Well, the latest interesting thing in my life is something called 'Syncopy' - most likely familiar to Lady Red, but less likely to others.
Monday evening, being bored, I decided to indulge my secret vice and watch 'Britain's Got Talent' videos on Youtube. Generally a harmless pastime.
As I watched someone's dog pee into David's shoes, I suddenly woke on the floor of my bedroom, with a feeling of fuzziness in my head.
Seems I had passed out, without warning, and fell over hard enough to break off the left arm of my computer chair. At the same time I apparently hit my head on the granite counter-top sample I use as a coaster on my desk.
Wound up with a deep and ugly abrasion about the size of my right eyebrow, looking like someone had tried to make me a new eyebrow, about one inch above my original, and painted bright red.
I also had (and have still) road rash on my right cheek, and extremely sore right upper arm, where I apparently landed, hard, and lesser soreness in my right hip and knee.
I woke my son, who took me to the local ER where they did the usual, chest X-ray, MRI, EKG and blood work.
It was a good enough workup that they informed me of the arthritis and stenosis in my lower spine, but not good enough, it seems, to determine the cause of this problem.
As they were getting ready to admit me, I asked if they were going to do more tests, and they said no, so I rebelled, and told them I was going home, which they ignored until I added the words AMA (Against Medical Advice) - at which point things became far more gruff and less solicitous.
So I went home. Contacted my PC Physician and saw him yesterday. He referred to a cardiologist and I am waiting for a call back from that office.
I finally taped a sandwich bag over the abrasion this afternoon so I could shower without soaking the scab off. Thank God for that, because I was becoming rather ripe.
Noticed as I looked closely enough in the mirror that I also have a largish swelling over my right eye I had not seen before. So my left forehead is Cro-Magnon while the right is definitely Neanderthal in shape.
Sigh, the hits just keep on coming
And right now, I think I'm going to go lay down for a spell
ReplyDeleteDWT, it might be that you stood up suddenly and don't remember it (due to the fall). That will sometimes drop your blood pressure rapidly enough to cause syncopy.
ReplyDeleteFalling is scary. I am EXTREMELY careful about falling, knowing that I'm not as young as I used to be and plus my expensive health insurance is crappy BC/BS.
I hope you're feeling better very soon DWT. Sending good vibes and prayers your way!
Possibly. the bruising that still is slowly appearing tells me I did hit pretty hard. Plus I am not sure how I could have hit the chair arm hard enough to break it from a sitting position. Hard to say.
ReplyDeleteI've had the call from the cardiologist, setting up and appointment for February 21. I quickly asked them to add me to a list for filling any cancelled appointments prior to that date
Note to self: buy styrofoam coasters, not granite. :|
ReplyDeleteAlso: lady red has a good point – how's your blood pressure? I had the fainting spells lr described when my bp was *lower*. (That's when I was in better shape.)
OK. One thing about writing descriptions while looking into a mirror, all of the damages I described were to my left side not right.
ReplyDeleteMy BP has been pretty good for some time now, the last two test prior to this were both 128/78, although it jumped 20 points both systolic & diastolic in the ER immediately after, up to 149/99
I had fainting spells at work... I would be sitting quietly, working intently, and jump up with the idea to talk to somebody, or realize I was late to a meeting.
DeleteI'd get halfway down the hall and blacked out. More like "grey-ed out" tbh. Mostly I caught myself on the cubicle walls. Of course this would get everybody's attention.
Establishing that I was suffering from a spell of low blood pressure induced fainting, and not (f'r instance) being drunk off my ass, was relatively smooth. But necessary.
I have problems from time to time. They never find anything.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness Dances! You have been in the wars. I hope you get this issue sorted out ASAP. That is one scary fall that you had.
ReplyDeleteYou could have maybe slumped sideways in your chair before you fell, and thus broke the arm. Or maybe you grabbed onto the arm as you fell but you don't remember. Thank goodness your son was around to help you.
Sending you prayers and good thoughts for healing.
The Cardiologist called yesterday, and they are now having me in tomorrow at 9:30 AM. Nothing more has happened since the initial fall, so I am expecting little from this appointment, but it's best to get it done
ReplyDeleteThe thing with the specialists is they only know what they people in ER tell them. If the ER couldn't, or wouldn't, find anything then the specialist isn't going to know anything either.
ReplyDeletePLUS, unless you're lucky enough to have gov't insurance, the copay for a specialist is outrageous. My experience is that the specialists run you through like cattle through a chute.
DeleteI'll stick to my GP. I talked her into managing my RA so I don't have to go to Little Rock 4 times a year. She's awesome, and I'm feeling much better under her care.
I do live in the Great White North so I do have that going for me. On the other hand, it took 2-1/2 years to see the super-specialist the first time.
DeleteIf I did not happen to get a doctor with ears who was not afraid to use them, and there did not happen to be an internist in the ER that day, I probably would not have a pacemaker yet.
I have been told three or four times that the staff in the ER ignores the PVC alarm because “it is always wrong,” even though it is ringing off the wall. I can’t tell you how many time I have been told to ignore the pulse reading from the oxymeter because it is just “a discrepancy in the meter.” Most of the ER staff absolutely refuse to take a closer look. That one doctor went so far as to cover up the number and say “It doesn’t mean anything. It is just a discrepancy....” to that I replied, “well it is really nice that my heart tells me you are having a discrepancy because I can feel it.” She said, “oh,” then got the internist. It happened again when I was talking to him. He looked at the display and said, “yeah, you’ve got (whatever it was he saw). How would you feel about a pacemaker?”
I don’t expect them to roll over for me but I can’t help but wonder how much money they would save if they bothered to take the time and look rather than blow me off and have me come in time after time for the same thing. They tell me to see my doctor, but all he has to go on is what the people who couldn’t be bothered to look told them.
I survived a couple of tests recently. Bottom line I'm fine.
DeleteBut the details will have to go to email because that was some sick sh!t I had to endure. When I heard the doc tell me what was in store for me I thought he was joking. No joking.
Note: my pulse would be down in the low 40’s to high 30’s. you don’t feel like dancing Irish jigs at that point. I have even had times like that since I got the pacemaker. Most of them can’t even be bother to take my pulse manually to see if the reading is accurate.
ReplyDelete