…a cautionary tale…

To begin with…I’m fine….NOW!

When I was in my teens and twenties I knew EVERYTHING….all ya had to do was ask. It was definitely beneficial for my first job…in Ak..when I was tasked with duties I had NO business doing.  I was NOT experienced enough  (just ask the fishermen I pissed off….oh well)….but I had the “wanna”…. and I was good!

Now…. I am an over 60 guy…. who absolutely knows just how much he DOESN’T know…and it’s humbling. But….apparently… NOT enlightening enough. Sheesh………..

Soes….anyway…last month I woke up one day and could not use my LEFT leg. No big deal…had just had a cortisone injection in the RIGHT knee and figured…”golly…THAT’S a bad reaction!” See above…did the “guy thing” and figured: I’m ok…this will get better “all on its own”. WRONG!!! By the NEXT (yes, I DID wait 24 hrs) day I was crawling around my (fortunately) small apt…. because I could not walk.  Gathered up my “essentials” and finally called 911. Second ride ever in an ambulance…they took the long route to the hospital…I had to bite my tongue to avoid giving directions…that woulda been gauche.

LONG story short…it was a brain bleed…and as you know…I remain a blessed and lucky man…because I still have all my physical and mental faculties…which were definitely in serious jeopardy. They putzed around for a while… but DID figure it out…and brain surgery 2 days later. Woke up after to an 8 hour Kip 8+…worst hit EVER. In the midst of heart attacks and psychotic ranters… I think I scared the ICU nurses (who have seen everything) the worst…damn. I’ve scared family and dogs…but scaring ICU nurses was REALLY scary…nothing worked. Imagine uncountable tubes and wires attached… so you CANNOT get out of bed to pace. I don’t wanna EVER go THERE again!!!! Did learn one thing: peeing in a bottle sounds worse than it really is……………………………………

Even longer story shorter…applies to ch as well as brain bleeds….DON’T DO THE GUY THING! Get the dang medical diagnosis (internet search of the 10 most common stroke symptoms revealed: loss of use of a limb was…#2!) SHEEEESH…………….. dumb…. dumber…dumbest…………

GO TO THE DOC.....NOTHING on the "net" is comparable.....PLEASE!

Best

Jon

Wow Jon, that counts as quite an adventure and we're all lucky you're still here to give us this warning. With stuff like this, time really is important with delays having the potential to make something bad much worse.

It can sometimes be hard to know when we turn off our "expert patient" assisted by "Dr Google" mode and to rely on a real doctor but it can make a huge difference.

Please don't scare ICU nurses again and no more 8 hour CHs either. I imagine they went through all the usual approaches with imitrex and oxygen. Did you get to ask for a Red Bull or a cold shower (guess they could have done an ice water bed bath as the nearest alternative)?

[smiley=wow.gif]!! Good grief, how frightening! So glad you're OK now, Jon, but omg how scary!

Wow Jon, that counts as quite an adventure and we're all lucky you're still here to give us this warning. With stuff like this, time really is important with delays having the potential to make something bad much worse.

YUP...my purpose in writing...to delay is to deny...to deny is to suffer...it's NOT a wise strategy!


It can sometimes be hard to know when we turn off our "expert patient" assisted by "Dr Google" mode and to rely on a real doctor but it can make a huge difference.

BINGO! I, you, WE know more about our particular condition (CH) than most Docs...In my case it lead to an arrogance and overconfidence in my own "diagnostic" abilities for something else....like I said...dumb...dumber...dumbest

Please don't scare ICU nurses again and no more 8 hour CHs either. I imagine they went through all the usual approaches with imitrex and oxygen. Did you get to ask for a Red Bull or a cold shower (guess they could have done an ice water bed bath as the nearest alternative)?

Wouldn't give me Imi (dunno why...perhaps lack of knowledge...perhaps who knows)...and didn't have my rescue med (Zomig NS) in the hospital pharm. I was huffing O2 so fast and hard I actually worried that I was depleting the hospital supply (did I mention they had just cut into my brain)...so I actually turned it OFF every so often. Really didn't matter....8 hrs and no effect. Cold never has helped...tho Kevin...bless his heart... came in every 20 minute and asked if there was ANYTHING he could do? No man, no man, no man, no man............I'm sure you all understand that.....................................................

Best

Jon

PS Hiya Mel...sorry....I need to stop scaring folks!!! It's really exhausting on this end

Great story teller Jon, very captivated with every word, nice to read the happy ending, best wishes to you pal. ;)

-Gregg in Las Vegas

Wow, Jon.... At a loss for words, here, but I'm sure glad you're ok.

:-[

All my best,

George

It's good to know you're OK now Jon.  Take care, and get well soon.
Maz.