Seizures and the Hospital

The worst of the bruises

The day before Thanksgiving can be a hectic one. This year, it's one I don't remember much of. Because the day before Thanksgiving, I woke up in the hospital.

I had been in the hospital already for five days. I had been seemingly awake but in no means lucid. I had fallen several times and had been having seizures. I have no memory of those five days. I do have the evidence though - I'm all bruised up from the falls, especially on my right arm.

I think waking up in the hospital, in the ICU, with a catheter in, was about the scariest experience of my life. I was disorientated and scared. As soon as they saw that I was awake and out of the seizure woods, they moved me to a regular room and they took the catheter out. There is nothing so great as being able to pee on your own.

I spent the next five days in a regular hospital room. That included Thanksgiving but I wasn't too sad about that. We don't have cable at home but cable was available in the hospital so I could see the parade and the Lions play. It was also extremely weak so I knew I needed to be in the hospital at first.

Since I had been taken by ambulance they took me to the closest hospital which was Park Ridge. I would have rather been taken to Mission but it wasn't my choice. Park Ridge was ok but it wasn't Mission either. After a few days in a regular room, my meds were weaned off. That was ok, but they still weren't wanting to let me go. I was also having extreme issues with the IV's.

I give blood several times a year and because of this I know that my veins are small and crappy. So I got stuck a bunch of times in a bunch of different places. One night I got no sleep because every time I'd move, an alarm would go off. It was awful!

I did have some visitors. Todd and Emily mostly - they came every day, at least the days that I can remember. My Aunt Sue and Uncle Gary were awesome and came all the way from GA on Sunday to visit me. It was nice to see them.

Finally by Monday I'd had enough and I was leaving come hell or high water. Thankfully the doctor saw no reason to keep me any longer and actually willingly discharged me. I got out a little before noon on Monday. There is nothing like ten days in the hospital to feel heavenly!

I'm still on the mend. I went back to work yesterday but my boss is awesome and letting me ease into work. Today was better than yesterday and I'm sure it will just get better. I have a bunch of doctor's appointments to look forward to and I'm sad this happened in December. Hopefully I can still make it a decent one for Emily and I feel very blessed that a coworker of Todd's gave us a tree - it's new and in the box still!

That's what happened to me and I pray that it never happens again. I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life.