I'm Alive...Literally!

I haven't posted in a while because I've been held hostage in the hospital for the last 8 days. What started as a vacation for Zac and I down in California ended up being an extended stay at the Mission Viejo Hospital. Who knew that the hospital I was born in 26 years ago would be the same hospital I thought I was going to die in last week!

It all started Friday night, June 6th, when Zac and I spent a long six hours in the waiting room of the ER due to severe stomach and back pain. As the pain worsened it made it difficult to breath. By the time we got through triage and made it to a room, they immediately began to run a series of tests including blood tests, urine sample, cat scan, EKG, and ultrasound. The results of the the testing showed that I was experiencing Hyperstimulation, a very rare side effect of the fertility treatment I was undergoing. This caused fluid to build up in my abdominal cavity causing severe pain throughout my organs. Three separate times they had to make an incision in my lower abdomen and drain the fluid through a catheter totally over 10 liters of fluid. Pain medicine quickly became my best friend and I can see how one can become addicted!

I had a few scary episodes including passing out in the middle of the night while going to the bathroom causing me to fall and hit my head. Luckily Zac was sleeping in the room and heard a loud thud. I was rushed for an emergency MRI to rule out any internal bleeding of my brain. Thankfully everything was okay. I stopped breathing and started sweating profusely a few times when the pain got too bad, scaring Zac half to death.

I was going downhill pretty fast by Sunday, so Monday morning I was moved to the cardiac ICU so they could keep a closer eye on me and try to keep my blood count stabilized. I was attached to several different monitors making me feel more clausterphobic than I already felt. I think a counted seven- an oxygen canula in my nose, a blood pressure cuff, a pulse oximeter, an EKG monitor, a foley (bladder) catheter, automated compression stockings and an IV. It made for quite the sight! I was in the ICU through Friday with lots of ups and downs, and by Friday night I was sent to the first floor with hopes of being discharged the next day. After being chewed out by my roommate for eating a bag of chips at 9:30 and my vibrating leg compressors making too much noise, I was sent to a more welcoming roommate who watched Dora the Explorer in spanish all night while answering phone calls from her family as if it were 1:00 in the afternoon! It made for a long night.

Luckily they were able to discharge me on Saturday afternoon with lots of medications. Unfortunately, none of them included pain medication and Extra strength Tylenol isn't quite doing the trick. I went through withdrawals on Saturday and Sunday from not having the immediate relief that my intravenous pain meds provided. Thinking I was going to be making a swift return to the hospital that night, I received a blessing from the guys in my family and it's now Monday night and I am at my sisters relaxing. The doctors said it'll be a couple weeks until I am back to my normal health, but I am just so grateful to be out of the hopsital! I managed to gain 30 pounds in about 5 days from all of the fluid build-up. I am slowly getting rid of it thanks to frequent urinations.

It was so nice to be in California when this all happened so that my family was able to visit a lot. My mom came and sat with me everyday and my sister, Sarah, came almost everyday. By Wednesday I was feeling so dirty from not being able to shower, that my mom and Sarah came and shaved my legs and washed my hair for me. It felt so good to be somewhat clean again!

I am so much appreciating the change in scenery even if it is just at my parent's house. I had had it with the hospital food and being surrounded by such sick people made me depressed, but grateful for my health that I take for granted everyday. I feel so blessed to have such wonderful doctors and medicine that makes it possible for us to recover from the physical ailments that we experience. We are heading back to Arizona sometime this week. We are waiting for me to feel well enough to make the drive back.