Be Thankful For Your Health
I returned back to California after a wonderful and relaxing two weeks at my parents’ home in Kansas only to get a nasty, nasty bout of gastroenteritis (think stomach flu symptoms) two days ago.
Boy was that a long two days.
I’ll spare you the fluid-losing details, but suggest that for any South Park fans out there, I could have easily been featured in an episode. (Being the cautious optimist that I am, however, I will admit to getting a great abdominal workout from the wretching. Reverse peristalsis is pretty amazing.) After multiple bouts, feeling progressively worse, and progressively more light-headed standing up, I finally gave in and the bf drove me to the ED (Emergency Department–the more PC term for Emergency Room). I was hesitant at first, thinking I was somehow weak for wanting to see a doctor, or worrying that I was overusing the health care system while feeling completely rotten. Only in America, folks.
I was actually relieved when the triage nurse told me “I looked like crap” (we were on friendly terms, she probably doesn’t say that to everybody). I was treated really well, and after 2 liters of normal saline, 5mg of phenergan which made me really drowsy but didn’t fix my nausea, and 5mg of reglan that did the trick, I was released, 4 hours later. It’s amazing how much better you can feel after just getting rehydrated.
This isn’t a piece about health policy, or insurance, or lack of it, although it certainly could be. It’s just a reminder to those that are healthy, including my now recovering self: appreciate what you’ve got. I never do, and I will probably forget to. And to those that are ill: may you get well soon.
feel better! Happy New Year!
Hope that was your last “work out” of the type for a long time … those can be pretty bad. Really ugly when it’s both ends, and you don’t know which to aim where! :p
It may leave you even more drained ( *cough* ) than you realized, so go easy on yourself for a bit.
Have a healthy, safe New Year!
Glad to hear you are feeling better, but sorry your holiday experience included being so sick. I too have visited the ED for gastroenteritis, actually twice. Had to be hospitalized overnight from severe dehydration, and it made me wonder why I waited so long to go. What are doctors for if not to help you feel better?
great post, and a great reminder of how shitty it feels to be sick. i have a friend (doctor) who instead of going home on a shift while suffering GE simply had a nurse give her a bag of normal saline. 30 min later she was up and seeing patients again. i think she works too hard. glad you are feeling better, and very cool illustrations to the left here!
So much for medicine in the States (I wonder why I assume that’s where you live?). We in the developing world use ORS for gastro. I keep it at home and used 2 litres ORS, alternating with 2 l water 3 nights ago for my own gastro. I keep it at home because I can’t afford hospitals where I live, nor health insurance (I like to take a long time over my patients and bought in to the whole biopsychosocial model, and probably am a bit obsessive too), and I’m one of those arrogant people (in other words a doctor) who feel the world can’t go on without me. But seriously, think of some packs of the stuff at home. and then you wouldn’t have had to drive yorself dangerously to the hospital.
Hey, you made me think over my own state of
health too! My godmother has breast cancer and for all of us who are still here enjoying our health there’s so much to look forward to. This is the same words echoed by her. Somehow it made me realize that terminally ill or not, there’s nothing better than enjoying good health and avoiding the doctor, by all means!