The pain started around 4pm and I thought at first it was just a back ache from sitting so much so I struggled through my last 2 hours of work. I came home from work at 6 and climbed into a hot bath. It was then I realized it was likely much worse than than just a back ache and I started to recognize the signs as a possible attack. While in the bath I called my mom to ask her to take her phone to bed with her, just in case we had to call her in the night to come and sit with the boys.
I took two Gravol and went to bed at 7:45 hoping and praying that the pain would subside and I would be able to sleep it off. No such luck, While Jim watched a show beside me I would sleep in 3-5 minute intervals interrupted by severe pain in my back and upper abdomen. Finally at 10 pm knowing that it wasn't going away and thinking that soon the vomiting would start, I told Jim it was time to go to the hospital (knowing that likely my mom would still be awake). She was here a little bit later and we were off.
We were so thankful that when we got to the hospital that the ER was completely EMPTY. Not a single patient that I could see. This is rare for our hospital and in fact it was around 6 years ago (thanks FB memories) that I went in there for an attack and waited 2.5 hours (in even worse pain than this current night) on a stretcher in the middle of the waiting room (for all of the other waiting patients to see.) It was truly a horrific night in my life and has made me rethink waiting at home for the pain to get that bad before going in, just in case the ER is ever that bad again.
Within a few minutes I saw my favorite ER doctor making his way over to me and saying "Kim, you're back again, it's been awhile since we've seen you." A few minutes later a 4th year nursing student (who recognized me from my niece Tyanna's FB) asked me if she could start my IV for me and although I was trying to be patient with her as she tried to find a good vein and then stuck me I was in so much pain and felt so much relief when another nurse came and got the IV in right away and just a few minutes later the pain relief was flowing into my veins.
I'm all about honesty on this blog and this is honestly how terrible I looked in pain around 11pm...this was right after the first dose of morphine and Gravol hit me.
By about 3am I was feeling a little better and thankfully hadn't started throwing up yet so thought I was in the clear and maybe I'd be able to go home and spare myself the horrors of some other attacks. Jim was anxious to get home because he had texted my mom an hour before saying we might be coming home, plus he was still planning on working that day. The doctor wrote me some prescriptions and gave me some painkillers and anti nauseants to take home with me and I was just about to have the nurse bandage up my IV (I said I'd go home with it in just case) and then I started getting sick and it was truly all down hill from there. For the next 7 or so hours I was horribly ill and it seemed like no matter what they gave me nothing helped. The morphine was making me so sick but the getting sick was making the cramping pains so bad that nothing could make the pain go away. They finally switched me to hydromorphone which is way stronger than morphine but had to keep trying different anti-nauseants to try and keep me from throwing up (nothing was helping at this point it was just hours of getting sick...truly horrible!). When the pain was really bad about 4am they called in an X-ray tech to take some pictures to see if I had an intestinal blockage. The overnight doctor said he didn't think there was one but they wanted to keep me until I at least was feeling a little bit better or they could get the pain under control.
My poor rock star of a hubby finally fell asleep sitting up at sometime around 5am.
I think you can tell by the look on my face how horribly miserable I was around this time.
Jim finally left my side at 6:15 in the morning to get home to relieve my mom (who had to work that day) and to get the boys ready for the day to go to the daycare. He returned to my side around 9:15 and stayed until the day shift doctor said they were going to admit me because he did think that based on the x-rays and how I was feeling that there was a possible obstruction. The doctor wanted me to stay there until my pain was under control and we could determine if my body could tolerate food after the attack.
By about noon my parents had stopped to visit me in the ER and Jim was headed home to have a sleep while my Auntie Susan sat with me for the afternoon. I was moved into a somewhat private room off the ER where I was finally able to get a little bit of sleep while we waited for them to admit me to the 4th floor.
That night I had a few special visitors who were excited to see me, and to look out my room's window
After they left I settled in for some Family Feud and chicken broth...or maybe it was tea...they are served in the same cups!
Jim brought me my stuffy (without me asking) and I was so happy. Yes, I am 35 years old and I sleep with this thing every single night. My mom actually bought it for me in the hospital gift shop when I had a bad attack years ago shortly after we moved to PR.
Friday morning I wasn't hungry at all and I'm not a huge fan of Jello, but I did eat some of it.
My full breakfast on Friday morning
My view on Friday morning while my kids were painting Easter eggs and playing outside at the Parkins. Jenn was so wonderful for watching the boys for Jim that day for a few hours so he could get the house cleaned up a bit before my brother and Doris and Roger arrived for the weekend.
SERIOUSLY...How disgusting does that look? Like, what the hell is that mystery meat? I ate the potatoes because by this point I was pretty damn hungry (I had only eaten a little bit of Jello since Wednesday afternoon at 2 when I ate my last meal). Jim however showed up a few minutes later and polished off the mystery meat and pureed peas.
Drinking my tea from a coffee cup. Yuck...
Trying to pass the time
Dinner...ground up quiche and carrots. You think this is bad though, my poor roommate guy who didn't have any dietary restrictions got a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner, with some carrots and a small bowl of canned pear pieces. The soup he was supposed to get didn't show up.
The soup was tortilla flavoured and it was okay once the nurse heated it up for me because mine was cold. Pretty much I only ate a few bites of soup and the vanilla yogurt that I requested (and was told that I wouldn't get because apparently yogurt isn't considered a semi-soft food!). Can someone please tell me what it is then?? It's certainly not a clear fluid and definitely isn't solid so what would you call it?? Anyways, I would have flipped if they hadn't brought me that yogurt that night. By Friday night I was getting pretty hungry but was also terrified to eat too!
My boys came to visit and show me the eggs they painted at the Parkins house.
Oh yeah, they got bored quickly so they played on the iPad while Jim and I visited
At least they smiled for the pic...kind of...
Getting pretty tired of this stupid thing
Had to take it everywhere with me and remember to plug the stupid thing back in when I got back into bed.
My last breakfast...seriously...pureed toast with jam?? No frigging way was I gonna eat that. I ate a few bites of the eggs and they were okay...but man was I glad to be released a little bit later and get home to eat some chocolate pudding!
I drink this medicine every morning but never mixed in just water. This was so gross and I know now why I always mix it with orange juice or in a smoothie. It is truly disgusting stuff (but has absolutely changed my life in the last few years...a post about that coming soon!)
Jordie wanting to "help" me with my pudding
I think he's happy I'm home
Huge thank you's to those that came to visit me in the hospital. It's long and lonely hours being in there and I so appreciated those that made the effort to stop by and say hello, even if just for a little bit! I hope to stay out of that place for a long time!
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