Medical Update

In a nutshell, no more of this:

But at least 6 more months of this:

Okay, maybe it won't be my baby tossing back the pills, but there will be lots of pills for me over the next 6 months.

Here's the full story:
About two weeks ago I started getting chest pain. It came and went, so mostly I ignored it. Then when it got worse, Kyle convinced me it was heartburn since I had only been eating girl scout cookies for days and days. So I chewed up tons of Rolaids, but it didn't relieve any of the pain. I started looking around the internet cause I swore I was having a heart attack. Kass even almost convinced me to go to the ER Sunday night since I texted her about it around 3am and she was up for some reason. I looked on the internet some more and since it was just chest pain and not shortness of breathe or pain in my limbs I waited it out until morning. I was convinced I was having a heart attack or blood clot, since I had just started on the birth control patch. Their website said blood clots in the lungs causing chest pain were possible.

So I called the doctor first thing in the morning. The nurse called me back and said I should stop using the pain pills I had for my root canal last week. I said, "The doctor doesn't think it's the birth control?" And she replied that it wouldn't just start giving me symptoms. I reminded her I had just started it and she said, "Oh, I didn't realize that. Well, I guess the only way we'd know would be for you to stop using the birth control and see if it goes away." Way to check with the doctor...

So I figured she was dumb and there was something wrong still. I had called around to clinics trying to find an emergency doctor for Felix (it was a false alarm) and the Art City Clinic said they did walk ins. So I went down there and they said they did walk ins...at night, but they'd fit me in anyway. I saw Dr. Taylor. They thoroughly checked out my heart and my blood. While we waited he said the muscles around my ribs were probably just inflamed from working out and it was no big deal, but he could only say that for sure if he ruled out heart and blood problems, so I needed to wait for the test results.

So then he comes back hanging his head low, and says there's bad news. He said the test doesn't say for sure there's a problem, just that there MIGHT be a problem and he was super embarrassed to send me to the hospital for a $1300 test, but he had to be safe.

So they injected me with some stuff that made my chest feel on fire and made me certain I peed my pants (but I hadn't). This x-ray machine spun around me as I alternately held my breathe and breathed normal. So I was told to wait for the results. Then a tech came down and told me I needed to go back to my doctor because something showed up on the CT.

They left my IV in my arm in case I needed meds, so I drove from Provo to Springville with the thing hanging out my arm. I got there and he said when the radiologist called he started saying, "I know, I know, I sent you a dumb referral, but I was being safe" and the radiologist said, no, there was a small blood clot it's a good thing you sent her.

So then we discussed options. I could go to the hospital or do outpatient. I was really freaking out (since he described all the ways I could've died) so I decided to go in. But then Kyle and I talked and we decided I'd just go home and if my breathing started being a problem we'd go in. So Kyle ran to the pharmacy and got my meds. I got pills to take daily (for 6 months to life) and shots ($75 for each shot) for the next 5 days, every 12 hours. The nurse showed me how to give myself shots and I was a big baby about it. They have to go into my belly (into the fat :)) and every jab leaves a little bruise, even if I don't push it in all the way.

The morning shots were better cause I just kind of stabbed myself when I was half asleep. The night shots were worse cause I would start and then woos out. So I had my first check today and my blood is sufficiently thin. But I have to be careful not to hit my head (which I did do yesterday, so hard that I bruised) or my brain will bleed. And I have to have my blood checked regularly for thickness. But since it was good today, I don't have to do shots anymore, but I have some on hand in case it thickens up again.

The medicine only thins the blood, but it doesn't attack the clot. My body should break it up over time and my chest pain should lessen, cause it still is hurting a lot. But over time the clot should disappear and my lung may or may not regain functioning in that area. But the medicine ensures that my body won't make any more clots that will get stuck in life threatening places.

So that's my story.