The Hospital Saga

I started feeling weak and tired last night. So I finished my work for the day, and tried to get a good night's sleep. That didn't really happen. I just didn't feel good. This morning I woke up achy, and generally feeling cruddy still.

After getting things done for the morning, I headed to shower, hoping it would make me feel better. It didn't. Getting ready this morning took me a couple of hours. I didn't do anything special, I was just so weak I kept having to stop and rest. But Ciaran had his first Occupational Therapy appointment today and I didn't want to miss it. So, I picked him up at school and headed out. On the way back, I felt like my battery had been drained, and my right side was starting to really hurt.

By the time I got home, I was having pretty serious pain just under my ribcage and radiating down to my hip. Being a nurse, I began listing my symptoms and what illnesses fit. I thought I needed to be seen, but I talked myself in and out of it about six times.

Note to self: I can not self diagnose, or properly self assess.

Eventually I called my OB and they felt I should go in to the ER. Of course the ER didn't want to treat me, being 26 weeks pregnant. So, up to L&D I went.

My doctor ordered a small battery of tests. For those who know what all these mean:
ALT, AST, CBC with diff, UA/UC, FFN, renal, appendix, and fetal u/s (for fetal, he wanted basic anatomy, and fluid level).

He also ordered me started on IV fluids with morphine PRN for pain and zofran PRN for nausea. (PRN = as needed)

I wasn't going to take the morphine, thinking if I just stayed still, I'd be fine. But my friends who took me to the hospital thought it would be better if I had pain medication before I started getting poked in the side during an ultrasound. In the end, my friends talked me into taking the drugs.

Right before moving downstairs to radiology, the nurse gave me a dose of the IV morphine. Immediately I felt it move up my arm and across my chest, itching. And my throat suddenly felt inflammed. I thought it would pass (again, I am NOT a good nurse for myself) but it didn't. By the time I got to radiology, I was red up my arm, across my chest, all over my face, and I was breaking out in hives. Nice.

Radiology called my nurse who assessed me and decided that I was indeed having an allergic reaction to the morphine. Lovely. She got an order from my doctor and dosed me up with benadryl.

So, between the morphine and the benedryl, I was now totally loopy. I can remember the ultrasound tech said it was still a boy. Good to know. As for the rest of it, I'm a little fuzzy.

I got back to my room and dozed in and out for several hours. During which time, all my tests came back. Negative.

So, while it's nice that I don't have kidney stones, a urinary tract infection, appendicitis, or impending labor, I still don't actually know what is wrong with me.

They have decided for the time being, since I am running a low grade temp and am quite obviously in a good deal of pain, and very weak, that I've been hit with something viral. But they have no idea what.

So right now for me, the orders are to rest. You know, and not take morphine. Cause that's bad for me. Still sick. Still hurting. And just hoping it gets better soon. Prayer definitely appreciated!