Adventurous Day

A friend of mine, a very dear friend of mine has truthfully told me that while I have a lot to write, I tend to be a little wordy. So, here is the condensed (as much as I can be condensed) version of my day today.

I awoke with an odd pain in my chest. Sat up hoping it would feel better, as in maybe it was a gas pain that would either go away or at least move out of my chest.

It was 5:45, and the pain didn't go away when I sat up. Besides that, I felt such a pounding in my chest; it was happening again. My heart was racing, and straight out of a sound sleep. I walked into the front room, sat in my favorite chair, and wondered what I would do.

Scott is in Reno, getting on a plane to come back into town and go directly to work from the airport. No one to watch the girls if I had to go to the hospital. My neighbors' houses were all dark, and I didn't want to wake anyone. Decided to phone my doctor. Maybe the doc on call would just have me come in later today when I could find a sitter. The doc said to call 911.

6:45 and I phone 911, then phone my friend Robin who I knew was up. My neighbor the police officer arrives within about 30 seconds, siren piercing the quiet morning and lights flashing. Paramedics immediately followed him, with Robin close behind them. I love it when a plan comes together.

They connected me to all the equipment, injected me with stuff and soon my heart was slowing and I could actually breathe without pain. My chest didn't hurt much anymore either. Heart rate recorded at 257, and the ER crew could not get a reading on blood pressure. They said they couldn't tell the difference between the systolic and diastoli pressures. Hmm.

Saturday, I had joked about climbing some rocky areas of a beach taking pictures, and that I was glad I didn't break my leg, as I'd probably end up in the hospital right next to my dad. This morning, I wondered if this incident would land me there. Yikes.

Paramedics Dave, Jose, & Heather took me away in the ambulance to the ER, while my children slept happily. Dave and Jose said they would have to connect me to other gadgets in the ambulance and would have to partially expose me. I said, "go ahead--you'll each get one pointed at you." That got a good laugh. I need to buy those guys coffee sometime as they hadn't even had their morning cuppa when they got the call to come get me.

Gracious good friend Robin got them both to school, made Sarah's lunch, and took care of them as she would her own children. I am so thankful for my good friend.

Heart rate satisfactorily reduced, blood pressure found, I took a nice nap in the ER while docs there observed me. I awoke to some nasty tech lady screaming that she was too "pissed off" to talk to anyone. Annoyed me that she was so loud in the ER where there were some seriously ill people who didn't need to hear her anger. Oh well. Some people just aren't raised well I guess.

At 9:40, doc brings me a phone and says I'm ready to go home. It was blessed Robin on the phone, who then came to take me home, bringing her daughter's slippers and a sweatshirt so that I wouldn't have to go home barefoot and nearly uncovered (I was in my summer pj's--spaghetti straps and of course, no visible means of support anywhere).

Discharge nurse gave me some instructions, including no more alcohol, no more coffee. I balked, but I said I'd try. NO MORE COFFEE??? Who is she kidding?!?! I don't drink that much alcohol anyway, so it wasn't a terrible thing to get told to back off.

I'm home now, tried to rest, but did get some things done around the house so that Scott would come home to a nice place; I even took a nap this afternoon. However, now I have a raging headache from no caffeine, and I wonder how I'll survive tomorrow without it.

Scott did get home; now he's cooking some dinner, and I think I might go back to bed after I eat.

I hope this wasn't too wordy (hee hee).