Surviving a cold

So, I've had a bad cold (cough, low-grade fever, runny nose, stuffed up nose, headaches, etc.) since last Tuesday. I was out of work from Tuesday 10am through Friday, returning just today!

And I went to the ER on Friday afternoon because of intense Crohn's pain in my abdomen. Well, I'm not positive that it was Crohn's, but it was my abdomen and was related to cramping sensations and nausea. It was horrible. But when I walked in the door of the hospital(after my husband left work early to come help me), my pain left me. If I pressed on my abdomen it was sore, but otherwise, no pain.

They said it was good that I had come in and indeed, my GI doc is the one who okayed me going in in the first place. But I sure felt like the little girl who cried wolf.

I almost felt like it had been a dream, that horrible pain in the morning and afternoon. It was nearly as bad as a bowel obstruction pain, only it didn't ebb and flow like one. And I had reached a point where I was not only looking forward to the ER for its pain killers, but also for the NG tube that would help me feel better! You know I'm really in pain if I'm welcoming the NG tube.

So, they did urine tests and blood tests and they came back normal, except that I was dehydrated from not drinking or eating anything after breakfast for fear of worsening the pain. My blood and urine tests said my nutrient levels and white blood cell counts were normal, which isn't usually the case in normal time!

I left at 6:30pm, three hours after entering the ER, and I was in no pain, having received only an IV of fluids, no drugs and a diagnosis of "abdominal pain, NOS" and "upper respiratory infection" (AKA cold), which I already knew!

I'm feeling fine. I didn't eat anything Friday night and took it really easy Saturday and Sunday with eating. Today I have some gas but nothing terrible, especially if I had walked some after lunch.

Praise God for his sustaining presence.

And if you think of it, please pray for my friend, John, who is struggling with cancer. Late last week they found an alarming growth on his spine that was causing him enormous pain and that needed to be removed. So, they started immediate radiation therapy. Please pray for him and his family. My pain is so small compared to his.