Optical Illusions Part III

I drove myself home from the hospital. My dog was happy to see me since she had spent the night alone and was accustomed to sleeping in the bed with me. I spent the remainder of that Tuesday holding my dog, resting, watching television and doing exactly what the doctor prescribed....taking it easy. I still could not speak clearly, chew or swallow. "Be patient" was all I could say to myself.

Wednesday morning, Karen called to check on me. My speech was terrible. I could not chew or swallow and had not eaten anything since Sunday. Here is our conversation...

Karen: "Are you going to call the doctor?"

Me: "I will tomorrow if I am not better."

Karen: "No, that is not an option. When are you going to call the doctor?"

Me: "I promise I will call tomorrow if I am not better. It just takes time to get the medication out of your system."

Karen: "No that is not an option. Are you calling the doctor now or am I going to call the doctor now?"

I called the doctor. He scheduled a swallow test for me the next morning. Karen took off work and came to pick me up. We got to the hospital for the swallow test. Karen was doing most of the talking because my speech was so difficult to understand. It was frustrating to attempt to communicate with others when they have no idea what you are trying to say. I sounded like someone who had a stroke that left them with a severe speech impediment. The nurses and the technicians spoke to Karen as if I was not even in the room. I wanted to scream, "HEY, I'm here!"

They fed me some more of the delicious hospital pudding with the wonderful Thick-it. I choked. It was the first time since this entire ordeal began that I felt scared. I tried it again. Again, I choked. This time it felt terrifying. I remember the feeling in my chest and my face. I could not verbally communicate but I know my eyes told Karen everything. She and the nurse took me back to the nurse's office and had me lie down on an exam table. They were talking about me. "HEY, I'm here" was all I could think. The nurse called my doctor.  My doctor told the nurse to tell me to go home. I could see a neurologist next week. Karen and the nurse kept talking about me. What should they do? Who should they call? I was invisible. ... to be continued

Things are not always what they seem. “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1