Or rather, how about I give you 4 pints so that you don't pass out again?
This is what my body said to itself yesterday. Last week was a very, very, very, over-the-top busy week for me. Regular life had a major Girl Scout activity added to it as well as a big family celebration with family coming in from out of town so that we could experience the sealing of my sister and brother-in-law's 6-month-old baby girl to them on Saturday and then her blessing as well as my brother and his wife's baby blessing on Sunday. I was understandably tired and worn out from all the activities. Because I was not getting enough rest, the ulcer on my leg was giving me more pain and swelling than per the "norm" (if there is such a thing as a norm with this). I had also had a treatment of a mega-steroid dose over 3 days prior to this past week, so I was reeling from the side effects of that treatment as well.
Well, Monday I was able to sleep most of the morning and then get myself moving to go on a field trip with our Girl Scout troop. Tuesday, I was able to sleep most of the morning and then get myself moving to attend a meeting at the school, teach piano lessons, take Adam to a performance at the high school, run a couple of errands, and go to Book Club.
I hadn't been feeling well, but just knew that if I could continue to rest, I would be fine. Well, my body had other things to tell me. Yesterday morning, I woke up just before 5:30 a.m. to use the bathroom. (Brian had already gone to his early morning job.) Before I knew it, I was throwing up and passed out on the floor of the bathroom. It was so extreme that I woke Adam up from a sound sleep! When we looked at it, I commented that it looked bloody. Adam's response was, "No. It's just really dark brown." He was a real trooper and got things cleaned up while I dozed on the bed, trying not to be dizzy and not to throw up again. (It was pretty disgusting. I am so proud of how he just stepped up and took care of it and of me.) He called Brian to let him know what was happening; he came home immediately. Apparently, I was extremely pale. Brian called me "Casper" for a while. I was very dizzy and unable to sit up for very long.
Brian made some phone calls and got me an appointment at an Instacare-type place, so after moving very slowly, we got to the appointment. While there, I threw up 2 more times and spent most of the time on floor where it was cool and I could doze. I was sooooo tired! The CNA needed to draw my blood for some tests but couldn't get any. The doctor asked her to prick my finger to check my hemoglobin. She came running back to the door of the room and announced "It's a 5!" The doctor said "That can't be right. Do it again." So, she pricked another finger, checked it and came back to announce that it indeed was a 5. (Normal is 15.)
The doctor looked at Brian and said, "There are two ways you can get to the emergency room -- by your own car or by an ambulance. Which one are you going to do?"
We opted to take our own car so that we could check Lyssa out of school (Adam was already with us) and so we could stop by our house to pick up my ID which we had forgotten on the way to the first place.
When we arrived at the ER, the person checking me in asked why I was there and we explained about the throwing up brown stuff. His reply? "That's blood." So, I was admitted and given fluids and then taken for a test where they discovered that I have an ulcer in my stomach, an ulcer in the beginning portion of my small intestine, and an acid-reflux problem in my esophagus. They also told me that I would need 4 pints of blood to get my levels almost to normal.
Wow.
They took very good care of me at the hospital and I feel TONS better. Still sleepy and worn out, but now that I have what my body needs (like very important BLOOD), I know that with rest and relaxation, I will improve quickly.
The really bad part about this is that it doesn't do a thing for helping the pyoderma gangrenosum get better. It has now officially been a year since it first developed. Ugh.
Things were pretty scary for a while yesterday. I am so grateful for people who donate blood on a regular basis so that experiences like mine can be helped. I am home now and doing better. I have great friends and others who have willingly agreed to take over my responsibilities for the rest of the week so I can rest and relax.
So, here's to our wonderful bodies and the things that make them tick -- like the all-important blood.
-Bobi