Friday night I ended up in the hospital and I just got home yesterday. It was completely unexpected and completely crazy!
I was sick all last week with a sore throat, swollen glands, I couldn't swallow. It sucked. But I've had that before, it goes away, life goes on. However, this time it wasn't going away. Five days of not being able to eat or drink anything and I was at the end of my rope. So, Brendan drove me to the ER when he got home from work Friday night.
I felt like they were going to laugh at me and just tell me I had a sore throat and to deal with it, but right away the triage nurse was concerned and called a doctor to come see me. He threw around some terms and said get her an IV right away and get her to a bed. So I was brought back to a bed, put on a gown, and given some fluids by IV. Doctors came in, nurses bustled around, and they all seemed really concerned. I ended up getting a CT scan of my head and throat so they could see where the infection was and what was going on.
After the scan they made the diagnosis that I had an infected thyroglossal duct cyst. Apparently when the thyroid is forming in utero, it starts at the back of the mouth and travels down to where it will stay in the throat. Then the track disappears and everything's normal. Unless the track doesn't disappear, in which case it forms a cyst which can and will become infected. So I found out at age 33 I have a birth defect! It was so crazy to me, because I have had this happen a number of times in the past 15 years but no one ever knew what caused it. I was just relieved to finally know what the hell was going on!
They wanted to admit me but found out my insurance wouldn't cover a stay at that hospital, so I had to be transported by ambulance to the other local hospital. Right beforehand the nurse insisted I take some morphine to help with the pain. So I was totally drugged up, riding around in an ambulance on a Friday night. Not what I had planned for at all!
At the other hospital they pumped me full of steroids to take down the neck swelling, and antibiotics. And more drugs. I have to say, I can see how people could become addicted to pain meds, they make you feel all nice and warm and dozy! I slept awhile, finally got a hold of Brendan, who had taken Ingrid home by then to put her to bed, and in the morning I was moved to a room. I was admitted into the hospital and stayed for 24 hours, being given antibiotics and steroids.
I felt so much better after a few hours!! I could finally swallow, which meant I could finally eat after five or so days of eating yogurt. I had more energy, I got some sleep, I was ready to go home. Brendan took Ingrid to come see me and it was so hard to hear her yelling "I need my mama!!" as they left the room to go home. I couldn't take it, I wanted to be home. So they let me go Sunday afternoon. I went home, felt like crap, and by the time I woke up Monday morning I was completely swollen and unable to swallow. Again. So I had to go to the hospital. Again.
I got to a room, got hooked up to more IVs, more antibiotics, more doctors coming in asking me questions. I met with some Ear Nose and Throat doctors and we scheduled a surgery for the end of May. I went back to the room, had to listen to my 80 yr old roommate tell anyone and everyone that she just had an enema, and tried to rest. This time I couldn't so well. I just kept thinking of Ingrid and how sad she was. My mom came to take care of her and she said Ingrid just kept saying "Mama's at the hospital, mama's sick. Mama go to the doctor." For some reason, that just killed me.
With another 24 hours of antibiotics I felt much better. I got released yesterday afternoon and I am feeling okay. Weak, still have a sore throat, and I got a cold on top of all this!! But better. On the mend. And I'm home, thank god. I got to sleep in my own bed last night, it was amazing.
Now, though, I have so much on my mind. We are moving in a week and a half, so I have to pack up the house. After we move we obviously have to then unpack at the new house. Then Ingrid's birthday is in May, so we're having a party for her. But somewhere in there they want me to have surgery and a 2 week recovery period. I am completely stressing thinking about all the stuff that needs to happen in the next month! No fun.
A New Path
11 months ago
6 comments:
I'm sorry! That's the kind of adventure I don't want to have! Good luck figuring out the surgery, and I hope you stay healthy up until then and that the move (and Ingrid's birthday) go well!
oh my goodness!!! at least they FINALLY figured out what it was! My brother had strange throwing up problems off and on growing up along with abd pain. Finally at 18 years old after another horrible episode that ended him up in the hospital they figured out he had a pocket in his intestines that would occasionally twist off not allowing anything to pass through. They did surgery and the surgeons said it was bigger than his hand which is the biggest they had ever seen. Seriously you wonder why it takes them so long to figure stuff out!
Oh no Amber - poor you, and poor Ingrid. The whole episode sounds frightening and stressful, but I am glad you now have a plan of action to sort the problem.
I know Ingrid is still quite young, but I had to have major surgery and a long hospital stay just before Sofie was 2. She found the whole thing very stressful (as did I), but one thing that helped us a lot was getting 'twin bears'.
The week before my surgery she and I went to a shop and picked out matching soft toys. They were twins, and we played with them together a lot. When I went into hospital I took my bear, and Sofie kept hers, and then whenever she wanted to talk to Mummy or she was upset, she hugged her twin bear and I magically knew she was upset and hugged mine, and it was like we were all together again.
She could also talk to her bear and it would magically be able to tell my bear what she said, and then my bear spoke to me!
Probably sounds corny, but it really seemed to help, and she dragged her bear around for ages afterwards.
No Fiona, that doesn't sound corny at all, it sounds like a great idea! We may have to use it. I mean, she'll be in a new house just getting used to having me home again when I have to go in for surgery. How horrible for a kid!
Oh no, Amber, how horrible! SO glad you are recovering now, and I hope you figure out the whole move/birthday/surgery thing so that everyone can cope with all the upheaval. :(
(hugs)
That sounds awful! I'm glad you are on the road to recovery. I hope everything works out with all the moving and surgery.
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