Posted 8:56 PM by Bonnie

Another interesting week... Monday, or was it Tuesday? The week has been so stressful I forget when it all started. My husband came home with a headache. Later in the evening as it got worse he went to lay down. Around 10:30 with his head and back of his neck really hurting and a 102.8 temp we headed for the emergency room. He has had meningitis in the past so he knew all the symptons. It is a viral type so not contagious. When his immune system gets compromised he will get a form of it, but this was a lot more.

So, they have to do a spinal tap. Why we ask when they already know what it is... because it is vital!!! this was pushed at us until we said okay. Why did we hesitate? Because it meant taking him off the coumadin he NEEDS to prevent blood clots, such as the pulmonary embolisms he had two years ago. So, for two days they had him off the coumadin and were pumping him with vitamin K to get his blood to clot faster... finally they had him where they wanted him and the nurse came in all giggly and smiley and said we have good news and bad news... they aren't going to do the procedure. WHY???? we ask, since the doctor made a point that is was so vital it was risk the of taking him off the coumadin.

Well, it turns out they finally checked with radiology and the table would not support my husbands weight. It only holds up to 300 pounds. I asked if they had thought he would lose 100 pounds laying the hospital bed for two days. We were not pleased. Also, I asked wouldn't it have been more prudent to find all this out BEFORE they took him off the coumadin? And can you believe a hospital that only has equipment that supports weight up to 300 pounds?

The end result... they didn't do it... put him back on the coumadin and have to keep him in to monitor his blood until it is back to where it should be...

In the meantime... his heart started beating irregularly, skipping every fourth beat, so he is back on the portable heart monitor for 24 hours.... aaaarrgghhhh!! gee, I wonder if they caused enough stress or if they do a little more damage along the way?