Sunday, October 2, 2011

My Knight in Cotton Underware!

It was your average Friday night in the Gardner house.  It was 7:30 and Taye and Cooper were extremely tired from the school week and didn't eat much supper, they just wanted to go to bed.  Dekon, Driver and I were sitting at the table eating out english muffin pizzas while Josh was in the kitchen taking more off the pan.  Taye and Cooper were getting ready for bed.  I started coughing....
      Back story I went to the doctor 2 weeks ago and was told I had azthmatic bronchitis and having problems breathing, I went back to the doctor on Wednesday because it hadn't got any better.  I was put on new medicines and a nebulizer.  Now back to my story....
So I start coughing, and as I was coughing I thought to myself, I can't breathe!  The next thing I remember is hearing talking but can't make it out and someone is hitting beating me on the back.  I feel myself rocking in a circle and then I hear Josh saying "JO, JO ARE YOU OK?  JO?"  I reply "I'm gonna pass out!" and then open my eyes and see I am still at the table.  I got confused and he asked again, "Are you ok?"  I then start to cry because I realize, I blacked out! 
Josh said again "Are you ok?"  I nodded.  He said he thought I had just had a seizure, I didn't know what happened, the last thing I remember was coughing.  He then told me he heard me coughing but didn't hear me inhale.  He turned around to look at me and I was hunched over the table so he dropped everyting and came running into the dinning room.  I had my hands in a claw, my face was bright red and he heard the last bit of air weeze out of my lungs, so he started hitting me in the back.  (the only thing he could think to do since he wasn't sure what exactly was going on) I don't remember spitting anything out, but I do remember hearing his voice.
He called my parents and said they needed to watch the boys so he could get me to the ER to get me checked out.  And since we didn't know what exactly happened and I had just started taking new medication, we rushed to Iowa Falls.  I cried the whole way there (and throughout the weekend and right now)  all I could think was what if this had happened while Josh was at work?  I am VERY greatful he was home.  I get in my ER room and they check me out, listen to the story.  They have me do another nebulizer treatment, prescribe me some additional medicine and I sit there.  And sit there and sit there.  I start coughing AGAIN and they come in and say they don't understand why I'm not getting better and are concerned about me.  They check my breathing several more time, blood pressure, pulse and oxygen levels.  I then get an adrenaline shot in the arm, 2 shots in the butt and told to sit there for awhile.  The adrenaline was to help open my airway, it shouldn't keep me awake but I am the type of person that gets all hyper like a little kid on medicine that is supposed have slim effect on adults, so I start getting RLS!  Josh is laughing at me about it.  The nurse comes in and checks everything again.  I get ANOTHER adrenaline shot and info on azthmatic bronchitis and finally sent home!  I finally get home after 11 and talk to my Mom about what all went on in the ER, after she went home I still couldn't sleep.  ( I am the type of person that falls asleep when it's dark out!)  Josh stays up with me and we are looking through the guide on the TV to figure out what to watch the first show we come across is I Shouldn't Be Alive.   Really?  Cut me some slack!  2 AM rolls around and I am ready to go lay down, but first I use my nebulizer.  I still have coughing fits in the night and everytime, I grab Josh's arm and I feel him grab my hand until I stop coughing.
The next day Josh runs into town to get my new medications and then Cooper has a soccer game.  After the game I am walking back to the van with Driver and Josh can see I am having difficulty breathing so he got out of the van to strap Driver in for me while I use my inhaler.  We get home and I eat something and take my medicine.
It is now Sunday and I feel half way normal.  I am no longer affraid to cough or be alone.  I still cry thinking about what happened and what might have been but I am VERY GREATFUL FOR MY HUSBAND!   Our 6 year wedding anniversary is Wednesday and couldn't be more in love with my husband than I am today!  (He told me if I didn't want to be married to him anymore, there are better ways to get out of the marriage then dying!)