A most unusual start to July

So July got off to an unusual start, all things considered. It began like any other month, and the original plans had been quite simple: the first full week would be just another week (only one workday shorter because of 4th of July), and Nora and I planned to celebrate our three-year dating anniversary on the 6th. But on Tuesday, July 5, things took an unexpected turn.

For close to a week beforehand, I had been having various abdominal pains. I didn't quite know what was causing them, though I theorized (and you'll forgive me for being graphic going forward) that I might be constipated. It didn't help that I'd eaten a lot of crap since Friday, July 1: a catered dinner at our friends Ashley and Billy's wedding rehearsal, drinks and lots of fatty appetizers later that same evening, lunch at a Front Royal pizzeria the next day (though I had a meatball sandwich rather than pizza), another catered dinner at Ashley and Billy's wedding—and for our denouement, chili half-smokes and cheese fries at Nationals Park on Monday. And for my second denouement, two Georgetown Cupcakes on Tuesday, July 5, around lunchtime.

This led to some pretty hefty abdominal cramping on Tuesday right after lunch (though that morning I woke up feeling a tiny bit nauseous, which passed in relatively short order)—enough to make me consider skipping a doctor appointment I'd scheduled for later that week and instead opting right for the emergency room.

So I left work early and drove to the Reston ER, where they ran some tests and told me I had pancreatitis, which is basically inflammation of the pancreas. A possible cause mentioned was gallstones, which meant that my gallbladder might have to be removed. After they consulted with my primary care doctor, I was transferred to Inova Alexandria for hospitalization and observation.

Suffice it to say, I was rather nervous, because the last time I had been a hospital patient was when I was nine years old (bike accident), and I wasn't keen on the idea of having a body part removed, even a redundant one like the gallbladder.

Nora and I arrived at Inova Alexandria around 9:00 that evening, and I was up in my hospital room maybe an hour later. I was informed that I might have an ultrasound overnight, and that a doctor would speak to me in the morning about my test results. I went to bed around 11:00, and the rest of the night was not your typical night: at 1:30 am, I was awakened by a nurse who asked about my diet and informed me that an ultrasound would take place in another hour; at 2:30 am, I was awakened again to be taken downstairs for my ultrasound, which lasted until close to 4:00 am; at 5:30, I was awakened to have blood drawn, and sometime between 7:30 and 8:00 on July 6, I woke up to start the day.

My breakfast consisted of a full liquid diet—hot chicken broth, Jell-O, and cranberry juice. The IV I had been hooked up to since the night before kept me nice and hydrated, though it had two uncomfortable side effects: 1) it increased my blood pressure a bit more than I liked, and 2) I was visiting the men's room every 10 minutes—and carrying with me the IV hookup on wheels. I liked to use the analogy that it was like constantly walking the dog . . . though a dog that only went where it wanted to go.

I nervously waited throughout the morning for the doctor to come and speak to me, and he came shortly after lunch. He went over my test results, though I wasn't as comforted as I'd hoped to be, primarily because tests didn't find a cause for my pancreatitis. The ultrasound showed no gallstones, which itself was good news (because it meant that no body parts needed removing), but it didn't bring us any closer to finding the cause. Though various pancreatic enzymes were currently down to more normal levels after being highly elevated upon admission to the Reston ER, which was good news.

After talking at length with my doctor, the prevailing theory was this: even though gallstones didn't show up on the ultrasound, it was possible that I had some beforehand that passed from my system before coming to the ER; these gallstones could in turn could have caused a blockage in my pancreas, which would have caused the inflammation. The treatment was simply that the inflammation had to run its course, but to help it along, I'd have to adhere to a low-fat diet for a while (or at least after I returned to eating solid food). The doctor wanted me to stay one more night for observation, and if I showed progress (or at least didn't worsen), I could be released the following day.

Nora arrived at the hospital shortly after my visit with the doctor, and with July 6 being our three-year anniversary, we got to celebrate not with candles and wine but with two distinctly different hospital meals: pork, gravy, cooked potatoes, and steamed broccoli for Nora; chicken broth, Jell-O, and cranberry juice for me. Not my ideal celebration, but it did the trick. :) I got a new roommate that day, too: a very nice gentleman from Virginia Beach (I think his name was Bill) who had an equally nice family (his wife and adult daughter, who looked remarkably like a co-worker). I also had a visitor: Will, who came by late in the day bearing the gift of ginger ale.

By Thursday, my abdomen was still somewhat sore, but hadn't worsened any. According to the doctor, I would be feeling residual abdominal pain until the inflammation went away completely. He used the analogy of a sprained ankle—that it would still smart for a few days, even though the ankle was healing. With that in mind, the doctor was comfortable with the possibility of me going home that day. Which was fine with me, because going home is always a great feeling. (Plus, I had not one but two wailing patients near my room who were causing trouble with the nurses.) To test the waters of wellness, my doctor upped my diet from pure liquid to some possible solid foods. I was given cream of wheat at breakfast, and I think it was lunch that they went the full monty and allowed me to have pasta with red sauce, accompanied by cooked asparagus. My abdomen reacted well on all occasions, and by 6:30 that night, I was officially discharged from the hospital.

I was very happy to be home (and also to have the IV hookup removed from my hand!), and the first order of business was a nice, long shower. In all fairness, I probably didn't smell too good from not showering for two days. ;) But I've been eating a lot more fruits and veggies since then, have dropped about six or seven pounds (the liquid diet probably had a lot to do with that), and generally feel well. Once in a while my abdomen might protest slightly if I eat something naughty, but overall the pains have subsided, which is a huge relief.

Like I said, an unexpected way to start July.