A Room With a View

After spending three days in the Nathan Littauer Hospital in Gloversville New York, looking out over the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, I can safely say that I am glad to be home and I am well rested. I had a bit of a wake up call on Monday, and can only admit that I am torn about the decisions I have had to make this week, but quite sure that I have made the right ones. As you may have read previously, I had injured my rib last week. The circumstances of the injury are boring and embarassing so we won't go into them, plus for those of you who follow the blog, they are redundant. Anyway, after a week of excruciating pain and the realization that I really should get checked out by a professional, not to mention get some effective pain meds. My rib was sore, and Tylenol was not cutting it at all. After seeing the Nurse Practioner, whom I like very much and trust implicitly, I was sitting in the chair while she wrote up a prescription for some pain meds. I was so close to a clean getaway when all of a sudden,I fainted. I am not a fainter, and truth be told,I don't hold much respect for fainters. It's a prejudice I never realized I held until I was the one coming to and saying "what happened?" Well, that little faint bought me a ticket to the E.R. Go to the head of the line. Passing all the waiting ER patients, I was whisked right into a bay and plugged up to an IV, heart monitor, and pressure sensor. Effectively, I was in. This was not my plan, but I didn't have much choice. My blood pressure was too low, I was anemic, Type 1 Diabetic and Cardiac patient with two heart stents. I was not going home. This is the constant source of my reluctance to go to the Doctor or ER whever I am in need of urgent medical care (reference smashed shin in May) Whatever I actually go there for becomes secondary when they hear my medical history. It's a golden ticket to a room on the third floor. Damn! So, long story short, I have a few medical issues that will need me to re-focus my attentions on taking care of me. Better control with my diabetes, not working to the point of exhaustion and listening more closely to the signs of my body saying "slow down! We can't keep up!" This is very hard for me to do. My passion is the theatre, and it takes alot of time and energy to be the one calling the shots and making it happen. I love this job. But I don't love it as much as me or my family, and I need to make sure that I am giving myself the important benefit of our situation. We are here in Caroga lake because I needed to slow down. And apparently, I need to slow down more. I thought I had, but I guess it was not slow enough. I was so close to a clean getaway at the Doctors, but I think it was a divine intervention that just changed that situation very quickly and efficiently. Home-No. Hospital?-Yes. Oh well. So I am here and very grateful to have another chance to get it right. I guess we keep learning don't we? We will learn until we get it right. And what do you think they sent me home with? Tylenol.