My Little Medical Adventure. Or "Not On The Road Again".

[CWO3ROBBIE]

I'm sitting here waiting for time to pass. I have an appointment at the University of Texas Medical Branch in two hours.

The appointment is for a stress test. I can't eat or drink anything for 3 hours prior. Funny how easy it is to go without eating or drinking during a normal, routine day. But tell me I can't, and all at once I want to very badly.

Last Fri. night I was, as usual, sitting at my computer, merrilly typing away, while eating candy covered almonds and drinking Sam Adams Ale. I got sleepy and went to bed.

About 2:30 am I awoke with serious chest pain. Figured it was indigestion, turned over to my side and tried to go back to sleep. Spent the rest of the night tossing, turning, dozing, getting up drinking water, going back to bed and rolling around in pain some more. So about 6:00am I got up, dressed and went down to knock on the park managers door. Explained the situation, gave him a set of keys to the RV, and ask him to look after the dog if I was gone very long. He ask if I wanted him to take me down to the UTMB ER. I said that I thought I was alright to drive down there.

He also insisted that I take a nitrostat pill that he had. I didn't want to, but finely let him talk me into it. He said he has had 5 heart attacks and that if I didn't need the nito it wouldn't hurt me, and if I did it would help.

So off to the ER. I followed the signs and when I got to the ER it wasn't there. After driving around for a while I saw a woman dressed in what looked like what nurses wear these days. I pulled over and got her attention. Ask about the ER. She said that they were still moving every thing around trying to recover from IKE. She said "just folow the signs on this street and they will take you to the ER on Harborplace. You need to make one right turn. I followed the signs until there were no more signs. Then drove all the rest of the way West untill I was in a warehouse area on the western side of Galveston. Turned around and drove back. Finely saw a ER sign pointing to Harborplace. It was covered on the other side by a palm tree. Finely got to the ER. Told them why I was there, was put in a wheel chair and the testing and questioning started.

Oh yeh, Pru was coming to visit so sometime while on the way I had called her and told her what was going on and that she probably should defer her visit.

After all the questioning and instalation of IVs, drawling blood, and attaching monitoring equipment I was

put to bed in a waiting room. I went to sleep.

When I awoke, Pru was siting beside the bed. Now is that a friend or what? I felt better, The pain had gone away and I just felt tired.

The hospital decided that I had to stay the night while they took blood and measured enzimes(Sp?) They also said I would need a stress test and probably should stay in the hospital until Monday.

Sunday Morning, after a night of sleep, wakeup for vital sign taking, sleep, wake up for vital sign reading, sleep wake up for---, They bring breakfast. I had been given two choices, of course the breakfast they brought was not the one I had ordered but I ate it any way. . Around 10:00 am, I Think, Pru Showed up again. We spent the next 4 or five hours talking, laughing and just having a good time inbetween nurse, technition, and aide visits. Then came show and tell. It is University of Texas Medical Branch, remember?

After show and tell, the Dr. in charge agreed with me that I could be released and have the Stress test scheduled on an Outpatient basis.

So, only 1 and 1/2 more hours and I go in for the Stress Test.

PRU is the greatest. However she explained it by saying that she has spent so much time in hospitals that she will take any chance she can to visit one.

I do want to say; I am very satisfied with the treatment that I received at UTMB. I think that it is probably the best experience I have ever had with a hospital.

[Chez moi]

So, it was the almonds? Try natural ones next time.

Yay for Pru, even if she was only in it for the Jello. (Probably nibbled a little kibble with Happy instead.) ,->

[Kittycat]

Robbie, I'm so glad you're doing OK...Thank goodness you had Pru to help you and Happy...I hope your appt. with the Doctor goes well... Keep us posted... Love ya!!!

[CWO3ROBBIE]

Contrary to all expectations, Happy survived. Now he wants to go live with Pru. That is one smart dog.
I offered to give her my oatmeal. My Jello? Keep you hands off my Jello.

[larry kremis]

Is Happy ok?


Everyone could use a friend like Pru. Maybe you could share your jello next time.

[caseyjo]

So glad you are alright....K

[D. D. Olson]

Thinking of you, Robbie. I'm so glad Pru was there to give a hand.

[Bull]

Robbie
So glad to hear the tests went well. And now I'm envious of Happy

[CWO3ROBBIE]

Oh, one other thing. I have to thank Pru again for taking care of Happy the night that I was in the hospital.

[CWO3ROBBIE]

Gary, I'm sure that is what it was. I take Nexium to combat that. This pain was more persistant, last for about 4 hours and felt different than what ai had experienced before. So thought I better go get it checked out. Between Medicare and my medical insurance as retired military, I don't have to worry about cost. I really got lucky on the medical insuance and Can't for the life of me understand why any retired military would be against Government Health Care. Reminds me of an old West Virginia saying about "Cutting your nose off to spite your face".

[CWO3ROBBIE]

Went in and took the Stress Test this afternoon. They had me set up for the chemically induced stress test. I told the Nurse that I had hoped for the physical stress test. She said she would ask if they could change it. Went off, called the doctor, came back and said that everyone agreed that if that was what I wanted that was the way we would do it. I almost had a heart attack. I've never before delt with a hospital that would listen to what the patient wants. These Texans are all right, By Golly. So, onto the tread mill heart rate up to 152, then the ecocardiogram. And I'm out of there. Got a follow up appt with Doc on the 12th. The nurse and techs said they wished they could do as well as I did. So, guess I can have some beer tonight.