Donna in Hollywoodland

Emergency Room
Last night as I was trying to wash my face and brush my teeth, I kept feeling like I was going to pass out. I was really weak. I knew it wasn't my hypoglycemia because I had just had a chicken salad sandwich. But I drank apple juice anyway.
I just couldn't stand up. And it was really late, because I went out to the movie after work.

I called my Doctor's office and spoke to the Nurse on Duty. Her advice is that if you are going to pass out, and you are alone, you need to get to the hospital - so call an ambulance and go to the hospital. I called two friends to tell them I was going to call an ambulance. I got one persons voice mail. And the second person was awake, and said instead that she would come and pick me up.
I called my Landlord and told him what was happening. He was wide awake to. Doesn't anyone whom I know go to bed at a decent time ?

My landlord and I waited on the apartment doorstep for my friend to arrive. She then drove me to Glendale Memorial Hospital . I went to the Emergency Room.
First, its kind of funny - because the emergency is no where near like any of the TV shows . Its pretty boring, with sleepy people sitting in the chairs waiting to be called in. Then there is the same amount of people who are waiting there and I don't think they are there to go in. They just want a warm room to spend the night. Two of these people were smart, and sat far away out of the receptionists sight. One guy, who seemed to be on serious drugs, maybe heroin, was not to smart and he sat right were the receptionist could see him. Soon a security guard came to get him. I hope they sent him to a drug facility, and didn't just kick him out on the streets.

We waited there for about an hour. I was trying to figure out what was wrong with the other people in the emergency room, and why they were there.
Finally they called us in.

When telling the staff person that I couldn't have epinephrine because I was hypoglycemic, her response was "How long have you been diabetic?"
Oh dear Lord ....NO - I straightened her out on the differences real quick.
Next I was in a room with a doctor seeing me. They looked at my Biopsy scars and ordered blood tests, urine tests and other such things.
The plan was to put me on an IV, in case I was dehydrated. I mean, we are in the middle of a heat wave.

I have such tiny veins. A really nice lady with a Hungarian accent knew how to find my veins. I then had a needle permanently inserted in my wrist with tape wrapped around my wrist to hold it in place. This way they could take blood and give me an IV - or what ever else - all from the same spot.

I was peeing so much. Was it all that apple juice I drank before I left, or was something else happening? I managed to go to the Bathroom about 3xs with that needle taped to my wrist. If that wouldn't make me queasy and pass out, I don't know what would.

Then they hooked me up to this whole monitoring system - blood pressure, heart rate, stock quotes - gee, there was a TV and all my vital info was on it, being read by all the attached wires.
A staff person came in and gave me an EKG. I thought - Wow, thats thorough. At least they are thinking about what could make me pass out.

I layed there with a Saline Drip, as my friend and I watched an old movie on Turner Classic Network .
Wow, at least this place had Cable.

Finally about 5 AM they had my test results. They gave me copies to give my doctor. Gave me a prescription for Vitamin Tablets. And then they sent me home, telling me to see my regular doctor
in a few days.

A few days later, my doctor would just tell me that this whole episode was "Acute Stress".


*** UPDATE: A few weeks later my Breast Surgeon runs blood tests, and tells me that I am Anemic, she wants to make sure the multi-vitamin I am taking has iron it and
she wants me to add red meat back into my diet twice a week. Guess what ? It works, I'm not weak anymore. But more on this in a future post ....