Now THAT was an experience.
I have been in hospitals lots of times. My big brother had appendicitis just last year, and my half brother got in a severe motorcycle accident three years ago. My mother had surgery when I was ten, and my sisters had her tonsils removed when I was seven. This is the first time that I've been a patient at one that I remember, though (I was four last time, so all I have are vague images and feelings).
Of course, since I haven't been admitted to one in such a long time and haven't been horrendously sick in at least a year either, my body decided to do it in the most dramatic way possible. During a test, no less.
I was halfway through the second page when I started feeling a bit nauseous. No big deal; I've been having abdominal cramps since this morning when I woke up and found a nice little red stain to announce what time of the month it was, so I drank about half a bottle of water before heading to class. I suffered through the hour and fifteen minutes well enough before heading to my second. I simply put it down to period-realated goodies, and went back to punching things into my calculator. Seconds later, my hearing started to go out and my vision went black, and I knew I was in trouble. I tried standing but I couldn't even support my weight, and I suppose sliding under the desk alerted the teacher not all was well. He ran off to get the department head when I didn't respond.
At that point, I remember him coming over, but couldn't even hear his voice or focus on him clearly. One of the kids in my class was a paramedic, so he kept an eye on me while my teacher fetched the head. They called in a school nurse and I was helped outside the classroom, where I almost passed out when they tried sitting me down on the bench. Apparently I was also hyperventilating, and it was the hardest thing I have ever done to force myself to breath slower.
This is the part where I felt the most afraid. It felt like I couldn't even breathe, and my hands and feet were so cramped it hurt like no other just to move them. I started getting tunnel vision again at one point, and when my classmate finally got me breathing properly my brain was convinced that five seconds between inhales was too long and I was getting panicky all over again. Focusing on pausing for five counts, inhaling for five, and letting out for five took all of my concentration, and it took right up until I was put onto the stretcher for me to establish a proper rhythm. I don't remember much of the ride over to the hospital- it was still hard to focus on things, so I kept my eyes closed and kept up the breathing exercise for the ride over there. They hooked me up to an IV as soon as I got on board, so by the time the doctor came in to see me I could look at him and talk louder, but I was still freezing and couldn't even hold up my arm.
By the time my blood work came back I was feeling a lot better, though they never really said what was wrong. I assumed dehydration because I had another episode like this over spring break, but without the hyperventilation and I actually passed out that time. It was nothing too alarming, though, so after I signed some paperwork I was free to go.
However, the cramping is enough to make me avoid that ever again. It was scary, not even being able to move without pain; I kept moving my hands and feet just to make sure they were there after I recovered from whatever it was. I hope I never get it again, that's for sure.
Of course, since I haven't been admitted to one in such a long time and haven't been horrendously sick in at least a year either, my body decided to do it in the most dramatic way possible. During a test, no less.
I was halfway through the second page when I started feeling a bit nauseous. No big deal; I've been having abdominal cramps since this morning when I woke up and found a nice little red stain to announce what time of the month it was, so I drank about half a bottle of water before heading to class. I suffered through the hour and fifteen minutes well enough before heading to my second. I simply put it down to period-realated goodies, and went back to punching things into my calculator. Seconds later, my hearing started to go out and my vision went black, and I knew I was in trouble. I tried standing but I couldn't even support my weight, and I suppose sliding under the desk alerted the teacher not all was well. He ran off to get the department head when I didn't respond.
At that point, I remember him coming over, but couldn't even hear his voice or focus on him clearly. One of the kids in my class was a paramedic, so he kept an eye on me while my teacher fetched the head. They called in a school nurse and I was helped outside the classroom, where I almost passed out when they tried sitting me down on the bench. Apparently I was also hyperventilating, and it was the hardest thing I have ever done to force myself to breath slower.
This is the part where I felt the most afraid. It felt like I couldn't even breathe, and my hands and feet were so cramped it hurt like no other just to move them. I started getting tunnel vision again at one point, and when my classmate finally got me breathing properly my brain was convinced that five seconds between inhales was too long and I was getting panicky all over again. Focusing on pausing for five counts, inhaling for five, and letting out for five took all of my concentration, and it took right up until I was put onto the stretcher for me to establish a proper rhythm. I don't remember much of the ride over to the hospital- it was still hard to focus on things, so I kept my eyes closed and kept up the breathing exercise for the ride over there. They hooked me up to an IV as soon as I got on board, so by the time the doctor came in to see me I could look at him and talk louder, but I was still freezing and couldn't even hold up my arm.
By the time my blood work came back I was feeling a lot better, though they never really said what was wrong. I assumed dehydration because I had another episode like this over spring break, but without the hyperventilation and I actually passed out that time. It was nothing too alarming, though, so after I signed some paperwork I was free to go.
However, the cramping is enough to make me avoid that ever again. It was scary, not even being able to move without pain; I kept moving my hands and feet just to make sure they were there after I recovered from whatever it was. I hope I never get it again, that's for sure.