Shingles Update- April 22, 2011

Well, I came home from the hospital on Sunday afternoon, but I turned right back around for a return visit on Monday night. Ug, what a week this has been! Warning: This post includes WAY too much personal information, but I think it is something you should be aware of in case you have a family member who is hospitalized.

The entire time I was in the hospital, my mom kept asking me if I had pooped. No, Mom, but I'm fine. They are giving me a stool softener. Well, in the "old days" the hospital didn't allow patients to go home until they had had a bowel movement. Now I know why. That stool softener, after having been on five different types of pain medications in four days, just wasn't enough.

Sunday and Monday were normal enough, even though it is strange being "babysat" by my parents. More about that later. Monday evening, though, all craziness broke out. About 3:00 in the afternoon I went to the restroom and did what I needed to do. Let me tell you, it HURT! It hurt badly, but I cried my tears and went into the living room to be around the rest of the family. Keep in mind that part of my shingles problem is I feel pain about three to four times worse than it really is. So, when I had tears streaming down my face after a painful bowel movement, I didn't think anything about it.

About 5 pm, when I was still in howling pain and couldn't sit down without cringing, AND I had already taken the maximum amount of pain medication that I could, Daniel decided to call the neurologist. It was explained to us as we left the hospital that Dr. Naryan will be in charge of my care from now until the end of this goofy disease. Daniel told the doctor on call what was happening, and he said that I needed to be seen in the emergency room, because I could have done some damage to my bowels.

To make a VERY long, painful story short, I spent all night Monday and into Tuesday morning at the emergency room to find out that I have several tears in my rectum due to constipation. That can be, I found out, very serious if it is not taken care of. I had to drink some medicine to make me go, and I have to be on a stool softener until I'm done taking pain medication. See, I told you this was WAY too much information. Sorry about that. Hey, if you ever have a family member or find yourself in the hospital for a few days, make sure they poop every day, or at least before they leave. It will make life much easier.

After sleeping on and off all day Tuesday, life finally returned to normal on Wednesday. Daniel dropped me off at my mom's house when he went to work. My mom and I met a couple of angel friends for lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. I think I did pretty well, considering that was the first real outing I've had since becoming very sick. I made it about an hour and a half before telling my mom I was ready to go home.

I was able to go out for a bit on Thursday, too. Every day is new and different as far as how I feel, but I am starting to be able to handle things like noise and light a little bit better every day. I'll take that as progress, even if physically I am on a huge roller coaster. One day I can go almost all day with no pain medication, then the next day I wake up needing to take a pill. I never know how I will feel.

Well, it's the end of a long day on Friday, and I really want to get this posted since I've been trying to get it out for a few days. So, I'll close this update for now. I'm getting stronger mentally every day. I'm gearing up to take my walker to the girls' school art fair on Tuesday. I refuse to miss the event, but I'm nervous about the questions I may get from the kids. It will be okay, though. So far I haven't noticed anyone staring when we are out in public, so maybe my previous students won't say anything about my walker, either. Fat chance, but I can dream! I hope you all have a great weekend.