I'll get right to it: the colonoscopy got canceled.
The decision was made in the ER at 2 AM.
You can leave it there, or read on for the rest of the (not too-o-o gross) story.
I had gotten as far as going through the week of increasing food restrictions, chugging the first half of the drink to clear the gut, and had taken my phone and a book into the bathroom to spend necessary time. All was going well... until it wasn't.
I started feeling nauseous. I had a plastic basket handy which is always there. They warn you about that as a possibility, though in my previous ones it had never happened. Neither did any of what came next. From there I went straight to feeling overheated and sweating, light headed like I could fall over at any moment, and unable to stand because the circulation had been cut off in my left leg. I knew that was pinching from the toilet seat but it all struck quickly. Things were going downhill so fast that I just managed to call Steve and get out one word: "Come!"
It did take him a minute with his walker, but he was prompt. By then I was also hyperventilating. He helped me shed a layer of clothes, in between my needing to collapse forward onto his knees as they faced me while he sat in his walker, then leaning over the bucket thinking I'd need that. Lucky for us both we had decided to get him a walker with a seat/basket so he could be as comfortable as possible when using it, much needed for what came next.
Every move I made, as I vascillated between thinking I'd throw up (never did) to pass out (never did) to needing to stand to get the pressure off my leg (also by then never did - couldn't), he was there, doing his best to help, but best was just letting me fall forward onto his knees for a few seconds. After several minutes of that we decided he should call 911.
We wound up with a cop and two paramedics, all of whom did their thing as best as they could, since by then I was barely coherent. The simplest question took about a minute to answer, if I even could wrap my brain around it enough to answer. What meds was I allergic to? I managed to recall I had some allergy but couldn't think of to what. Normally I can recite the whole list on command. Once somebody else was there to prevent my falling while sitting, Steve went and got the medical history list I've printed out in a folding form and handed it to them for whatever they needed. Meanwhile they attached 4 EKG leads on me knowing I had cardiac issues in my past. That was one part of me functioning perfectly at the moment.
My goal was to go lie down on my bed. I had an adult diaper in case I wasn't quite through with the purge yet (I was) and a flat bed protector for the bed. With the help of three people - who couldn't pull on my arms - we got me to the bed to reassess my condition and answer the question, did I want to go to the ER?
Obviously I decided yes. The only improvement in my condition at that point was I got enough circulation back in my leg that I could put weight on it again, though standing and walking was done while surrounded by people to catch me if necessary. After help dressing, I was strapped in a chair, taken out and down the steps, and strapped onto the gurney.
Note here that it was snowing. I hadn't worn a coat or jacket. The day had been warmer, noted when I hauled both garbage and recycle bins curbside earlier. Neither chair nor gurney had blankets. If they needed access to me, like monitoring blood O2 and BP, they needed it ASAP. But the gurney had been outside about half an hour, and transfer and belting in took a good five minutes. The ambo doors had been open the whole time since they pulled up. I was already shivering from the moment I was outside. They insisted the ambo had heat inside, but during the 20 minute ride it never got above maybe 50 inside. Compared to snow, I guess that was heat. But I wasn't just shivering, I was shaking, whole body. It was hard to get my BP, or a good reading on my O2 from the finger stall.
I knew at least one thing I hadn't realized before. My entire mouth was so dry it was hard to talk, though I was beginning to be a bit more coherent. I was definitely dehydrated.
Once in a room in the ER I was transferred to a bed by putting a heavy sheet under me and lifting/swinging me over. I wasn't helping, still shivering to much for purposeful movement. I had to sit up a couple times briefly, precipitating the worst charley horses in both thighs I've ever had until I could stretch out straight again. At least those stopped. The shakes lasted hours!
First they removed my shirt and sweatshirt, normal wear for me at home in 73 degree room temp with a blanket over my legs when sitting. By blanket I mean a double layer polar fleece that covers me chest to toes, and if needed I can tuck my arms inside as well. So of course in the ER they started me in a thin cotton gown which left my shoulders and neck exposed to the air, and under one cotton hospital blanket. You want my arm still to put in an IV? Hold it yourself! Yes, for both tries! After a quick blood draw to check my electrolytes and whatever else, the room was suddenly empty.
Eventually I located the call button, and after three tries through shaking managed to hit it hard enough to work. Somebody grudgingly brought in a pair of warmed cotton blankets, turned the thermostat in the room all the way up to 75 (!?!) and left. Busy? Indifferent? Or both? I'm going for both, since she barely spoke to me. Nor could she be bothered to bring them up to my shoulders. The blanket warmth lasted two minutes, during which I never stopped shaking, nor did I afterwards. I tried to hitch them up myself, but with my shoulders, success would still be a month or two away, between PT and my 2nd surgery, scheduled now for a month after Steve's upcoming hip replacement. He's been here for me, I need to be there for him. One of us still needs to drive, unmedicated by narcotics.
That book I brought to pass the time? It was on the tray a foot from the bed, not really a problem since I couldn't have held it steady enough to read anyway. They had left my glasses on, but I decided it wasn't on purpose. The arm on that side was pretty well pinned down due to the IV... and exposed to the air as well, thank you very much. I did finally give a mental "hell with it" and reached over to draw the tray close enough to grab my phone to call Steve and let him know what I did/didn't know yet. It started the monitor showing my vitals beeping. Nobody came to check. Of course that also left me colder. Could they have warmed up the IV fluid any? I had asked, and they said they didn't have a warmer for it. Is everybody too stupid to just get a bowl of warm water from the faucet, set the bag inside a larger bag to keep it dry for a couple minutes, and then pour it into me? That would still leave the connecting ends clean, right?
Eventually the question came up of whether to try to get the meds needed to continue the 2nd half of colonoscopy prep since I was scheduled for that morning and just down the hall. With all the pros and cons discussed, including having no ride back home until at least when that procedure was due to be completed the next mid day, and the schedule already off by hours, with no promise anywhere of warmth until I got home, I decided not to go for it. It would have to be rescheduled. First, I needed to find out why I reacted as I did to the meds, never having done so before. And second, I damn well am not going to try it again until next summer. When It's warm!!!!!! Even my second shoulder is waiting till late May, at least.
After I agreed to it, they scheduled a cab for me to get home in, finally arriving at 3AM, Steve still awake and waiting with cash to pay for it - from our combined stashes since I left my purse home. Even the cab had very little heat, so I never really warmed up until a few hours sleep under my polar fleece. Yep, the colonoscopy will have to wait for a retry till summer. Maybe August, eh, once the 2nd shoulder is useable?
No comments:
Post a Comment