Chapter 8:
The CT Scan
They finally took me into the room and prepped an IV line on my right hand. “When was the last time you ate?” said the nurse. Around noon, I didn’t have dinner, I said but I’m thirsty. “You can’t drink anything right now, I’m sorry.” I have a way of asking for information without really asking, especially if they can’t tell me much. But this is basic at the hospital; if there’s something serious going on, they don’t let you eat or drink anything in case you need emergency surgery. All those years of Grace Anatomy pay off sometimes. Just kidding.
“Alright, we are going to take you to the CT Scan, they’ll put in a contrast fluid that’ll make you feel as if you have peed yourself but you’re not going to pee, it’s just the feeling, you’ll feel warm inside for a few seconds and it’s just the contrast going through your veins”. Ok, I said. I do have to pee tho. In-and-out I went, didn’t pee my pants, and headed back to the waiting room.
It was now 4 am when the doctor came to my room. Finally! He was happy to report that my chest and lungs were clear, no blood clots, and my heart looked good. But he added “We did find some nodules on your thyroid, you are going to want to follow up with your regular doctor about that”. What are nodules? I asked. “They are growths, they are located on your thyroid, nothing to be concerned with right now but you do need to follow up usually with an ultrasound just to make sure”. Ok, thanks. I said. I could tell he knew it looked like something but he couldn’t really diagnose me. It wasn’t an emergency situation at that point. “We are going to send you home with some blood thinners for the blood clot. It’s a treatment plan you’ll have to follow up with your physician to see how long they’ll want you to do it for.” Ok, thanks, I replied. That’s all I could really say, I was so tired and still in pain. “Ok, I’ll prep your discharge papers to get you outta here. If you experience any dizziness, lightheadedness, chest pain, shortness of breath, or confusion, you make sure to call 911 or to to the nearest ER, it could be a complication from the blood clot.” Ok, thanks, I said one more time.
I finally made my way to the car and it was still dark out there but it was 6 am on August 29, 2005. I was so tired, hungry and still in pain but glad that I didn’t end up in the OR that night. God kept me in His hands; He knew I needed to go there.
