Kidney Saga part 2

I woke up on the second of January with both my hands so swollen I couldn't touch my fingertips to my palms. As I was seeing the doctor that day, I was hopeful she would have an answer for me. My biggest fear, as I told hubby-Eric after the appointment, was that she would take one look at me and send me to the emergency room.

Ha.

She ordered blood and urine tests and a chest x-ray, and I went home, relieved to finally be hunting for answers. The call the next morning was a shock, because I'd actually been wondering if we could take a drive to see my mother on her birthday (the third). But I was doubting it, as the doctor did prescribe a "pee pill" to help with the swelling and bloating, and I was told I would not want to be far from a bathroom. A three-hour drive is not a good idea if I need a bathroom every 20 minutes.

The doctor called the morning of the third and told me I needed to get admitted to the hospital right away. There was far too much protein in my urine, and that indicated a kidney problem. She was extremely worried. She asked which hospital I wanted to go to and I said, without hesitation, Prosser. Although there is a hospital in my hometown, it's in bankruptcy. As it turned out, I made the right choice.

Eric quickly got me to Prosser, and I was set up in the emergency room. The nurses were a little shocked at how swollen I was, and the initial attempts to get a blood draw were extremely difficult. It took four different people before they managed to set an IV and pull enough blood for tests. Thank you to Wesley, who finally managed the task.

A LOT of different nurses and techs visited me while I was in the emergency room, including an ultrasound expert who joked about me being in the "spa" and one really old-fashioned nurse who was simply awesome to listen to. She brought me a hot blanket and the visit got infinitely better immediately.

It wasn't long before the doctors decided I needed to stay the night. My heart wasn't pumping like it should. They were extremely concerned. So I got hooked up to heart monitors and taken to a nice quiet room to rest.