Hey there!
I just spent the last two and a half days in Fairfax
hospital. I went into the ER on Sunday around 1pm and did not get discharged
until 5pm last night.
I went to the ER with one main complaint – a headache that
would not go away since last Friday night. After numerous tests (PET scans, Brain
MRI, multiple ECGs, Ultrasounds of my
heart, liver, gall bladder, legs, stomach) it turns out I have a blood clot in
my lungs. They fixed my massive head ache with steroids and pain meds, but I
had to be checked in so they could do all the tests.
The blood clot they found cannot be fixed with meds. The
blood thinning meds they typically prescribe would possibly cause brain
bleeding. So I have to wait for my body to break up the clot on its own and just
keep checking on it. It is in a place where it will not move or cause other problems.
Well, other than the breathlessness I get when I do anything strenuous. It
really explains a lot.
So to protect my lungs from developing new clots which
mainly come from the legs, they surgically implanted a Vena Tech Vena Cava Filter
in my abdomen. This filter will trap any blood clots that form in my legs and
keep them trapped there until they dissolve. The filter will be in place
forever.
My parents were with me practically the whole time which was
nice because of the many stories the nurses told me about when tests were ‘supposed’
to happen. Plus they provided comic relief.
I got to stay one night in the new tower which was like a hotel room
with floor to ceiling cabinetry and a flat screen TV.
I never want to go to the hospital again --at least for a
while. Now I am back home puttering around the upstairs of my house trying to
stay balanced, not fall down, and retro-fitting grace’s room with things that
will prevent falls in the bathroom.
Chris and I still plan our outer banks getaway this weekend.
It’s all I can think about.
Love to you all,
Annie
