Constance
Master Chef
I guess I was sicker than I thought. As you all know, I've been having some health issues recently.
Well, Sunday morning I got a call from my doctor's office. His nurse, a long-time friend of mine, was doing some catch-up work, and found some of my recent labwork in a pile on the doctor's desk. She said my blood count was low, and I needed to see DR immediately. I managed to put her off until first thing Tuesday morning.
When I went in Tuesday, they took a bunch of blood (four viles!) and the doctor started talking about scoping my various orifaces.
Yesterday morning, the office called, and said the doctor wanted me in the hospital, right away. I had to go in and argue with Doc, but Kim went with me, and the two of them ganged up on me. My blood count was down to 7.1 out of 12. I had to get 2 pints of blood.
He promised me that as soon as I'd gotten the blood and checked out OK, I could go home.
Little did I know. First, they have to type your blood...even if you know what it is. I understand that, though. So they bragged on my good veins, and put a main line in my hand. The male RN (John) who did it apologized for the size 18 needle, but I told him needles didn't bother me, and he was good. Cute butt, too. They said it would take about an hour.
I have a fairly rare blood type (A negative), and they didn't have any to match, so they had to get some from a blood bank that's about a 30 minute drive from here. That took over 4 hours. John explained that there are all kinds of checks and double checks on blood because of hepatititus, etc.
When he opened it up, there had to be two of them, checking and signing stuff.
I did not realized that it takes at least 4 hours to take a pint of blood. I was finally done at 3:30 in the morning.
I called Kim at 4:00 AM and told him to come get me "right now! I am claustrophic, and was really getting buggy. He told me I couldn't leave without being released by the doctor or the insurance wouldn't pay, and that I should go lock myself in the bathroom and have a cigarette. So I did. They came in and took more blood an hour later, and they'd gotten me up to 9.7.
I was finally released about 9:30 AM, and am I ever glad to be home!
It was all worthwhile, though. Come to find out, they think the 6-8 aspirin that I've been taking every day for the last 5 years have been messing with my iron level and possibly my stomach. It's also what was causing the dizziness, headaches and weakness, and may have even had a large part to do with my seizures. I started getting my head back just an hour or so after the blood started going in, and haven't had a hint of seizure. I was having 3-4 or more every day.
I have to quit the aspirin, of course, and take either Tylenol or a stronger pain medication (Tramadol, 50 mg) he gave me, plus iron pills 3 times a day, amd get my blood checked once a week for a while.
They are taking so much blood, it's no wonder I''m anemic. They must have taken a pint in about 3 days!
Well, Sunday morning I got a call from my doctor's office. His nurse, a long-time friend of mine, was doing some catch-up work, and found some of my recent labwork in a pile on the doctor's desk. She said my blood count was low, and I needed to see DR immediately. I managed to put her off until first thing Tuesday morning.
When I went in Tuesday, they took a bunch of blood (four viles!) and the doctor started talking about scoping my various orifaces.
Yesterday morning, the office called, and said the doctor wanted me in the hospital, right away. I had to go in and argue with Doc, but Kim went with me, and the two of them ganged up on me. My blood count was down to 7.1 out of 12. I had to get 2 pints of blood.
He promised me that as soon as I'd gotten the blood and checked out OK, I could go home.
Little did I know. First, they have to type your blood...even if you know what it is. I understand that, though. So they bragged on my good veins, and put a main line in my hand. The male RN (John) who did it apologized for the size 18 needle, but I told him needles didn't bother me, and he was good. Cute butt, too. They said it would take about an hour.
I have a fairly rare blood type (A negative), and they didn't have any to match, so they had to get some from a blood bank that's about a 30 minute drive from here. That took over 4 hours. John explained that there are all kinds of checks and double checks on blood because of hepatititus, etc.
When he opened it up, there had to be two of them, checking and signing stuff.
I did not realized that it takes at least 4 hours to take a pint of blood. I was finally done at 3:30 in the morning.
I called Kim at 4:00 AM and told him to come get me "right now! I am claustrophic, and was really getting buggy. He told me I couldn't leave without being released by the doctor or the insurance wouldn't pay, and that I should go lock myself in the bathroom and have a cigarette. So I did. They came in and took more blood an hour later, and they'd gotten me up to 9.7.
I was finally released about 9:30 AM, and am I ever glad to be home!
It was all worthwhile, though. Come to find out, they think the 6-8 aspirin that I've been taking every day for the last 5 years have been messing with my iron level and possibly my stomach. It's also what was causing the dizziness, headaches and weakness, and may have even had a large part to do with my seizures. I started getting my head back just an hour or so after the blood started going in, and haven't had a hint of seizure. I was having 3-4 or more every day.
I have to quit the aspirin, of course, and take either Tylenol or a stronger pain medication (Tramadol, 50 mg) he gave me, plus iron pills 3 times a day, amd get my blood checked once a week for a while.
They are taking so much blood, it's no wonder I''m anemic. They must have taken a pint in about 3 days!
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