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.

[caseyjo]

I had a mishap about 3 weeks ago......I wasnt feeling good, so took 4 tblspoons of milk of magnesia late at night..the next morning I got up to go to the bathroom & my heart started beating way to fast..what was scary was it would not slow down.

Here I was stuck going to the bathroom because of the milk of magnesia so I could not get to the hospital..I had to call 911....When they were here I had to take the monitor off 3 different times to head for the ...You know....POT. Milk of Mag. and a paramedic visit to not mix well.

I think they were a bit aggravated, but they were real nice about it. They got my heart to slow down by having me sit and bend at the waist and bear down....I did that a couple times and they were able to leave..Told me I might look into a stress test.

I saw my doc and he told me next time to only take 3 tablespoons instead of 4. laxatives can draw the electrolytes right out.

It was all too funny, but scary...To think I could not get to the hospital because I could barely get off the toilet......I felt I should post this...Be careful with laxatives.

[Stir Young]

I had a smlilar sequence of medical events a few years ago Robbie, and it turned out to be acid reflux. I'll be thinking of you and hope you rebound quickly. I live vicariously through you, you know!

[Aggie]

So thats why you did not come to the party for you in Tomball. Tomball German Heritage Festival.

Happy Easter!

[Bull]

Be Well Robbie

[Chez moi]

Well. Can't leave you alone for a minute, can I? I'll be back to see what's up. Glad Pru was there!