Trip to the Beach & the Hospital (again!)
Welcome to my blog, where I share my experiences living with Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM). It’s based on personal experiences and is not meant to provide medical advice, which you should always seek from your care team. Thanks for checking it out.
In my last post, I promised to tell you about the trip to the beach after the class reunion, and here it is, a story with some unanticipated and unwanted drama.
After the class reunion, the visits with my siblings, the Washington State Fair, and the Point Defiance Zoo, I met up with my friend to spend a few days at her condo on the Oregon Coast. She’d driven up to get me and then we went to her friend’s place in Olympia. The view from there was unbelievable. We had a great time and were fed so well I wasn’t sure we’d need to eat for the rest of the trip.
Early the following day, we set out for Oceanview. The trip to the coast is always scenic and peaceful. My friend had acquired a cold and cough sometime along her way to Olympia, but it did not seem very serious. We stopped at our favorite place for lunch and had our usual: crabcakes for her and a chicken sandwich for me.
We arrived at the condo without stopping for groceries and got the hot water tank going. Then we went back to the grocery store to get cheese and crackers for snacks or meals when we were not very hungry.
The weather was beautiful, but my friend did not feel like going anywhere, so we ate the leftovers and snacks and had a glass of champagne to celebrate getting there one more time. We watched the ocean from inside and then went to bed.
My friend’s cold turned out to be a bit rougher than she had anticipated, so she wasn’t up for doing much outside the condo. We did manage to go to dinner at Rosanna’s, though. We had their famous boysenberry cobbler for dessert. You can't miss that!
The next day, it was raining, and my friend did not even get dressed. When the rain stopped, I went to the beach alone to put my feet in the ocean. When I returned to the condo, the trouble began.
I tried to speak to my friend, but only nonsense came out. I knew what this was: a TIA (a mini-stroke). It was just like when it happened a year ago. Only this time, the headache was even worse, and I was pretty nauseous. I knew I needed to tell my friend I needed to go to the hospital right then, but it was hopeless. I grabbed a piece of paper, thinking I could write, but that didn’t work either. At first, it was working, but when it came to the critical part about needing an ambulance or hospital, I just wrote Qs and vowels. I was in trouble.
Thankfully, my friend called my husband, and he let her know that it was a medical emergency and that she needed to get me to the hospital ASAP. My daughter will want me to say here that she probably should have called an ambulance rather than drive me to the hospital, as emergency medical personnel have drugs and tools in the ambulance that are imperative for taking care of a stroke. By the time we got to the hospital, at least one option for treating stroke was no longer available to me. Anyway, I did get to the hospital safely, and I’m grateful to my friend for handling it, especially when she was ill. (Many thanks, too, to Tillamook Hospital staff!)
In the emergency room, they did the usual tests for stroke and gave me several medications, including a statin. I was unable to talk to tell them that since I had IBM, I should not be given any statins. This is why my daughter had told me to get a medic alert bracelet after my first TIA. Lesson learned! I ordered one as soon as I got home. It says I have IBM, that I cannot have statins, and that I’m allergic to penicillin. Anyway, like with the first TIA, I had a full recovery with no residual symptoms. I could not talk for longer than the first one - more than a day - but I only had to stay at the hospital overnight, and they sent me home the next day. I arranged an earlier flight back home and was in my own bed that same night. What a trip!
As is the case with any hospital stay, visits to one’s regular providers are the next step, and my cardiologist put me on new meds and gave me strict orders to change my diet, think about cholesterol, and never drink alcohol again. My high blood pressure is already a risk factor, and I need to lower my risk in any way I can. TIAs are considered warnings of a future stroke, and we must take that risk seriously. My daughter was surprised to find a connection to IBM when researching TIAs and cardiovascular issues - so even IBM elevates my cardiovascular risk. I will still walk for 1 hour daily, do my IBM exercises, and swim when possible, all of which are good for the heart and circulation. I am capable and will not forget that. But admittedly, it’s no joke, being in your 80s!
On the one hand, these requirements are an annoying challenge - eat less salt, don’t drink out at lunch with my friends, and get my cholesterol even lower than it already is. But I’m up for the challenge. I also understand how vulnerable I am when around folks who don’t know much about my health challenges. I now have the medical alert bracelet, and my daughter made me some cards I can pull out of my purse that say, “I am having a stroke and cannot speak; Please call 911.”
All in all, it was a great trip. It ended on a dramatic and scary note, but I’m glad I could see my siblings, hang out with my grandkids and great-grandkids, see my old high school friends and acquaintances, and even join my eldest daughter to pay respects to my own parents. I’ll keep you all posted on how things are going. Meanwhile . . .
These principles remain steadfast:
Attitude Is Everything: A positive mindset is a strong ally when things are tough
Embrace Daily Joys: Experiencing what you love can light up even the darkest days
Cherish Relationships: Expressing love and gratitude is a salve for both you and others
Hobbies within Reach: Pursuing passions tailored to your abilities infuses life with purpose
The Gift of Giving: Volunteering can give a sense of fulfillment and being capable
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
This blog post is based on personal experiences and is not meant to provide medical advice.
Always consult your healthcare professional for personalized guidance on your health journey.
