"I Think I need to take you to the ER"
Friday August 30, 2019
It was a typical Friday, I had the Alexa set for 90 minutes to do 30 minutes of undistracted rest through out the day. This is the "Pacing" practice I do each day when I am at home. I was outside in the front and ended up in a long conversation with a Neighbor. I could feel it getting to the end of the 90 minutes as I was getting more fatigued. We were in a deep discussion on the neighborhood history. The Neighbor didn't know that they had taken the back part of the "Crazy House" off and was rebuilding from the ground up. We walked over between our house and the "Crazy House". He was shocked. He knew and provided an whole lot of additional information so I let him talk away.
The thing is I could hear the Alexa alarm going off from outside through the window to our bedroom as he was talking. We talked a little longer and finished up the conversation back in the front. When I came inside I was beyond exhausted! All I knew was that I had to lay down. I had two thoughts that I wanted to remember so I attempted to write them down in my journal. I could not write down what my thoughts were and kept drawing a line through it and tried to start over. I finally gave up and laid down completely.
I started a timer for 30 minutes and my head hit the pillow. I remember my right arm started to become numb and was tingling and then my mouth as well. This has happened to both my arms and mouth before so I wasn't too concerned and I was way beyond exhaustion, I just needed to go to sleep. I believe it was 4:00 pm when I laid down. I may have not set a timer. I never shut the bedroom door to the kittens because they usually lay down with me but our schedules were off and they were in play mode and I was too tired.
When I woke up I was shocked it was 5:30 pm. The door was still shut so I stumbled out to find Shawn who was home from work now. He was sitting in the computer room sitting in one of the green chairs holding one of the kitties. My friend had texted me earlier, she had checked out "The Help" and "Wild" for me since I had recently listened to the audio versions on Libby from the Library and wanted to watch the movies. I had seen "The Help" but not "Wild". My friend had mentioned that the Library had called and one of the discs was missing from the case. Oh no! It was Friday and I told her we would return it that day so when I woke up that was all I was concerned about and had on my mind.
I was standing in the hallway to the room trying to talk to Shawn and only a few words were coming out. I couldn't speak in complete sentences. Somehow I managed to say disc, library. I remember going back into our room and standing by the bed slipping my shoes on and grabbing my purse. I remember my brain would not even form sentences in my mind. I was trying to speak and I couldn't. My brain was blank. Wrong words were coming out. I couldn't tell my Husband that the Library closed at 6:00 pm.
We left. Shawn found something to put the disc in. Thank God we could park in a handicap spot and he could run the disc in. We made it with minutes to spare. When my Husband got back in the car he said "I think I need to take you to the ER."
The not being able to talk was a new symptom. I knew I had to go and be checked out but I really didn't want to go. The ER is always a very long wait and they never find anything wrong and send me home with no real answers. I tried to say "Urgent Care". Salem Clinic's Urgent Care is usually a fairly short wait. In and out fairly quickly in comparison to the ER.
Shawn pulled up to the Salem Clinic's Urgent Care door. By then I could not walk at all. He grabbed one of the wheel chairs from the Salem Clinic's entrance. I remember being confused thinking it was our wheel chair but it wasn't. Thank God no line. Shawn checked me in. While we were waiting to be called back my eyes became heavy and I could not keep them open. It was like they were glued shut.
We were called back fairly quickly. My eyes were so heavy. The nurse asked questions and took my vitals. While waiting in the Exam Room a headache started to set in my forehead area and the left side of my head. It was not an average headache. Shawn explained the situation and I tried to talk with slow one word sentences. The Doctor came in. I was able to open my eyes long enough to see that he was really really tall. He said my vitals were fine and that I needed to go to the ER! He mentioned he would send a message over to the ER that we were on our way. On the way out we met my Mom and Sister in the lobby, and Shawn told them we were being sent to the ER. I really didn't want to go there. My Mom and Sister said they would meet us down at the Hospital.
Thankfully we found a good parking spot close to the ER entrance. We used our wheel chair. Shawn did all the talking and checked me in. We didn't have to wait at all and they took us back to a room right away. I think going to the Urgent care was a blessing in disguise because the Urgent Care doctor sent a message over to inform the ER that we were on our way. They said they would register me later.
I still could not keep my eyes open. I was able to pry them open for a second to see that there were like 5 or so people in the room to help get me situated. I couldn't walk, stand up on my own or sit up on my own. I don't remember them getting me in the bed. With my eyes shut the nurses had to hold me up and change me into a gown. I didn't feel the IV go into my right numb arm.
Shawn had to answer all the nurse's questions as he entered them into the computer. I tried to answer at first but ended up just letting him answer. They did a brief physical exam with my legs. A doctor came in at one point, I don't remember what he said. Shawn had told him about "Stiff Person Syndrome".
Later, a nurse came back in and said the doctor wanted a CT Scan. They took off all my jewelry. With my eyes still shut, I had one female nurse on my left side trying to take my wedding ring off and I had the nice male nurse on my right trying to take my turquoise ring off. My hands were swollen. I told them I have a high pain tolerance and just do what you got to do. On the right side he added something to be able to twist it off. With my eyes shut I said I think we need some for my wedding ring. It took two nurses to get my infinity Daith piercing ring out of my right ear. Later, I learned that they put all my jewelry in a cute pink tub. It was most likely a denture case!
They asked about my Abutment for my BAHA (Bone Anchored Hearing Aid). Shawn gave a nurse the card from my wallet, even though I knew it would be okay. They had to go check it out for themselves. Someone came for me to take me for the CT Scan. It seemed to go by really fast since I couldn't keep my eyes open. They asked me about walking and I told them I couldn't walk. I opened my eyes wide enough to see the two young guys who had to do the roll and transfer me over with the sheet to a different bed or to the machine. It felt like a blur and super short and they transferred me back to the rolling hospital bed and back to the room.
They had me do a urine test. That was interesting getting to a commode when you can't walk and your dominant arm is numb and you can't keep your eyes open. I was glad that was done and back in the hospital bed.
Later, a Nurse came in and said the doctor would like a Brain MRI done as well. That was a blur. I remember being rolled out of the room again. That is all.
They didn't give me anything for the headache and it was pretty intense until after all the testing and close to when I was released from the hospital. It was pretty intense but I don't feel it was quite a Migraine. I have had much more severe headaches. The nice male nurse stayed in the room and asked a bunch of required standard questions. Shawn answered them all mostly, since I couldn't fully talk still. Later, he asked other questions. I don't know if it was out of curiosity or if he was recording it all in the computer. He said I'm going to get a walker and see about your walking. Again, I don't know if the doctor asked for this to be done or if he did it just out of curiosity. He had to physically sit me up, physically help me stand up, and help me get my feet in a good position. He had to help me hold onto the walker. I tried. Nothing! It's like my feet or the ugly hospital socks were glued to the ground. He helped me back into bed. That was that.
We were back in the room a really long time. A lady at some point came in to register me so Shawn answered all the questions. It was a relief to finally get medicine for my head. My speech slowly came back but was still really slowed down.
The doctor eventually came in and said "No Stroke" He added to follow up with my Primary Doctor. I was released and I still couldn't keep my eyes open and my speech was very slow. It was after midnight. Shawn helped me get dressed before the official release. I was wheeled out to the ER waiting room to see my my Mom, Dad and Uncle Jeff waiting for us. Told them "No Stroke". We chatted a few minutes and headed out. Shawn wheeled me out and went to get the car. My Dad stayed with me until Shawn arrived to load me up.
Later, I found out that Shawn was given a print out about Polypharmacy Problems. The Doctor did not mention this to me in the Exam room or share any additional information of why he came to this conclusion. I thought that was quite unprofessional.
Thankfully, Shawn could be with me Saturday and Sunday. Saturday, I slept a lot, only up for the bathroom. My sister brought me a Pink Drink. Shawn had to help me sit up, pivot and sit on the walker, wheel me to the bathroom and back and help me fully back into bed. Sunday I slept and rested all morning, only up for bathroom. I still needed full assistance just like yesterday. My friend Suzie stopped by to visit and see how I was doing. Monday was Labor Day so my Mom stayed with me, I still needed assistance to the bathroom and back to bed. The first couple of days I needed help in and out of bed. When I was able to stand, I could not fully straighten my legs. They were in a slight bent position. This occurred for a couple of days. Very strange.
Since the August 30, 2019 Emergency Room visit I have been unable to walk. I can stand up but just like at the Hospital, it's like my feet are glued to the ground and I can't take any steps forward.
I have been using the walker to scoot around in the house when I am at home. I can use my legs to push but sometimes my left leg will drag and I just use my right leg and then sometimes I run out of energy and get stuck and need someone to push me to the bathroom or back to bed on the walker.
I think this method is causing Shin Splints or the excruciating pain on the top of my lower legs I sometimes feel when I lay down at night. I had this thought this week (November 2019) so I called and shared this concern with Dr. Dorris' Nurse. We gave the doorway measurements and she is going to order me a smaller wheel chair that will fit through the doorways. This will also be beneficial because the walker is tearing up the doorways and jarring me when I am bumped into the doors. The wheels have screws that stick way out and scratch the doorways and an upper part of the walker does the same thing. I can't wait to get those repaired.
I have not been doing good. I haven't had it in me to blog for months. I am finishing this post and it is now early December 2019. I am still unable to walk. I have to finish this because other incidents have happened unfortunately involving some progression of symptoms and another trip to the ER. I want to start blogging again and sharing all that God has been doing on the inside in the midst of all the sadness, pain and suffering.
To read My Healing Journey click on the following link:
"My Story"
And the updated:
My Story Continues
Love and Prayers ❤
-Amber
My Blog: http://www.makingitthrough4110.com/
Please subscribe on the blog so that you can receive notification for future posts! The Lord is so faithful and there is so much more to be shared of what He has done in my life in the past and is continuing to do!
It was a typical Friday, I had the Alexa set for 90 minutes to do 30 minutes of undistracted rest through out the day. This is the "Pacing" practice I do each day when I am at home. I was outside in the front and ended up in a long conversation with a Neighbor. I could feel it getting to the end of the 90 minutes as I was getting more fatigued. We were in a deep discussion on the neighborhood history. The Neighbor didn't know that they had taken the back part of the "Crazy House" off and was rebuilding from the ground up. We walked over between our house and the "Crazy House". He was shocked. He knew and provided an whole lot of additional information so I let him talk away.
The thing is I could hear the Alexa alarm going off from outside through the window to our bedroom as he was talking. We talked a little longer and finished up the conversation back in the front. When I came inside I was beyond exhausted! All I knew was that I had to lay down. I had two thoughts that I wanted to remember so I attempted to write them down in my journal. I could not write down what my thoughts were and kept drawing a line through it and tried to start over. I finally gave up and laid down completely.
I started a timer for 30 minutes and my head hit the pillow. I remember my right arm started to become numb and was tingling and then my mouth as well. This has happened to both my arms and mouth before so I wasn't too concerned and I was way beyond exhaustion, I just needed to go to sleep. I believe it was 4:00 pm when I laid down. I may have not set a timer. I never shut the bedroom door to the kittens because they usually lay down with me but our schedules were off and they were in play mode and I was too tired.
When I woke up I was shocked it was 5:30 pm. The door was still shut so I stumbled out to find Shawn who was home from work now. He was sitting in the computer room sitting in one of the green chairs holding one of the kitties. My friend had texted me earlier, she had checked out "The Help" and "Wild" for me since I had recently listened to the audio versions on Libby from the Library and wanted to watch the movies. I had seen "The Help" but not "Wild". My friend had mentioned that the Library had called and one of the discs was missing from the case. Oh no! It was Friday and I told her we would return it that day so when I woke up that was all I was concerned about and had on my mind.
I was standing in the hallway to the room trying to talk to Shawn and only a few words were coming out. I couldn't speak in complete sentences. Somehow I managed to say disc, library. I remember going back into our room and standing by the bed slipping my shoes on and grabbing my purse. I remember my brain would not even form sentences in my mind. I was trying to speak and I couldn't. My brain was blank. Wrong words were coming out. I couldn't tell my Husband that the Library closed at 6:00 pm.
We left. Shawn found something to put the disc in. Thank God we could park in a handicap spot and he could run the disc in. We made it with minutes to spare. When my Husband got back in the car he said "I think I need to take you to the ER."
The not being able to talk was a new symptom. I knew I had to go and be checked out but I really didn't want to go. The ER is always a very long wait and they never find anything wrong and send me home with no real answers. I tried to say "Urgent Care". Salem Clinic's Urgent Care is usually a fairly short wait. In and out fairly quickly in comparison to the ER.
Shawn pulled up to the Salem Clinic's Urgent Care door. By then I could not walk at all. He grabbed one of the wheel chairs from the Salem Clinic's entrance. I remember being confused thinking it was our wheel chair but it wasn't. Thank God no line. Shawn checked me in. While we were waiting to be called back my eyes became heavy and I could not keep them open. It was like they were glued shut.
We were called back fairly quickly. My eyes were so heavy. The nurse asked questions and took my vitals. While waiting in the Exam Room a headache started to set in my forehead area and the left side of my head. It was not an average headache. Shawn explained the situation and I tried to talk with slow one word sentences. The Doctor came in. I was able to open my eyes long enough to see that he was really really tall. He said my vitals were fine and that I needed to go to the ER! He mentioned he would send a message over to the ER that we were on our way. On the way out we met my Mom and Sister in the lobby, and Shawn told them we were being sent to the ER. I really didn't want to go there. My Mom and Sister said they would meet us down at the Hospital.
Thankfully we found a good parking spot close to the ER entrance. We used our wheel chair. Shawn did all the talking and checked me in. We didn't have to wait at all and they took us back to a room right away. I think going to the Urgent care was a blessing in disguise because the Urgent Care doctor sent a message over to inform the ER that we were on our way. They said they would register me later.
I still could not keep my eyes open. I was able to pry them open for a second to see that there were like 5 or so people in the room to help get me situated. I couldn't walk, stand up on my own or sit up on my own. I don't remember them getting me in the bed. With my eyes shut the nurses had to hold me up and change me into a gown. I didn't feel the IV go into my right numb arm.
Shawn had to answer all the nurse's questions as he entered them into the computer. I tried to answer at first but ended up just letting him answer. They did a brief physical exam with my legs. A doctor came in at one point, I don't remember what he said. Shawn had told him about "Stiff Person Syndrome".
Later, a nurse came back in and said the doctor wanted a CT Scan. They took off all my jewelry. With my eyes still shut, I had one female nurse on my left side trying to take my wedding ring off and I had the nice male nurse on my right trying to take my turquoise ring off. My hands were swollen. I told them I have a high pain tolerance and just do what you got to do. On the right side he added something to be able to twist it off. With my eyes shut I said I think we need some for my wedding ring. It took two nurses to get my infinity Daith piercing ring out of my right ear. Later, I learned that they put all my jewelry in a cute pink tub. It was most likely a denture case!
 |
| Bye-bye Jewelry! |
They asked about my Abutment for my BAHA (Bone Anchored Hearing Aid). Shawn gave a nurse the card from my wallet, even though I knew it would be okay. They had to go check it out for themselves. Someone came for me to take me for the CT Scan. It seemed to go by really fast since I couldn't keep my eyes open. They asked me about walking and I told them I couldn't walk. I opened my eyes wide enough to see the two young guys who had to do the roll and transfer me over with the sheet to a different bed or to the machine. It felt like a blur and super short and they transferred me back to the rolling hospital bed and back to the room.
They had me do a urine test. That was interesting getting to a commode when you can't walk and your dominant arm is numb and you can't keep your eyes open. I was glad that was done and back in the hospital bed.
Later, a Nurse came in and said the doctor would like a Brain MRI done as well. That was a blur. I remember being rolled out of the room again. That is all.
They didn't give me anything for the headache and it was pretty intense until after all the testing and close to when I was released from the hospital. It was pretty intense but I don't feel it was quite a Migraine. I have had much more severe headaches. The nice male nurse stayed in the room and asked a bunch of required standard questions. Shawn answered them all mostly, since I couldn't fully talk still. Later, he asked other questions. I don't know if it was out of curiosity or if he was recording it all in the computer. He said I'm going to get a walker and see about your walking. Again, I don't know if the doctor asked for this to be done or if he did it just out of curiosity. He had to physically sit me up, physically help me stand up, and help me get my feet in a good position. He had to help me hold onto the walker. I tried. Nothing! It's like my feet or the ugly hospital socks were glued to the ground. He helped me back into bed. That was that.
We were back in the room a really long time. A lady at some point came in to register me so Shawn answered all the questions. It was a relief to finally get medicine for my head. My speech slowly came back but was still really slowed down.
The doctor eventually came in and said "No Stroke" He added to follow up with my Primary Doctor. I was released and I still couldn't keep my eyes open and my speech was very slow. It was after midnight. Shawn helped me get dressed before the official release. I was wheeled out to the ER waiting room to see my my Mom, Dad and Uncle Jeff waiting for us. Told them "No Stroke". We chatted a few minutes and headed out. Shawn wheeled me out and went to get the car. My Dad stayed with me until Shawn arrived to load me up.
Later, I found out that Shawn was given a print out about Polypharmacy Problems. The Doctor did not mention this to me in the Exam room or share any additional information of why he came to this conclusion. I thought that was quite unprofessional.
 |
| All my medication is prescribed from one Doctor and one Pharmacy. |
Thankfully, Shawn could be with me Saturday and Sunday. Saturday, I slept a lot, only up for the bathroom. My sister brought me a Pink Drink. Shawn had to help me sit up, pivot and sit on the walker, wheel me to the bathroom and back and help me fully back into bed. Sunday I slept and rested all morning, only up for bathroom. I still needed full assistance just like yesterday. My friend Suzie stopped by to visit and see how I was doing. Monday was Labor Day so my Mom stayed with me, I still needed assistance to the bathroom and back to bed. The first couple of days I needed help in and out of bed. When I was able to stand, I could not fully straighten my legs. They were in a slight bent position. This occurred for a couple of days. Very strange.
Since the August 30, 2019 Emergency Room visit I have been unable to walk. I can stand up but just like at the Hospital, it's like my feet are glued to the ground and I can't take any steps forward.
I have been using the walker to scoot around in the house when I am at home. I can use my legs to push but sometimes my left leg will drag and I just use my right leg and then sometimes I run out of energy and get stuck and need someone to push me to the bathroom or back to bed on the walker.
I think this method is causing Shin Splints or the excruciating pain on the top of my lower legs I sometimes feel when I lay down at night. I had this thought this week (November 2019) so I called and shared this concern with Dr. Dorris' Nurse. We gave the doorway measurements and she is going to order me a smaller wheel chair that will fit through the doorways. This will also be beneficial because the walker is tearing up the doorways and jarring me when I am bumped into the doors. The wheels have screws that stick way out and scratch the doorways and an upper part of the walker does the same thing. I can't wait to get those repaired.
I have not been doing good. I haven't had it in me to blog for months. I am finishing this post and it is now early December 2019. I am still unable to walk. I have to finish this because other incidents have happened unfortunately involving some progression of symptoms and another trip to the ER. I want to start blogging again and sharing all that God has been doing on the inside in the midst of all the sadness, pain and suffering.
My comfort in my suffering is this:
Your promise preserves my life.
Psalm 119:50
To read My Healing Journey click on the following link:
"My Story"
And the updated:
My Story Continues
Love and Prayers ❤
-Amber
My Blog: http://www.makingitthrough4110.com/
Please subscribe on the blog so that you can receive notification for future posts! The Lord is so faithful and there is so much more to be shared of what He has done in my life in the past and is continuing to do!
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