pantsfarm

Ok so here’s the story.

On Wednesday morning, under somewhat unclear circumstances, I started vomiting, a lot. Unclear because I’m not sure what caused such terrific distress to my stomach, but at this point my best guess is taking too much of an expired decongestant.

So, around lunchtime when this hits me full on, I realize how nauseous I feel and start moving towards the nearest toilet. I get there in time and place all my stomach fluids into the bowl, however in the process I slam my shoulder on the door frame and then catch myself pretty hard on my right arm as I come in to spew.

I proceed to deposit everything in my stomach into the toilet and then some. When I finally stand up I am exhausted, feel disgusting, and red splotches have appeared around my eyes due to the vomiting. My shoulder is sore but I’m not even thinking about that yet.

I make it back to my desk and explain that I’m not feeling too good. My boss encourages me to see a doctor but I think I’d rather just lay down and sleep. So a cab is called and I head home.

Upon getting home, I’m realizing that my shoulder is still in pain and I can’t move my arm too well. Still I delay in actually getting the aid of a doctor, and try to take a nap.

After a few hours, still awake and in pain, I look at my shoulders in a mirror and notice that they’re particularly uneven. It is only then that I decide it’s time to see a doctor. So, I make some calls to people who can help me in getting to and communicating with doctors.

After one stop at a clinic that is not equipped to handle my needs, I end up at the Beijing Family United Hospital, which seems to me like a pretty nice place, except for the fact that I’m wincing with every move. I’m brought in and they check my temperature and blood pressure, and ask me some questions about what I’m there for (was vomiting, not anymore, now my shoulder hurts a ton). I don’t have a fever and everything seems normal except for my shoulder, which the doctor there, Dr. Sakarapani, looks at and says that it appears that it may be dislocated, and I’m going to need some x-rays. After that it’s off to radiology.

I get some x-rays, and wait a bit for them to get developed and examined and whatever is done. It’s confirmed that I did dislocate my shoulder, and that I’ve got a couple options. Unfortunately though this I’d been drinking water, which means no general anesthesia for me, at least not right away. Given that, I can either wait and come back in the morning, or, do something else that I wasn’t even really considering or paying attention to. At this point somebody’s injected me with morphine so the pain is reduced but I am also no longer following everything quite as well.

It’s agreed then that I’ll come back the next morning, after fasting, so that I can be put under and have my shoulder “relocated”. I’m given a bunch of percocets, and off to home I go.

The night is awful, because around one AM, the percocet wears off, and I can’t take any more because I can’t eat anything until after I get my shoulder relocated. I do not sleep well, it is painful and unpleasant for many hours. 7:30 can’t come soon enough for me.

Eventually though, it does, and I return to the hospital. That cab ride was considerably more unpleasant than the earlier ones. I get there, they check my vitals again, and explain what’s going on. Apparently I have a pretty low resting heart rate, which somebody comments on.

The plan is basically to knock me briefly unconscious, and while I’m out, to move my arm around until my shoulder slips back into place. That’s it. After, they’ll wake me up, and I’ll wear a sling for a few weeks. All the while, they’re putting electrodes on me, explaining the risks of anesthesia, and inserting an IV.

Finally the time comes, and the two doctors (the first two on this list) show up. Dr. S, who’s still there since the previous night on Anesthetic duty, and Dr. McNern on shoulder-relocation. Dr. S starts injecting stuff and I ask what’s that? He tells me some chemical name, and that it’s going to relax me. Then he says he’s injecting fentanyl, and I remember remarking that it feels weird in my arm.

The next thing I know, I’m looking at Dr. McNern who’s asking me if I remember any of that. I don’t. But my shoulder is back in place, and I’m awake again, and so I assume everything’s gone ok. They explain that everything did go ok, and what the follow up is. I have to stick around for a while, make sure I come back from the anesthetic ok and generally don’t have my condition deteriorate, and then I can go. Later, if I have pain or anything, I can come back to see an orthopedist, or if everything seems good, just, don’t come back. I drink some apple juice and it is amazing because I haven’t eaten or drank anything in a long time.

And so that’s it. I dislocated my shoulder, used a bunch of painkillers I’ve never had before (that I can remember), morphine, oxycodone (percocet) and fentanyl. They all work.

The staff at the hospital was all fantastic, and I can’t be thankful enough for the help of the people who took me to the hospital and then back home after. Now all I have to do is be careful not to dislocate my shoulder again.

You have no idea how difficult it was to type this with one hand.