Quick Recap: I've just turned 21 and been married for not quite 8 months. What initially was diagnosed as the flu turned into bronchitis turned into pneumonia that wouldn't go away. I've been coughing up blood, terribly in pain, insanely out of breath, with times of ridiculously high pulse and legs swelling. I was hospitalized for a week, put on IV antibiotics, diagnosed with a pleural effusion...and formed a friendship with a pulmonologist (this will become very important later!) They have sent me home with follow-up appointments scheduled and antibiotics to take in the meantime.
Part 2...
For some reason, I think my release took place on a Friday. I wouldn't see the doctor for a few days and those first few days seemed to go okay. I was extremely weak and tired quite easily but thought I was much better...until I started feeling like I was out of breath again. I've never had asthma, but this is what I imagine asthma to feel like. Just sitting, my heart would begin to race and I would grasp desperately for a breath. Walking was even worse. I believed, however, that I was on the mend...
I went for my follow-up appointment. Pulse was high. Blood Oxygen level was low. I became exhausted and out of breath walking from the waiting room to the exam room. I reported all of this and my strangely swollen legs to the doctor. He reassured me I was on the mend but wanted to see me again in 2 days. I returned in 2 days with same issues except now I was extremely nauseated all the time and vomiting everything I put in my body. "Probably caught a flu" he said "I'll write you a note for college for 2 more days and then you can go back"...so I went home.
I remember sitting that afternoon with Danny on the couch. We were watching a movie or tv or something. I couldn't breathe so I was leaning over. Danny was taking my pulse (a regular occurence lately) and rubbing my back trying to help me breathe. I sat up, looked at him and said, " I need you to take me to the ER." I don't remember the ride to the ER. I couldn't breathe so I was hunched over but that cleared when we pulled in the parking lot. I will never forget our dicussion once we arrived.
We debated whether or not we should go in. I had my list of reasons. The top one being that an ER visit cost $50 and I didn't know how we were going to pay for my last hospital stay. Next on the list was the fact that I had just seen the Dr and he had reassured me I was fine. I didn't want to feel like the hypochondriac patient...but my body was telling me NOTHING was okay. Danny was not going to hear it. We were going in...and in making that decision, he saved my life.
He walked me in, sat me down, and got all of the paperwork filled out. Everything was going in slow motion...not like the ER wait is forever and so you feel like life is in slow motion. I literally felt like everything was in slow motion. I was out of breath again and I could feel my heart racing. I remember looking down at my feet, chuckling and saying, "Well, that can't be good." "What?" Danny inquired...and I just pointed at my feet. "They're turning blue." I remember watching him go to the front desk. I don't know what he said or how I ended up in the triage area but I remember the nurse putting the cuff on my arm to get my stats. I remember her hitting a button, calling some code and being rushed into a crash room. It happened so fast but for me still felt like slow motion. I was confused and overwhelmed...but peaceful. The only thing I remember wanting was to see Danny...
I remember the nurse in the crash room. He was a young guy, probably just a few years older than me. He got really close to my face and said, "Your BP is 60/40 and your pulse is 145. I need to get an IV, oxygen and a heart monitor on you. I don't want to embarass you. Do you think you can take off your shirt and bra quickly or do I need to cut them off?" I nodded that I could. After all, I had become accustomed to high pulse rates. I remember how grateful I was that he had preserved my dignity and I quickly complied while he held up the gown and looked the other way. Then they went to work on me and everything seemed to just be blurry for a bit.
My next conscious memory is looking over and seeing Danny in a chair next to my bed. I could hear the beeps of all my machines and feel the push of oxygen into my nose. I looked over at him and pointed to him with my pointer finger (which had the glowing blood oxygen thing on it) and very seriously said, "ET phone home." What else was there to say? He laughed, I laughed. He told me our pastor and his wife were on the way as well as my parents.
I had stabilized so they were ready to start the process of tests. Blood draws - check. Urine sample - check. Chest X-Ray - check. Arterial Blood Draw to check oxygen level- OH MY! If you have never had one of these and you don't absolutely HAVE to have one - DON'T! Unlike a normal blood draw, they can't see the arteries so they have to go in "blind" and fish for it. One nurse tried 4 times before the pastor's wife advised her to get someone else. It took the next nurse 2 tries. The test came back that my blood oxygen was now in the acceptable range BUT the running of this test would prove to be my lifesaver later.
I don't know what I looked like, but I must have looked dead because that was the look I got whenever anyone (nurse, doctor or visitor) walked in the room. My mom said I was gray with blue lips. In retrospect, I wish someone had taken a picture although I probably would have been angry at the time. Finally the doctors came in with their diagnosis. I must have gotten a virus on top of my healing pneumonia. They would keep me overnight for observations and release me in the morning. It just didn't feel right...but they are doctors!
Now the GOD intervening part - Remember that pulmonologist, Dr. Weber, that I developed a friendship with? Well, he just happened to hang out late in the hospital that evening. As God would have it, he called the ER to inform them that he would be hanging around and if they needed him to give him a call. Remember that areterial blood ox draw that they nearly didn't get? Well, as God would have it, the results passed in front of him while he was just hanging out and MY NAME jumped out at him. He went to the ER to inquire but they assured him I had stabilized and been admitted. He was not pleased they didn't call him but would check on me the next morning.
My family doctors made early rounds. I was stable but still nauseated and unable to keep anything down. They wrote orders for some meds and would check back after lunch but were certain they would send me home that day. The nurse came in and gave me the nausea medicine through my IV. The next thing I remember was being unable to control my legs or arms or head. They were moving back and forth, round and round. I could hear my mom and understand her but I was unable to form words and communicate back to her. And, as God would have it, in walks Dr. Weber...
He tried to talk to me but I couldn't communicate back. My mom chimed in and explained what had gone on and that I had been like this since the shot. Disturbed by my inability to control my body or communicate, he went and demanded my chart. The doctors had placed a 0 at the end of the order and had inadvertantly given me 10 times the amount they should have. He assured me and my mom that this would wear off in an hour or so. He and my mom discussed my pulse and inability to breathe some and he looked straight at me and said words that would save my life. "Stephanie, as soon as this wears off, I want to run a test to check for blood clots in your lungs. I don't think you have them, but I thought about your case all night and felt an uneasiness. I just need to run this test so I can feel at peace."
I remember the test because I remember throwing up several times on the way there, during and after. I remember apologizing repeatedly to the poor tech who had to deal with it. He was gracious. I remember being back in my room just a few minutes when Dr Weber came in with unrelenting determination and orders.
"Your lungs are filled with blood clots. We are moving you to the cardiac floor. I would prefer for you to be in ICU but I know you will want company and you can't have that there. The cardiac floor is the next best thing. They will monitor you 24/7 and they are excellent nurses." With that, he pulled up the side of my bed, unlocked the brake and began to move me himself. This part seemed to fly by. Along the way, he began to explain that I would start blood thinner shots in my belly and pill blood thinners as well. I would not be able to put my legs down or put any pressure on my legs whatsoever for atleast 5 days. He also informed me that he would put standing orders that my family physicians could not make orders on my chart without his explicit supervision. In fact, he didn't even want them visiting me.
So God used Dr. Weber to save my life that day because as God would have it, we became friends...and as God would have it, Dr. Weber stayed late at work...and as God would have it, Dr. Weber saw my name amongst many come across the screen for my blood tests...and as God would have it, felt compelled to come visit me...and as God would have it, felt an uneasiness about my case and a need to run an "unlikely" test.
Now, the search for why begins...and that is Part 3 (hopefully I'll do it tomorrow)
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