What a night. And what blessings the Lord has given me. Many thanks to everyone's prayers. That is the only way, I believe, that things could have taken such a miraculous turn. At 6 p.m. last night I had chest pain and heaviness that lasted for two hours. Texted my cardiology nurse and she advised to call the on-call cardiologist at the hospital. The cardiologist was paged, spoke to me on the phone, and advised he would call the ER for me and I should go in. I was ticked. I hate going to the ER just as much as anyone else. I took a book, a bottle of water and the assumption that I would be sitting in the ER with moaning, coughing, sneezing, wheezing, bleeding people for hours and hours.
I checked in, which only took about 5 minutes, that took me right to the vital station. They took me right back to get an EKG, which showed blockage, right bundle branch to be exact and depressions. The depressions worried them because it could be ischemia, which basically destroys the heart muscle. Then they decided to do blood work. I waited about 20 minutes to be taken back to triage. So AWESOME!!!! I was in a pretty good mood, all things considering. (I have decided that I am a germaphobe) Whitney showed up with a ward member to give me a blessing while the man's wife watched Elijah. What an amazing ward family I have!
The blood tests were elevated in relation to a clot, so they did a chest scan. I had the following done:
numerous EKG's, 2 different blood labs, chest scan, x-ray, ECHO, ultrasound of legs, stress test (in which they put the treadmill up to a 18% incline and had me jogging at a 5 - they joked that I almost broke their machine and that I did 50% more than someone my age in terms of aerobic - I felt pretty good!) I had two IV's put in. One was put in by a med student, and at the same time a nurse decided to put another one in my other arm. During the chest scan, the contrast that makes you feel like you wet your pants (LOL) started leaking everywhere instead of going into the IV and into my veins. I looked at my arm and it was saturated in blood and contrast. The IV of the med student had not been tightened down, therefore, all the pressure of the contrast popped off the IV and released pints (not really - exaggerating a bit) of blood all over the bed and my arm. Oh well.
They did the scan again.
I got admitted into the cardiology floor at 2 and fell asleep at 3. Woken up by cardiologist at 4. He advised that the chest scan definitely showed a clot in my lung that had moved from my leg, through my heart and stopped in the lung. It was just small enough to avoid a pulmonary embolism (scary - did you know those are fatal?! That shocked me into reality) and said the nurse would be giving me a shot in the abdomen of an anticoagulant. (which has now swollen and is black and purple - but that is the least of my concerns.) He advised I would be on the shot for 1 week, be in the hospital probably until tomorrow, and have pills of the meds for 3 months. Possibility of internal bleeding with meds, but rare, unless the levels are way off.
So I tried to go to sleep. Slept with the interruption of hospital nightmares for the rest of the night until about 6:30 a.m.
Had the aforementioned tests done. About 11 ( I think) a.m. three cardiologists came into the room and advised that - miraculously - it looks like the clot is gone. This is where the miracle of the priesthood comes into play and all the prayers of my friends and family.
That's when the doc's decided to do the leg tests to make sure there were no other clots. Everything checked out fine and I was released to come home.
Thank you mom for hounding me to go in last night. I know I am stubborn, but you definitely know best! (Mental note - listen to my mom more! She is a wise woman :) )
I am home, they are not putting me on the meds, thank goodness! and I am healthy and happy. I have a great love for the Savior and Heavenly Father. They have brought many miracles into my life and have saved my life countless times!
Love you all!
