DOES that actually mean? Is it something to do with tobacco? Hmmm... Maybe that's not such a good thing after all! Ha Ha!
Connie

donna said...

hey i popped over to see if you were okay cause all this heart stuff scares the bejeepers out of me...

am praying for you...

hugs
donna