Ended up in the Hospital

Well, here I go again. Having to write about a scary episode that no one has any clue why it happens.

I passed out yesterday. Nearly landed in the ole' cereal bowl. If it weren't for my sister grabbing my arm, and trying to shake me awake, I don't know where I would have ended up. I just remember having a fantastic dream with great band music playing. For my sister, my eyes rolled back into my head, I shook and collapsed into a heap.

This being the third time I have passed out this year, I decided to go off to the emergency room, a place I avoid like the plague.

You see, when you are chronically ill, the LAST place you want to be is the ER. They don't have time to deal with complicated cases. You don't fit a nice mold and you have something other than diabetes, high blood pressure, rhumatoid arthritis or some kind of cardiovascular problem. Once you don't fit a nice, neat mold, you are a pain in their....you can fill in the rest.

So here I arrived by ambulance, reeling; out of it; vomiting. Sorry for being graphic, but it was not pretty at all. I could barely stay on the gurney, the room rocked and reeled so much. The lights bothered my eyes. They gave me a bowl to continue to retch into and hooked me up. I am so familiar with all of the procedures but I do not let on. I don't want to be seen as a career ER-body. You know, those hypochondriac people who have NOTHING better to do than lie on a hard roll-a-bed for four hours. I would love to meet one of those people. I never have so far. Most people I meet HATE the ER and can't wait to get out of there.

I'm sorry. Back to me getting ill yesterday. I won't drag you through four hours of blood work, urine samples and questions. Bottom line, the wonderful doctor believes I have Labrynthitis, an inflammation of my inner ear. Sounds plausible. Especially since I have passed out twice before this year. All after having three extractions of wisdom teeth that caused TMJ to reappear, vertigo that almost couldn't be controlled by meds and TN-trigeminal neuralgia, a new one for me.

Oh, BTW, how do I describe TN? Well, like electricity going through your cheek and out your ear. All that because you sat next to an open car window while the car was moving. Or sat in a room with the ceiling fan on low.

At this point, I tell the doc, thanks and now what am I to do? Follow up with your doctor (primary, that is) and see a specialist (ENT, that is).

Sigh.

More doctors. More people to poke and prod me and say "All your tests are normal."

I suppose I shouldn't be so blase or cynical. But, I have been tested for Lyme, Lupus, Rhumatoid Arthritis (RA), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), zoster, syphillis (seems to be standard practice) and a myriad other things, and except for a slightly elevated zoster result (that everyone ignores), I am perfectly healthy.

It was almost a blessing to finally have hypertension. At least something showed up abnormal. And yet, the tingling down my arm continues, the pressure in my ear is relentless, my jaw clicks and rocks better than a rocking chair, pain radiates from my mid-back and EVERY time I try to live and work like a normal human being, I pass out or get so fatigued, I need 3 days in bed.

Somewhere out there, a doctor has been studying exactly what is wrong with me. I hope to meet him/her one day. For now, I take my new meds and "get some rest." And try again, to "take it easy."