It has been a rough week. It's Saturday night, and yes, I'm home. But, I won't complain. In fact, I am going to be grateful. Let me recap my week a bit.
Monday was frustrating. I had spent the weekend with insane nausea and my doctor told me I would be fine till next week. Never mind that 3 days before I had come close to passing out in his office. But, hey, I haven't been through med school, so who am I?
Tuesday I felt mildly better but not tons.
Wednesday my energy level dropped and dropped and dropped. I was cold, had the shakes and the nausea was in my face!
Thursday (Thanksgiving) I could barely pick my head up off the couch. Dizzy, cold, shaky and now I am massively throwing up! Keep in mind that I can barely tell you my name so rational thinking is long gone. I send Jim and Rylee to Thanksgiving dinner with family and I proceed to lay on the couch and try to get warm. All of the sudden I have a moment of clarity and I realize that I haven't urinated since Wed morning. Well, hell. I'm dehydrated. I get myself to the dining room table where my papers from my dietician are and find the Oral Hydration solution recipe. It takes all I have to get one put together since my legs are heavy, the room is spinning and I am staggering around like a drunk. I get it together and start drinking it. I know I have just solved my biggest problem. I email the doctor with all my symptoms. Not sure if I was coherent or polite but I am so close to oblivion that I don't even care.
Friday I am still weak. I don't want to get out of bed. Rylee is now making my Oral Hydration Solution and bringing it to me. She is having a hard time seeing me like this. The nurse calls and asks questions, leaves me on hold forever and comes back with some good advice. (I kind of don't think the doctor was in, I think the nurse went and looked some things up) I have Rylee call Jim's sister to pick me up more pills for nausea. I spend the day on clear liquids and I am sucking down this Oral Hydration stuff like crazy. By 3:00, when the nurse calls me back, I am feeling a little better. I continue with clear liquids and Oral Hydration. By the end of the night I feel so much better that I attempt a shower. I have to get this bag off of me. It's been there since Monday night and is starting to burn. I needed help and wore out really quickly but I did it.
Today, I get up, still on clear liquids but feeling good. Like 75% better! I am thrilled. I open up my computer and look up dehydration. Symptoms are things like light headed, dizzy, nausea...things I have been complaining to my doctor about for weeks! I stayed on clear liquids most of the day and then Rylee baked cookies and I had to have one! I made tomato soup for supper and have discovered that I am hungry. A little while later, I followed it up with a spoonful of mashed potatoes that were sent home with Jim. I love mashed potatoes! I am on my fifth 32 ounce glass of Oral Hydration. I have decided to just keep it next to me at all times. Basically, it is watered down Gatorade with salt. It's icky, but I feel like it saved me so I will continue to drink it. Today I actually have a little focus. I went through some of my mothers mail, made a grocery list, and even though it may not be much, I feel like I accomplished something. And now I am hungry. I haven't been hungry in ages. It is a relief to be excited about tomato soup.
Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. I do love food and mashed potatoes, wild rice stuffing, gravy, well, need I say more. Also, it is the one holiday with nothing to distract from it. There are no presents, costumes, candy, bunnies etc. Just friends and loved ones to be thankful for. So, I am grateful that I am home. Home and not back in the hospital. Warm, fed, and working to regain my strength and health. I hope that all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by people who love you.
No comments:
Post a Comment