Thursday, August 27, 2009

Take the Ca$h Cab

It's midnight and your nurse comes in for something or other, after which you get up to use the bathroom. Suddenly, you feel very odd, and your nurse sees it on your face. Your heart is beating a mile a minute. We are not figuratively speaking here.

Your nurse calls in another nurse whom she tells to page the doctor on call. The EKG machine is wheeled in and you are quickly hooked up to it. Your heart rate is not just irregular but high, very high. A doctor comes in and does a quick assessment, assuring you that it's probably not a heart attack. Still, you hear a nurse ask if she should get the crash cart. You are suitably terrified.

The doctor explains that she is going to inject you with a drug that will make you briefly feel like you've downed 100 cups of coffee. You can't imagine what that feels like. How bad could it be?

Bad, very bad.

You feel as hot as those 100 cups of coffee, but you also feel like you're about to explode. Is this it? Is this where it all ends?

No, your heart rate eventually returns to a nearly normal and rhythmic range.

Readers, that was me Monday night. After much testing, they're calling it a random event, but I will be taking medication for arrhythmia for a time. Now that your blood pressure is up, let me tell you a funny story.

I was telling my husband about the saga the next day, trying to give as many details as possible so he might have an idea of how I'd felt physically as well as mentally. But instead of saying I heard a nurse call for the crash cart, I said cash cab. We became hysterical, and could not stop laughing.

And to calm any fears you may have about my health, let me also tell you this:

I'm going home today!

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

WooHoo. Enjoy your time at home!

NJer

Ermintrude said...

Awesome awesome awesome....

Anonymous said...

Scary, scary, scary...more to add to your book.

Congrats on breaking outta there sister!

xo-Lea

Jim said...

PJ,

What a ride this week ... Glad there was laughter to take off some of the edge. Welcome, home!

Jim

George Jempty said...

Did you nail the Red Light Bonus?

Sue said...

YAY!!!!!!!!!!

Sue L said...

I second Sue's opinion!!! Congrats!!!!

Ann said...

W00t!!!! There truly is no place like home.

Ronni Gordon said...

That heart episode sounds TERRIBLE!
Great that you found something to laugh about.
Terrific that you went home.

Renee and Sam said...

Sam and I deeply appreciate your sense of humor amidst all your trials and tribulations. We are so glad that you got to go home. Be well and know that your friends near and far are thinking of you.

Unknown said...

YES!!!! You ARE amazing! It makes sense that your heart was leading the way for your journey home... scary as hell, but you have been so brave through all of this you took the plunge. Yahoo!

Anonymous said...

YO too scary, I thought I had heart palpatations.Mine were nothing compare to yours! But..glad to read you went home!! That is where healing can really start. Always in my thoughts.As everyone says,I enjoy your plog.X Dori:)

........ said...

Hey it's Casey (R). My mom sent me the link to this because I asked about how you're doing. I'm sorry about the heart scare, but I'm glad to hear you get to go home! Hang in there, we all love you!

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