New developments

Well, I was at the hospital until about 5 yesterday.

Unfortunately, I transitioned from student to patient around 11:30.

It was a pretty normal day, I was following the hematologist around for the day. She was incredibly nice, and I was really excited to learn from her. As we were standing in a room of the clinic, talking to a patient about heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, I started to feel really warm. I looked over at the nurse, and she kind of looked at me funny and asked if I was OK. Apparently, I was beet red.

I left the room and went to sit down because I felt a little dizzy. The nurse took my temperature and got me some water, and then the chills started. I was shaking uncontrollably and at that point becoming a little scared. The doctor told me to call my doctor for an appointment and to go home for the rest of the day. I didn't argue. Then, the room kept starting to spin and go black, so I quickly put my head down. Plans changed, and the doctor said to get a wheelchair and take me to ER. So, there I was being wheeled to the other side of the hospital with my head between my knees, trying hard not to panic (and failing miserably). I was really too scared to be overly self-conscious.

ER was pretty uneventful. I was still feeling pretty awful, alternating between flushing and chills, but I didn't have a fever. My blood pressure was sky high, but that's kind of understandable in the situation. I saw the doctor briefly, part of which I remember, but there was nothing extraordinary. After about an hour of laying in the room by myself, wondering if everyone forgot about me (and my request to use the bathroom), I started feeling better. I eventually got up and found the bathroom anyway (they really did forget), peed in a cup, and that's when the frequent trips to the bathroom started, if you catch my drift. I felt pretty much ok after that, other than some nausea that required the acquisition of a barf bucket.

I'm at a loss. I have no idea what happened. My labs all came back normal, with the exception of an increased white count and increased bands. Looks like infection or stress from that. Some sort of gastroenteritis? Mom's been feeling kind of bad, too. Was it the protein bar I ate an hour before I felt weird? Anything to do with Celiac??

I was there for 5 and 1/2 hours. I may have talked to the doctor for a total of ten minutes, had one set of vitals, and one blood draw. It was incredibly ridiculous. Thanks to my husband and Mom for coming to keep me company. Even they were out of words for hangman by the time we left...

I have been feeling funny sometimes lately anyway. I can just be sitting down and my heart starts beating really fast and I feel short of breath. I thought it was just that I need to make sure I eat often enough, so I've been making sure to keep my blood sugar up. I was just going to let it go and maybe mention it to the doctor, but after this "episode", I'm starting to worry.

I took the day off today because I still feel bad, on and off. I've only eaten pudding and some soup. Every time I eat, I get nauseous. No more diarrhea, presumably because I've barely been eating.

I know that worrying about it only makes it worse, but it's awfully hard not to. I've spent more time sick in that past two months that I have well. I'm worried and frustrated.

I thought I was supposed to feel better at some point?!