A Descent into torment..................

Well, the following is news and is a mix of some good and some bad news. Yesterday morning--actually pre-dawn morning was not good for me I feel again at 1:30 and at 4:30 a.m. nothing hurt again but the second fall that night I had another emotional "meltdown" not nearly as bad as the one a few days ago but still for me a rather serious one. The day as a whole was ok--not good and not bad just ok.

By night I had a lot of problems walking and by 6:30 or so I was in bed with chest pains. They just steadily got worse as we were watching TV in the bedroom tell around 9:40 p.m. or so I passed out on the bed. This is all based on Jim's account as I don't remember much of waht happened for that entire night. He said I was verablly unresponsive for a good 5 minutes and he by that time had called the paramedics.

I was evaluted by the paramedics got on a stretcher hauled out to the ambulance--while last nights low here wasa mere 6 degrees. I do remember an IV, heart moniter, chewable asprins, and a nitorglycerin pill as they honestly thought I was having a heart attack. The ambulance of course flew to the hospital and I was rushed into emergency.

Was given more IV and blood tests, oxygen tests, connected to a heart moniter and apparently was figured out rather soon it WAS NOT a heart attack. I was also given another Xray and a CT scan of head (because of 6 total falls in 3 days), all of which turn out to be normal. The emergency room was not exactly sure what the pain was but was cosidered manageable after a shot of morphine and I was sent home.

Today with the assitance of Jim I was helped out of bed, dressed and was walking very, very slowly with a walker. It takes me forever to cross a room and I am very winded when I have to do it. The pain has not been all that bad today but some of the numbness is lingering and so is the dizziness.

My brother did come to visit me today with my 8 year old nephew who just a few weeks ago he and I watched "The Wizard of Oz" movie together for what was my nephews first time seeing it. I bring this up as I asked Nick (that's my nephew) and what he wanted to be when he grew up --keep in my mind he is an autistic child who can mange on his own rather well--what he wanted to be when he grew up and he said a typewriter. I said a what? and He responded a type writer so he could write stories. Of course I said Nick thats a writer and I asked what kind of stories he wanted to write and he said fantasy so he could write stuff like the Wizard of Oz. I asked if he would write me a story of Oz and he said he would--I can't wait. Maybe, just maybe I have a budding L. Frank Baum or Ruth Thompson on my hands.

I have the feeling this maybe a long term thing and that I am going to end up with a pain managment person and an aide--which at this point I deperately need. I do have a freind here that has volunteered to give me an hour a day every day she is off--about 2-3 days a week which of course better than what I have now.

As always I ask that you pray for me
Charlie