Over the past few years, I have developed this odd tradition of spending at least part of my Christmas holiday under close medical scrutiny. In 2005, I went into the E.R. with a severe rash on my arm; originally diagnosed as a spider bite, it turned out that what I had was actually shingles (which stayed with me for the next two months). Then, two years ago, I had surgery performed on my right shoulder just a few days before Christmas, and I did not react well to the anesthesia; as a result, the next week or so was a rather difficult one for me.
This year's saga begin on Monday night, when I began to experience chest pains unlike anything I had ever felt before. Things didn't get much better for me over the next couple of days; in fact, they got worse.
Initially, I went to InstaCare to get checked out. But as soon as I mentioned the term chest pains, they sent me directly to the hospital, as they claimed they were not capable of treating that. This is how I ended up in the E.R. at about 1:30 p.m. Christmas Eve.
The doctor and nurses who examined me originally thought I might have gallstones. For those of you Brian Regan fans out there, yes, they did ask me what my pain level was on a scale of one to 10, and I really was tempted to say 8 - but I didn't.
At any rate, after undergoing a series of tests, including an EKG, an ultrasound, and X-rays, it was determined that my hiatal hernia, which is caused by acid reflux - something I was initially diagnosed with in the summer of '99, over 10 years ago - had been acting up and was the cause of my chest pains. Further, I learned that several things I had lapsed on doing - not eating close to bedtime/after midnight and taking my daily Nexium/Prevacid pills - had aggravated my problem.
Additionally, the doctor mentioned that the number-one worst thing for acid reflux in anyone's diet (following drinking alcohol and smoking, which don't apply to most of us, myself included) is caffeinated soda. (Did you catch that, friends of mine who are so in love with Diet Coke?)
As we approach the New Year and the time for making resolutions, it looks like cutting out all soda - not just caffeinated soda - will again be at the top of my list. I tried it last year, and it took for only about two or three months. Well, appears that it's time to make a final break with Dr. Pepper, once and for all; no "just being friends," either.
I guess the good news about this strange pattern of events is that I can look forward to taking off Christmas 2010 before beginning to dread Christmas 2011!
In addition, I am very grateful that there wasn't something worse wrong with me. I spent many moments Monday through Thursday in terrible physical pain and often felt like I was dying. When acid reflux/esophagitis flares up as badly as it did with me, I'm told that the symptoms mimic those of a heart attack.
When I stop to consider the car accidents, prolonged illnesses, and other injuries that my family members have survived over the past few years, including my mom's stroke this past summer, I am additionally grateful that we are all still alive and kicking. I was, in fact, fortunate enough to be out of the hospital by the early evening and home with my family in time to participate in the annual family Christmas pageant, singing of Christmas hymns, and opening of presents.
In the many hours I waited in the E.R., the thought occurred to me that Christmas is, after all, a time for second chances of many kinds. As I was released from the E.R. and got to go home, the thought remained with me, and I was grateful that I was given a new lease on life, from a certain point-of-view.
For example, the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, as told in A Christmas Carol, is all about taking a second look at his life and being given a second chance to live it. Such is the case with George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life, my favorite Christmas movie of all time.
Indeed, the whole idea behind Christmas - the coming of a Savior to the world - is about mankind being given a second chance and being offered the opportunity to repent when we sin or make mistakes.
Maybe it's the heavy pain medication talking right now, but that's what I gathered from this experience.
And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless us, everyone.
3 comments:
I don't know who in the world you would be referring to with their love of Diet Coke...
Wow, that's scary. I'm glad it wasn't something worse and that you got to go home for Christmas! Have a good new year, Paco!
Thanks, Jules. I hope your ankle is doing better, too.
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