(Sorry, this post got kind of long and medical-y. Wasn’t sure I had the energy in me to type at all, but maybe this is a good sign that I can get some real writing done tomorrow.)
I broke my face Yes, literally. Early last Monday, I got out of bed and went to the kitchen. My stomach was sort of bothering me, and my husband was sick, so I had the thought that maybe I should go on to the other bathroom just to make sure I wasn’t getting sick too. I never made it there. I woke up face first on the floor with a bloody mouth and a broken upper mouth. Lets just say my teeth were not in the right place.
I’d passed out. It’s not exactly unusual for me to pass out for no reason, but I ALWAYS have a warning. My head feels weird, my body gets tingly, and I sit or lie down. There was zero warning this time. Thus, the broken face, the ambulance ride, and the three days in the hospital where the nurses wouldn’t let me get out of bed.
Staying in bed for three days sucks. I mean, I felt and looked like shit, but if I’d been allowed up to walk around a bit, I think I would be able to recover more quickly. But apparently, when the ER nurse decided to put a second IV in me even though I told him not to because I’d black out–I faint with needles and I have tiny veins–I did black out, had a seizure, and my heart stopped for 5-6 seconds. (Sidenote: if my heart always stops when I pass out, then no wonder I always feel like shit afterwards.)
So, no one let me out of bed. They ran all sorts of tests on me, and I now have a robot in my chest. That’s what I’m telling my kids at least. It’s a loop monitor which will record abnormal heart rhythms I guess. The cardiologist thinks I might need a pacemaker due to some malfunction in some node, but he doesn’t want to just put a pacemaker into a 34 year-old-woman. He needs evidence. (Sidenote: I believe it’s the insurance company who need evidence. $$$)
On Thursday, the hubby and my parents (best parents ever!!!) drove me down to Dallas to have an a-hole put my jaw back in the right spot. I am not going back to that freaking torture chamber. I drove down there because the ER doctor consulted with a doctor there. That doctor didn’t meet with me, but a Dr. N did and we went over my possible heart condition, the fact that I pass out easily, and that they needed to have atropine around in case my heart slowed down under anesthesia. Okay. So all good. Managed the miserable drive back there the next morning following the directions not to eat or drink… and Dr. A-hole shows up.
I seriously don’t know this guy’s name, but I hate him. He refused to do the anesthesia because of my possible heart condition. He just wasn’t comfortable with it. Okay. I get that. But why didn’t someone else tell me they were uncomfortable with it? Why was I sent to this dungeon beneath an old wing of an old hospital and put into a room with half a dozen dentistry chairs and IV bags hanging all over the place? If it hadn’t been so damn hard to make it down there (I was and am still feeling sick and weak), then I would have left. But I stayed because I had a broken mouth for three days and didn’t know what else to do.
So the a-hole starts sticking needles in my mouth to numb it. When I start making noise because it hurts like hell and I’m basically TERRIFIED of passing out (that whole “your heart stopped for five seconds” thing has me totally freaked out), a-hole says, “You have to be quiet. We have other patients here.”
Yeah, and why the hell are there other patients in the same room with me when I’m getting a medical procedure done? That place was a dungeon, I tell you. I don’t give a damn if I’m supposed to follow up with Dr. What’s-His-Name, I am not going back there.
But I will be going to about a bazillion other doctor appointments. Le sigh. I was going to be so productive last week.
Upgrading Meanwhile, we’re buying a new house. In two weeks. We were sort of looking for a house sometime before the kids start elementary next year. Houses are selling like crazy around here because we have jobs, jobs, and more jobs in Dallas, so several corporate headquarters are moving here, and they’re bringing in a crapload of people. Houses are expensive, and they’re going fast. Or they were this summer. There were several houses we looked at within a day or so of them going on the market and they’d already had multiple offers. It was insane.
Anyway, we thought we were going to move twenty minutes or so away from our current house. My husband would love to be closer to Dallas and the highway, but I kind of sort of despise older style homes. I thought I wanted to move further north to the suburbs. But once we started looking, and I really started thinking about leaving our current city, I kind of balked. I love our area of town. It has everything I need. I don’t have to travel far for groceries, a Target, the gym, library, etc. I love my kids’ doctor, which is just down the street, and I love the new city complex that was built a few years ago. I was sad to move.
So, we’re not moving. We’re just buying a different house in a nicer neighborhood. It’s, literally, three minutes from our current house. It seems kind of ridiculous to move there, but the kids will be able to walk to school, there are really nice bike/hiking trails, the community pool is super nice with huge slides and a splash pool, and it’s a nice neighborhood. Plus, the new house is awesome. When the kids get older, their going to need more space–kind of a place to get away from us–and this house has that space. Love it.
Of course, I love our current house too, so there’s all sorts of nervousness going on in my head. Add to that the fact that this house has stairs and I have no freaking idea why I randomly passed out and broke my face the other day, and I guess you could say I’m kind of stressing about it.
Happy Labor Day
I hope all of you are having a happier and healthier Labor Day than I am! I’m a million times better than I was a two days ago, but I’m pretty worthless. I should be writing and packing and getting the stuff done. Instead, my husband is working is butt off and I’m lying in bed.
I’m so sick of lying in bed.
What are you guys doing this Labor Day? Let me live vicariously through you. Any good BBQ? Read any good books? Watch any good movies or shows? I’ve started Orphan Black. I think I might like it.
Orphan Black is awesome. Yes, you will like it. The cardiologist things are necessary till they figure out what’s going on with you. And the jaw doctor sounds evil. I think you should name a character in your next book after him that dies a horrible death. With weasels and space cockroaches. The good news is you live in an area with lots of doctors. If you don’t like the ones you have, find a new one. You may have to drive further, but it’s worth it to have a doctor who listens to you and understands your needs. There is no reason to put up with a doctor that treats you badly.
Spent my labor day cooking a big breakfast for my kiddo and her best friend. Stopping a fight that may or may not have involved face slapping between daughter and friend. Making gingerbread, the cake type one. And cutting down the wisteria that tries to take over our yard from our neighbors. It feels like most of this day has been spent in appeasement and putting out figurative fires.
Glad to hear Orphan Black stays good! It’s definitely interesting so far.
If I knew the name of the random jaw doctor, I’d definitely slaughter him in fiction, but alas, I have no clue. I guess it’s probably on paperwork somewhere, but whatever. So not going back there. You’re right. I have options, and now that I’m a bit more clear headed, I’ve made a bunch of doctor appointments and found someone closer who HAS to be better than the insensitive jerk.
Let’s see… Played some with the boys, cleaned out all the stuff from one side of the compost bin of things I should have never put in there (tea bags, coffee filters, twigs), convinced the hubby to finally fix the running toilet, ate lunch at BWW, shopped Target and got B his storm trooper Halloween costume, grabbed 9 more bags of mulch, (on top of the 9 we got on Saturday), took a short nap, mulched 9 bags with hubby, prepped a lasagna, went swimming, ran home after one hour to put said lasagna into the oven, swam another hour, ate dinner, bathed the kids and put them to bed, finished the last hour of Mad Max movie (you would hate it), and then put away all the toys for the cleaning lady tomorrow. A full day and a very productive weekend. We have some boxes you can have.
Geez, everyone is having a super productive weekend but me. I’m so jealous. I keep trying to do things, but then have to lie down. Had to push the button on my heart monitor a couple of times today. Boo. But I did manage a walk around the block on my own. Win! (Probably not the brightest idea to go alone, but I so needed out of the house and I hate going so long without running/exercising. I guess I’d finally made a habit out of it (after 34 years of life).)
Oh wow. Sandy I’m so sorry! Im a health care aide in our public school systems so I spent my Labor Day planning the week with my teacher/coworker and also at the gym trying to work off the, all too real, sag and flab that my, all too imaginative brain, likes to tell me is an extra store of awesome, to be used when needed. Which in fact is never. Hence, the working out part :/. I sincerely pray you heal quickly and that your scars, both physical and mental, are minimal. A move at this time is and will be trying to say the least. I just want you to know I got your back so to speak, and this is a no Judgment zone ( yeah, that’s where I work out lol). Take care, and remember you are awesome!
I’m so jealous you’ve been to the gym! I was doing so well before I broke my face. I’d FINALLY, after four years, made it to the 30 minute run on the Couch to 5K program. I was running four days a week. Now, I’m lucky to walk around the block. Boo. But I am getting better. I guess my headaches/nausea might just be from my broken jaw (even though it doesn’t hurt much) rather than my other Issues. *shrugs* Thanks for your thoughts!
I keep thinking of your post all week. I hope and pray that all will be well with your health.
Aw, thanks so much for thinking of me. I am doing better. Even managed an afternoon out of the house running some errands (with Spreadsheet Guy’s help, of course). Definitely better than I was last week, when I barely got out of bed. I think I’m even going to get back to writing soon. Hurray! Hope you have a fabulous weekend.