Wake up

Last week.  Not the best week for me.  I had been grappling from neck and back pain due to deer v. auto for weeks.  My days consisted of physical therapy, and futile attempts to swim without pain.  I was already coming to terms with the decision I had to make...canceling my upcoming Straits swim. The media, my friends, kayakers, my charity and many others, understood, and supported my decision. But.  

Last week, at bedtime, I developed a sudden high fever, turned bright, sunburn red, felt nauseous, and I had a huge headache.  I blew it off, and fell asleep with two ice packs by my face.  Two hours later, I woke up with the same symptoms, and chest tightness.  Michael called 911.  The dispatcher told him to give me two aspirins.  I was supposed to chew them.  Yeah.  Right.  The parameds arrived, and did an EKG, which was "abnormal."  My worst nightmare.  The prospect of spending all night in the ER.  After about 8 hours of waiting...while I was refused water, or anything else by mouth...passing the time listening to the hapless old lady on one side of the curtain hack up blood clots, and the young dude, on the other side of the curtain. Well.  I won't even go there. Gah!

The decision was made that I needed to be admitted. Well. Great.  I am in my room for no more than 10 minutes, when a cardiologist strolls in and advises me to have a heart catheterization. That was alarming.  After he explained his concern about several "abnormal" EKGs I had in the ER, I weakly agreed.  I asked when that test would need to be done.  His response: Now.  Crap. Wait. WHAT?!  Now?!!  With that, a dude grabbed my bed and wheeled down the hall at breakneck speed.  *Who trains these people?!*. We arrived at a very large, freezing cold, surgical room in minutes.  *I was wondering if we'd make it there without an accident*. I was unceremoniously transferred to a very cold slab of an operating table.  There, my pubes were shaved with about 10 people standing around.  I would have been incredibly embarrassed, had it not been for the incredibly effective drugs that were coursing through my system.  (In case I've lost you here, a heart catheritization involves threading a wire...or something from an artery in the groin to the heart.)  The test went by quickly, with no pain.  The visual I was getting was pretty wild, though. Long story short.  No heart blockage.  None.  Yay!  Except now I started developing a really stupidly painful migraine.  

Two days later I was home.  No cardiac issues! Okay.  Good to know!  

I still have that visit with the neurosurgeon next week.  I'll get through that.  I will.  The Straits are going nowhere.

July of 2016.  Yep.  I will be the oldest person to swim the Mackinac Straits. I WILL not be deterred.  I can do this.  I can do this!