WTF?

Let's start with the good stuff.  After church and a dreadful Giant's game on Sunday, I set off for Richmond, to meet Miss Iris Gabrielle Wyatt.  Victoria's pictures are better than mine, but here goes:

I held Iris for hours.  How lucky I was to meet her when she is so tiny.  It will be exciting to watch her grow and develop into her own person, but there is nothing more precious than holding a tiny, tiny baby.  And this tiny baby is mine!  Well, I have to share her with her parents, her half brother and half sister (who has already declared that Iris is her real sister), my sister and brother-in-law, and, of course, Brian's family.  But she's a new member of my family, too, and I treasurer her.  I wasn't feeling my best, but there is nothing better than a warm little body on your chest to make you feel better.  I hated to go home, but knew I had to.  I will see Iris again.

Monday I was feeling less good.  I had a PT appointment and could barely walk into the room.  No exercises for me.  I got a massage, then spent 15 minutes lying on heat on my neck and shoulders.  That felt good.  The massage was practice for Sonoma.  Monica, Glenn, and I had an appointment in Concord at John Muir in the afternoon. It was a very productive meeting.  They are professionals and know what they are doing.  We got some homework.  I will call them next Monday and make the next appointment.  I particularly liked the way they took the burden off my shoulders.  We talked about my upcoming trip to Sonoma.  They thought that was a wonderful thing I was doing for myself.  I did too.  I had my treatments memorized.  My skin was just waiting to suck up every bit of cream it could find.

Tuesday morning, I felt worse than Monday.  It was not hot, but I sweated heavily through breakfast.  I was trying to get the last few details of my suitcase packed, and I really felt bad.  Trouble breathing, heart palpitations (after I looked them up because people are always asking me if I have them.  It was looking like Sonoma wasn't going to happen.  I called my doctor's (PCP) office, and the word there was to go straight to emergency.   I called the Spa to cancel my appointments for that day--then we decided I should cancel everything.  They would take care of canceling my hotel reservation.

Glenn was otherwise engaged--he'd agreed to get Gretchen and Jim to the airport for their trip to
Scotland. We would babysit their truck while they were gone.  The time that they were coming by coincided with when I had to leave.  No problem, my wonderful Ally was there.  I had to mail the annual report and pick up a prescription, so I thought we could go by CVS.  At the last minute, I handed the envelope to Glenn and asked him to mail it.  The prescription would wait.  Ally needed gas, so we took care of that, then off to the hospital.  We got the last parking space in the emergency lot and managed to get into the building.  There was someone at the admitting desk, so we had to wait.  That didn't take very long.  It was our turn and we got to the desk and sat down.  I could feel everything closing in on me, so I put my arm and head down on the desk.  The next thing I knew, there were about five nurses and Ally, trying to get me onto a bed--we all managed, and they whisked me into one of the special rooms.  I was bone weary.  They got me into a hospital gown and got an IV started.  There followed the usual tests.  EKG, chest x-ray, chest CT.  I had needles in each arm.  Because I have cancer, my blood tests as though there might be an embolism, hence the CT.  Nothing showed up there.  The Doctor actually asked me if I wanted to stay or go home.  Go home?  Are you kidding me?  What if it happens again?  No, they kept me for two nights.  Good thing we canceled Sonoma.  I had a head CT Wednesday morning, then an EEG around noon.  Both tests were perfect.  My doctor wasn't sure I'd had a seizure.  She thinks it was a vasovagal episode, brought on by stress.  OK, well THAT will be really easy to eliminate from my life.  Glenn brought me home yesterday afternoon.  I'm discovering the benefits of Atavan.  I kind of wanted to stay at the hospital--I felt safe there.  But I'm home.  I got through a few errands today with nothing amiss.  I even cooked most of dinner--I did the chops and baked potatos and Glenn cooked the green stuff.  Tomorrow will be better.                                                                                                                                      
I trust Gretchen and Jim got to Scotland safely.  Every fire engine in and around town was rushing up Monetary Drive, sirens blaring.  Heard in the news it was a fire on Lake Drive.  A two year old baby was killed.  Prayers for the surviving grandmother and parents.  Maybe tomorrow will be quieter.

xxooxx