An Apple a Day . . .

I like apples well enough, but I don't eat them every day. Maybe I should start. In addition to the medical stuff I've talked about here (heart and blood pressure problems), I had another issue I was finally able to get checked out yesterday afternoon, a breast lump my doctor found during my routine gyno exam. I had the diagnostic mammogram yesterday and ultrasound, and all appears to be clear. That was a huge relief! I hadn't told anyone, not even my sons and I tell them almost everything. Well, I had told one person who I knew would keep my confidence. I just didn't want to cause more concern and it had all come up in the midst of my trying to get in to see the cardiologist. I didn't even want to think about it.

So that was my fantastic news yesterday; I could finally stop worrying. Then last night, in an attempt to get more protein into my diet for the day (I track my food and could see I'd had way too little protein), I ate some hardboiled eggwhites. I'm not a big fan of eggs, and I detest the yolks, but it seemed like a good low-fat protein source. Less than a half hour after I ate the eggs, I felt like I had a lump in my throat. Soon my tongue started swelling. Who would think I'd be allergic to eggs? I'd eaten them lots of times before but not recently. Knowing what was going on, and that I had some time before it became life-threatening, I drove myself to the little ER around the corner. (It takes about three minutes to get there.) I asked them not to give me anything with a sedating effect unless they had to to save my life. I did not want to call someone to come get me. They gave me several shots, kept an eye on me, and let me go home soon after -- with a new prescription for an Epi-pen. Mine had expired. I felt like crap, but at least I caught the reaction before it had a chance to get too bad. I finally fell asleep, thinking, "Tomorrow will be a better day."

This morning I woke up to find that the hold from my heart cath was bleeding. That was not the start to a good day. Thinking it may have been related to something I was given in the emergency room last night, I showered and re-bandaged the hole. When it started bleeding again a few hours later, I thought I should probably call the doctor. He said I may have an infection, and it wouldn't be wise to wait until my follow-up appointment to have it checked out. He said, "I know it's inconvenient to go to the emergency room." I probably yelled that it wasn't so much an inconvenience as it was the fact I'd just been last night for an egg allergy! He expressed sympathy, but ultimately told me he would contact the ER and tell them I was coming in. Four hours, another ultrasound, and some bloodwork later, I was told I didn't have an infection but rather a psuedoaneurism of the femoral artery. From what I was able to gather, that means that blood clotted under the closure of the spot where they went in for the catheterization, and for whatever reason chose today to bust loose. I am home now, more heavily bandaged and under orders not to life, strain, or bend. I've seriously had enough. I haven't eaten anything all day, and screw fixing dinner. I popped a frozen pizza in the oven, which I'll eat with my feet propped up. Followed by an apple.