Vickie and Hospitals Do NOT Mix!!

I’m back in the BAT with Jimmy full time for probably a year while we get our finances in order so we can buy a house. Now, having said that, on May 22 we were in Nacogdoches TX for the graduation of 2 of our grand girls, one from college and one from HS. We got back on the road Monday morning and I was feeling fine. We delivered in Charlotte on Friday late and then got back to Hope Mills somewhere around 10:30. On the way back to Hope Mills I developed a severe migraine with chills and hot flashes. It took 3 Imatrex to get a handle on it and I slept most of the rest of the night.

On Saturday, I woke up violently ill, projectile vomiting and all. Spent all that day in my bunk here in the BAT. Sunday, I felt better and even ate and kept it down, I also drank 4 bottles of water, a 20oz Coke, a 20oz Sprite and the same size orange soda and fruit punch. Monday, Memorial day I still felt pretty good and my plan was to drive our Explorer to Russellville, TN where Big G has a service yard that is secured by a electrified chain link fence for security and leave it parked there while we were both in the BAT.

I woke up Tuesday morning sick once again almost worse than Saturday. Jimmy took me to see my PCP and he did a Covid test that came back negative and blood work, where he found my Potassium was extremely low and my WBC was elevated. Prescription for potassium tablets sent to CVS Pharmacy and off I go back to the BAT. We ate dinner that night and I kept that down too.

By Thursday evening, I was almost unconscious and Jimmy called an ambulance. Let me tell you, don’t EVER need an ambulance in Hope Mills/Fayetteville, it took them 3 hours to get to me. I spent all of Thursday night and Friday until after 5pm in the ER waiting for a bed upstairs. I’m hooked up to an IV with I have no idea what was in it, I was that out of it. Still freezing cold even with 4 hospital blankets over me.

Do you have any idea how many doctors come into your room in the ER and give a diagnosis, some without ever seeing you before they show up? I had one tell me I had Sepsis, another told me I had carbon monoxide poisoning (without ever having ABG blood drawn) and yet a different one said I had something completely different even though I can’t remember what.

Friday night after I get moved to the 4th floor, I felt well enough to take a shower and send Jimmy back to the BAT. He’d been with me constantly since they took me in and hadn’t slept but maybe an hour in 2 days. And I knew Lily had to be freaking out cause no one was there with her.

Saturday, I wake up feeling pretty good and I’m ready to go home. Jimmy came back around 10am and brought me some fresh fruit to eat cause I hadn’t had anything that was edible. Sometime around noon, I start getting sick again with the whole vomiting and raging headache again. By 2:00 I’m completely out of it again. Y’all!! They did SEVEN Covid tests while I was out of it! SEVEN! And they all came back negative! FFS!! I don’t know how many doctors came and went, but when I woke up on Sunday feeling better I’m told I need a lumbar puncture to test for mennengitis and encephalitis. WHAT?!?

Sunday, the doctor doing the lumbar puncture came in and talked to me and answered my questions. Look, I KNOW they can’t force you into any kind of treatment, but he was very convincing that I needed this test, so silly me, I agree. It does NOT go well at all. He tried 2 times and before he could begin the 3rd, I stopped him. Yes, I was numb, but it still hurt like hell! After multiple tests and multiple wide range anitbiotics and anti virals in the IV, and I’m feeling better so they decide to move me to another floor. While I was waiting on transportaion to move me a doctor from the Infectious Disease Department came to see me. He did a manual exam checking for mennengitis, manipulating my head neck and shoulders. Checking the range of motion of my arms and legs and said I definately did NOT have mennengitis or encephalitis. And there was no further need of a lumbar puncture. WooHoo!! I also had a 2D echocardiogram which showed a slight thickening of the left upper ventricle, but nothing serious enough to call in a cardiologist.

I’m moved to the second floor and slept better than I had since I arrived in the ER. Yes, they still came in every 4 hours to take vitals and hang more IV antibiotics and anti virals. But I had more peace and quiet so was able to get some good sleep.

Monday morning they take another round of blood. Somewhere around 10:30/11:00 another doctor comes in and takes the time to actually EXPLAIN and answer questions. They still don’t know what was wrong with me, but the antibiotics and anti virals somehow cleared up the suspected pneumonia and what ever else they thought was going on. After the doctor on Monday answered all our questions and told us they didn’t know what had been wrong, but that the drugs had cleared the problem she signed the discharge papers and I was free.

Since then I can honestly say I haven’t felt this good in a very long time. No headache that I’d lived with for over 2 years, no nausea, no vomiting and less body aches. The only ISSUE I’m having ATM is I’m still a bit weak and wobbly and since the drugs are working their way out of my system I’ve developed diarhea, but that’s small potatoes. So there you have what I can remember and some of what Jimmy and the doctors told me was going on.