| 026 | No Food | 2008-12-31 |
It’s New Years Eve and I am still in the hospital. It’s not that everyone is not nice, it’s just that the hospital is the last place I want to be. We were going to have a small party at our house tonight for some special friends. Nothing crazy unless you think a rambunctious game of charades is wild. Amy called and cancelled the get together.
So I guess I am feeling a bit sorry for myself, but back to the story...
Before coming to the hospital, Amy had made me a veggie hot dog, but I felt too sick to eat it even though I had not eaten a meal on any consequence for several days. Now in the care of the hospital they ran an IV into my arm which they feed, hydrated, and medicated me. They would not let me eat or drink. Somehow the doctor thought that I was going to choke.
Every nurse and doctor I saw, I pleaded with them to let me have something to drink and eat. I longed for the veggie dog that I shunned just days prior. I was getting desperate, but Amy would not slip me a morsel.
Finally my prayers were answered and an eating therapist came into my room to see if I was capable of eating and drinking. I past the test with flying colors.
A nurse then brought me a pitcher of water which I emptied as quickly as possible. Water never tasted better. I could not believe the doctor would not let me drink.
Around noon came my medicines - various pills, vitamins, and cough syrup. I quickly downed the pills and vitamins, giving me an excuse to drink even more water. The nurse was allowing me to medicate myself, after I was allowed to eat again none of the nurses wanted to stand too close for fear of cannibalism.
The cough syrup came in a syringe. I put it in my mouth under the nurses watchful eye, and pushed on the plunger, nothing happened. I pushed even harder - still no action. I knew I was weak from lack of food, but this was ridiculous. I pushed even harder and suddenly the cough medicine burst from the syringe like a jet stream and down my throat. My windpipe did not close quickly enough and I was choking. Thinking quickly I drank more water and hid my discomfort until the nurse left the room.
With the room finally empty, I hacked and barked for ten minutes as Amy hit me on the back trying to clear my airway. Finally I got the coughing under control and settled back in bed with an easy breathing rhythm. I don’t know if the caution for me aspirating was real or not, but one thing was for sure I was not going to let them take my food and water away from me again, but I did think I heard the nurses at the door snickering as they secretly watched over me.
Happy New Years!