I'm A Human Pin Cushion

Last Thursday I suddenly spiked a fever and started to feel really awful. I called my doctor immediately to inform her, thinking she would tell me to drink more water or take some kind of meds. Instead she told me to get the the hospital as soon as possible. I called my relief society president to drive me (you'll remember how I'm not allowed to drive). She arrived in 5 minutes and by the time she got to my home I was wheezing and could not breath, even after repeated asthma treatments. I don't remember getting in her car, or the 15-20 minute drive to the hospital (apparently she got us there in 10 min though! Her husband is an ex-cop so she had nothing to fear). When we arrived the nurses already knew me by name and had me in a room with an oxygen mask immediately. Josh arrived a few hours later (he was on the way other side of the metroplex). 

The good part (if there is such a thing) is that I was able to see the on- call emergency neurologist the very next day (some emergency right?)... instead of waiting until my appointment the next week. I went from always feeling sick and having a headache  but  only having 1-2 episodes (passing out, throwing up, not being able to catch my breath, sever chest pain, ect.) a day to having nearly 6 in one day. At least I was at the hospital. I was hooked up to one of the hospitals' heart monitors to couple with the one I was already wearing at home. Between the two monitors, the nurses and doctors were able to see my heart rate jump from 90 to 140 in just seconds every time I had an episode. 

I had my OB, the on call OB, a neurologist, a cardiologist and about 10 nurses and techs working with me. They decided to run tons of new tests, and to redo some they had already done. I had an EKG, lumbar puncture (basically the worst thing ever!), 3-hour glucose test and an MRI along with a handful of blood tests. They stuck me with 6 needles to draw blood, one GIANT one in my back (for the lumbar puncture) and I had two separate IV's. I got soooo sick of getting poked! 

All the tests came back as my favorite word.... that's right..... "NORMAL." But since my heart rate was going nuts and I kept throwing up and passing out, they decided to keep me to monitor for five days. Josh only left my side a few times. He is such a great husband, I don't know what I would have done without him. We got to know all the nurses very well, and I can now say I feel very comfortable with who ever is working the day I go into labor. 

In the end they determined that I am a mystery. They are however able to make me a little more comfortable. I have a huge stash of pills I can take for "atypical migraines" which is my technical diagnosis, basically it means nothing. They know that my blood cells are not expanding and contracting as they need to and this puts pressure on Little Jonesy who moves down and puts pressure on my nerves, this is why I pass out. This diagnosis is more an effect than a cause... so at this point the "cause" has something to do with pregnancy and all those extra hormones. 

 All the pills knock me out and make me sleep through the pain (the doctors cannot figure out how to get the headache to go away altogether, but at least I can sleep, even if it is pretty much all I do now). I will be on these until it is safer for our little man to come into this world. I take certain pills in the morning and evening. Then others when I have a low pain head ache. 

Then the BIG MAMA DRUG.... Nasal spray (so it goes right into my blood stream) for high pain level headaches. This stuff makes me go crazy! I have visions and say crazy things whenever I am on it. I have told Josh about riding on a unicycle with a pepperoni pizza for a wheel, about my adopted pet penguin named pete who lives in my bathtub and about dying my breast milk with food coloring so I can keep it separate from other peoples (not sure how it would get messed up in the first place???)... just to name a few. Basically, I am more insane now than EVER BEFORE! And my already low chance of remembering and understanding is basically out the window now! 

The Neurologist and my OB also assigned me a junk food diet. I am to eat potato chips for breakfast and drink at least one soda with caffeine in it everyday.  The salt in the chips might help with my blood issues and the caffeine will decrease the intensity of my headache. I am still passing out and throwing up everyday, sometimes multiple times and sometimes without any kind of warning. So now I have to have constant supervision, no exceptions!!!  I feel like a little kid, with a babysitter getting me lunch and making sure I drink enough. Ahhh.... this too shall pass! I am just happy to have a few good hours a day where I can concentrate enough to talk on the phone, get on Facebook, blog, read blogs, and snuggle with my hubby. 

Here's just a funny side note, this was my breakfast from the hospital one morning:

Such fancy presentation for....

This?!

PS- Don't you love how I have pictures to document this whole experience?! My husband sure has a lot of Cannon (his mom's side) in his blood.... always taking pictures!