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Sunday evening I had such severe stabbing pain in my lower back left side and felt like I was going to vomit any second. Alex rushed me to the ER where we sat for an hour before my being seen. Once in the ER I did begin vomiting and kept vomiting. A CT scan was done to determine why I had the pain and I was admitted. So began the 6 day stay.

Day 1- I was really “out of it” due to the pain medication given. I could barely move, but my stomach wasn’t giving in to the pain, so the vomiting continued off and on. I thought there was nothing left to vomit, but I was wrong. I spent this day mainly in pain along with the vomiting. I had an ultrasound done to determine why this was going on.

Day 2- I learned the ultrasound didn’t show anything that might be causing me to have the pain in my side. So frustrating! I want to know why the pain and what can we do about it. In all this time I was on IV, no food or drink allowed in case they had to operate on me.

Day 3- I learned the blood test done on Day 1 showed nothing new, but the previous pancreatitis was now gone. That was good news, but I still have that nagging pain. It’s a good thing I have some wonderful, caring nurses. I know it’s their job, but they are very concerned for me and expressed it. I was told the doctor in charge of my case, the one who had me admitted, wasn’t happy about not finding the cause of the pain.  She seems to think I am a mystery. Just letting my stomach “relax” and still nothing to eat or drink.

Day 4-I have lost count of how many bags of IV I’ve had. I’m more concerned today about the blood sugar levels I’ve been having, mainly due to the IV which doesn’t come in a sugar free choice. There is 4mg per bag going into my blood system, resulting in high blood glucose levels, none of which have been under 235 since I came into the hospital. The IV connection which was put into my hand on Sunday evening had to be changed today (after 3 days they fear the area will become infected, so it’s a standard rule to change it). The nurse who came to redo the IV connection had a problem with my veins. Seems they are small, but she finally managed to get the connection in place. Now the doctor is talking about possible shingles. Since I did have chickenpox as a child the disease can lie dormant in the body until a time when it may suddenly occur. My back and stomach area were checked for the rash, nothing was found. I was told shingles can take weeks to months to appear. It will be itchy. The endoscopy was done today. Nothing abnormal was found. Another test and no answers! By now I am more than frustrated. I am totally stressed out about this. My blood pressure and blood sugar are elevated.The blood pressure levels are over 250 most of the time. The blood sugar levels are still in the same range as the blood pressure. I know this means there is something wrong with my body and I certainly wish the doctors would find what it is.

Day 5- Today I had a test in nuclear medicine, one that should show if my gall bladder is working correctly. The other tests I had on this area only showed the exterior. This test will show the interior and if the gall bladder is correctly working. I get there and learn the test takes 1 1/2 hours. Getting on the metal table my back began to ache again. The first hour I was injected with a radio active matter that basically made my organs glow, like being a human glow worm. The second part a medication was injected to make the gall bladder contract to see if it was working properly. When it came time to get up off the table, I felt like I was paralyzed and couldn’t move. The nurse helped me up, but when she did I heard something pop in my lower back. When I mentioned this to the head nurse on the floor where I was staying she reported it. So, another x-ray to make sure I didn’t do something really bad to my back. That test showed stretched ligaments, so I was taking pain medication for that and having warm compresses on my lower back.The IV is taken away. A victory for me, but the blood sugar levels are still high.

Day 6- The surgeon came in to let me know I wouldn’t need surgery. All the functions the gall bladder was doing were just fine. He felt my problem would be shingles, but still there is no rash. I am also very stressed out. HA! Of course! Wouldn’t you be stressed having someone poke around your body, taking test after test and still no valid answer? Letting me go home today. Great! It’s been almost a week without a shower, taking only baths with a washcloth doesn’t help me feel better. I call Alex to pick me up at 2. Can’t wait to go home. The frustration of this week has gotten to me. I cry, wanting to hit something. There are two things I learned while in the hospital this week- my organs are all functioning properly and I lost 8 lbs. But after I come home, the pain in my back is still there. I came home feeling worse than when I went in, being in more pain now. I can’t sit or stand for very long with my back beginning to feel the deep pain. Plus I still have the pain left side near my kidney.

First day home- my blood pressure came down to a more normal level, but the blood sugar level is still in the upper 200s. I hope it will go down now that I am on my normal medication for diabetes. I am very weak and tired today. Plus the back pain is still there, no matter what I do.

Second day home- Tired, weak feeling along with the back ache. It hurts to sit, hurts to lay down, hurts to walk. I need to check in with my family doctor. I am just not sure what came be done, but the heating pad helps a bit. All in all, the stay in the hospital was frustrating. The bright spot was the nursing staff who all were so wonderful  to me and concerned, the ones who listened when I complained, who held my hand and told me it will get better, and sympathsized with me about the possibility of shingles.

I was very interested in this Cash for Clunkers being talked about on the news so I did a little research. It would appear the government is willing to help some of the citizens by giving up to $4500 for an vehicle 1984 or newer that does not have a good miles per gallon rating. Those are the “clunkers”. Under 18 miles a gallon is not beneficial and retiring that vehicle would be a wonderful idea. Unfortunately, there is a hitch to this plan- you MUST purchase a new vehicle, not a used one. I don’t feel this is fair since most people who do own an older gas guzzler are not in any way, shape, or form to purchase a new vehicle. We have one we could trade in and get this wonderful rebate, but I doubt if we could get a loan since Alex is laid off and unemployment benefits would not qualify as a “job”. I am sure there are millions of Americans in the same boat we are..unable to get what the government deems a “good” deal. Also vehicles dating back further than 1984 are not considered in this program. Doesn’t seem right, does it?

Obama is supposed to sign this when he signs the “Supplemental War Spending” bill since this is an attachment to that bill. How long that will take depends on what else is going under this bill. Why this must be an attachment and not it’s own bill is beyond me. The government will be giving the car dealerships the information for this program. While it will help car dealers, will it really help most Americans? I doubt it very much. Most are too poor or have too much bad credit to get a loan for a new car. Seems once again we are on the outside looking in.

Due to recent indigestion problems on my part, after some research on the Internet, Alex decided to buy me a book titled THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF SOY by Dianne Gregg.  What an eye opening book! I never realized too much soy in the diet could cause some of the problems I was having. Bloating, nausea, a feeling that I had to throw up, diarrhea and gas. I did go to a gastroenterologist to see what he could find. Alex even questioned soy, but the doctor didn’t seem to think that was my problem. After reading this book, I think soy may be at least part of the problem I am currently having.

Dianne stated in her book that she learned she was severely allergic to soy. She had almost died due to eating what she considered a healthy diet, which included soy. She began to gain weight, felt sick to her stomach, had nausea, diarrhea, and then almost died due to anaphylactic shock. All because she ate and drank a lot of soy products. She learned the hard way, but she wrote this book so others won’t have to learn as she did. Soy is not good for everyone.

No longer does Dianne take life for granted. She has to be very careful not to let soy ruin her life. Perhaps that is what the rest of us should also do. Cutting back on the amount of soy in your diet may help lessen problems in the future. Children are subjected to soy on a daily basis, even babies. Soy is in baby foods, soy milk, soy bars, cereals and more. We as parents have to be on the look out for dangerous things our children may eat or drink. Read labels when you are in the grocery store. If the label states soy or lecithin, and some vegetable oils in the first three ingredients, then the product has too much soy.

Soy is grown to be an emulsifier in foods. An emulsifier is a food additive that prevents separation of sauces or other processed foods. Soy is used widely in Asia, where it is fermented. The United States does not ferment the soy beans, leaving in the toxins. This may be part of the problem which Dianne suggests. More and more babies are being fed soy milk, resulting in health issues as they grow up. Studies indicate Mrs. Gregg may be right, but she may also be wrong. Would it really hurt to lessen the amount of soy in your diet? Read her book. The price is low enough so you can buy it, but it’s also well worth spending those few dollars to understand the dangers soy can have on your own health and that of your family.