Visiting The Local Hospital: Touristy Things to Do
3:11 PM
It was one of those crazy days. I had spent most of the morning trying to figure out my phone situation so I can set something up and have a phone again. After two days of hour long phone calls, being cooped up inside all morning with customer service representatives as friends, spreadsheets, doing math, and crunching numbers that make my head pound, I finally worked something out, but you know how that process goes. There's the activations, the searching for the phone, the waiting period. I do have to thank God for helping me out though cause I was able to find all these huge discounts and credits for my parents. I'm joining the sprint family share plan that is known for its data which is needed in my family.
We were switching from the Framily plan that was once the big deal, but now is being set aside because it didn't have a good data plan. The new one is going to work out beautifully for us and be the cheapest I have ever paid with so much data! Now to just find a phone.
I'm torn between the iphone 5c and the Samsung Galaxy which is running more expensive than apple products and from what I have heard is more advanced...but I have a mac and an ipad. Soo tough decision!
(I ended up getting the iphone 5c. This post is being updated in 2020 and oh my word! How far Apple has come! I look over at my iphone 8 plus as the iphone 11 is the current on the market right now. Wild how many years has gone by!)
This week I was able to go outside and get some fresh air. Boy was it a glorious day! The sun was shining and the little picnic table, ipad, and wireless keyboard setup I had going behind the buildings in our spacious complex yard is just what I needed. It's been fluctuating between cold and warm here. Kinda funky weather! The other day I saw a huge moving truck and children. They moved in next to us! Yay new friends!
Onto the next story! You might be wondering why the title talks about a hospital...well...the second week being here all was moving along nicely when August 20th, I woke up feeling queasy.
Then the queasiness lead to the natural thing that happens when you are sick to your stomach.
Let's just say that about 10 times in the next 1-2 hours I was doing that thing. I got so dehydrated from not being able to eat anything or hold anything down. I couldn't drink any water either and everything I had in my stomach was dispensed with no relief. I grew so weak and could barely move. I was freezing and couldn't stop shaking too! I think at one point, I asked Jason to knock me out cause I wanted to DIIIIEEE! He never would do that to help me. Gosh!
Instead, he called the ambulance at my request. They came, put me on that stretcher thingy and wheeled me in the back. Thank goodness we had that truck so Jason could follow the ambulance to the local hospital. I still kept losing my guts all the way there and even when we were admitted into the ER.
I looked miserable from what I could hear. Half out of it, they moved me to a waiting room where I insisted on keeping the warm blankets they piled on me inside the ambulance. Now here's something about the hospital I don't understand. You can go to the ER half dying and they STILL want your information. They asked me all these questions in between my convulsions with "oh you poor thing"s every now and then. I'm not sure how that is a sympathetic phrase when you're in that environment. Anyone else ever experience this?
Eventually they moved me to a small room with a tv and began asking me more questions. After leaving us for a good long while, they finally put an IV in me and some nausea medicine in my bloodstream. Once they did that I felt like a million bucks! The nurse talked to the doctor who ordered some tests to be done. Bloodwork, a MRI on my stomach, an ultrasound on my uterus...basically all these things I have never done in my life before. They insisted that it all had a purpose towards a diagnosis. I wasn't really confident about that, but I took their advice since I was already there.
It took HOURS for them to do everything. The arrival time was 3ish. I think I fell asleep and I think Jason fell asleep on me too as the time started to approach closer to midnight, then 1am. In between that time I was wheeled off in a wheelchair to get an ultrasound and later was given 2 soda pop size unusual clear liquid called contrast to drink in one hour. Oh man did that make me have to GOOOO. Annoyingly several times. But this was necessary cause they wanted to make my insides glow for the MRI. If any song could be popping in my head right now to describe this moment it would be:
If you didn't have enough of that in your life, I just did you a favor! hahaha
When I was finished with the contrast, they came and wheeled me on my flat bed. I think the nurse was enjoying the wheeling process cause he was whipping around corners like it was a race car track. Several times we almost ran into walls! Woohoo!
When putting me through the MRI machine, the nurse with a thick Caribbean accent stuck something through my IV and told me I would feel a warming sensation. It was the weirdest thing I have ever felt. The whole of my insides got all tingly and hot. Like my blood felt like it had been microwaved! :O
The machine talked to me and told me to hold my breath and then release over and over till it was done taking pictures. The last thing I saw before leaving was a little Pooh poster taped to the viewer window.
We were switching from the Framily plan that was once the big deal, but now is being set aside because it didn't have a good data plan. The new one is going to work out beautifully for us and be the cheapest I have ever paid with so much data! Now to just find a phone.
I'm torn between the iphone 5c and the Samsung Galaxy which is running more expensive than apple products and from what I have heard is more advanced...but I have a mac and an ipad. Soo tough decision!
(I ended up getting the iphone 5c. This post is being updated in 2020 and oh my word! How far Apple has come! I look over at my iphone 8 plus as the iphone 11 is the current on the market right now. Wild how many years has gone by!)
This week I was able to go outside and get some fresh air. Boy was it a glorious day! The sun was shining and the little picnic table, ipad, and wireless keyboard setup I had going behind the buildings in our spacious complex yard is just what I needed. It's been fluctuating between cold and warm here. Kinda funky weather! The other day I saw a huge moving truck and children. They moved in next to us! Yay new friends!
Onto the next story! You might be wondering why the title talks about a hospital...well...the second week being here all was moving along nicely when August 20th, I woke up feeling queasy.
Then the queasiness lead to the natural thing that happens when you are sick to your stomach.
Let's just say that about 10 times in the next 1-2 hours I was doing that thing. I got so dehydrated from not being able to eat anything or hold anything down. I couldn't drink any water either and everything I had in my stomach was dispensed with no relief. I grew so weak and could barely move. I was freezing and couldn't stop shaking too! I think at one point, I asked Jason to knock me out cause I wanted to DIIIIEEE! He never would do that to help me. Gosh!
Instead, he called the ambulance at my request. They came, put me on that stretcher thingy and wheeled me in the back. Thank goodness we had that truck so Jason could follow the ambulance to the local hospital. I still kept losing my guts all the way there and even when we were admitted into the ER.
I looked miserable from what I could hear. Half out of it, they moved me to a waiting room where I insisted on keeping the warm blankets they piled on me inside the ambulance. Now here's something about the hospital I don't understand. You can go to the ER half dying and they STILL want your information. They asked me all these questions in between my convulsions with "oh you poor thing"s every now and then. I'm not sure how that is a sympathetic phrase when you're in that environment. Anyone else ever experience this?
Eventually they moved me to a small room with a tv and began asking me more questions. After leaving us for a good long while, they finally put an IV in me and some nausea medicine in my bloodstream. Once they did that I felt like a million bucks! The nurse talked to the doctor who ordered some tests to be done. Bloodwork, a MRI on my stomach, an ultrasound on my uterus...basically all these things I have never done in my life before. They insisted that it all had a purpose towards a diagnosis. I wasn't really confident about that, but I took their advice since I was already there.
It took HOURS for them to do everything. The arrival time was 3ish. I think I fell asleep and I think Jason fell asleep on me too as the time started to approach closer to midnight, then 1am. In between that time I was wheeled off in a wheelchair to get an ultrasound and later was given 2 soda pop size unusual clear liquid called contrast to drink in one hour. Oh man did that make me have to GOOOO. Annoyingly several times. But this was necessary cause they wanted to make my insides glow for the MRI. If any song could be popping in my head right now to describe this moment it would be:
"Let em' glow! Let em' glow!
Can't take this contrast anymore!"
Can't take this contrast anymore!"
When I was finished with the contrast, they came and wheeled me on my flat bed. I think the nurse was enjoying the wheeling process cause he was whipping around corners like it was a race car track. Several times we almost ran into walls! Woohoo!
When putting me through the MRI machine, the nurse with a thick Caribbean accent stuck something through my IV and told me I would feel a warming sensation. It was the weirdest thing I have ever felt. The whole of my insides got all tingly and hot. Like my blood felt like it had been microwaved! :O
The machine talked to me and told me to hold my breath and then release over and over till it was done taking pictures. The last thing I saw before leaving was a little Pooh poster taped to the viewer window.
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| Via Pinterest |
Cue the "aaawwww"s. ^_^
Not only was it very cute, it was inspiring and encouraging as I was going through new, uncertain experiences!
After everything was done, we waited and waited till like 2am when the doctor finally came in. In the matter of a few minutes he gave me a clean bill of health with a release and nausea medication prescription. At this point I was tired, cranky, hungry, and all I could think was, "What?? There's nothing wrong with me? We have been here this long and you found nothing?!! Aaagghh!!" Jason calmly told me though that nothing wrong with me is a good thing.
After a good night's rest I was still weak, but slowly reintroduced food into my life and rested for a few days. Once I was feeling better, I looked into what all those tests and everything would cost since I didn't have insurance or so I thought. I then remembered after some prayer about this, that my parents had given me an insurance card and had me on it. So I called them and they told me that I was only covered till I turned 26!
Well what do you know? I was turning 26 in only two weeks! So my bills were 80% covered! More recently, even the ambulance was paid 80%! This was a surprise and we both praise God for coming through for us. We are working on figuring out insurance now that mine has run out. I did get the bills today too and from what they started at, we got blessed in all that I have to pay. I can't believe how expensive medical care is! I feel for those who practically live in hospitals or going through more long term diagnoses. That has to be tough. :/
One last thing before the end of this story is done, the night we came home from the hospital we opened up a devotional book that Jason was given as a gift.
Not only was it very cute, it was inspiring and encouraging as I was going through new, uncertain experiences!
After everything was done, we waited and waited till like 2am when the doctor finally came in. In the matter of a few minutes he gave me a clean bill of health with a release and nausea medication prescription. At this point I was tired, cranky, hungry, and all I could think was, "What?? There's nothing wrong with me? We have been here this long and you found nothing?!! Aaagghh!!" Jason calmly told me though that nothing wrong with me is a good thing.
After a good night's rest I was still weak, but slowly reintroduced food into my life and rested for a few days. Once I was feeling better, I looked into what all those tests and everything would cost since I didn't have insurance or so I thought. I then remembered after some prayer about this, that my parents had given me an insurance card and had me on it. So I called them and they told me that I was only covered till I turned 26!
Well what do you know? I was turning 26 in only two weeks! So my bills were 80% covered! More recently, even the ambulance was paid 80%! This was a surprise and we both praise God for coming through for us. We are working on figuring out insurance now that mine has run out. I did get the bills today too and from what they started at, we got blessed in all that I have to pay. I can't believe how expensive medical care is! I feel for those who practically live in hospitals or going through more long term diagnoses. That has to be tough. :/
One last thing before the end of this story is done, the night we came home from the hospital we opened up a devotional book that Jason was given as a gift.
"He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee."
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It spoke on how the rapid succession of trials is one of the sorest tests of faith. Before we recover from one blow, more trials follow and stack on top of one another till we are feeling weighed down. It talked about through trials and difficulties, we have a song in our hearts that the Lord is at work in our lives. Troubles may come, but only six and then we will have rest. Like the six days of the creation and the 7th as a Sabbath, this promise is that in one day in the final seventh day there will be deliverance and we have hope that God will keep Satan from destroying us just like with Job. He is delivering us and this is necessary till the day when God delivers us completely. We both were touched by this message and again shown that God is in our midst. Second week in, we started our tour of Lancaster by visiting the local hospital. Not exactly the first place we expected to go, but God had other plans! I'm just thankful that He already had a way prepared to help us through it. Plus learning that I'm perfectly healthy and well is a praise as I have struggled with my health off and on over the years. Since this time, I have noticed I have gradually been able to eat more, gain weight and maintain, and am overall feeling much healthier! So whatever God did that week in the hospital has rid me of my anxiety about my health. What a relief from the time of doctors, mysterious, unexplainable health issues, and the wondering if I'm going to be ok. God is good. Amen? |
Rebekah Samuel
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