I started out in a hospital, it’s only fitting I celebrate my 61st birthday in one

If you can read this post at 7am on Monday, then Blogger’s scheduler worked correctly, and I am on a bus to Mercy Hospital, probably for an overnight stay.

October 31, 1961—yep that’s me.  I’ve been dazed & confused ever since

A couple weeks ago when I went to get my flu shot & covid booster, the pharmacist said I looked flushed.  I said “That’s because I sprinted 1/2 mile to make my appointment.”

Still, he asked if he could check my blood pressure, and said my medical record was flagged for that anyway.  Got my shots, all was well.

But a couple days later my doctor’s office called and said my doctor wanted me to come in for some stress tests and possible adjustments to my meds (I’m on carvedidol to regulate my heart rate and amlodipine for hypertension).

The nurse said I’d be monitored at least 12 hours, and I should bring an overnight bag.  She asked if I remembered doing this a couple years ago, I did.  I asked if I’d be staying in Mercy Hospital’s 5 star catacombs, she laughed and said probably.

Mercy Hospital is a huge place with hundreds of hospital rooms—but they have an ‘underground bunker’ of private cubbyholes for overnight stays and monitoring.  It sounds creepy but isn’t.  Your pulse and BP is taken every hour, and you leave after breakfast or lunch the next day.  You’re not even checked in or out.

Anyway, I’m thinking of requesting a check-in to the hospital afterward (or at least getting a colonscopy scheduled as soon as possible).  I’ve been dealing with some severe abdominal issues for awhile that included a pretty rough weekend and a bout of pain tonight that left me gasping for breath a couple hours.

The irony here is that when they scheduled me to come in October 31 at 8am (and to arrive 20 minutes early) a couple weeks ago, I wasn’t exactly gung-ho.  I said “Um.. that’s my birthday.” 

The woman on the phone said “Don’t you want to spend it with us?”  I said “Well… not particularly.”  She said that was too bad but not to cancel, and I said okay but asked if they could bring me a cake with 61 candles and sing Happy Birthday.

She told me no but the cafeteria had some really good banana pudding and she’d make sure I got some.  I laughed and said okay.  To quote Kay from the blog Musings—“Sigh!”

Thanks for reading, and I hope something good comes out of all of this! 

PS.  I wanted to give a special thanks to my friend Erin who is taking me out to dinner at the Sesame Inn when all is said & done, and for the awesome birthday cards I’ve gotten from my sisters Donda-Lin and Shawn, and friends Robin & Chuck, Danielle, Susie, Erin, Rick and Bobi. 

(Bobi’s had a crisp one dollar bill inside, you can’t beat that!)

Happy Halloween Everyone