Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Hospital Stay

MadHatter - 14-5-2010 at 18:20

I'll get back on account creation ASAP. I just got out of the hospital. On Wednesday,
I was driving when my vision suddenly burred, went gray, and then black. I struck
a parked vehicle not even realizing it. I was taken to the hospital where it was found
that my kidneys nearly stopped working due to severe dehydation, potassium levels
depleted, glucose level near hypoglycemic. Blood pressure had dropped to 88/52 and I
was suffering from a sinus infection. One medication was the cuplrit. I had something
similar happen in the past without a vehicle accident. So all of the medications have been
changed and I'm on the road to recovery. Because of the kidney problem, I was subjected
to several injections of anti-coagulants. So I still fell like a sore pin cusion at the moment.

Please be patient as I recover.

Ephoton - 14-5-2010 at 18:44

im so sorry to hear that hatter. my thoughts go out to you.

I am glad the accident was not a lot worse.

Sedit - 14-5-2010 at 20:16

Yes, get well soon. Good to see things didn't go as bad as they could of in that situation though an its nice to hear that your still with us.

not_important - 15-5-2010 at 01:30

Wow. Take the time you need to get well again, pretty heavy stuff there so don't push things. Misbehaving kindeys are not to be taken lightly, even if your now off the meds that caused the problem I'm hoping that they've got you getting blood panels ever so often for awhile.

Glad the collision was not worse, annoying though what did happen may be it's minor to what could have happened.

psychokinetic - 15-5-2010 at 13:28

Wow. Ten points for going all out on the occasion, but I do hope you recover well and prompt.

Thanks to all who replied

MadHatter - 17-5-2010 at 17:21

Thanks for wishing me well. I'm still feeling a litlle dizzy and wobbly in the legs. Work has
scheduled me off this week. I'm scheduled off the following week which was originally
planned anyway. My boss and I are in the same "use it or lose it" situation as we can
only carry over so much vacation. We're considered the workaholics of the group.

Anyway, while reviewing my hospital discharge papers, I noticed a medication I was
given and, quite frankly, it scares the hell out of me. The medication is insulin. If I'm
ever diagnosed as being type 1 diabetes(insulin dpendent), my days as a commercial driver
are over. This condition is a disqualifier under CFR 49.

And, oh yes, though not a disqualifier - the hospital, along with my doctor insists that I
give up smoking. The last time I tried that I was an unbearable son of a bitch !

[Edited on 2010/5/18 by MadHatter]

aonomus - 17-5-2010 at 17:41

Quote: Originally posted by MadHatter  
Thanks for wishing me well. I'm still feeling a litlle dizzy and wobbly in the legs. Work has
scheduled me off this week. I'm scheduled off the following week which was originally
planned anyway. My boss and I are in the same "use it or lose it" situation as we can
only carry over so much vacation. We're considered the workaholics of the group.

Anyway, while reviewing my hospital discharge papers, I noticed a medication I was
given and, quite frankly, it scares the hell out of me. The medication is insulin. If I'm
ever diagnosed as being type 1 diabetes(insulin dpendent), my days as a commercial driver
are over. This condition is a disqualifier under CFR 49.

And, oh yes, though not a disqualifier - the hospital, along with my doctor insists that I
give up smoking. The last time I tried that I was an unbearable son of a bitch !

[Edited on 2010/5/18 by MadHatter]


Try nicotine inhalers, at the very least they give you the nicotine fix without all the other chemicals.

Hope you feel better, they may have given you the insulin to try to restore your carbohydrate stores after giving you more glucose over a period of time (so that your blood glucose levels wouldn't crash down right after you stopped having your glucose IV).

watson.fawkes - 17-5-2010 at 20:11

Quote: Originally posted by aonomus  
Hope you feel better, they may have given you the insulin to try to restore your carbohydrate stores after giving you more glucose over a period of time (so that your blood glucose levels wouldn't crash down right after you stopped having your glucose IV).
My thoughts exactly, more or less. Insulin drives uptake of glucose from the blood.

Fallout

MadHatter - 19-5-2010 at 06:27

I went into work this morning and my boss showed me a video recording of the car
I hit. Bumper damage. I must have been in a total blackout because the tape also
showed me getting out later inspecting my vehicle. I've been suspended for 3
days and may still be issued a citation for hit and run. The problem is that I can't
remember the incident at all. This was considered an unsatisfactory explanation
to my boss. The fallout will continue and possibly leading to the termination of my job.

BTW, I haven't had a traffic ticket in 26 years.

And to think this shit started when my doctor doubled the dose on my blood pressure
medication. At least the diruretic component is gone.

Wish me luck.

gnitseretni - 19-5-2010 at 07:08

No traffic ticket in 26 years??? Geez, you deserve a break IMO!

watson.fawkes - 19-5-2010 at 10:50

Quote: Originally posted by MadHatter  
Wish me luck.
Good luck, but also know that it's completely possible to be conscious and functioning and then to not remember any of it if the processes that lay down long-term memory are interrupted afterward, which seems to be the case here. Now I don't know how to communicate this to your boss, but your recount of memory loss doesn't even seem very surprising to me.

chemrox - 19-5-2010 at 10:50

Do get well and watch those electrolytes! What state are you in? You may u2u that information if you prefer. Or blow it off but I have a little experience with one or two DMV's. I used to drink..

zed - 20-5-2010 at 00:55

My computer chair is a stationary exercise bike. I am pedaling away, right now.

I don't salt food, and I avoid prepared foods that have lots of salt in them. When I crave salt , I use Nu-salt (KCl ) instead . I eat lots of fresh produce, and not too much greasy stuff. Eight hours of sleep every night. No smoking. No drinking alcohol. It's austere, but I'm surviving.

These perverse habits keeps my blood pressure at 110-120 over 70-80. I'm relatively old and wicked, but I take no medicines except for Milk Thistle for my sluggish liver.

My daddy dropped dead, at the ripe old age of 53, despite being very well medicated. I took notice, and I got off of cigarettes asap.

I just lit up a joint every time I felt the craving to puff on something. This kept me fairly stoned for about ten days. After which time, I was no long addicted to cigarettes, and I wasn't very enthusiastic about smoking pot either. Such treatment would be considered legal currently, in most of the Western States.

Never smoked again. Been about forty years now.

Well, that's just me. Everybody has to find their own way.

In the meantime, talk to your union rep, and a lawyer.

People my be pissed at you, but you have a legitimate reason for your odd behavior. Medical problems.









[Edited on 20-5-2010 by zed]

quicksilver - 21-5-2010 at 06:40

Very strange but (at close to the same time) a friend of mine had close to the same thing happen to him (albeit without the fender bender). Kidneys shut down, dehydration, potassium level gone...the whole 9 yards.

- Get well; don't sweat the small stuff, & fuck 'em if they don't go for a little hit of insulin once in a while.

Confirmed

MadHatter - 21-5-2010 at 08:48

The suspension was confirmed but I can live with it. I'm more concerned with the
particular medication. I go back to the doctor in a week. I may need a change of
medication to different effect - something like a beta blocker ? I'm still dehydrating
but not nearly as bad as those diuretics. I was presxribed a diruretic back in the 80's
that wiped me out and I was in my late 20s then ! That one had to be stopped
completely because I couldn't keep my eyes open.

So far of the tests given in the hosiptal, all but 1 were negative. The results still
aren't back yet on that test.

BTW, new FTP accounts created.

franklyn - 22-5-2010 at 17:43

Just now read this thread , welcome back MadHatter.

Hydrochlorothiazide , 10 to 1 that was it !
My mother was twice hospitalized stark raving mad from the
electrolytic imbalance precipitated by this particular diuretic.
It's a cheap adjunct to more expensive antihypertensives and
supposedly has few and benign side effects. So since when is
Hyponatremia a minor side effect ? She's been on a regimen
entirely of antihypertensives eight years now.

.

mr.crow - 22-5-2010 at 18:04

Your company may try to fire you. They don't want 'sick' people hanging around but can't discriminate so they will make up a bullshit reason. Just something to look out for.

If you get any traffic tickets for the hit and run you can fight it since it was a legitimate medical problem. They issue tons of tickets to get their quota and maybe a fell will stick.

Two things you shouldn't have to deal with right now

Globey - 22-5-2010 at 19:20

Wish you all the best MadHatter. May you call on strengths you may not realize you have. I will prey as well for you.

zed - 22-5-2010 at 21:10

Lawyer up!

Diuretics

MadHatter - 26-5-2010 at 15:51

Just got back from the doctor. The EEG turned out to be negative, so it was the
diuretics. The doctor did, however, add a calicum channel blocker to the regimen.
The doctor won't use bet blockers because of my emphysema. Things are
looking up !

Sedit - 26-5-2010 at 21:10

Good to hear man hope all stays well in coolsville.

Panache - 27-5-2010 at 00:13

Quote: Originally posted by not_important
Wow. Take the time you need to get well again, pretty heavy stuff there so don't push things. Misbehaving kindeys are not to be taken lightly, even if your now off the meds that caused the problem I'm hoping that they've got you getting blood panels ever so often for awhile.

Glad the collision was not worse, annoying though what did happen may be it's minor to what could have happened.

/rquote  


Well i disagree, people when they commit to things need to follow through, i can see why he's getting the boot at work. When my wife died i managed to drop her at the morge on the way to work and wasn't even late that day or any day. I then scheduled the funeral for a public holiday seven weeks later so i didn't have to miss another work day(actually i didn't go to the funeral, it had been so long since i'd organised it i totally forgot, i had chosen the cheap catering option for the wake so there wasn't much point regardless.
There's something suspicious about no traffic infringement for 26years, obviously he know the local cops. What do you bribe them with, money? drugs? the odd anonomus account here and there? who's really paying for this, we are, society is suffering.
Kidneys, though important, aren't everything, i mean you have two of them and even without them there's dialysis, had you had a worse accident you may actually better off, i mean your work wouldn't have the balls to sack a quadriplegic would they, but with you able bodied they have no qualms, if you get behind the wheel again fake another blackout and this time do the job right, at speed over an incline.
Does this cheer you up? I'm like Patch Adams!!!

No offense to anyone despite the sweeping generalisations made herein.
I have attached a picture of my dog to cheer you up also, i mean imagine if you looked like that.

Unfortunately upon rereading this post i feel compelled to delete it, but because i am so selfless i won't.


14-05-10_2101.jpg - 64kB

hissingnoise - 27-5-2010 at 08:09

I see you've been through the mill, MadHatter. . .
I don't much like hospitals myself, and I'm not crazy about bosses, cops or legal types, either!
Hope you're well soon - and try not to let that other stuff get you down too much.


DOT Recertification

MadHatter - 2-6-2010 at 19:40

Went back to work only to get handed a paper ordering a recertification. The DOT
doctor wants the information from the hospital and my doctor despite my blood
pressure being normal again. I'm still waiting for my doctor to sign off and supply the
necessary paperwork. During this red tape, I'm ordered on "sick leave" although
I feel perfectly fine. This is to be expected in today's sue happy environment.

Sedit - 2-6-2010 at 19:59

You feel fine and are not allowed back to work? Sounds like Vacation time to me. Good for stress relief and what ails ya anyway to just head out somewhere and get away from it all in someplace you truely enjoy. Good for the healing process no matter how you look at it.

Back In The Saddle !

MadHatter - 8-6-2010 at 13:40

Despite the complications of recertification and delays I'm finally back at work as of
today. Ironically, the 3 day suspension may end up costing very little. 2 other drivers
will be out for a good part of the summer. This usually means necessary overtime.
It's happened before and will probably happen again.

Over all, I'm just glad this shit is over with ! :D:D:D