From Hot Dogs to the Emergency Room

Today I had to tear myself away from all your great entries about your own personal beliefs on hot dog consumption so that I could be escorted to the emergency room by my True Love.

And why would anyone want to visit the ER on a holday? Or any other day?

Well, for the last day or so, I've been having pain in my left arm; last night it started moving into the left chest area. By mid afternoon today, I had been in bed almost all day, hadn't eaten in almost twenty-four hours and was basically feeling pretty bad. (With the pain continuing to come and go.)

Steve and I argued with each other for a long time as to whether or not we should go in to the ER; he said I should and I said I shouldn't. I did NOT want to think of us having to spend a bajillion dollars (that we don't have) on tests that I may or may or not really need.

Finally at about 2 pm when I wasn't feeling any better, he won the argument. And off we went.

Found out right at first that my blood pressure was 126/67 instead of my normal 90/60. They took 8 tubes of blood, started an IV so it would be ready if I needed emergency meds and then did an EKG, a chest x-ray and hooked me up to a heart monitor for ninety minutes.

Fun, fun, fun.

Steve is scheduled to speak at a church tonight so he called them to tell them what was going on and warn them that he may or may not be able to make it, depending on what happened with me.

After all the tests were completed, the doctor finally returned to my room and said, "I can't see any obvious problems on your tests. That's good news in one way, but bad news because I can't tell you what is causing this pain."

The bottom line is that he wants me to call my cardiologist (I had some heart issues two years ago) first thing Monday and get a stress test set up so that we leave no stone unturned.

In the meantime, I'm supposed to rest and call the hospital if anything changes or gets worse.

So here I sit, with pain in my chest and a perfectly healthy heart. Ain't it grand?

I was supposed to sing in the two morning services that Steve is preaching at tomorrow but he called and cancelled those for me so that I didn't have to "gear up" for anything. Since I'm not eating much and still in some pain, I think my best bet is to set up an early-in-the-evening date with my bed and a book.

Sounds like a plan!

Okay. I don't want to distract you all from the fascinating conversation going on the guest book so feel free to get back to it. I've learned more about hot dogs (and their toppings) in the last 12 hours than I have in my whole life.

You all are downright educational! And entertaining!

________________

Just as I was finishing this update, Steve appeared at the door of my "writing cave" with this tray.



Now you have to remember that he had just rushed home from the ER with his wife and still had to shower and dress before leaving in less than a half hour. Yet he still took time to cook me a mild, easy-on-the-stomach meal. (He even apologized for the apples, saying it was all the fruit we had left in the house and he wanted fruit of some sort on the tray.)

Was that lovely or what?

Yup, I am blessed.