I bet your Friday night wasn’t as exciting as mine

Jump to Comments

I took the kids to the local playground yesterday (pics on Flickr) and discovered that they have a little rock wall, about 8 ft high I’d say. And it’s 3 walls together with a solid top so kids can sit up there once they’ve climbed. Well Holden wanted to try but Zoë didn’t get what it was. So I get my right foot and right hand up, pull up, get my left foot on and, like an idiot, reach straight up with my left shoulder and ow ow ow. Yeah, that never healed btw.

So I get down gingerly and continue to supervise the playing, etc. Then some big kids were being jerks and I said that (after an hour) it was time to go. To bribe Zoë to leave, I said “Let’s go for ice cream.” So we drove down the mountain for soft serve at The Meadows. Zoë had vanilla, Holden had chocolate and I had Dreamsicle, which was just okay but when mixed with a little of Holden’s chocolate was dreamy.

Then we swung past the new location of the renamed yarn store… and it was open! So I went in and got $50 of yarn. The woman there brought out blocks for the kids and I shopped in peace. It was heavenly. Very nice store. Didn’t have some of the things I looked for but everything was new to me and I found quite a lot that I really fell for. Callie: I found something to make something for you but it’s a surprise.

So on the drive home, both kids fell asleep so I pulled into the shade in front of the garage, put all the windows down and picked up the knitting project I’d taken to the park (a small purse to take to Erin’s wedding; it may actually be finished on time). Then Hawk got home, we had a lovely dinner of beefaroni with cheese on top (Sargento 4-cheese Italian blend, stuck under the broiler to give it the melty bubbles). My shoulder had never stopped hurting and so after dinner, I took one of the 800 mg ibuprofen tablets that I’d gotten for the shingles.

Insert dramatic/ominous music here.

I went into the living room and talked to Hawk. The kids were playing with Play Doh at the kitchen table. I put on Monty Python on BBC America and we were talking about Scooter and his boat. In an instant, I could feel blood rushing past my temples in very fine, thin streams. My face felt like it was on fire but my skin was cool to the touch. I said, “Something’s wrong with me. Come take my pulse.” He did. It was 100. He said, “What are you feeling?” I described it. He asked me other questions and then said, “I think you’re having an allergic reaction. Where’s the Benadryl?”

I told him. I started to feel lightheaded and unfocused. My vision became splotchy, like mud splattered on a windshield. He said, “What’s happening?” after I took the Benadryl. I had to tell my body what to do (“take cup” “drink medicine” “swallow”) like a parent telling a child. I described my increasing list of symptoms. He said, “Do you want me to call the ambulance?”

My brain said, “Yes.” But I couldn’t make my mouth work to say it. Luckily we’re all psychic together ‘n’ ‘at so he called 911 and gave our address and told them what was happening. The dispatcher said that if I vomited, to call them back.

And then I did. Luckily we have a bazillion toy bins around, all of which are empty. When I vomited, I peed. Embarrassing, yes, but it is one of the symptoms and adds to the total experience. By that point, Zoë wanted to know what was happening. Hawk told her I was sick. She said, “I can be a doctor” as Hawk called Bets to come watch kids. She cried and said, “Mommy’s going to die” and I said very calmly but firmly, “No, honey, I’m not going to die.”

That’s the last I’m really clear on.

I was laying on the sofa on my side, kind of. I think I might still have had my knees on the floor. I had my head on my arm and when I tried to lift it, I couldn’t. I also couldn’t open my eyes and it was getting very hard to breathe. So my concentration went to my breathing.

After what seemed an eternity, I heard a woman’s voice. Then I was put on a stretcher; Hawk got me under the arms. I tried to open my eyes again but couldn’t. I felt the tall grass brush my right leg as we went down the porch steps and the other grass plant brush my left. The EMT wanted to start an IV before getting on the road but first she gave me an epi shot (the epi stops further airway constriction).

Then she got my IV in and gave me steroids (I think). The whole time, it was harder and harder to breathe. Take the smallest, shallowest breath you can, like when you’re just about asleep, and that was the greatest effort I could make. I had oxygen, which helped (ever have pure oxygen? It’s like a drug) and gave me chapped lips at the same time. I also wanted to go to sleep and fought that because I knew that if I fell asleep, my mantra of “breathe, breathe, breathe” wouldn’t register anymore. So I tried to keep moving some part of my body. I felt Holden’s binkie in my pocket and rubbed it most of the ride to the hospital.

About halfway there, I managed to open my eyes for a few seconds. I saw the ceiling of the ambulance, all stainless steel and can lights. I saw the EMT out of the corner of my eye. She kept talking to me, little things, including where we were on the road. In practically no time, she told me “Frankstown Road exit” and I knew we were pretty close. I managed to take one deep breath every minute or so and had to return to the shallow breathing. I could open my eyes for a longer period of time and lift the oxygen mask just enough to wet my lips. I started getting what felt exactly like menstrual cramps right along my C-section scar and I told her that. She said that’s not uncommon. I also started getting the shakes/chills, which continued in the hospital.

When they opened the ambulance doors, Hawk was there. So we went in, saw the medical personnel, had blood drawn and got fluids going, more steroids, etc.I went from the stretcher to the hospital bed myself (scootching, not walking).

In a few hours, I could walk around and finally got out of my soaked jeans (my favorite pair too so I’ll just have to laugh when I associate them with this). I had to give a urine sample (and surprisingly had some to give) b/c my white count was elevated (normal is around 11; mine was 19.3). They guessed that the spike was due to the stress of the event, not any infection. They released me before the test was back (I think). Luckily also my nurse (Bill) was from “up the mountain” and we “up the mountain” people tend to bond well. The woman trying to draw my blood (I’m a “hard stick”) said what a good IV I’d had (and the EMT had zero problems doing the IV), the nurse said, “Those crews from up the mountain really know what they’re doing.”

I got back home around midnight and the episode had begun around 8:15. I’ve been fine since we got home although if I dreamed something “dreamlike” (for example, Zoë was a baby), I woke myself up b/c I knew something was wrong. Eventually either that stopped or I was too tired to do it anymore.

I talked with Zoë this morning (and last night). She seemed okay with everything. She liked having Gramma come to play. Holden is his usual self. Hawk said he didn’t come out to the living room until the ambulance came. I bet he’ll want an ambulance to go with his new fire truck now (“Road Ripper” truck from Wal-Mart the other day; only $5 and no twist-ties to undo — I recommend).

I feel a little muscle-achy around my ribs… no I won’t be taking an ibuprofen. We’re pretty sure that was the cause b/c the onset was 10-15 after the ibuprofen, not dinner itself (for example, if my reaction was to milk). And when I had shingles, I tried Ultram b/c narcotics make me nauseous. The fucking Ultram made me hallucinate. Now that was an experience, when the stuff in your brain just shows up in front of you? Why Ewan McGregor in leather pants couldn’t show up, I don’t know but he didn’t. So now I’m allergic to ibuprofen and can’t take Ultram… I’m a drug seeker’s profile in the flesh So I guess I’m glad I hung onto these Percosets from the shingles b/c a half of one of those is helpful for pain. I don’t know if actually stops the pain but it does make you care less.

Otherwise, everything is completely normal, physically, emotionally, mentally. And the ambulance ride down, my inner voice (while going “breathe breathe breathe”) was saying, “Well this will be helpful in a story.” Or “I could use this in Nine somehow.” And “When I blog this, I think I’ll start with the playground and the shoulder injury.”

And so I did.

26 Comments

Filed under Adventure! Excitement!, Deep Thoughts, Moi

Tags: ambulance, anaphylaxis, hospital, me, medical, reaction