Wednesday, April 25, 2012

An Update (yuck)

I'm avoiding going to sleep right now.  It's been three nights since this bizarre night time sickness started (because before it was just plain all the time flu) and I know that roughly half an hour after I fall asleep I'm going to wake up and be very, very sick.  And after being violently ill I'll be okay for roughly four hours until I wake up at three something and am sick again.  Then I'll wake up in the morning try to eat a Popsicle because honestly, I'm starving and nothing sounds good and instantly be sick again, because that's just how it is now.

That's the new schedule and I have to say:  I don't like it.

I broke down and went to the ER this morning.  First I called my OB and she said general practitioner or ER (it's the whole vomiting blood thing that tends to generate that response).  When my general practitioner's office wasn't picking up the phone, I left the apartment for the first time in twelve days and drove to the hospital, feeling very much like an idiot for showing up for the ninth time in nine months.  I felt more ridiculous checking in for the flu.  Who goes the the ER for the flu, even if they can't keep a single sip of water down?  Not me, I'd told myself less than twelve hours earlier.  And yet there I was.

Everyone was nice, although conflicted about how sick I was.  One nurse told me I didn't look sick enough for them to worry about dehydration yet.  Another appeared and asked if there was anything he could get me because I looked pretty horrible.  I tended to agree with him, since I have caught my reflection in the mirror of late, and half the time the only color that fits is green.  I actually look green.

They took my blood pressure, noted that I had a fever and a pulse of 100, gave me two prescriptions for nausea, said it's probably not an ulcer, and sent me on my way.  No tests of any kind were done.  I can't take the medicine until I get a hold of my OB, per the doctor's orders and since that was a fail (it's only easy to get a hold of her in the morning) I'm thinking it's going to be another long night.   

I have to say, being told I probably don't have an ulcer, when I've had ulcers on and off for over a decade and can tell pretty early on when one is flaring up, is rather annoying (I am 99.999% sure after this morning).  It happened when I was pregnant with Sadie too.  Everyone assumes the bleeding must be from a raw throat from morning sickness and instantly rules out an ulcer.  And apparently explaining the horrid, searing acid sensation doesn't get you anywhere.  Because there's a preconceived idea that it's the pregnancy and not anything else.

So I'm avoiding going to sleep.  Because I've decided to cling to the slightly delusional dream that staying awake will mean not getting sick.  It's bound to fail though.  My eyes are already feeling heavy.

I might as well just get this over with and close my eyes...

Who knows, maybe last night was the last night of the flu and I'll wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow.

And tomorrow I'll try even harder to write an actual post about something other than being sick.  Being sick is getting more than a little boring.

4 comments:

  1. Oh man, girl. Big prayers. Feel better soon.

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  2. I so sympathize. When I was pregnant with Joshua I got very sick and couldn't get any sleep. Every time I tried to relax or close my eyes I would stop breathing because of all the congestion. After 5 days of no sleep at all, not even a nap, my husband took me to the doctors where I cried and begged them to help me breathe so I could get some sleep. I was so tired. Before that incident the longest I had stayed awake was 3 days and I was pretty loopy by the end of it (I was trying to avoid jet lag from returning to the states after living in Germany for 9 months).

    Maybe if you just act hysterical they'll take you seriously. I really hate it when people just assume you must be lying because how could you possibly be right. sigh...

    You have my prayers.

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  3. Gosh, that sounds terrible. I had an ulcer when I was a young and it was so painful! I hope things will get better for you soon. I'll say some prayers for you!

    Hugs,
    Maria

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  4. Oh, I hate ERs. I have this problem where I keep vomiting and can't hold anything done. It's crazy.

    Mono, right. Fever, swollen glands, flu like symptoms. Vomiting is not one right? Well, not for me.

    And that's just one example. Anytime I'm sick there goes lunch. My toddler's like this with his colds.

    Hate ERs but short of going to get something that you don't take orally, that's where I usually end up.

    Hang in there. What did they give you by the way? I usually refer to safefetus.com because they give you a lot more details about medications. If it says it's okay, then go ahead and fill. I usually get phenogrin (or however you spell it) but I've developed an allergy to it. That's fine to take.

    Also have take something that's like Dramamine but isn't (starts with an m). That's fine too.

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