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Just a couple of things I wanted to say...
First - Thank you so much to all of my fabulous friends that spent so much time on Twitter, Facebook, and sent me emails while I was sick and in the hospital... you have NO idea how wonderful it made me feel. I was just so sick and feeling like crap and then Bill would show me all these tweets and messages on Facebook or read me another email from someone and it would just make me smile and warm my aching heart.
Second - I am so sorry that I haven't been able to answer emails or visit any of your blogs or Facebook pages like I have wanted - you can probably guess the reason why. I did have access to Twitter, email and Facebook sporadically while in the hospital, but just wasn't up to being on very long... not to mention when I did try to get some rest, all the tests that had to be done.
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| My face is tingling |
As for what happened to put me in the hospital, I'm not really sure. Most of you know that I was sick last week and
felt and looked like crap from a cold. Then I just started getting worse, and was having trouble breathing and having tightness and pain in my chest which I figured was bronchitis. I called my MD to see if he would check me out just to make sure it wasn't pneumonia, well, they told me to go right to the hospital ER.... and off we went.
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| Being treated in the hallway |
It was quite busy there, but because of my symptoms, they took me right in, did an EKG and checked a couple of other things. Then we had to wait a little bit longer until my face started tingling and that made them bring me right back. Even though they didn't have a room for me, they started examining me right in the hallway. I got hooked up to a heart monitor, BP cuff and oxygen. Next thing I knew I had an IV and was being given 2 baby aspirin and nitroglycerin. Talk about scary!! (Not to mention the nitro gave me a wicked headache on top of everything!)
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| My view for 2 days |
They next decide to admit me for observation to make sure my heart and lungs were OK. So here we go with more blood tests and schedule an arterial CT scan for the morning. Apparently one of the blood tests came back abnormal - one that indicates you may have a
pulmonary embolism (clot in your lungs), so they woke me up at 3a.m. (I had just gotten to sleep at 2:30) to go down to Nuclear Medicine for a
V/Q scan to check my lungs. Talk about making someone even more nervous. Then at 4a.m. more blood work.
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| Trying to keep my heart rate down |
The next day was my
CTA to check and see if the arteries around and in my heart are working properly. For this test, my heart rate had to be below 60 bpm, but mine would never go below 80 even with all the medication they could give me, unless I held my breath (which BTW - HURTS!!). After about 3.5 hours, we finally got the test done and I could go back to my room - my chart got back to my room before I did,
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| My constant companion |
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Just because you're sick,
doesn't me you can't have BLING |
Thank goodness, after all this, the results: I have a low potassium level, an abnormally high heart rate, but everything else with my heart and lungs seem wonderful - REALLY thankful to hear and good to know....
The only issue... what the hell's wrong with me????
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| Wired for sound and oxygen |
Turns out, with all the extra pain I've been having and the financial stress that many of us have been under recently, I have been suffering from severe anxiety... even more than I usually do. So, I saw my Primary doctor on Friday and he has given me some new medication and told me to take it easy for the next 3 weeks and follow up with him.
I just feel like such an idiot that I didn't recognize the signs... I have had
panic attacks for the last 10 years and suffer from
generalized and
social anxiety disorder... this just seemed so different. So please, my friends, as my doctor mentioned, do NOT feel bad if you "feel bad" - depression and anxiety can have some serious PHYSICAL effects on the body. I actually end up making myself hyperventilate and I can pass out.... It is NOT JUST ALL IN YOUR HEAD....
Thank you again for being there for me, it truly helped me through this very scary situation, that I will continue to need the help of all of you to KEEP getting through. Let me know if I can help you if you are feeling anything similar, I'll be there for you also. That's what we are a social network COMMUNITY.
HUGGLES!!
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