The daily adventures and travails of one neurotic, klutzy, hungry, cynical college girl. Tune in for prizes! (offer void where prohibited. See office for details. Not responsible for lost articles.)
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Friday, October 10, 2003
Hey kids! I just realized that I never relayed the fun, fun tale of when I got hospitalized this summer. Here we go!
So, a week before school starts, I start feeling really funny. (aka gross and icky) My back gave out at the end of the week. I was in Matchstick Men, crying. Not because the movie moved me to tears, but because it felt like the nerves were detaching themselves and spontaneously combusting in my spine. Brian drove me home where I promptly got major chills and fever. Dude, my teeth were chattering, I needed three comforters to stay warm, and I was shaking like an epileptic. (not exaggerating) Somehow I make it through the night.
The next three days are kind of hazy. I was feverish, delirious (which I'm discovering is my body's first response to any sort of stress) and my migraines began. I called in sick to work, and ignored all calls, including my panicking mother. At one point, I was in the bathroom, throwing up, still fevered, and I convinced myself that I needed to remove all metal objects from my body. I threw off my earring. By Monday, I went into the ER of Thorton Hospital.
They thought I had meningitis. Not fun. Especially the spinal tap they gave me. I had a fever of 104, my urine was orange, and I couldn't see. (That last one is because I forgot my glasses at home) Linda was bawling in the ER waiting room. Joan, looking like an angel from God, was trying to cool my head. Brian was chain smoking through a pack of cigs. Even Russ was there, buying food. I think. I dunno, I was left in a room in the dark, cause they said the light was bad for me. The doctors come in, five hours after I checked in, and tell me I don't have meningitis, and gosh they sounded disappointed. They give me a CT scan and I had to drink barf liquid to take the scan. Linda scurried off when I retched after finishing the damn stuff.
I got a kidney infection!! Thanks to Dr.Smith, who knew all along. Dr. Smith rules!
I forgot to mention that Thorton Hospital is like a Hilton suite. I had a private room and everything. And if you've ever been to USC Hospital, you understand the culture shock I got. I expected to share a double room with 9 other sickly patients, who are up all night watching reruns of Spanish informercials.
Why do the lab people come in at 6 in the morning? And why do the nurses come in every two minutes all night, but disappear all day? Just a passing wonder. They stuck so many needles and tubes in me, I looked like Neo from the Matrix, when he awakes for the first time. And where-ever you go, hospital food is crappy. My orange Jello tasted like soap. My last day, I finally had a decent meal- meat loaf. I really like it!
I was there for three days and everyone was great. Grace came and brought me Care Bear balloons (they're still afloat in my room today) and an inflatable tulip from Denmark. Linda came twice, once with Nick and Shannina. She also packed me 4 bras for my stay. I didn't use one! But I know she meant well. Russ came with Brian on one of Brian's numerous trips. Russ, Brian, Joan, and Graham also gave me lovely flowers, also still in my room. My mom rushed down from LA and cooked up a storm (a Korean woman's response to an emergency). Even my dad was unusually cool on the phone. I remember being oddly relieved to talk to him. When I was finally leaving, a man in the pharmacy said to me "Looks like you were taken care of!" indicating my flowers, balloons, and my awesome entourage. I certainly was.
12:58 PM
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