As usual, time can get away with you when you've been spending too much of it in the hospital. Last Monday was a very normal day for me....running errands and finishing up (thankfully!) our Christmas shopping. We had our typical evening of dinner and cheer practice and my last memory is of cuddling in bed with the hubs, both of us reading and then me deciding I was sleepy so closing my Nook and heading off to the Land of Nod. The next thing I know, I wake up in an ambulance. The nice EMT was trying to get me to speak to him and tell him what my symptoms were...poor guy, I was of no help. He tried tapping a vein because he could tell I was in desperate need of fluids but I was so dehydrated there were no veins to be had. Talk about a twilight zone experience...to go from sleeping to an ambulance with zero recollection as to how or why you were there. Once we arrived at the ER, I was put in a room right away and actually got a new nurse and doctor for once who weren't in on my bizarre medical history. The poor nurse was trying her best to get a vein....but even the phlebotomist couldn't get one. They happened to tap one but thought it was bunk because it didn't draw blood. Thankfully I convinced them to flush it and try to use it for fluids because their next step was some sort of femoral shunt. Needles? In new places? Without putting me to sleep? No thanks! Finally my husband arrived to clear things up for me. Apparently, after falling asleep I woke up, told him to get me a bucket because I was going to be ill and then immediately slid down into the ugly abyss that is meningitis. I was unable to speak almost right away, only being able to grunt and my arms curled in towards my body uselessly. Jimmy put socks and shoes on me but once he stood me up, my knees buckled, I collapsed and he couldn't get me back up so he had to call the ambulance. This was the most ill I had been in quite awhile and that is saying something! I spiked a temp so they put me in a lovely torture device that was a mattress pad connected to a machine that made it ice cold. And then they put me in IMC, where they usually stick me if I am conscious. I was hospitalized until Thursday. They treated me with the normal rounds of anti-nausea meds, Solumedrol (IV steroids), Tylenol for the fever and Dilauded for the pain. I was happy to see that I had one of my favorite doctors on rotation....she is actually studying to be a rheumatologist and she's fantastic. I also had a few visits from my neurologist and was able to talk him into getting me tested for Anti-NMDA-Receptor Autoimmune Encephalitis, a rare disease I recently read about that fits a lot of my symptoms to a T. While I'm waiting for that lab to contact me (of course it can't be simple...it has to be a special lab that takes a special encephalitis panel that costs gobs of money), he also put me back on Lyrica and MY rheumatologist doubled my chemo dosage. He is also in the process of trying to get me approved for IV chemo through my insurance company.
After all the medical drama, we still had cheer Regionals this past weekend. Yet again, I am reminded of how blessed we are in our friends and family. Some of our friends brought dinner to Jimmy & the kids while I was in the hospital and prayed with them. Another friend came over on Saturday to do Ani's hair and make up for the competition because I was in no way up for it. And finally, a wonderful mom from our cheer team picked Ani up, took her to the competition and made sure to send me lots of pictures and updates!
My husband has been amazing through all of this as usual. He won't let me lift a finger. He has been cleaning, cooking, doing laundry and running the kids around. He soldiers through it all...even when I say "Aren't you going to put fabric softener in the wash?" or when he adds two cups TOO many flakes to the instant mashed potatoes. He has this diabolical plan to keep me on the couch and in this house completely for the next month. I tried explaining that I will need to get out just for mental health purposes....not to mention I have things I have to do!
Cheer tonight, Christmas baking to be done, knitting and gift making, prepping food like frozen dinner rolls, breakfast burritos & meatballs, a second opinion appointment on Wednesday in Ann Arbor that my bestie is so kindly taking me to, volunteering for the Jaycees on Saturday morning and of course, no one and NOTHING is keeping me from seeing The Hobbit this weekend! Truthfully....I can do about two of these things a day and still be a slug on the couch..he is going to have to get used to it!
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