NOT!
In the continuing quest to figure out what is going on with my body, I had a contrast CT scan this morning. I couldn't eat/drink for 4 hours before my 8am appointment, so that really meant no food/drink after I went to bed last night.
When I showed up, they greeted me with a lovely banana flavored jug of contrast crap drink. Ooooh fun. Next step, while still drinking the awful stuff, was to start an IV. Simple enough, right? Wrong. I had already had blood drawn from each arm this week (with no issues...) so they were heading back to bruised arms to start with. I chugged most of the banana drink and was almost done when they started digging in my arm with the needle. The nurse almost ended up with banana crap all over her and I was certain it wasn't going to stay down. I ended up soaked in sweat and asked if I could lie down. They brought over a little chair/recliner thing and that helped a little. Then they go to town on the other arm, again completely setting up the line only to decide it wasn't going to work either. I asked if it was because I was dehydrated and they said probably...nice...but I couldn't drink beforehand. They finally get a good line in my left wrist and I started coming back to life. After all this they take my blood pressure and it is 80/48 and my pulse is 53...the lowest it has been in forever. Nice.
Once I was finally in the CT, it was all fine and dandy until they injected the contrast. OMG - that hurt. And of course they say "don't move" despite the fact they are shooting fire into your arm. I'd like to think that I can stand a little pain...I do Ironmans after all, perform my own toenail surgery, and give myself allergy shots each week (but then again those needles are a fraction of the size of the ones used today). Anyway, it was over soon enough and I was finally on my way. Except now my wrist is non-functional as the joint hurts to move too much and I am tender halfway up my arm. Both my arms don't bend well at the elbow either, because that is where tries #1 and 2 were. I'm just in a bad mood...can you tell? Remember...I had had no food...only banana crap. I walked out of there looking like I had been attacked by the neon 90s. Purple wrap on one wrist, fluorescent green on another arm, and a bandaid on the other arm.
Despite all of this, I do have to say I have been very pleased with the Baylor Clinic - the nurses were very nice today despite the fact that I was their human pin cushion. The dr who ordered the scan even called by lunch time to say that there was good news - no irregular growths on my adrenal glands, which is what they were looking for. I agree, good news, but I'm still no closer to figuring out what is going on. I do feel like, at least, that they are going to stick with me until we figure out what is going on. The first cardiologist I went to said not to run marathons now if I want to run later and sent me out the door. Thanks dude.
Considering how minor this was, and that it only lasted less than 90 minutes, I feel that much more sorry for people who are really sick. It has to suck. I mean, I already knew it sucked, but now I know even more.
In the continuing quest to figure out what is going on with my body, I had a contrast CT scan this morning. I couldn't eat/drink for 4 hours before my 8am appointment, so that really meant no food/drink after I went to bed last night.
When I showed up, they greeted me with a lovely banana flavored jug of contrast crap drink. Ooooh fun. Next step, while still drinking the awful stuff, was to start an IV. Simple enough, right? Wrong. I had already had blood drawn from each arm this week (with no issues...) so they were heading back to bruised arms to start with. I chugged most of the banana drink and was almost done when they started digging in my arm with the needle. The nurse almost ended up with banana crap all over her and I was certain it wasn't going to stay down. I ended up soaked in sweat and asked if I could lie down. They brought over a little chair/recliner thing and that helped a little. Then they go to town on the other arm, again completely setting up the line only to decide it wasn't going to work either. I asked if it was because I was dehydrated and they said probably...nice...but I couldn't drink beforehand. They finally get a good line in my left wrist and I started coming back to life. After all this they take my blood pressure and it is 80/48 and my pulse is 53...the lowest it has been in forever. Nice.
Once I was finally in the CT, it was all fine and dandy until they injected the contrast. OMG - that hurt. And of course they say "don't move" despite the fact they are shooting fire into your arm. I'd like to think that I can stand a little pain...I do Ironmans after all, perform my own toenail surgery, and give myself allergy shots each week (but then again those needles are a fraction of the size of the ones used today). Anyway, it was over soon enough and I was finally on my way. Except now my wrist is non-functional as the joint hurts to move too much and I am tender halfway up my arm. Both my arms don't bend well at the elbow either, because that is where tries #1 and 2 were. I'm just in a bad mood...can you tell? Remember...I had had no food...only banana crap. I walked out of there looking like I had been attacked by the neon 90s. Purple wrap on one wrist, fluorescent green on another arm, and a bandaid on the other arm.
Despite all of this, I do have to say I have been very pleased with the Baylor Clinic - the nurses were very nice today despite the fact that I was their human pin cushion. The dr who ordered the scan even called by lunch time to say that there was good news - no irregular growths on my adrenal glands, which is what they were looking for. I agree, good news, but I'm still no closer to figuring out what is going on. I do feel like, at least, that they are going to stick with me until we figure out what is going on. The first cardiologist I went to said not to run marathons now if I want to run later and sent me out the door. Thanks dude.
Considering how minor this was, and that it only lasted less than 90 minutes, I feel that much more sorry for people who are really sick. It has to suck. I mean, I already knew it sucked, but now I know even more.
Comments
If you want to go the holistic route on fixing you, I have a good guy that's worked wonders on me!
Keep your chin up...