I’m Still Alive [UPDATE]

20Feb/1030

I’m Still Alive [UPDATE]

Darn it.

Nice to be home. Thanks to all for the very many well-wishes and to two readers for their generous donations. I'm still tired, so going to bed, but will write about it more tomorrow morning.

Hope all of you are well and happy, too.

In comments to Enoch's post about my latest hospital stay, La Diana breaks out some awesome nurse-fu and asks a series of good questions about my diagnosis. Most of the questions can be answered by the following: at intake, my BP was 50/70, and my heart rate low. Normally, if one's blood pressure were as low as that, the heart rate would be high, he'd be sweaty, etc. So, once again, it seems likely that I accidentally ingested one of Aidan's propanolol, which he takes to deal with one of the side effects of clozapine, namely akithesia (feeling uncomfortable in his own skin).

The previous time, 6 weeks ago, I'd gotten a CT-scan of the brain, which showed it is as normal as one might be willing to expect. In fact, because Aidan's in an NIH study group for childhood onset schizophrenia and gets follow-ups every other year, I already have a larger collection of such scans than most people have the chance to accumulate. Bloodwork shows no sign of infection, and my internal organs all seem to have tolerated the low blood pressure well.

Mornings, when I wake up---and the cats make sure I'm the first person to wake up, prior to 6 am---I have to get Aidan his meds (he arises when he hears me), feed the cats, make the coffee, start the lunches, smoke my cigarette, and so forth, so it's entirely possible for me to mistake one of Aidan's pills for one of mine. In the wake of this latest, we've gone back to the practice of filling Aidan's pill tray for the week, so that ought to eliminate the possibility of such a mistake.

Last time, at a different local hospital, they drew blood for a gas chromatography reading to find out whether a foreign substance such as one of Aidan's meds would have caused the problem, but misplaced the blood. So, I should find out soon, though once again the samples have to go to Mayo. On the plus side, I've become much more tolerant of needles than ever before, having been turned into a pin-cushion. Dad, who's a pathologist, suggested that it might have been an adrenal issue, but it's not, so that's one thing eliminated. Depending on the results, though I myself think it likely that I mistook medications, I may have a date with an endocrinologist.

I want to thank you all for your fretting and your prayers on my behalf. I can never get too much of the latter, though I'm sorry about the former. I want to thank Stephen N. and happyfeet for their very kind donations. I promise that I'll use them in good health. ;-)