So I got (once again) to explore the American healthcare system from a hospital bed. Last Saturday, I woke a little dizzy, Vicki had a cow go down with milk fever, and was up half the night with her. I slept through most of it and didn't realize she was outside until the dogs woke me up. In the morning I got up and went straight out to help do an IV on the cow, it was the 1st really warm day and that started early, I was standing holding the IV bottle and kept getting dizzier, and said "Man I don't feel good", we were just about done with the IV so she said go on up to the house and sit down. I could barely make 10 steps I was so disoriented and dizzy. Got to the barn, and leaned on it, all I could think was I got to get back to the house, took a step and boom, down I went, I didn't pass out, but certainly collapsed. Hit my head on panels which put a nice long scrape on the top right. I laid for a few minutes trying to gather my wits and find which way was up. Finally crawled to a hay bale by the gate at which point she saw me, and got the UTV which I managed to get in, got to the house and wobbled upright into.
I sat down, and collected myself enough to assess what was going on, I had no pain, was not nauseous, in fact felt OK except when I stood up the world tried to spin. After a couple hours of not resolving we i.e. Vicki decided I better go see a doctor, tried to go to quick care just to check vitals, but they were closed, ended up in emergency in Torrington. They questioned and probed, started an IV, gave me valium which held the dizzyness, ordered CT scans on chest and head, teleconferenced a neurologist who questioned and had them do a couple tests, and ordered an MRI on my head. Unfortunately The MRI only comes around here once a week, so Off to Cheyenne in an ambulance I go. At this point ruling out heart attack they are think possible stroke.
We get there, I get to regular room, and the torture begins. The care was outstanding, but as anyone who has stayed in a hospital know, its constant fiddling with you, vitals taken, heart rate monitors etc. had a head Xray done, by this time I was irradiated enough I should have glowed, at 10:30 Saturday night I had the MRI, and then nothing, I figured maybe that was a good thing, because if it was as stroke they would have had 5 people in working on me. So I went to sleep, riiiight, until the doctor consulted a neurosurgeon they decided to treat me like I had one. :eusa_doh: every 3 hours were cognitive tests and vitals checks. Those are hard to start with, because they ask you what month and day it is, well hell I struggle with that everyday. Then one of the nurses aids was new apparently, so I was a training aid and little things like the BP cuff would be so tight the velcro would pop, along with my arm when inflated. I was listed as fall risk, so I could not get up by myself to go to the bath room, and someone had to stand there by the door, I don't know about anyone else, but Mr wanky does not cooperate when people are watching, even if they are not actually watching, just that they may, he nopes. So what normally takes a minute took several. Fun times.
Up side was nurses were pretty, I had a single room, and the food was surprisingly very good. Well yeah, turns out I was cleared of any neurological or blood pressure issues too.
An occupational therapist came and tested me, and turns out I had symptoms of an an inner ear imbalance. Some sort of impaction or inflammation in one of the inner ear canals, that likely had cleared since I improved and should mostly resolve itself, and if not could be treated. Yesterday I had some dizzyness, but nothing of note, mainly when standing up.I had heard about that, never felt one. Do not recommend.
In the end I went to the hospital because I fell down and bumped my head. (which surprisingly they never looked at or treated the scrape, which was the most painful thing about the whole deal) :eusa_wall: Nothing makes you feel dumber, especially since falling is a regular thing around here, feet get tangled on... well about anything anymore, fences, twine, rocks, holes, my other foot, all little traps I suspect my wife has strategically placed to claim life insurance. And ninja skills of landing like a cat are seriously lacking these days.
Damn, Honcho! It's good to hear it wasn't anything really serious, hope you're feeling better. Please take it easy for a bit, trying to work when you're not feeling well sucks.
This getting old thing isn't for sissies, that's for sure....
Uh, other than that, Mrs Lincoln, how was the play?
Seriously, what a nightmare. Glad you're recovering!
Hear is a possible kick in the head: I had that exact inner ear inflammation and accompaning dizziness when I was 24, and they nailed the diagnosis immediately, no test beyond the BP cuff, prescribed an antibiotic and a drug called Antivert to help with dizziness. I was all healed up within a couple days.
While I'm glad you got a few good doses of the eye candy, I have to wonder if they didn't see $$$$ stumbling in the door.
Stay well, buddy!
Ain't that the truth!!! Get well and stay healthy.
Probably because I am not 24 and didn't want to pay out a huge malpractice when I fell over dead after handing me an aspirin and telling me to walk it off. But yeah they are pretty cavalier spending a patients money. I didn't even get anything for it, bloodwork showed no infections. So apparently I am healthy as a horse...that falls down randomly. Welcome to American healthcare! :disturbed:
It is getting better, still a little fuzzy when I step up quick on something high, like tractor steps, (good thing I don't have to do that. :icon_confused: ) but for the most part its a non issue other than annoyance. Pretty soon I will have to find something else to complain about I suspect.
Did they rule out a curse imposed by a dented hay feeder??
I don't know, but seeing how they added every other test they could think of, I would be getting billed by a witch doctor if they had.