Last post Mon, May 12 2008 8:11 PM by mitskev. 9 replies.
hospital in the ambulance. The EMT's thought I might be having a low blood sugar moment, even though I showing all signs of a stroke. Slurred speech, drooping facial muscles the classic symptoms but they wanted to rule out diabetes as a cause. He stabbed my finger with a lancet and I refuse to drip a drop. He tried twice more - ouch. I still refused to bleed. We arrived at the ER without a blood sugar reading - even with me sqeezing my finger so he could a reading any reading on the strip. Still nothing ... they later got revenge by taking 5 very large vials of my blood at the hospital for a full workup. Blood sugar, Cholesterol the works. They were all within normal or below normal levels - next up was the spinal tap. Now the pain ... I mean fun begins.
I hope you are okay now??? This must have happened a while ago. That is odd how you wouldn't bleed! Maybe you were in shock. Sorry you had to have a spinal tap. My son had to have one at four days of age to rule out bacterial meningitis. Thank god he only had viral meningitis and he recovered quickly. He's 6' 3 now and will be 17 in July. Of course, I swear I lost a few years of my life because of that incident. He was so sick, he was screaming, not crying. It was the worst sound I have ever heard. Hope all is well with you.
Becky
Oy, spinal tap! So, so painful. I know I've asked you this before and I'm sure you answered me (swiss cheese brain!): why did you have a stroke?
"It's not just about Obama is a young black man, and McCain is an old white guy."Shelley!
EEEEEEEEEEEEEE; what an experience!The paramedics who attended me when I had my stroke didn't think at first that I'd had a stroke, either, because I was only 36 years old.
I was in my bathroom at the time, and they thought that maybe I'd fallen and hit my head on the tub or the vanity. I had diagnosed myself, correctly, it turned out, before I got out the door.
My blood pressure was stratospheric, so I was taken to the nearest hospital, a few miles away. That would have been okay, except that this smallish hospital could not accommodate a case like mine.
So, I was transported via helicopter, to a large medical center in Dallas, which is about 20 miles away.
After I was evaluated there, my family and my mother's pastor, who had arrived by now, were told that I was in terrible shape and wouldn't live more than a few hours.
My mother asked her pastor to call my pastor to tell him what had happened.
My pastor, undetstandably, didn't get it quite straight, and thought that I had actually died. Then he started breaking the "bad news" to various church members, and it got pretty tangled when I ungraciously improved, instead of dying like I was "supposed" to.It was a crazy time, even without the gang members in the ICU. But that's another story ...
I'm glad everyone's doing better now.
Carla N.
CNo64:EEEEEEEEEEEEEE; what an experience!The paramedics who attended me when I had my stroke didn't think at first that I'd had a stroke, either, because I was only 36 years old.
The last round of strokes I had, they clearly didn't believe I was having a stroke. They took their time getting me to the hospital, no lights, sirens, etc. Yeah, not good.
CNo64: So, I was transported via helicopter, to a large medical center in Dallas, which is about 20 miles away.
Baylor? That's my home away from home.
Liesl: Baylor? That's my home away from home.
Yep, Baylor University Medical Center.Who's your doctor?
CNo64:Yep, Baylor University Medical Center.Who's your doctor? Carla N.
Who's your doctor?
HA, which one?! For neuro, I used to see Dr. Cobasko in house and Dr. Greenfield out, but Cobasko is leaving, so now I see... ah crap, forgot his name. Greybeal? I liked him a LOT.My PCP is Ricardo Murillo, best doctor in.the.world. Rheum: Dr. Petrone, Pulmonary: Dr. Broncaccio (I kid you not), liver: Dr. Lepe, gastro: Dr. Carolla, hema: Dr. Holmes. I know I'm missing someone. Meh, that's enough.
Who do you see?
I don't see anyone at Baylor now.I had a small army of doctors during my days at BUMC, then I was at BIR(were you there?) for a couple of months, then they moved me to the specialty hospital, which is a truly terrible place, then I was sent to a nursing home.
Then I came to my mother's house, which is where I am today.I had soo many doctors at BUMC that I can't remember very many names, except for that of my kidney doctor, Dr. Shoenvogel. He was great.These days I see a general practitioner whose office is just a few miles away.
How often do you have to go to the doctor?
I go every three months, which people are always telling me is "awful," but it doesn't seem that bad to me.
When you spend seven months in one healthcare institution or other, your perspective changes.
CNo64: How often do you have to go to the doctor? I go every three months, which people are always telling me is "awful," but it doesn't seem that bad to me.
I used to go several times a week, but I am down to every month or so, now. It doesn't seem bad to me, either. Compared to the way it used to be! I'm actually stable for the first time in three years. Woohoo!
CNo64: When you spend seven months in one healthcare institution or other, your perspective changes. Carla N.
Does it ever! I was amazed that the thing that changed the most for me was the mellowing out of my personality. That, and a sort of re-dedication to living with integrity. It's not that I wasn't doing that before, but I had allowed myself to get caught up in a mode of snark first, think about it later. Somehow, all the illness, strokes, doctors, tests, etc. seemed to put things in perspective and remind me that I never wanted to be that person, had never been that person, shouldn't be that person.
Sure I feel fine. Apparently my blood pressure was sky high too. A family history my Dad passed on. Turned out my blood was Vitamin B deficient too so I was anemic. My diets totally changed too - rarely fast food and plenty of fruits, vegetables and vitamins. The spinal tap was to rule out meningitis. My doctor did it in in my bed and he was so incredibly inept at placing the needle between the the vertebra it was the most painful thing I ever felt. He finally had to give up. When the head of Neurology came to talk I didn't realize he'd really come to finish the the botched spinal tap. He was in and out in 5 minutes and no pain. NO PAIN at all I surprised and happy to say the least. No meningitis either. Now I bleed easily too. Baby aspirin to thin my blood and diuretic to control the blood pressure. The many various physical aches and pains gone too. I'm still weak and walk so slow people have to wait for me. I now walk twice a day to rebuild my stamina. And endeavor to work and walk further each day.
