Ad Nauseum

I like Latin and I’m random. And yea, nausea.

Lupus is so random. Last weekend I’m laughing on the phone with a friend and was able to go to the “other side” of the island with my mom to pick up something that she will gift to her aunt next week when she flies out to California. It has been miserably humid for the past few weeks, as storms move towards us from the distance which we hope will fizzle or veer away by the time it reaches us during this year’s hurricane season. I leashed Mia up that Sunday (now a week ago today) and jumped at the chance to get out of the heat and out of the house! Thank goodness for A/C in the car! If there is one thing that I miss about living on “the mainland” is central air & heat. I usually do not have the physical energy to go out but it was a good day. Later a couple of my friends and I were laughing over absolute silliness. I like those friends that have the same “not quite right” sense of humor as I do. I went to sleep happy, and looking forward to the work week.

At around 1:30am, I got up out of bed after tossing and turning, getting hot, then cold… hot and cold. Usually I can put my blankets half on and half off, or stick my leg outside of the blankets, and the temperature will even out. But it wouldn’t. Everything was uncomfortable. I felt nauseous. Attempts at drinking or eating something did not help. I was miserable. When I threw up, all that came out was what I drank and the little that I ate; mostly liquid, and then just bile. Sorry, I know that throwing up is never a pretty sight or thought. At around 4:30am I text my mom to let her know that I was sick and that I wanted to go to the doctor that day. I really was not sure if I should go to the ER for merely throwing up but I also was not sure what my doctor could do for me at this point. She wanted me to wait until 7 am when she was going to drive into town for line dancing. By 6 am I couldn’t take it any longer and walked over to her to ask if we could go to the ER “now”. I actually thought she had gone on her daily walk so I was going to ask my step father (who was on the phone) if he could take me but decided to check since I was already there if she might be in her room, which she was.

It was horrible. By the time it was over, I threw up about 9 times before I left home, 2 times at the ER, and 3 times when I was admitted and first dropped off at my room in the hospital. They gave me fluids, magnesium a couple of times, my EKG showed the presence of my A-fib, my C Complements indicated a Lupus flare. I don’t know what is going on, it doesn’t make sense. I was there from last Monday and then was discharged on Wednesday. I still felt weak and would have considered staying through the night when given the option to stay another night or go home, if it was not for Mia. I missed her so much. I was the second door from the elevator and imagined someone sneaking her to me. But knew that was not going to happen.

I didn’t want to be a burden to my mom. I already felt bad that she had to take me to the ER again, I didn’t want to be an inconvenience but I feel like it. I told her to do everything she would normally do. She was going to do her line dance practice, and usually will get something to eat with her brother & sister, and pick up anything she needed at the store. I could barely speak the first day any way. I was so weak, in a lot of pain, and unbelievable nausea that would not go away, not even with anti nausea medication through my IV. I just wanted to go to sleep. I knew I would find relief in sleep. I was over tired and felt like I was at Death’s door. Or at least that is the closest to “death” I have ever felt. Finally I asked for pain medicine which made me sleepy and I finally experienced relief for the first time in 9 hours. I remember later that day finally feeling the effects of the fluids, as if they were filling me back up with life. There were a lot of things to be grateful for. I’m just getting a little tired of getting sick.

Oh, by the way, I have “mild to moderate scoliosis.” I can discuss that further with my PCP this coming Friday when I see him anyway for a “routine follow up” appointment.

I feel a lot better now. Very grateful for the hospital staff. 🙂