Until two weeks later....
Oliver had pink eye...the morning we were to take him in to see a doc, he grabbed the curling iron and burned the majority of his entire right hand. So we took him in. ON top of all that, he had a double ear infection as well. Ugh...it cant get any worse. Well, it did. the Doc gave us meds for his infections, but also referred us to Primary Children's Burn Clinic for his hand. Yup I guess it was that bad. SO we set it all up....I didnt think it could get any worse...and all the while $$ signs are the only thing I can see.
This whole while, I felt like I was having an ache in my stomach, but I didnt think anything of it.
Then....when I awoke with the most horrendous pain right underneath my sternum. It felt like...well, like a gallstone except I dont have a gallbladder anymore! I woke up Kurt thinking something has to be wrong. He, of course, shrugged it off as pulled muscle or something. So I tried ot go back to sleep. The next morning, I sent my son off to school and started to get ready for my day when the pain hit me again!...this time it was worse. I went in the bathroom to get some medicine thinking maybe it was heart burn. When I started to get dizzy, sweaty, ringing in my ears, and I passed out. When I woke up I was on the floor, weak. In pain so scary I didnt know what to do. I could stand. I was shaking. I yelled.."Lizzy. Lizzy!" She came running, "Lizzy get me my phone." When she finally got to me I had crawled to my room from the bathroom. I didnt call Kurt, I called my mom. She didnt hesitate...she was on her way. I then called Kurt. told him I was going to a doctor and I may be headed to the ER. When My mom got here, she was in a panic. I had been able to get myself in to my bed at this point. the pain was wrenching through my abdomen and I had no idea what it could be.
We packed up the kids, and she drove me to the hospital. I was pale as a ghost and felt like I was going to pass out any minute again. I finally got in. A new doc, since our insurance had changed this year, pushed and questioned me. They took some blood samples. I walked, or rather, hunched over in pain slowly forced myself to stumble away from his office with a disappointing diagnosis of "ulcer". I was not convinced. There is no way an ulcer can be this painful.
I took the medicine and did as I was told. That night, the pain came back again, full force. I was crying. I was exhausted. I didnt know what to do. First thing I called the docs office. They were conveniently out of the office so my case was referred to another doc..UGH! So I asked, what do my labs say. I am in pain, this has to be something else! "we will get back with you sometime this afternoon". Meanwhile, I was dying...literally, I didnt know if I could take it. I was nearly headed to the ER for a second opinion. All I could do on top of this all was think about how much this would all cost and who would take care of my family if I had to go back in to the hospital.
Finally, around noon, I got a call. "Your labs are elevated and concerning. You need to come back in and see Dr. **** ", who btw, was a different doctor remember the other guy was on vacation now. So another call to my mom. She was came up. Took me over. This time, i sat there, with pain...he came in..."Well, your lipase is in the 4000s (normal is 300). Something is going on wiht your pancreas. You need to get checked into the hospital ASAP. Stop drinking and eating. You may be ther 4 days or 2 weeks depending on what they find. " WHAT!?
And that was that, $200 to tell me I needed to go to the ER. Thanks doc. So, I called Kurt "well, ready to spend $4000. Im off to the hospital for maybe 2 weeks. "
So he rushed home. We got a sitter for the time being (thanks mom!) and Kurt and I went to the hospital. I got all checked in. That night they ran test after test, MRI, CT, Ultrasound. they could find nothing. I couldnt eat, not even drink water. I was miserable. In pain. and bored.
I rated my pain on this scale....looks like an 8 or 9 to me...LOL!
After 4 days, my levels came down. I was able to start eating slowly again. and they released me without an answer. Since I had no gallbladder, it was not a gallstone. they found no inflammation at the time of CT and MRI. So I was released.
A week later...it returned. I though, oh no...what am I going to do, I will NOT go back there! I cant ask for all the ehlp I got, I cant leave my family again. So they let me be off of food for a day and see if that helped. I was rechecked with my blood work. It was high again, but dropping. So another MRI Was ordered. It was negative. I was sent to a speciliast. They told me to get some enzymes to use when I eat, watch what I eat and if I have a flare up back off and go off foods for a day. So here I am.... feeling better. Worried. But better. AS long as i have no pain, and they cant find anything wrong, I will just go with it.
So finally back into the swing of things, life moved on.
And hey! The Pack won the Superbowl! LOL. It was a great game.
Since then life has been pretty calm. Since our deductible was now met, we decided to get all our elective surgeries done. Oliver got tubes in both ears, no more ear infections. I got elbow surgery for my painful nerves in my arm. Kurt is getting knee surgery in two weeks. So, a blessing in disguise.
March came and went with all the crazy weather. Kurt turned 33. Easter followed.
My birthday was a week or so ago, cant believe Im 32. And here we are.
We look forward to a summer with school almost over, a fence (Yahoo! Kurt is installing it as I speak), Lagoon again, and vacations to the cabin.
I look back and just am amazed at my life, my kids, how fast time moves and in the blink of an eye how fast it could change. I am so grateful for all I have. My friends, most of all my family who never once, NEVER, were not there when I needed help.
So we are basically caught up to now.
1 comment:
Only you would get a picture of yourself making a face to match the pain scale like that...especially when your pain is at an 8. Love it!
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