Photo Diary: The E.R.

Remember that one time I was driving home from work and suddenly thought I was having a heart attack?  While I'm being slightly dramatic, I really was driving home from Payson when all of a sudden I started to get this severe sharp pain in my upper chest on the left side.  I actually get this weird, sharp pain relatively often, but it usually lasts only a few seconds - a minute.  This time, it went on for about 5 minutes straight of me driving.  I quickly got off the freeway because I was having trouble breathing and steering the wheel.  I called JD and pulled into a parking lot, in hopes that my nerves would calm down and it would go away.  WRONG.  It went on for another 15 minutes and it was much worse than I'd ever experienced.  JD met me in the parking lot, gave me a blessing, and then we decided to go to the ER after it continued to progress to the point that I really couldn't even get out of the driver's seat without a sharp pain running through my chest.

Once we got to the E.R., the pain was starting to go down, but every once in a while I'd feel that same sharpness.  Luckily, my pal Ashton {who was a health counselor when I was working at EFY back in the day} was one of the nurses that checked me in, which was awesome/embarrassing all at the same time.  I may or may not have been able to control my tears/eyeliner/mascara rolling down my cheeks.

Once I got a room, they ran a blood test, two EKG's, and a chest x-ray.  While the nurses were putting the IV in, I explained to them that as long as they promised they'd tell me everything they were going to do BEFORE they did it, I'd be fine.  Of course this led me to ask how long I needed to keep the freakin' tube up my arm.  The conversation went as follows:
Nurse: "Just as long as you're here."
Me: "Great...so like 20 minutes or so?"  Just then, I thought the nurse was going to choke on his own laugh...
Nurse: "More like 3-4 hours."
Me: Wait. You're kidding, right?  {Turn to JD} They're kidding, RIGHT?"

They weren't.  And when the doctor came to chat, I started crying all over again.  Halfway through me explaining what had happened, he cut in saying, "Are you okay?  You're crying.  Is the pain back?"
Ehhhhh...Hi, my name's Ashley and I feel SUPER awkward because no sir, the pain is not back.  It's just that I'm a woman and if I'm having a rough day, I'll be okay.  But the second you ask me if I'm okay or to explain what happened...BOOM.  Here come the tears.  How do you explain that to a male doctor you've never met before?  You don't.  You just don't.  Instead you shrug your shoulders, give a wimpy smile, and say, "No.  It's not.  I'm just a little nervous, is all."

Once all was said and done and test results were back, and three hours had passed {woof}, it was concluded that no my birth control had not caused a blood clot, and no I wasn't suffering a mini heart attack as a 24 year old GIRL {thank goodness}.  Instead, the lining on my lungs had been caught in my rib cage, which supposedly causes sharp pains near the heart {????}.  I guess there's not much you can do about it other than wait for it to pass.  And it did.  And I felt stupid for ever going to the E.R. to begin with.  Luckily, I got to get poked and prodded with needles & sit in a hospital bed laughing at my husband who was coming up with the funniest hashtags for instagram.  And I quote, "#ididntknowiwaspregnant."  That one caused a real doozy.  Sorry if his joke was misleading.  If it helps, I won't ever announce our pregnancy {especially if it's a surprise to us} on instagram FIRST.  I mean, the blog is totally the first place you should look for that piece of information. ;)

So that my friends, is the story of how I ended up in the hospital on a Monday night INSTEAD of doing Christmas crafts/preparing lesson plans.  At least I have a good story for the kiddos tomorrow?  Maybe they'll be EXTRA good for my observation out of pity...

P.S. I know the 4th picture makes me look like I'm drugged.  I'm not.  Just super grossed out at the tube shoved down my arm.  I'm sorry...it was just too funny not to share.

P.P.S. Thanks to all my sweet friends who texted and commented on the instagram.  No baby, though.  Just a minor freak out.