Painkillers! Stat! Damn It!

I went to the ER last night because of this headache I have. It was the worst pain I'd felt I think, to date. I was dizzy, I'd thrown up, couldn't eat, I was really tired and confused. My mom was seriously worried, so we packed into the car and found the nearest ER. When we got there it seemed pretty slow, traffic-wise. It got packed later, though. We're lucky we didn't put it off much past 8. I was in so much pain and was so confused that I had to think when someone asked me my birthday and my SSN.

I signed in for Triage, then got evaluated by a nurse and she told me to register for care. I got a nice bright green wristband (same kind underage drinkers get sometimes lol.) It didn't take long to get me into a bed, but most of the time I was there was spent waiting. It *was* busier, so I couldn't really bitch about it. A nurse handed me one of those super-special backless hospital gowns and told me to take my top off. Honestly, it wasn't how I usually prefer to take my shirt off for someone else. I'd just say those stupid gowns are "easily aerated."

I lay down, and after a while, a doctor came in to ask me about my headache. Too bad he wasn't George Clooney, it would have given me something other than being sick to concentrate on. Even Noah Wyle would have helped ;) I rated my pain an 8 out of 10. He told me they'd get some meds for me ASAP. I don't know how long it was, but it seemed like forever. Another nurse came in and said, "Oh, you didn't give a urine sample yet? Get me one quick and I can give you your meds." Awesome, right? Wrong. I wasn't able to keep down water, so having to pee in a cup wasn't something I relished doing. Somehow, he got his sample (gross. I hate peeing in a cup) and a bit after that, he came in with 2 syringes. I had been expecting a shot in the arm.

Nope. Denied. I got two shots in either hip. He told me it was morphine and that it should help. I figured since thats what soldiers in WWII got when they were injured, it would help me.

Denied again. He said he'd check in on me in a little while to see if it was making any impact. An hour later, I finally got to tell my doctor that the morphine had done nothing. He seemed genuinely concerned, and said they'd figure out a way to help me. Good thing, because crying in a hospital bed wasn't really my idea of a spiffy time. My poor mother was worried out of her mind the whole time- because the morphine had made me throw up. Turns out drugs on an empty stomach can do that.

After the doctor left, one of the same nurses came in with another needle, this time chock full of hydromorphone. She said it would make me groggy, I told her I'd like that, please. I figured, this shot *must* go in my arm.

Denied! I had to get the shot in my ass. I haven't had that particular indignity since the days of Kindergarten booster shots. It burned, like she told me it would. But within 10 minutes I couldn't keep my eyes open. I knew what was going on around me, kind of, but even though my head still hurt some, I just curled up on the bed and tried to keep the back of the gown from falling open. To be honest though, it hurt so bad that if they had told me they had to administer the drugs on the bottom of a golf cleat and kick me, I would have been all for it. More than once if they had to.

That shot had the same effect as the first, in making me throw up. Sorry to be gross, but I just want to talk about it. It was scary. I was just dry-heaving what little was left in my stomach, whenever I tried to sit up or move. I felt sick, and confused. A lot of last night is kind of blurry to me. I do remember a very nice lady that was there with the man in the next cubicle over came over to ask me if she could get me anything. He was so much worse off than I was, that it just floored me that she would be concerned about me. That helped a lot.

Around 12:45, another nurse came in with my prescription info and when she asked me how I was feeling, I threw up again. It's more embarrassing than I thought it would be, to be so worn-down and sick, in front of total strangers.

Mom had to bring the car to me, I was so dizzy and still nauseous. I fell asleep about 3 minutes after I hit my bed.

Today, though...was hell in it's own way. I woke up at 9, with my head on fire. I had to go with mom to get my prescriptions for Motrin and Hydrocodone filled. The roads around here could use some work. I puked in the car on the way back. I haven't done that in her car since I was about 7. I went back to bed, and just kept throwing up. Finally we discovered I can keep down flat ginger ale. So I've had about 2 quarts of flat soda, and 3 saltines. I'm just not hungry (that's so not me. I usually need a chocolate fix at least once a day.) The idea of food just makes me want to reach for the bucket by my bed (which actually came from the ER, I think the nurse realized how sick I was and knew I'd need it.) I should have accepted an anti-emetic from them for the nausea, but for some reason, I felt like being a fucking cowboy. It hurt SO BAD everytime I threw up, like I was slamming my brain around in my skull. Seriously, I'm sorry if anyone ever had a headache like this before. But if you had-- what helped you? I'm all for getting advice.

PS-- don't ever try and cowboy it out in the hospital.

All day I've been in bed. My Lortab finally seems to be working, since I'm not so damned dehydrated. I do have to make myself drink as a conscious decision. The ER nurse gave us the names of a couple doctors around here, because my old one is over an hour away. I couldn't make that car trip without having visions of running the car into a wall.

Something tells me tomorrow will be another day of bedrest. Whatever, not like I'll be out running a marathon anyway.