Life's Path

Monday, March 28, 2011

Rehab...and "ARE YOU KIDDING ME??"

I officially start my rehabilitation back to work on July 6, 2009.  The goal is to have me there twice a week to do my exercises and stretching and then massage and physio therapy for my back.  Jay, my therapist, is easy to get along with and he is trying to come up with the best plan possible to get the best results.  In some ways I feel weird being there as most of the client's are trying to rehab back from serious injuries and I don't have that.  In fact, we still don't know what I have!

I also get a call early July that I have to go for ANOTHER COLONOSCOPY!  I can't believe this!  They want to send me to another specialist as they feel the first one didn't do a good enough job with the first colonoscopy.  At the same time, they will also do a Gastroscopy.  Might as well do both ends while I am there.  I just can't believe that I have to put my body through that harsh cleansing process once again because they need a second opinion!  Glenn is scheduled to be away during this procedure to a coaching conference at Washington State University.  He wants to cancel his trip but I won't let him.  I have done this before and I have friends who are willing to take me and pick me up from the procedure.  I am sure that I will be fine without him and I am not letting him cancel a trip for a colonoscopy, that just isn't right!

So July 17, 2009 I have my Colonoscopy and Gastroscopy.  Everything seems to go according to plan and I spend that night at a friends house.  I remember the weekend being very hot and the weather unstable.  We had an incredible storm come through on the Saturday night.  Many trees were knocked down and buildings took a hit.  It was something I had never seen before.  The weather was off kilter.  So was my body.

Since the procedure, I cannot stop coughing.  Something must have happened when they did the Gastroscopy on me.  I cough all day long and I cannot sleep.  It wears my body down even more.  I feel the "falling into the deep black hole experience" coming on again.  I don't feel like I am in my body anymore.  My mind struggles to stay in the present.  I am so weak and can barely function.  Jay at Rehab is concerned and can't figure out what my body is doing.

10 days after the procedure I call the health link to tell them what is going on.  They suggest that I get to the ER as soon as possible as I shouldn't have this problem with the coughing this long after the Gastroscopy.  I barely remember the trip to the ER (Glenn is back home and has taken me)  The best way that I can describe how I was feeling would be like an extreme drunk.  I guess that is how I can describe it.  Nothing feels right, nothing feels normal, I don't feel like I am in my own body, I am so weak, I fight to keep my thoughts together.

I lay on the examining table and I shiver so badly.  They take x-rays of my throat to make sure there is no serious damage.  They do some blood work and continue to do some tests.  Nothing serious has been damaged but they need to get the coughing under control.  They give me a drink of something and it is strong and numbs everything from the throat down.  I FINALLY have relief.  They keep me for a little while for observation to make sure the drink keeps working.  It is a miracle drink.  They also get the blood work back and they are puzzled by what is going on.  Nobody can figure it out.  They finally send us home.  It is the first night in 10 days that I actually get to sleep.  Maybe we can start getting my body re-energized and back on track after that last 10 days. 

Oh for wishful thinking...

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