the patient

 I haven't been a hospital inpatient since my sons were born.  That was over 42 years ago!

But, one morning I woke up feeling very short of breath and like I was all puffed up. I had gained 3 pounds in 2 days!

  I had been noticing that I was huffing and puffing when climbing stairs but one tends to think that just comes with getting older and being out of shape.  But this day it was worse.

I thought maybe I had an intestinal blockage or something- and that it was keeping my lungs from expanding.

All morning I kept talking myself out of going to the emergency room.  Finally I went, but sat in the parking lot awhile considering turning around and going back home. 

Now I'm glad I went. It turned out that my heart was beating way too fast and was in atrial fibrillation. It could have led to a stroke. Fluid had collected all around my heart and also in my lungs.

I had good care at the hospital and they took steps to get everything running properly again. I ended up having to stay a few days for more tests and to get the right medicine dosage established.

I am mainly telling this because...

I urge you to Trust your Gut Instinct. If you think something is wrong - go get it checked out.  Don't wait around!

I have to say the bed was comfy and I got a lot of sleep.  The oxygen line wasn't ordered...one of the night nurses came and put it on me because I kept snoring and setting off the oxygen sensor alarm.

I thought this is supposed to be the "Golden Years?"

Why do they have to put all this stuff on ones right (dominant) hand?  It makes it hard to eat and hard to take care of things in the bathroom...and you can't wash the hand anyway.

And the IV line right in the bend of my arm?  The place where it's going to be jostled around the most and you have to remember to "keep your arm straight" so you don't pinch off the flow.

See how I have my purse in bed with me?  No, it's not weird. I sometimes do it at hotels, too.

This is the hospital version of a meal for a diabetic patient.  Starchy rice, starchy bread stick, the chicken had breading and sugary fruit for dessert. 

 One evening a nurse asked me if I'd like a snack before bed. The choices were pudding, ice cream or graham crackers with peanut butter...All sugary and carby!

But I had enough to eat even with avoiding the bad stuff.  It was nice to eat something besides my own cooking.

Here is a sort of funny part of the story.  I had to have Lonnie bring a few things for me...including under garments.  I was on the phone with him directing him where to look in my closet for the underwear I wanted him to bring.

He said..."Okay, I found the white ones...and here's some with shoulder straps."

What?  I assure you I do not have any underwear with shoulder straps!

I told him where to find a tote bag too, but I guess he was tired of looking because instead of bringing a nice zipper bag (which I have many of) he shows up with this huge, transparent, open top, crinkly plastic bag...with my unmentionables casually tossed inside. Sheesh!

shown here with a tee shirt inside for demonstration purposes

Really, I wasn't mad about it...more amused than anything and I was glad to get the stuff.

But... I think I will fix up a small bag of necessary items to keep in my closet so if something like this happens again it will be easy to locate when needed.  Maybe a change of clothes, under garments, chap stick, dental floss and so forth - and a paperback book.

I left the hospital with my crinkly plastic bag, a fist full of new prescription drugs, and an ugly bruise where they went through my wrist to get to my heart for imaging (the right wrist of course - then told me not to use it for the rest of the day).

Overall, I was glad to have everything tested and checked out and the good news is there are no heart blockages.

But I would be happiest if I could now stay away from hospitals for another 42 years!