I was feeling all right when I arrived at the hospital. I had to put on the ugly green gown and take a picture to prove to my friend Shabvon that I do look good in green. I appear to be okay in this picture, and truly, I was--the pain was so intermittent that I debated going to the emergency room. I had gone to my primary doctor's office and saw the PA who started me on Bactrim for his diagnosis of diverticulitis. I got home and took the first dose and hours later decided that I could not deal with the level of pain I was having. So, off to the ER we headed. I felt so strange when I looked like I was in little distress, but I knew how bad it hurt when it came on.
I was treated so well--it helps when people think you are a "boss". The doctor was working real hard not to put me through too much and wanted to spare me of the contrast for my CT scan. I didn't care, I told him I wanted him to find out what was causing the pain, even if he didn't fix it, just tell me what is causing it. On the way to the ER, I said to Jim, "The only thing that could be worse than this pain is if I had to push a baby out and then raise it." I did feel like how I would imagine labor pains.
I was admitted because I told the doctor I didn't want him to treat me like I was a nurse, but treat me like I was a patient. So, I was started on IV antibiotics and admitted. I got very good care--although some of my long time so called friends said the staff probably drew straws to decide who got me as a patient. Really, am I that bad??
I was not allowed to eat for the whole night and the whole next day. I was too tired to worry about it. I realized my body was working hard to recover from the infection and that was why I felt so tired and blah. During the night on the second night, I started to develop pain in my right hand. I thought it was from a combination of not moving it much due to the IV and lying my head on it while I slept. When I got up and moving on Wednesday morning, I realized my feet hurt about as bad as my hand. I once again tried to rationalize that lying in bed for two days probably caused stiffness. I prepared to go home, I was feeling so much better other than my stiff joints. I didn't really worry about it though, figured it would get better with moving. I had my first meal--hospital food.
We headed home, first going to get some lunch and then shopping at the Dollar Store. When I got home, I vacuumed. I was feeling great--other than my stiff joints. The next morning, my hands looked like the picture. I could not bend at my knees, my feet were killing me. I went to the doctor. I was disappointed that she was not quite as impressed with my swollen joints as I was. She did lab work but offered nothing else. In time, the swelling had gone down. I now am feeling a lot better and decided that with my past experience with antibiotics, I most likely have an allergy to Bactrim. I feel that one tablet probably led to my extreme swelling of my joints.
During the painful time, I had to really learn to trust God that he would take care of me, I know I was not dying, but I was fearful of long term pain and not sure I could handle it. Thankfully, my body is healing and I am thankful that God cares enough about me that he would not allow my body to give out on me.
Thanks so much for praying for me.
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