I have only been admitted 4 times to the hospital. The first was a hernia operation, when I was three. I basically had to learn to walk again afterwards. The second was to reset my broken thumb in the 4th grade. They put a cast on it, but I had to stay overnight a few days later to have the thing surgically reset. The third was for a chemical dermabrasion right after 12 grade to help smooth my skin from acne scars. The fourth was for a blockage in my colon.
I was throwing up on Sunday. I couldn't keep anything down. Not even water. I was getting weaker by each passing minute. That night, I fainted while in the bathroom. When I woke up, I crawled on all fours back to bed. I couldn't stand up. I got back to the bathroom to throw up some more and then crawled to the living room to get my phone and call 911. The ambulance came rather quickly, and they took me to Parkridge Hospital.
They told me in the ER that I was going to be admitted, but they didn't have any rooms, so I stayed in the ER for almost two days. Sleep was impossible. They brought in a device that was shoved down my throat and into my stomach. Except for kidney stones, that was the worst pain I had ever experienced. It worked like a vacuum to suck up my insides. No food or water. I had a day nurse who was very nice. Her name was Hannah. She helped me get through the trauma of the ER. When they told me they had a room for me Tuesday night, I was overjoyed.
I was moved to room 4427, which was on the top floor of the hospital. A private room with a TV and a bathroom. Even though I still had that tube down my throat, they gave me some ice chips which helped. When daylight came, I could see trees outside my window. Every two hours, somebody would come in to take my vitals or blood. David was a soothing tech for the vitals. My brother came to visit and brought me a phone charger, so I could keep up with the world. I had two other friends visit me during this time. Mostly, I watched sports and game shows on the TV. I also figured out how to install Spectrum on my phone, so I could watch some things not on the hospital TV.
By Thursday, the doctor told me that they could pull the tube out of my throat. The nurse came in and yanked it out. No pain. I could breathe again. I had a hard time swallowing, but I was free of that thing. I was put on a clear liquid diet, so I was able to at least put something in my stomach. I am now not a fan of beef broth. By Friday, I was put on a modified liquid diet, so I could have Jello and pudding. Still not solid food, but just a little better. That night, I was trying to sleep, when the nurse came in to check on me. My right arm and swelled up to twice its size. That was where my IV was. I had been getting nutrients for those days I couldn't eat. She pulled out the IV and had me elevate my arm with pillows. The swelling began to go down some. That was a little scary.
Then came Saturday. The doctor told me I could try solid food. If I tolerated it, I could go home. I had chicken pie. No problems. Even though I was still weak with no exercise, I was released and sent home. Almost a week in the hospital. I was voted the nicest patient on the 4th floor of the hospital by the nurses. All of my nurses were great. One told me that it was her job to be nice. I hope that she was just kidding, because they were all nice. I don't recommend you having to go through what I went through, but at least they made it bearable. When I got home, I slept twelve hours for two days. No real sleep for a week will do that to you.
