This thing on..... (Tap tap tap)....
Hey all!
Look whose back! I've missed everyone so much!
Year end is just so much for me & I sort of just disappeared into the mist... & then I had a health scare that has left me shaking in my boots... but we're starting a new year & I'm on a mission to get my health in check & make this year the best one yet.
Let me do some little updates in the past few weeks
Holidays
Our holiday was simple enough really. I enjoyed it was 70+ degrees... I know a lot of people werent too happy about that, actually wanting a White Christmas. I enjoyed sitting on my back porch reading in short sleeves & no shoes.
It was actually a really low key, no hub-bub kinda day. Hubby & I decided not to buy for each other because we are wanting to put money on furniture - our gift to one another - so with no gifts on Christmas, it just sort of felt like any other day.
We did work a Christmas puzzle though... that was fun. & I went & saw my mom for awhile.
I'm happy we made it through the year with Ozzie not bothering our tree. I was questioning that if it was going to be an issue. Our baby boy was a trooper. Didnt even look twice at it.
Birthdays
Hubby celebrated turning 60 & 6 days later, I turned 50. Big milestones birthday - both of us feeling old. But grateful. Another year around the sun is always a blessing.
We didnt buy Christmas for one another, but we did for our birthdays & Hubby got me a new laptop! WHOO HOOO!!! Maybe this will help with my blogging now. I'm excited to to start looking at photo software & uploaded on it. I dont have plans to get back into photography for a business - but I do enjoy taking pictures & editing & taking some pics of loved ones. I have always been a Photoshop girl but thinking of looking into Lightroom. If you've had experience in both - tell me what you like.
Boosted
I ended up getting my Booster the day before Christmas Eve. Remember when I got my J&J shot & had a fever for 21 days? I was a nervous wreck of getting this one - but want to be protected because I honestly think COVID has done a number on me & I dont want to go through it again. I ended up getting the Moderna for a booster & did much better with it. Granted - it was still rough. After about 12 hours, the symptoms hit me. & got worse through the day on Christmas Eve.
I slept most of the day - poor Hubby - on his birthday! ... & my fever was hanging around 101.5... at one point, my temperature got up to 103!!!! & my heart was just beating out of my chest the whole day. I have an alarm on my Garmin watch that lets me know if my HR is too high when resting. That sucker went off ALL DAY Christmas Eve. I would be dozing off & BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ - while sleeping, my HR was like 110-125 beats per minute.
I was taking Tylenol & then switching to Advil ever 3 hours... I felt AWFUL.
Christmas Day - I did feel SO MUCH Better - my heart alarm only went off twice - LOL... & my temp was around 99.5 - but definitely better than the day before...
TIA
OK... the scary part of the last week. Honestly - the scariest thing I've ever experienced.
So the Monday after the Holiday - I was so super busy all day at work, had to go take care of the horses, came home & was taking care of the dogs.. .. & all of a sudden, I lost vision in my eye. It got blurry at first & then all of a sudden, I saw I didnt have any peripheral vision. Nothing.
I started looking at the TV & the news was on. I was trying to read the bottom tracker & I could only see one letter. Nothing but one letter. If I moved my head, I could see the next letter - but only that letter. OK - trying not to freak out.....
I laid down thinking it could be a migraine or something & about 10 minutes later, my vision was coming back... so I went to go look at my phone to see if this is something that can happen with a migraine. (Remember I lost vision in my other eye a few weeks back when my blood vessel broke)
I got my phone & tried to read... & I couldnt. I was reading & could see the words, but it was like my brain was going 100mph & I couldnt actually read. I would see a word, but I couldnt SAY that word. Like, if the sentence said, "The symptoms for this are the following" ... I was saying out loud, "The sunshine blue dog jsut tree falling"... like nothing made sense. & I KNEW I wasnt saying the right words but I couldnt make myself actually read. It was the craziest thing I've ever been through.
Instant panic - instant freak out.
I scream to Hubby who was downstairs, "I NEED TO GO TO THE ER"- he comes running & he's asking whats wrong & I yell - I CANT READ!!!!! - which he is like HUH? LOL - thinking about it now, what a strange thing to say - but it was true.
Hubby got me to the hospital fast. The whole way down, I kept reading things on my phone - almost trying to force my brain to work. Wake up. Slow down. Something... Hubby said everything I was saying wasn't making sense.
We got to the ER & people were EVERYWHERE. I told Hubby not to go in because COVID rates are soaring & I didnt want him going into COVIDVILLE. I walked in & went to the counter & tried explaining what was going on but stumbling upon my words & they rushed me right back. Honestly - there was a man which blood dripping from a towel on his foot & he was even waiting. They rushed me back, got my BP & all of a sudden, everyone around me is screaming CODE STROKE.
Is this my life????
They were literally running with me to the CT room. They had me on the table & people were all around me, doing all sorts of tests, making me touch fingers, noses, repeat things. I could do everything except read. They had sentences on a chart & words & like, there was one that said TIP TOP... & all I could say was TOT. I knew it wasn't right - but I literally couldnt get my brain/mouth to say the actual words.
I ended up shaking so much, they threw blankets on me & tried to hold me calm. I dont know if it was nerves or what. My BP ended up being 201/92 there.
They got me to a room in the ER, which I was glad for because people were LINING the walls - gurneys everywhere - people sitting in chairs sick. They put me in a room & said DONT COME OUT! They put a little bucket thing for me to use the bathroom & told me with COVID everywhere - not to go to the restroom except right there. Geez. I laid in that room for 4.5 hours & never saw another person. So strange. I know they were busy & had so much on their hands - but honestly, I could have died in that room & no one would have known. I didnt have any monitors on me or anything because they came off when I got up to use my "bucket". I didnt even have a nurses button & I couldnt find it either. I was given no water either in there for over 6 hours. I honestly felt like my mouth was cotton & my head was killing me - I'm like, could be a stroke, could be dehydration - who knows! My goodness!
The doctor ended up coming in at 3am & telling me they were admitting me, though they had no rooms. They wanted to do an MRI & some cardiology tests the next day & that it looked like I had a TIA - which is basically like a mini-stroke.
I laid there all night long trying to get my brain going... & eventually, I could start reading SOME things.
& I couldnt remember anything. I always say scripture in my sleep or when I am afraid or anxiety creeps up - I couldnt remember ANYTHING. Not my favorite verses, not the ones I always say ... nothing. That was terrifying. I ended up getting bits & pieces of scripture but it was like mental marathons trying to get thoughts to come back.
The nurse ended up coming in around 4:30 & finding me holed up on the gurney in a little blanket trying to sleep & she said, OK - I'm finding you a bed. Bless her heart - she went around the hospital & found an empty bed & brought it down to the ER for me.
The next day, still no room in the hospital - so they took me for my MRI & did all my heart tests in that ER room. I could hear people lining the walls again by the afternoon.
They finally got me to a room around 4:30pm the next day & when they wheeled me out - people were everywhere. It was horrible. If you dont think COVID isnt running down the hospital & staff - let me tell you, I witnessed it first hand.
Finally got to a room & yes, slept in my jeans for 3 days - which I've since burned |
To make a very long story a little shorter.... the good thing, they didnt see a stroke in my tests/scans. My heart tests came back OK too - thought they have sent me home with a monitor I have to wear for 30 days! 30 DAYS!!!!! Isnt that nuts? I have to carry a cell phone that monitors & relays the information.
The bad news... if you look up TIA, it had my anxiety at a level 11 on a scale of 1-10. Mainly because they say the odds of having another one, or a major stroke in the next year are really high. & it mentioned statistics of death in the first year. Yeah - let me be alone reading this all day long.
Needless to say, my BP was up the entire time I was in there.
I ended up getting out of the hospital Wednesday evening - with a slew of prescriptions. Me, the person who doesnt want to take anything.
Blood pressure medicine - cholesterol medicine (though my cholesterol isn't even high) - an aspirin a day - even Vit D. The doctor literally YELLED at me about my Vitamin D level. he said its basically non-existent, which I knew - but he said it effects your cardiovascular system. Huh - who knew. Plus, I found out people with really low Vit D in their body has a really bad reaction to COVID too. Double Huh.
I have a ton of doctor's appointments ahead of me too. They really dont know what caused this. Could it be spikes in high blood pressure? I really dont have high BP unless my anxiety kicks in - which let's be honest, this past year, its been bad. Add in the effects of going into menopause & yeah, I just dont feel like myself. The neurologist in the hospital said I need an anti-anxiety med - which honestly, at this rate, I'm all for - but I want to talk to my family doctor that knows me the best to find which one I should try.
So, I'm taking the meds... I'm willing to do anything to fight this. & I'm on a mission to move everyday for 20 minutes MINIMUM. When I got home from the hospital, I even went on the treadmill & walked - SLOWLLYYYYY - for 20 minute. I truly feel like I'm in a fight for my life right now..
Walking on New Years Eve for 25 minutes |
I've gotten a ton of questions asking me if I think the booster did this to me. & granted, I ended up in the ER when I got my J&J shot too!!! BUTTTT - I think COVID has something to do with this more than the vaccine.
When I had COVID, at one of my sickest days, my vision got all scrambled & I just thought it was due to fever, or panic... but that was the first time my vision changed so strangely where I couldnt see anything but a little center point. That has happened 2 other times... & does the vaccine sort of make my body react like its having COVID again? I dont know how it all works - but I did read a lot where COVID was causing young, healthy people to have strokes or TIA's ... so I wonder if I was having TIA's before & they are just getting worse, with the reading/comprehension thing this time? Who knows!!! It really could be any number of reasons.
All I know is I NEVER want to go through this again.
This week, I have an appointment with an Ophthalmologist, & another appointment with my family doctor - & they want me to schedule a sleep study.. & I still need to get with my cardiologist.
Tell me 50 isn't starting off with a bang.
Now, I'm trying to adjust to the meds. I just dont like medicine & my body doesnt tolerate them well - so I got a 50 year old gift to myself - a pill organizer - HAHA. Getting used to blood pressure meds that are giving me a headache & making me feel dizzy & off.... but I am doing better each day with it.
On the top of the paper the hospital gave me regarding TIA's - this is what it says....
Preventable, Treatable, BEATABLE!
I think this is going to be my motto for 2022.
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