My Hospital stay
My recent illness in 2014
On 22nd of Dec, I had a month long menstrual bleeding, it was making me irritable & sick. It started on 22nd of Dec & ended on Jan 22nd , then onward I had occasional bleeding with little period. On the middle of Feb I started to have arm pain ( rt) with head headache,(frontal), for that I was some times taking pain killer before going to sleep . On 27th of feb the arm pain radiate to left & neck . So I knew it was some thing alarming; I told my partner It's better to go to emergency to see what's going on inside me. We went to Christina hospital out pt, there a doc came & saw me. Checked my pressure & heard my story. He gave me allergy med & some painkiller I was out of head ach. he told me you have a very high blood pressure 179/ 110 & you need to start your medication. My BP history , after the birth of Samir I started to have high pressure illness & I was on Lisinopril for 7 years . when got the dry cough as a side effect of prolong use of lisinopril. which was combined with hydrocholo thiazide ; the primary care doc switched it to Verapamil - a ca channel blocker . I took that for a while then when I saw I was ok with out med I stopped it for a year . Now when I started the medication from old stock it made me vomit for 5 times that night. I called west side when I was usually seen by a registered nurse Marcia Raynold I ,asked her for refill , got the med from the Walmart pharmacy- verapamil. I got the med next day. took the med but my vision got bad immediately. I wanted to see Marcia but canceled my apt hoping the med will bring my pressure down. but the next day when pressure was still up even after taking Verapamil I went to see her. when I came home I saw my pressure was 170-190 - systolic with significant detoriation of vision specially on the rt eye . I saw flouters , darkening in around the eye ball & blurring of vision all on a sudden . On Sunday 2nd March In the morning I was panicked by the sudden detoriation of my vision loss. I called the on call doctor on west side who told me to skip the 10 o'clock dose - verapamil & see if my vision improves or not I skipped the dose & took a nap but no improvement ; I called the rite - aid pharmacist who told me it's your vision which needs to be seen by the docs immediately. So same day on sun day 3rd I went to Christiana emergency dpt , at out door nurse checked my vital sign & I told my story . after a while they took me to the ER . where I was put on a monitor also My EKG was done & monitored. My pressure was significantly high nearing 200mm of hg. A girl from Finland was the fresh trainee was on duty . I told my history to the nurse who put me on IV gave me intravenous pressure medicine., another BDi girl with big turban came I was repeating the same story over again. Also I was told that they are looking a room for me . At that time I went for CT scan & the ultrasound of the whole body . After when I came back , Partner& Samir came to see me from the maschid. The nurse told me they are keeping me for the night to find out what was causing the elevated pressure & the blurred vision. So partner& Samir left me in ER. I was told to use the bathroom which was clean for the night. I I was very depressed of the whole situation alone in the ER room lying in the stretcher;. the nurse came for the blood. I asked for the Chaplin who is a counselor , who came to see me right away . We spoke for 2 hrs .I told my story- the pain I'm going through after my son was born, the unhappy marriage . He was a good listener I cried for my misfortune & for my sudden loss of vision the things which was bothering in life .It helped me cool down , restlessness which was building inside me. At night I was given some food - chicken breast & broccoli a glass of soda. I ate some, rest was gone when I went for the bathroom . The Chaplin left at 2 in the morning .After that I tried to sleep, went several times to the birth room in the corner . The ward was busy with nurse doctors trainee all night. Ambulance people bringing in new pt. time to time my bp cuff was automatically inflating deflated taking the reading . even after the medication it was still high .
Mon day , 3rd - I slept badly at night ; at 6 in the morning a young doc came with eye equipment ; did the fundoscopy, vision test & also ultrasound of the eye. from her I came to know that my optic nerve is swollen. BDi girl came with some information - she told me from CT scan they found some cyst on my breast , some nodules in my lung also on thyroid. I didn't pay any attention to that as my only concern was how I'm going to lower my BP & my vision improve , other than that I was perfectly all right. .I went for ultrasound of the thyroid. At noon they found me a room . the transports came & took me to the 5th floor where I was placed in a room with another old lady who had skin manifestation on her face. The room was nice with modern , there was a window view to the parking lot . from 5th floor. The doctor came to see me in the morning. The nurse took my history again gave some pain killer for the mild head I was experiencing. I had good lunch dinner break fast- a bun with butter cereal. milk which I discarded , toast & tea . for lunch I had a good size chicken breast served hot ,some vegi apple sauce some times orange juice crane berry juice or soda . the beef stack I couldn't take also the macaroni & cheese . rice pudding, fruit cocktail was served cold - it was delicious.11 o 'clock at night the transport came & took for MRI .The stretcher took me all the way to first floor a long way from 5th floor , went to the MRI room . they put the dye on my IV channel; , put the head set & was about to put me inside the tunnel . But I couldn't go through .I was fearful of the tunnel - claustrophobic . I was back to my room .I had a good sleep that night . But vision remained the same. Tues day 4th-( my period started on 4th, 5,6,7,8,9.10.11-for 7 days ) My room mate with skin manifestation left in the morning. The doc told me I had to go again for MRI because they can't come to a correct diagnosis. I went to several times to the bath room for peeing. I went for the ultrasonogram of the chest it took almost 1 hr. and also for neck - carotid artery. All evening I was tense up for the MRI .After esha partner & Samir came to see me . they left after a while. the Indian doc - nephrologist told me that they will collect 24 hr urine for secondary hypertension. At that time my period started. I was peeing in a bucket . the nurse was collection it in a container which was again kept on ice in the bathroom shower .I asked for the mouth wash ,they gave for the ulcer on the tongue also some sanitary pad , panty & some tissues. The nurse took several times my blood & took urine sample. for pathological test. Another room mate came she had a kidney transplant .She told her long story of dialysis and number medication she had been taking ,. now her pressure went up .The doctor temporarily stopped my BP medication to rule out possible stroke TIA .they also found low hb 7mg ( normal-12mg ) considerably low, they gave me iron tablet by mouth which made me constipated, I didn't take shower hoping that when I will go home I'll have it. . Wednesday 5th - In the morning the kidney pt left . another black nurse came in her place. She was annoyed . She didn't like me pacing in the room .I was very tense for the MRI looking in u tube how it was done. The Philippine nurses were very helpful. In the evening I set on the glass fitted balcony but my sickening feeling was there for bad vision & for MRI. The black nurse left- found another room for herself . My partner and Samir came at Esha for half an hour with some biscuits . I slept that night alone. In the morning they started metoprolol - bp medicine .with thiazide diuretics. At noon my 24 hr urine collection was completed. the neurologist gave his card & told me to see him after I get discharge from the hospital. At 11 clock at night the transport came for MRI, This time it was not so difficult . I came back to the room at 2 :30 A.M. The nurse took my blood pressure at that time & again at 4 in the morning . It was 160/110. In the morning lady with migraine came in , After the breakfast the doctor & the neurologist came , they found narrowing of the veins in my brain which might be the cause of the memory loss. I took my dinner at 4:30 P.M. took my discharge papers . My only concerned was now how to get my vision back . I saw My partner in the lobby I was out of the hospital after 3 night stay. After magrib , I went to Walmart for my meds , Metoprolol, & thiazide , next day I got the Iron tabs .I felt weak & darkening & blurred vision while working on Internet was still there. Thursday 6th , went to chatter school for Samir , I had difficulty in climbing up stairs , felt very weak, I lost wt during the turmoil in the hospital. Friday 7th - the car was giving considerable trouble both tire was gone needs to be replaced. I made contact with nephrologist .did not go out. Mon 8th Samir went to school by a ride. Tues day 9th my period ended , my BP came back to normal but the vision remain the same.
My Christiana hospital stay for 2 nights & 3 days. Thursday night 11:30 am, 9th Aug 2019 While I was in my room suddenly I felt my head was spinning, my room was swaying from one corner to other. I laid back on my pillow I felt weak , when I tried to speak it was slurred speech, my mouth was dry. I got up couldn't walk normally, when I went to the living room my son & his dad took my pressure it was- 246/161 mm of hg (double checked ), then in the kitchen sink I threw up all I ate at supper. It was a stroke just like the last time. I quickly dressed up , grabbed my hand bag with my insurance card US ID; it was mid night went out to emergency unit it took 15minute where I was once admitted for the same reason. After signing up at the entrance the nurse behind the window gave me papers to fill out; after signing the papers they let me go inside . I was seated in small cube-screened area where there was no doctor; but nurse, ward boy walking quickly, emergency ambulance was busy bringing new patient . I waited there for half an hour when a male nurse came in, asked my name & date of birth, took my pressure, heart sound , pulse, I was taken to a small room I had a quick ECG check; after that emergency stuff told me to wait in the waiting room- full of sick people waiting there until my name was called. At 3 am three of us me, my son & shujaat went inside again fully equipped emergency room . Immediately 2 of the nurse put me hospital gown, soaks , both of them with expert hand hook me up with 6 chest leads to the Ecg machine where I could see my pulse rate respiration heart sound and a smaller cuff to monitor my blood pressure on my arm which made scratches half an hour One of the nurse checked my vital signs, did quickly neurological exam. They where still undecided to examine me more or let me go with medication but waited because my pressure was still high . At 4 pm the a young female emergency doctor came after checking told the nurse I should go for CT SCAN, Samir & his dad left for the day , they needed the sleep & I was in the cats scan room same floor, They injected a dye & opened an IV line took blood from my vein for the procedure, similar to MRI . I was laid down to a rotating machine which was taking picture for half an hour. I could feel the hot dye injected all over my circulation. I was brought back to the curtained emergency room again . By then it was 6:30 am, I turned on the TV hung on the ceiling, watched CNN for a while. I had to go for urine several times but bath room was inside I had no choice. They took my urine sample for test at 7 am. The doctor came checked my vital signs & pressure again. Talk was going on the other side of the curtain. At 1:30 pm two nurse came told me I will be admitted to hospital to rule out stroke for High pressure. Next day Friday the 10th On a stretcher black emergency stuff took me to the 6th floor to the neurology dpt where I saw my room sharing with an old white lady she was placed on the window side getting ready for toe amputation. I hardly saw her during my stay. I had to rush again for EKG in the same floor. I left my hand bag & shoes on the bad. 15 minute procedure EKG like ultra sound done by 2 female technician with knob & a hot jell was rolling over my chest to detach any abnormality. I was brought back to my room at 11 am, the neurologist came checked me & kept saying I have to go for MRI which was a lengthy procedure. Last time it took almost 3 hours ; open MRI was broken not in use & the closed one is working but I am claustrophobic. If I don't do MRI this time then I will have to get another appointment for that I have to go out side at out patient unit , that was fine with me. At 4 pm my lunch lady came asked me about salt free cardiac diet .I simply told her - no pork / no fish. Lunch was served at 4 pm almost 16 hours after - I ate my dinner yesterday at 10 pm . After 1 hour dinner came at 5 pm. Samir & his dad came to see me at 9 pm I told them it might take 2 days to check my status. I slept most of the time feeling very drowsy. I had to press the button for nurse to escort me to the bathroom which was clean shower toilet sink suited me well. The lady next bed uses her bed pan . 2nd day Saturday Aug 11th breakfast was bun/ butter, pancake with honey, scrabbled egg . blood was taken twice. Lunch was chicken with noodles & corn, prune juice, fruit cocktail, biscuit, a small bowl of hot vegetable soup. Blood was drawn from my vein for more test. CT scan again at 11 am this time for 5 minutes , more blood after the scan . The meds which I was getting was 1. cholesterol lowering drug 2. K twice a day injected on my lower abdomen later it made some ecchymosis blueish discoloration - 2 rounded bruises area on my skin now fading away, a lady came with a revolving machine to monitor check my vital status. HR , pulse, BP took my temperature, drugs which will given are blood clotting drug, Lovanox 2. Amlodipine - Losartan 3. Aspirin for pain - this time it was a stroke but it didn't affect my system. Physiotherapy lady came but I wasn't ready for that. Sunday 12 Aug eid ul adha. Spent the day like any other normal day . My son & his dad went to maschid for the occasion. My bp was 166/122 new food menu for lunch - prune juice ginger ale macaroni & cheese biscuit, chocolate pudding vege soup . At 12 am 2 young doctors came with a nurse 12:45 i took chlothide anydaoane . At 2 pm my pressure was 156/109 rt arm ; 164/109 left arm 4:10 163/ 104 rt arm; 10:10 169 /118 rt arm next reading 177/104 180/110 left arm 11:30 am 189/116 rt arm pt next to my bed window side went for surgery cleaning lady cleaned her side of the room also the bath room was mopped the room, rearranged the chair. I asked for a fan for my sudden feeling hot even when the AC was running 24 hours. Some times I watched TV most of the channel were recorded not interesting to my choice . My iv line got painful when I wanted to bend my elbow lids on my chest, battery operated heart monitoring device like the one I took once to TX needed new battery. which I had to carry on my pocket in the bathroom it was heavy I had to call the nurse for escorting me each time when wanted to go to the bathroom My discharge At 1:30 pm I taxed my son to pick me up, he told me his dad will be picking me up . I got my prescription & my brief medical report from the counter in neurology center .I took only my bag leaving behind the stuff I had used during my visit. A tall black nurse came with a wheel chair took me all the way to main lobby where I waited for 10 minutes .On my way I was dropped at CVS for prescription drugs but the pharmacy was closed - now back to apt getting active again.
