Chapter 3

My experience with doctors and emergency rooms is they say to come back if your symptoms worsen. Generally, the symptoms don’t and you go on, life as normal.

Friday I woke up tired and shaking. Kids went to school and my husband stayed home with me. Yes, I had slurred speech and my body was trembling, but it was getting better, right? Dr. McHH has extremely good bedside manner. He called me first thing in the morning to see how I was doing and to offer me ativan since the hospital didn’t send me home with any.

I was feeling optimistic and I don’t like taking medications. I thanked him for the offer, but I wanted to see if things got better. He promised to call back in a few hours. I spent the rest of the morning in bed watching “Cheer” on Netflix.

By noon, I realized things were not getting better. In fact they were getting worse. Now I had strong, out of control facial twitching. I called for Dave who was downstairs working in our office. Dave jumped into action and the doctor. Dave had the awareness to ask whether we should return to the previous night’s ER or a different hospital with better neurology supports.

Dr. McHH recommended we head to “Danish Blueberry Mound” Hospital (not its real name but I don’t want to get sued). Dave called ahead to let them know we were coming. He then called the kids school to give my sister permission to pick up the kids. We then tried to get a hold of said sister and brother-in-law to get the kids. Seriously, why do kids have to be such a complicating factor? Can’t I have a crisis in peace!?!

By the time we got to Danish Blueberry Mound, I was having full body jerks and my facial muscles were twitching out of control. I have never felt so self-conscious in my life. I just wanted to cry and have someone put a blanket over me. I was taken to triage almost immediately and it was only another minute before a neurologist was in the room.

He looked at me, said, “Nope. Not a stroke.” And then walked out of the room. Thanks bud.

There were no rooms in the ER so instead I was placed on a bed in the hallway. It reminded me of Star Trek IV the Voyage Home. The part when they are in the hospital and Dr. Bones sees a sick, elderly woman. He asks what is wrong with her and she shakily says, “Kidney Dialysis.” And then Bones gets upset and gives her a pill. That movie was how I learned that sometimes patients get stuck in hallways.

The nurse who first met us in triage hit it off with Dave. He was excited that Dave worked with rocketships. I was half asleep as they quickly became friends and swapped contact info. The nurse showed Dave where they keep all the warm blankets. Knowing that I am constantly cold, Dave bundled me up and then I slept for reals.

I woke up when I heard Dave getting mad at a doctor when he came by because I had been in the hallway ignored for an hour. Dave had spent the last hour earning his medical degree on Google. He shared his ideas with the doctor, who seemed to actually entertain some of Dave’s theories.

Now awake, I was grooving. By that I mean, I looked like that viral video of the baby with a french fry in one hand, listening to Sucker for You by the Jonas brothers. Twitching and grooving madly, I felt so out of control and so ugly. And then they came by to put in an IV. Anyone who knows me, knows how I don’t do needles. So now I’m back to crying, wishing I had something to cover me so no one sees me, helplessly holding my arm out to be given another IV.

Dave and the doctor continued to talk/argue. It was annoying since I was completely present. Dave was only speaking out of his concern for me so I don’t hold it against him. I don’t remember what Dave said, but the doctor then looked at me and said, “Is that what you want?”

Why thank you for including me in this discussion. No, all I wanted was to know what was going on and for it to stop. It was about this time it was decided to admit me and send me upstairs.