Adventures in the ER

So all was going well yesterday, I was at work and doing what i do best...stocking. When suddenly a very embarrassing medical problem came up, for now we will refer to it as "massive flesh wound," it wasn't but that sounds cooler. Being the committed employee that I am I remained at work for another hour and a half after my "massive flesh wound" and didn't think a whole lot of it but thought it might be a good idea to call my Aunt Martha (who is a nurse) and make sure that I shouldn't be taking anything. Of course, to my total and utter dismay, my Aunt tells me I need to go to the ER immediately for my "massive flesh wound" and that I should not go to my spanish class.

For those of you that might be reading this that don't know much about me: I hate hospitals, other than births, there is nothing happy that happens in hospitals that doesn't come from something bad. I don't like feeling like I am taking up the time of doctors and nurses that could be better used for other people that might actually have massive flesh wounds, and I don't like the freaking gowns that they put you in. So of course I get through triage and then they take me into a room, put me in a gown and ask me a million questions about what the hell is going on with me. They then hook me up to an saline drip IV, a heart monitor, and a little plastic finger thingy. Then the nice doctor lady informs we that I am going to need to get a CT scan of my abdomen to make sure I don't have anything more serious than a "massive flesh wound."

For those of you that haven't had a CT (because up until last night I had never had one) the first step is that they give you this gross liquid stuff they hide in apple juice that lights up your organs or some sillyness like that, then about 30mins later they give you another one. An hour after the first drink they take you into the CT room and lay you down in the giant doughnut. The doughnut tells you to breathe in, hold it, and then breathe out. Then the tech lady comes in and injects you with iodine which had all sorts of weird effects. The doughnut talks to you again and then they put you back on the rolly bed, like an invalid, and take you back to your room.

That was pretty much the most exciting part of my night. Other than playing with my heart rate on the monitor by relaxing my breathing and muscles and then hyperventilating and tensing. Just in case any of you wanted to know I can get my body to flex between 101 and 96 on the heart rate monitor.

All in all it wasn't a horrible experience, other than the very fact of having to be there. The people were really great and the doctor's did their jobs. Still hate hospitals though. Hope this finds you better than I was last night.

~The Singing Ginger