What a waste of the past five days! It all started when I went in for speech therapy on Wednesday (07/25) morning. During the exercises, my speech therapist was tracking my oxygen utilization and several times it dipped down low ... at one time it dropped to 82%. This caused quite a stir that I quickly found myself in the ER, and there they ran some more tests, including an x-ray and an ultrasonic scan of my chest. The ER doc wasn't sure of the results so they checked me into a room for the night. The other floors were booked solid so I was put into "overflow" on the third floor, in the Cardiology ward.
I hoped that my primary care doc, Dr Hrywienicki, would be able to clear me, but he wasn't available so I met with Dr Bitter from the same medical group. He told Dr H would be by on Friday, and let me know that due to the mysterious circumstances surrounding my oxygen deprivation, that I should expect to be in the hospital for awhile.
On Friday, I had an OPMS swallow study done in Radiology, then an EEG. Dr Dyes, a neurologist, came by later to say that the EEG was clear but they were no closer to finding out the cause of my low oxygen and the coughing spasms that I seem to be having. I was moved Friday afternoon to a proper room on the fifth floor, since the docs were concerned that the nurses on the third floor were only trained for cardiac cases.
I went through more poking and prodding until today, when they decided to let me go home ... with a few new rules. For now, I need to be attached to oxygen 24/7 (see pics). I will also be seeing an ENT, a neurologist, and a pulmonary/sleep consultant as it is possible that I may have apnea. I agreed to these tough terms and will be able to sleep in my own bed tonight.
I hoped that my primary care doc, Dr Hrywienicki, would be able to clear me, but he wasn't available so I met with Dr Bitter from the same medical group. He told Dr H would be by on Friday, and let me know that due to the mysterious circumstances surrounding my oxygen deprivation, that I should expect to be in the hospital for awhile.
On Friday, I had an OPMS swallow study done in Radiology, then an EEG. Dr Dyes, a neurologist, came by later to say that the EEG was clear but they were no closer to finding out the cause of my low oxygen and the coughing spasms that I seem to be having. I was moved Friday afternoon to a proper room on the fifth floor, since the docs were concerned that the nurses on the third floor were only trained for cardiac cases.
I went through more poking and prodding until today, when they decided to let me go home ... with a few new rules. For now, I need to be attached to oxygen 24/7 (see pics). I will also be seeing an ENT, a neurologist, and a pulmonary/sleep consultant as it is possible that I may have apnea. I agreed to these tough terms and will be able to sleep in my own bed tonight.
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