jdillard's Journal

So I have my lovely collagen disease that makes my life so eventful! Well, yesterday was one of those VERY eventful days! My mom came in and woke me up and I hurt horrible right when I woke up--not the greatest thing to wake up to, but, sadly, it's not that uncommon for me to wake up in pain. Anyways...My mom helped me do my physical therapy stuff for my hip, and then she left to go to church. I usually go to church at a different time, so I was still just laying in bed resting. She had told me that it's okay if I didn't go today--maybe I should just stay home and rest--and I told her that I'd see how I was feeling.

Well, I gradually started getting ready because I really wanted to try and go (one of my friends was going to be leaving to go back to school for fall semester and so I wanted to see her). I was hoping that taking a warm bath and resting while trying to get ready in breaks might help the pain, but not yesterday--that pain just wasn't going away! Finally a few hours later I had gotten myself ready and was heading out the door. One of my good friends, Eric, called me to see if I was already at church or if I was coming. I told him I was on my way and I'd see him soon, and he asked me if I was okay (because I was late and didn't sound the best on the phone) and I told him I was okay I was just having one of my worst flare-up days ever! I got to church and went in and sat with my friends, and as sunday school got over and we were heading out the door my best friend, Jenna, came and was talking to me. She's so sweet, she looks at me and was like 'Jackie, I'm not trying to sound mean or anything, but you don't look very good. Are you okay? You look like you're either in a lot of pain or sick.' I just looked at her and told her that I wasn't okay and it was both--I was in horrendous pain and it was making me sick! She was like 'would you like me to just take you home?' But I told her that I wanted to try and stay for the rest of church. So we started walking to go down the hallway towards the chapel. Jenna, being so sweet and always watching out for me, asked if I would like to hold on to her--for extra support. I had my crutch that I have to use with one arm (the other arm I had surgery on so I can't really use a crutch with that one yet), and I held on to her arm with my other hand. As we walked, very slowly I might add, down the hall I stopped (my shoulder popped a little bit) and just stood there. She stopped and looked at me and was like 'are you okay? let me just take you home.' I just started crying and I was like 'Jenna I hurt so bad and I don't feel good.' We, Jenna and I and a coupld of our other friends, stood there for a minute, and all of a sudden the pain got so bad, I got so dizzy, and I just said 'Jenna, I don't feel very good' and bam...I passed out!!!!

Jenna and a couple of the other girls caught me and laid me down. I was kind of in and out of it.  So, Jenna called my mom and someone else called 911, and my mom came to the church, the paramedics came, and the ambulance. They said everything--like my vitals and stuff--looked fine, but they better take me up to the hospital to check everything out. So, off I went--I in the ambulance, my mom driving, and my friends still at church.

So, we get to the hospital, and they had to move me between beds and everything and the pain was just horrible--I cried like everytime they moved me! Luckily, the doctor that came in to see me knew some about Ehlers Danlos, so that was very nice! They ran lab work, did a CT on my head, chest x-ray, and a CT on my chest. Everything looked okay--my heart was okay which was great! So, they let me come home, and I've just been staying in bed all day today! If I try to get up or anything the pain and dizziness just comes back. I mean, I'm still in horrible pain just laying down, but it's the lowest amount it can be right now compared to sitting up and/or getting out of bed.

The doctor said she thinks that I have costochondritis again--which is inflammation between my ribs and my sternum, so everything is inflammed and pushing on things! She said it's because of my Ehlers Danlos and the ribs and sternum not being so tight and strong that they're just slidding over one another and slipping and stuff. Which made sense, because like the day before I had sneezed and felt a little pop in my ribs which hurt, and yeah. So, I'm on my anti-inflammatories, pain meds, and just laying in bed! I go back to my family doctor tomorrow morning to have a follow-up and see what to do!

I hate having Ehlers Danlos sometimes!!! It totally sucks trying to even just sit up and having such horrible pain in my chest, through my ribs, and a massive headache (from my head hurting and then my kneck popping and making it worse) that I can't even function! I mean I'm so grateful for the health that I do have, for my family and friends, and just being able to live, but it's just hard sometimes!!!

So, I guess we'll see what the doctor says tomorrow and go from there! I'll try and write again tomorrow on what's going on! Thanks for the hugs and for everyone being there for me...I love you guys!