Not a fun day (not war related)

So I started feeling sick around 10 AM. I made it through my lecture (despite having to excuse mysef to the bathroom a few times) and then at about half past noon, I asked a friend of mine to take notes for me in the afternoon lecture and I went home. Walking home was not easy as I was feeling amazingly tired and my stomach hurt like crazy. I threw up, which is normally the cure to any stomach malady, but not this time.

The idea of putting anything in my mouth, whether food or water, was so unappealing to me as I lay on my bed unable to do anything but groan. And finally, I decided that as a medical student, that I felt incredibly stupid doing this, but I was going to urgent care because I could not remember ever having felt so sick in my life.

I drove myself to urgent care, which was not a very bright move. But going was. When I got there, I had trouble even sitting up. I just sat in the waiting room with my head lolled over to one side, breathing hard, and my legs stretched out such that a doctor almost tripped over me.

Finally, I went to the receptionist and said "Look, I feel silly asking this, but is there a spare cot or table or bed around that I could lie down on?" She told me to go to the nurses station and say that I needed to lie down. After the nurse managed to decipher my incoherency, she ushered me to a table and lay me down. then she took my blood pressure: 124/58. That 58 was low. Then she had me stand up and took my blood pressure again: 105/50. That is called "orthostatic hypertension" and it is a sign of low blood volume, which in my case, was apparently caused by dehydration. My temperature was 99.1F, and it's normally 97.8 F. So I looked at the nurse and said, "This means I'm proper sick, huh?" She laughed. My (corny) sense of humor is one of the last things to go, apparently...

So the doctor came in and had one look at me and put me on IV fluids to rescusutate my blood volume. And I also got this monster shot of anti-nausea drugs in the butt, which still hurts like a motherf...

Anyways, I'm home now. I still feel a bit woozy when I stand up, but that's more likely the drugs than anything else. Fortunately, we have no classes tomorrow because it's a "study day." There is a 9:30 pathology review, which I'll watch on video. And I should probably E-mail my counselor and tell him that I may have to take Monday's final exam a few days late.

Maaaan, this is EXACTLY the sort of experience that I WOULD wish on my worst enemy. But it did give me some very personal experience with a common presenting condition and when I see a patient like that, you bet I'll act like...well...like Lightning to get them on fluids.

Folks, do remember to wash your hands before you eat at EVERY MEAL. That was my mistake at dinner last night, I'd bet.

[ 21. March 2003, 13:11: Message edited by: .Lightning. ]

-Mike

Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella

A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura

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