More Pains...More Prayers.....

I hope by the end of this post, many who have read it will gain a new found appreciation for the most simple things that our bodies can do. I never ever take those simple things like using the bathroom for granted. To me, it is a blessing to go each day or just each time. Well this weekend has been very trying for me to say the least. My health is just starting to deteriorate slightly in that I have been suffering from the worst kinds of pain ("Abdominal" in other words a bowel blockage)

Last Friday (May 16th), I went into work early at around 6:45am to get my department ready for a huge meeting. It was a lot of work and dedication on my part especially since I could tell that a blockage was indeed happening. I figured I could easily work a few hours and then go home shortly after I was done.

I struggled with the pain for a few hours until noontime; I just couldn't handle the pain anymore. It felt just like labor pains but instead it was sort of gas pains from the intestine being kinked or blocked. I tried to pretend as best as I could that I wasn't in the severe amount of pain that I was while I working just to get things done. I finally left just before 1pm to go home and try to call my doctor. The drive home was agonizing because it was as if were having painful contractions that would happen every couple of minutes. I felt like pulling over a few times during the 35 minute drive home but I toughed it out and screamed just to relieve the stress of the pain.

I finally got home and the house was a bit hotter than usual but I didn't think much about it because of the pain that I was experiencing. It was about 102 degrees outside and the house was around 87 degrees inside. I grabbed the phone to try to call my doctor, but I kept getting an annoying beap with the message on the phone screen that said "No Link to Base"? whenever I pressed send. "What does that mean?" I kept thinking. It just didn't click. I tried again and then went upstairs and got the second phone; still nothing. The phones didn't work so I used the last bit of power on my cell phone to call my husband. I told him I was not feeling good and that it might be 911 time. I told him the phones are not working and that my cell is about to die. The cell phone kept beeping as if it would shut off at any moment. I then noticed all the power was out in the house.

About 10 minutes after I got off the phone with my husband, I heard sirens and thought, "Wow! He called the ambulance already!" I had been laying on the couch crying and wretching in pain for a little while. It felt as if my intestines were about to burst from the pressure and of course I looked as if I were about 5 months pregnant. I struggled to get up and out the door to see if this was for me or if the rescue workers would need help finding me. Two fire engines pulled up but then pulled up across the street from me at Blockbuster Video, a Check Cashing place, and a Drying Cleaning Shop. They were dressed in very hot heavy gear especially for the temperatures outside. You have to appreciate that dedication. The men were all getting ready and trying to find out what the problems were and why they were called there. I was standing there in pain thinking about my situation and that this was actually a false alarm. A woman walked by on the sidewalk analyzing the events and said to me that the power has been out since 10:30am. I found out later that someone had thought they had seen some red flames coming out of the top of the shopping center but there was nothing. Probably someone suffering from heat exhaustion saw the red flames.

The pains progressively got worse and I didn't dare eat anything for fear that I couldn't digest anything and that anything new would just sit there and compound the pain. I wasn't even drinking anything because it too intensified the pain. My husband finally got home and we were able to call my doctor on his cell phone. Due to the extreme temperatures, we felt it would be best if we avoided going into the emergency room and for me to try to just tough it out as it hard as it was. Primarily a Friday Night, record temperatures, the emergency room would be inundated with the elderly and others suffering from heat related illnesses and we were positive that there would be plenty due to the all day black-out.

My doctor spoke with my husband first as I tried to relieve my pain with some cannabis since he had advised me that I should not take any pills for pain. I needed relief right away and this helped some. He advised that I do an enema first to see if anything would clear out and then to do a phosphate soda which really tends to work the intestines in cleaning out wastes. This worked some but the pain was extreme and we were up most of Friday night and what a hard night that was! My husband's devoted love for me shined this weekend and he cared for me gently, massaging me, talking gently, being patient, running baths, cleaning up after me and waiting on me hand and foot. What a blessing I have! Some people wait a lifetime for a love such as this! I survived the weekend without any emergency rooms and we are still waiting for my bowels to start working on their own.

Most of the weekend was still pretty painful and am still suffering from pain but not as bad as before. I think I'm kinda used to it now! I am hoping and praying that my system starts to work on its own soon so that I can go back to work tomorrow. We do have it under control somewhat as it is uncertain if I will need to go into the emergency room anytime soon. It's kind of the unpredictability of my illness that makes me enjoy every moment that I can.

Be extra sure to cherish your health and be thankful not to have to suffer. I have several people and animals in my life that make the suffering all the more worth it. I will continue to fight!