Merry Christmas and A Happy Trip to the ER!!

I CLEARLY know how to celebrate Christmas because my trip to Urgent Care on Saturday was, apparently, not enough. Today (December 22, 2014) I went to the Emergency Room. Initially, I thought it was going to be my Urgent Care experience all over again because the attendant checking people in took my card, asked me what was wrong, and then told me to sit down with everyone else. Internally I was thinking:: "Oh, no, not again!" Particularly when I sat down and there was people whistling--WHISTLING--in the waiting area. 

I got called back and had my vitals taken--lost 5lbs since my last weigh-in (not good)--and my blood pressure and heart rate was high for me (145/86 and 106) and--just to make it a little more special--my temperature was 99.1 (I'm normally a chilly 97.2). They put me in a room and bed, handed me a gown and blanket, and thus began my stay in Kaiser Riverside's Emergency Room. 

The doctor came and examined me after my IV was placed. He was honest and said that he didn't know much about my situation, so he would seek the help of the on-call thoracic surgeon once x-rays were taken. They gave me, intravenously, a shot of toridal and reglan, for pain and vomiting. After looking at my urine sample and blood, it came back that I had a pretty bad kidney infection--go big or go home! I ended up having to wait quite some time for x-rays, but I finally made it there. When I came back and my doctor consulted with the thoracic surgeon, they felt that my gastric neurostimulator was where it should be, but that my colon was pretty backed up--my parents always said I was pretty full of it! In the end, he said it was a good thing I came in and didn't put it off until Friday, which is when I see my surgeon again. The infection in my kidney would have been worse and who knows about my colon being backed up! 

I was sent home with an antibiotic and pain medication, and told to use miralax for a few days. I'm thankful that they looked and listened to what I had to say and didn't just sluff me off like urgent care did a couple of days again. I realize it's the holidays and people would prefer to be at home than at work. BUT I most certainly don't want to be in urgent care during the holidays either!