Just Another Day in the ER

Dan and I have both been fighting head and chest congestion and coughs for a week or so. I think I came down with it a day or so earlier than Dan, but he was the first one to start the DRAMA. I can't remember what night it was that he woke in the wee hours in a bit of a panic because he was so dizzy that he thought the room was spinning. It made him sick, and he had several episodes of nausea and vomiting. Oh my! He had stopped spinning by the next morning, and we figured it had been caused by the head congestion . . . maybe an inner ear problem or something.

The congestion and coughing continued day after day for both of us. On Saturday night Dan said he was planning to stay home from church, because he was still feeling awful. I thought I could make it, though, so got up at 7:00 yesterday morning and started to get ready for church. I went into the bathroom and brushed my teeth. Right about then I knew that things weren't right. I was very light-headed, nauseous, and had a ringing in my ears. I was seeing stars.

That was the last thing I remember until I heard Dan, calling though the bathroom door, "Linda, are you all right?" I heard him, but didn't know why he was asking me that.  I managed to open my eyes than, and saw that I was lying on the floor, in front of the bathroom door, with my head against the threshold to the shower. I was so confused. Then, again, Dan called, "Linda! Did you fall?" I answered, "I don't know. But I'm on the floor!" I felt quite comfortable lying there and didn't want to move. Dan tried to get in, but I was blocking the door. He got me to move a little and came in. He discovered that my head was in a pool of blood, and there was blood splattered all over the place. He tried to get me to sit up, but it made me too nauseous, so I continued to lie on the floor. He put a compress on my head where he thought the blood was coming from and called 911. Remember, he was so sick that he wasn't planning to go to church, and he didn't feel like he could safely drive me to the ER.

The EMTs were at our door VERY quickly. They wheeled me out to the ambulance and whisked me off to the hospital. On the way they drew blood and started an IV.

I was taken into the trauma room as soon as we arrived. They asked me all sorts of questions, many of which I couldn't answer, because I really didn't know what had happened except that I somehow lost consciousness and fell. It turned out I had a pretty deep cut on the top of my scalp, which took seven staples to close. They took me for a CT scan and did an EKG, then said the doctor would be back to talk with me after the results of those tests and my blood work came back.

About then our preacher, Rodney, and his wife, Janet, came in. They were all dressed up for church, and I had to giggle seeing them like that when I was still in my flannel pajamas, splattered with blood, and my head a jumbled mass of bloody hair. They told me that Dan had called and said that he was too sick to make it to the hospital. Rodney had to leave after a little bit - a whole congregation was waiting for him - but Janet stayed with me until I was released. Janet and I have become good friends, so it was good to have her there with me.

Pretty soon a nurse came in and said that there was a call for me from my daughter-in-law. She brought me the telephone and put the call through to me. It was really sweet to hear Kelsey's voice. She told me that Chris was coming. I talked to Chris soon after, and tried to talk him out of making the 3-hour drive, but he was only an hour or so away by then and insisted on coming. He got to the hospital just after they released me - all my tests came out okay. He took me home and then went to the grocery store to get some soup and canned fruit for us, and medicine for Dan. I am so blessed to have two wonderful sons and the best d-i-l in the world!

Today is a new day. I'm feeling much better. A wee bit light-headed at times, but NOTHING like yesterday morning. I have an appointment to see my primary care doc tomorrow morning.

And I'm determined to be fit as a fiddle by Thursday (although still sporting staples in my scalp), so I can have a nice Thanksgiving spread for my family and friends. Because I do have a LOT to be thankful for.