wiped out

So some of you know that just two days ago I was admitted to the hospital.  I hate going to the hospital, probably like many of you.  Lymies hate going because a lot of the time we know better what our bodies are doing than the doctors do.

I usually wait and wait until I think it's a serious enough problem to be seen.  Well, this time I didn't want to mess around.

I had very intense chest pain that spread into my left arm.....um....hospital time for sure. Lyme disease can cause heart problems and I wasn't about to just ignore it (okay, I tried to ignore it overnight and then succumbed and went the following morning).

I was out of town, though.  So my mom took me to the nearest ER and thankfully it was empty.  They brought me in and thought for sure the problem would be solved and for sure I couldn't be having a heart attack.  That made me feel better.

Then they did an EKG.  Doctor looked at it and walked away.  They gave me some Torredol for the pain (which didn't do anything) and then the doctor came in and said they'd be admitting me and doing a number of other tests.

They moved me to another room and did another EKG.  Then they gave me Morphine for the pain....it was pretty bad.  Morphine took the pain down to a five.....honestly I wasn't there for pain meds, just there to make sure I wasn't having a heart attack.

While waiting to be taken for an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart), I had a "seizure".  One of my half body twitches where I'm sort of coherent.  It got pretty bad and the nurses and doctors were buzzing and then it was decided (as if it weren't before) that I would be spending the night.  Thankfully they got all the tests done before the doctors left for the day.

What they didn't know yet was that I had to get on a plane in two days.  So spending the night and possibly spending a whole day at the hospital the next day was bad because I wasn't NEAR ready to go (packing and such).  One doctor even said I was be there for a FEW days!  Gosh, this whole ordeal was turning into a nightmare when I was pretty sure I was fine since they seemed to indicate my heart looked good.

But still -- echocardiogram.  It was FUN to see my heart from all different angles!  Not something most people get to see in their lifetime.  The tech said "unofficially" that I probably had nothing to worry about.  You know how they aren't allowed to say anything to the patient about whether the ultrasound is bad or something....she was nice, though and tried to get me a dvd of my ultrasound so I could watch it whenever I please :)

Next up was the EEG.  This is wear they measure your brain waves to see if there is seizure activity.  They put a weird cap on and put tons of gel (that is hard to get out afterward) and then for like 20 minutes you lay still and close your eyes.  Well it just so happened for me that my arm
started doing it's violent twitching during this.  I KNEW it wasn't a seizure per say, but I'm happy I was actually twitching when they had my brain hooked up.


And then the MRI with AND without contrast.  That wasn't so bad. I've done it before....twice before.

Then all the docs went home.  No reading of tests, nothing.  Just me left to stay overnight.

The next day we had to scramble to beg them to please let me go; to please get the doctors to come read the tests because I needed to leave the next day to fly out of state.  The nurses were wonderful and I thought we were getting somewhere and then the questions came.

New doctors came in.  Each one asked, "WHERE were you bit by a tick?"  And I told them Northern California.  "WHEN did you get diagnosed?"  "WHAT meds are you on?  NOT doxycycline?  THREE antibiotics at the same time and none are Doxy?"

Oh dear, it was too much for them to handle.  One said I might need to stay longer.  But couldn't tell me why.  Yikes.  I had thought I breezed through without the judgmental stares and questions but here they were.  Then, as soon as they came, they left and finally, the cardiologist and neurologist came to give me the go ahead to leave.

Apparently my heart had some issues but they were NORMAL issues and I needn't be concerned.  My MRIs were normal and my EEG was normal!  So she said that twitching must be stress related seizing.  I could have told her that but I was glad she was concerned to do the EEG.

My whole issues (chest pain and seizing) they decided to attribute to stress.  I KNOW it was stress, I just had never felt that intensity of pain over my heart.  There was a particularly stressful moment while on holiday that I am fairly certain just pushed my body over the edge.

But here I am, on the second phase of vacation visiting grandparents and I have bounced back considerably. I've had the chest pain on and off when things here get a bit stressful with the children but for the most part I have 60% of my energy.  I don't feel awful and I'm not on a treatment week.

So there was my adventure.  And sorry I couldn't think of anything else to write about.