I went to the ER last night at 3 in the morning, due to shortness of breath and intense upper right chest pain (not the heart side). I had paced around for a good hour and half hoping the pain would go away before I pounded on my brother and sister-in-law's door, asking them to take me to the ER. My sister-in-law of course is dressed and ready in 5 minutes with the vehicle running (warming up). Takes me 15 minutes just to get dressed due to the pain and lack of breath.
We get to the ER, sign in, wait 5 min before I am seen. (The place is empty so I got right in). They ask how many packs I smoke a day? I reply, "1 1/2 to 2." And how much alcohol a day do you drink? "9-12 beers on an average day." They say my oxygen is low, so they shove these O2 tubes up my nose, and now I'm getting a little worried. They also said my blood pressure was really high, which I figured is from the alcohol. (As I don't really weigh all that much at 155-160).
Later, I get 2 lung X-Rays to which the doctor says, "They didn't come out very well, because your lungs weren't fully expanded." To which I replied, "No shit! The pain is too intense for me to take deep breaths." So he has the nurse give me 2 shots in the ass. One is Dilaudid, an awesometastic painkiller in one cheek, and in the other cheek was a nausea reducer, so the painkiller doesn't make me vomit.
The doctor gives this 30 minutes to work itself in, then comes in and asks, "How do you feel now?" Well, I am floating on cloud 9, waving at bluebirds, and sliding on a rainbow. But, I be honest that the drug has worked everywhere but the hitch in my side, which is still in a lot of pain, but reduced. He says, "OK". Steps out.
10 minutes later a nurse comes in with 3 prescriptions. An antibiotic, one to reduce swelling of the lung, and Vicodin 500's for the pain, and "Walking Pneumonia" or "Bronchitis" as my diagnosis.
So, that's my story. Once I get off the meds I hope to be fine. I know it's not the Stephen King ending you wanted, but I enjoyed writing it out in this manner to make it sound really exciting and dramatic! Haha!
-Danorok™
