I'd Rather Be...
posting something about the political situation in Wisconsin, something about how amazing it is to circumnavigate the square with tens of thousands of people who all feel as strongly as I do that a certain process has gone horribly wrong. But.
This is not that post. Nope, today was very long and tiring, and I will be going to work a little later than usual tomorrow. Around 2:15 this morning, DH woke up with stabbing chest pains. I turned on the light and his skin tone was good, he wasn't sweaty or clammy, and he did start burping (though it didn't seem to help any). The pain went straight through to his back, but nothing radiated through his arms, nothing was numb. He just felt like someone was stabbing a pole through his sternum. He took 2 Lorazepam, and within 30 min we were both back asleep.
0500 (or oh-stupid-o'clock) came too early, and I got ready for work. Went and had an eventful and collaborative morning, where it finally feels like the customer and I are on the same team. Called DH at 11:30 to check in before going to get lunch. Changed my plans pretty much immediately when he sounded disoriented on the phone and informed me his whole left side hurt, and didn't seem to be working properly. I called his GP, expressed my concern that he'd had a stroke, was advised to hie on home and check him out/get him to the ER.
At home, I was relieved that when he smiled at me, there was no evident sagging in his face. Then I realized he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday's dinner which was a pretty light chicken soup. So the most likely reason for him sounding off was low blood sugar, which I could easily resolve if he weren't in excruciating pain from his stomach feeling full of acid. Called back to the GP's nurse, and discussed bland food, antacids, etc. Got him sitting up to eat a few ounces of chicken broth, at which time he says, "huh. On the left side of my mouth it's like my taste buds are gone again (remember back when he'd lost them all to radiation and chemo?), but on the right, I can actually taste that I'm eating chicken soup.
I look closely, and now his face seems to be sagging on the left. He confirms that it FEELS like his left cheek is sagging. That's it, we're on the way to the ER!
Four hours in the ER resulted in an EKG, blood tests, a CT, a chest X-ray, a CT with contrast, a brain MRI, an IV that had to be relocated, and telling the entire story no less than 6 times, with 3 neurologists poking and prodding, to find out that he didn't have a stroke (but there's no other explanation for his left-side symptoms), no heart attack, no blood clots in the brain or the lungs, that his pre-existing lung nodules haven't changed a whit, and that he should go home with a scrip for Prilosec and see his GP in the morning.
I just don't know what to think. This is the second time in 6 months we've been down there for excruciating pain that has no apparent reason. The improvement here was he didn't need IV painkillers this time. And now he has this "sensory loss" of random spots on his left side that don't feel the poking, his left hand doesn't grip as tightly as the right, but his left arm is still very strong in pushing and pulling against a challenge. His left foot doesn't push or pull as well as the right, but he walks normally. He smiles and speaks normally, but when in repose, the left side of his mouth is slightly downturned.
What the actual Fuck?
But now we are home, and completely enjoying Rachel and Ed. I swear, just about anyone within hearing of Rachel Maddow's voice wants to have her babies. And we all should!! Anyone with her sense and logic and brains and humor should reproduce quickly and often. It can only benefit the species.
ON WISCONSIN
This is not that post. Nope, today was very long and tiring, and I will be going to work a little later than usual tomorrow. Around 2:15 this morning, DH woke up with stabbing chest pains. I turned on the light and his skin tone was good, he wasn't sweaty or clammy, and he did start burping (though it didn't seem to help any). The pain went straight through to his back, but nothing radiated through his arms, nothing was numb. He just felt like someone was stabbing a pole through his sternum. He took 2 Lorazepam, and within 30 min we were both back asleep.
0500 (or oh-stupid-o'clock) came too early, and I got ready for work. Went and had an eventful and collaborative morning, where it finally feels like the customer and I are on the same team. Called DH at 11:30 to check in before going to get lunch. Changed my plans pretty much immediately when he sounded disoriented on the phone and informed me his whole left side hurt, and didn't seem to be working properly. I called his GP, expressed my concern that he'd had a stroke, was advised to hie on home and check him out/get him to the ER.
At home, I was relieved that when he smiled at me, there was no evident sagging in his face. Then I realized he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday's dinner which was a pretty light chicken soup. So the most likely reason for him sounding off was low blood sugar, which I could easily resolve if he weren't in excruciating pain from his stomach feeling full of acid. Called back to the GP's nurse, and discussed bland food, antacids, etc. Got him sitting up to eat a few ounces of chicken broth, at which time he says, "huh. On the left side of my mouth it's like my taste buds are gone again (remember back when he'd lost them all to radiation and chemo?), but on the right, I can actually taste that I'm eating chicken soup.
I look closely, and now his face seems to be sagging on the left. He confirms that it FEELS like his left cheek is sagging. That's it, we're on the way to the ER!
Four hours in the ER resulted in an EKG, blood tests, a CT, a chest X-ray, a CT with contrast, a brain MRI, an IV that had to be relocated, and telling the entire story no less than 6 times, with 3 neurologists poking and prodding, to find out that he didn't have a stroke (but there's no other explanation for his left-side symptoms), no heart attack, no blood clots in the brain or the lungs, that his pre-existing lung nodules haven't changed a whit, and that he should go home with a scrip for Prilosec and see his GP in the morning.
I just don't know what to think. This is the second time in 6 months we've been down there for excruciating pain that has no apparent reason. The improvement here was he didn't need IV painkillers this time. And now he has this "sensory loss" of random spots on his left side that don't feel the poking, his left hand doesn't grip as tightly as the right, but his left arm is still very strong in pushing and pulling against a challenge. His left foot doesn't push or pull as well as the right, but he walks normally. He smiles and speaks normally, but when in repose, the left side of his mouth is slightly downturned.
What the actual Fuck?
But now we are home, and completely enjoying Rachel and Ed. I swear, just about anyone within hearing of Rachel Maddow's voice wants to have her babies. And we all should!! Anyone with her sense and logic and brains and humor should reproduce quickly and often. It can only benefit the species.
ON WISCONSIN