HOME FROM 5 DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL

Well, where do I start? I am still in some pain and can't really sit long in this chair, so this will be a very condensed version. I am asplenic (no spleen due to ITP - low blood platelets/autoimmune disorder). Wednesday night I came down with EXTREME chills and fever, called off sick Thursday, slept half the day, had to force myself to get up, by 5:00 p.m. I had the worst back pains of my entire life. At 3:00 a.m. I was in so much agony I could not stand, sit, or lie down. Went to the ER via ambulance. Turns out I had STREP PNEUMONIA, which is a bacterial infection in the bloodstream. Your spleen produces the antibodies which fight off these infections. Well, since I have no spleen, I could not fight it. Thank G-d I got to the hospital when I did or it would have resulted in sepsis when it started attacking my organs. So, 3 CT scans, an MRI, chest x-ray, echocardiogram, etc. etc. later here I am. Worst of all, I am allergic to Dilaudid and can only take morphine. It did NOTHING for me. So I was NEVER pain-free. The back pain is still there, just not as severe. It has been chalked up to a back injury. I am thankful to be alive. My health has gone downhill since my splenectomy in January 2003. Okay, so I weighed myself just now and I'm at 156. Uh, OMG, hello, as I'm typing this I realize I JUST MADE THE CENTURY CLUB! OMG! 101 lbs. gone. I cannot believe it. Thankful to be alive, Christine 257 / 156 / 137 -101 lbs. 19 lbs. to goal

WOW, what an ordeal you have been though! Congrats for joinging th century club!

Christine Okay YEAH 100 pounds + gone, but OMG I am so sorry to hear of this h*ll. Incredible that you got there in time. I hope you are feeling better soon Jan