Hospital Stay-Part 2

Right continuing on my adventure, I had to a peak flow test which is basically measuring how much air u hv in ur lungs. heheh..a normal measurement for me is supposed to be at 350-400...On sat, mine was only at 70. Dahlah I didn't hv any air, I had to do the usual 3 readings to get the best one...the nurse came back after 5 mins and said because I sucked at the test, I had to do another reading in case I did it wrong...and because the reading was so low, the docs were scared I'd die or something so kept me in and wouldn't let me go home. Poor Rick had to stay with me. It was about 11pm when they moved me into the HMU(Higher Monitoring Unit) where I was hooked up to the machines that monitor my pulse, oxygen level, I was on sodium drip and another which is some kind of medicine for the lungs or something. I had to hv liquid antibiotics injected into my blood, oxygen mask on, Nebulisers to open my airways every hour, and the nurses had to check my vital stats every hour. Poor Rick had to sleep on the chair with me facing the machine. I think he did that to monitor my readings whih I only just realised. So all thru the night, every hour the nurse came and took my stats. And more Arterial Blood Tests.


Sigh! The doc came and said very nicely that they had to do another of the test to make sure my blood is taking in the oxygen I was breathing in. So ok...first, he tried my wrist. Couldn't get blood. Then he said try the inside of my elbow... couldn't get blood. He was so apologetic and said normally he would get blood but for some reason he coudln't get any tonight from me. Poor thing, so I said try again...but he wouldn't and he asked another doc to come and do the test. This time, the lady doc said to give me an anesthetic so I don feel it. but what she didn't say was the anesthetic jab is already painful in itself. at least, it wasn't as painful as the test. so they got blood finally. These test are horrible! It's been a week now and my wrists are bruised like I was tortured and I hardly have strength in my wrists and when you press on them, they still hurt so it hurt everytime they took a pulse reading from my wrist.

So all thru the night, I was drifting in and out of it. I realise now that because I had a lower concentration of oxygen in my blood, it was hard to concentrate on anything and there are snatches of memories that I look for. Anyways, I felt better the next day but they were pills and pills of medication to take early in the morning, afternoon ang night and the drips going into my arm. And I was famished by Sunday afternoon. I had nothing to eat on Sat. when I did try, I throw up so I gave up. Then Sunday, I tried again cos I was getting really hungry and shaking from the Nebulisers and steriods and antibiotics they were giving me. I only managed soup and tea.

And because I had been on oxygen since 4pm sat, my nose was starting to hurt cos oxygen is very dry. And by sunday afternoon, I have tried 4 kinds of oxygen masks. One for the nose so I can eat, one for the Nebuliser, one for normal breathing and one with a bag. The inside of my nose was starting to hurt and the skin on my nose was starting to peel. and on Sunday, they still weren't sure what was wrong with me cos I never had a history of asthma, and they wanted to rule other things out.


On Sunday, Rick went home in the morning to rest and came back to me in the evening to have dinner with me. Then he went home for the night. Mistake!!! Sunday night was the scariest night I have ever had! In the afternoon, the patient who was admitted the same time I was has passed away. That night, a lady came in and was vomitting blood non-stop. she was on the bed opposite mine and because the nurses were so busy trying to get rid of the blood, they forgot to pull the curtains and I had to watch everything. I tried not to but it was hard when she's opposite hen I think she got really serious and then only they pulled the curtains and started wheeling resuscitation machines in and more nurses came in and the alarm light was on. I asked a nurse to pull the curtains around me cos I was by then terrified! I should have asked her to stay with me when she offered but I was trying to be brave and I knew they didn't have enough nurses. That was one night, I never ever ever want to experience again!!!