DAY NINE

Day nine included several hours in the emergency room. Yes -I know that's crazy.

I went to work, still unable to really eat anything -- my throat is as sore as it's ever been - when will this end? Around noon I got a little heartburn so I took some dissolvable Tums. That seemed to make it better. I noticed that since yesterday, I was needing to take my Ibuprophen more frequently - I was taking 400mg every 3 hours but thought that was OK to do short term.
I was WRONG. At 4p I suddenly got what felt like terrible heartburn (I've only had that twice before, both times while pregnant) I was shifting in my seat and trying to get it to subside. I had 3 more packets of the Tums and it did not help at all. I left work at 430p to drive home and I very nearly did not make it. It is only 7 miles to my house but I almost had to pull over 3 times because I felt like I was going to throw up or pass out or both. The pain was so intense ...I've never felt anything like that. By the time I got home, I crawled to the bathroom where I laid on the floor writhing in pain and crying while Tim hovered over me trying to figure out what to do. By 530p it was obvious that I needed medical intervention so we went to the ER. Making this long story shorter: I had taken way too much Ibuprophen and not eaten enough and had basically made my stomach stand up and threaten to quit me. Everything in my GI tract was inflamed and very angry. The pain was almost unbearable and I also began having muscle spasms in my chest and back. The upshot is, it took 3 doses of morphine, 3 or 4 doses of anti-nausea meds and a muscle relaxer PLUS 2 bags of IV fluids just to get me to the point where I could talk to them and give them info. I was at the hospital for over an hour before all of this started to work. The boys were freaking out to see me crying and in pain like that. I got to come home at around 930p and I was wiped out. The good news is that with all the drugs I was given I actually got a decent sleep for once! I was given some new pain meds to deal with my throat which is still killing me and two acid reducers which I am taking faithfully!
I was also instructed NOT to take any more Ibuprophen at all --- apparently, that is a more dangerous drug than I thought, My Dr. told me that he has seen people bleed to death in just a few hours from a perforated stomach due to Ibuprophen! Fortunately that did not happen to me but I want everyone to learn from this and take the use of Motrin-like drugs seriously.. YOU CANNOT JUST TAKE AS MUCH AS YOU WANT.
I know this post is long and not very funny -- but that's how my day was too!

Oh, and I had my follow up appt yesterday -- My ENT says that I should feel a whole lot better by Monday -- that seems like a long time from now!