Welcome to 2007 - would you like your lungs fried with that?

The new year came. The original plan was to go watch Kevin's band Pass Margo at a bar to ring in the new year. Josh and I went, but we felt a little out of place. It was a very small bar where everyone seemed to know everyone.. but us. Kevin's band was really good, albeit a little loud for the small venue. We had a few drinks and chatted a bit with Steff, Kevin, Greg and Jen, but eventually we got some invites to do some things that sounded a little more "us".

We decided to go to the warehouse party that Justin had invited us to previously. It was out in the middle of nowhere, and we left a little later than we expected.. AND we had no cash. Warehouse parties aren't usually known for taking plastic, so we spent nearly an hour looking for any place that could dispense us some cash just to get into this party, let alone have a little "holiday cheer" before the midnight hour approached.

As we were meandering around in the warehouse district, we passed Exotica. I immediately jumped on it. "Hey! A strip club!! They DEFINATELY have an ATM! Of course, they will charge you up the ass, but we can still make it to the warehouse!" So Josh ran in to the strangely packed club and managed to run out with the cash. We began hauling ass back to the warehouse.... The street right before our turn, also happened to be a train track, complete with one of the longest trains I've ever had to sit through. It was already 11:15, and this train took literlly 15 minutes to finish its cross. Pretty irritated at this point. :(

We made it to the parking lot, parked the car and then the fireworks started going off. /sigh. Oh well.. we still managed to get inside, have a couple strong drinks and see some good people. :)

I was a little upset that we missed the champagne they were giving out, but it was ok because Josh was driving and couldn't drink. So we made it home safely, but before we did, we stopped at the convenience store by Justin's house and I flirted my way into being able to get a couple bottles of champagne that Josh and I could drink and celebrate ourselves.

So the new year didn't start out too bad... but apparently I don't have any free karma chips....

3 short days later I started to feel my glands swell up, and my throat get sore. "Oh great.. I'm getting a cold." I thought. So I took it easy, had a jammy loungin day cuddled up on the couch watching movies and chilling out so I didn't worsen my condition. No such luck... My nose started to run, and then came the wheezing and coughing... and coughing.. and more coughing.

I am writing you from the confines of my hospital bed at Providence Hospital where I have been residing since Friday night when I was admitted through the emergency room. There is still no actual diagnosis to what is wrong with me, other than the fact that when I stumbled in on Friday night I was unable to breathe, hyperventalating, wheezing and coughing so hard I was vomiting.

My blood/oxygen level was down to 81%. After a few nebulization treatments in the lobby of the emergency room for 2 and a half hours, they finally got me into an exam room and took radiographs of my chest.

Apparently there is no apperance of pneumonia in my lungs, however they are abnormally large and I still can't breathe for long periods of time without assisance of oxygen. They began to treat it as an asthma outbreak, which is news to me because I'm almost 30 years old and nobody has ever said I had asthma before./shrug.

So anyway, I got admitted to the hospital and put in my very own room 6 hours after I walked in, and have been in this room ever since. Nebulizer treatments every 4 hours, where I get to wear a gas mask and sound like Darth Vader...

an asthma inhailer every 2 hours, antibiotics, iv steroid injections to try and open up my wheezing lungs, an EKG (just to rule out congestive heart failure??) anti anxiety, pain and sleeping pills.... wow. Not to mention the constant flow of oxygen up my nose non-stop. It's been interesting to say the least. But at least I'm still breathing. I guess that's the important part.

I got visitors. That was the best part for me. I've been feeling sorta outcasted due to the events of the last month, not really sure if anyone cared if I was still breathing. I guess I found that there are still some that do.

Thanks to everyone who came to see me.. It really meant a lot.

The fam: Taryn, Brian, me, Mom and Ron

My bestest boys: Geoff, Josh, me, Eldon and Ruban

and even some people that I completely didn't expect!
Matt Wilson made an appearance...

My long lost brother Michael, who I hadn't seen since I've been back on this side of the country made it out too!

and Justin came as well, with some pretty flowers in tow. :)

It hasn't been all bad sitting in bed getting people to come hang out with me either.. I also got to go for a walk and drag an oxygen tank around with me like an old lady. Weee. This was of course to insure that I don't start having blood clots in my legs from all the laying around I've been doing. I opted for the walks, because it kept them from coming in and shooting me in the stomach with a 1 and 1/2 inch needle once a day filling my gut with an anti-coagulant that burned like acid going in.

Who knows when they will let me out, when my lungs will be strong enough to not need constant oxygen when I walk a short distance. They don't even fully have any answers for me as to wtf is wrong.. but hey.. I have no insurance.. so I'll be paying for this for the rest of my life, both financially and physically!!! I missed an entire week of work, and the first day of my Winter term classes as well!!!!

2007 is shaping up to be just peachy!!!

________________________Update_______________________

This is me, leaving the hospital today.

They sent me home basically suggesting that it was a REALLY bad asthma attack, brought on by the stresses of the past couple of months, (stresses causing the poor eating and sleeping habits as well) and the increased smoking, knowing full well I'm allergic to cats and work in an environment where I work with these allergens every day, and the cold I got was just the catalyst for my body to say.. Ok Brandy.. ENOUGH!

So enough I say. I get to be on inhailers for the rest of my life, a little pred to keep my lungs open for a bit, and some Wellbutrin to help me quit smoking.. wee!

The nurse actually laughed when she read my discharge instructions. In big bold all capital letters, no kidding it says:

NEVER SMOKE AGAIN

So I guess that's my resolution eh? I sorta figured when I ended up in the hospital unable to breathe it was a good time to quit anyway. Grats me on day 5 already.