I didn't want to post anything about my medical situation until I found out more information from the doctors. I will try to keep this short.
I had non-invasive surgery for frozen shoulder. Low risk, but the anesthesiologist called me at home prior to the surgery date and said he wasn't comfortable having the surgery done in the orthopedic surgery clinic. Based on my medical history, he wanted the surgery done in the hospital. Learned something new since I thought the surgeon decided where.
They did the surgery on a Thursday and then on Friday I went to physical therapy. Over the weekend I started to feel like I had the flu. My temp. was 103º.
I just put cold wash cloths on my face and kept on my feet so I would not get pneumonia. Monday my temp was down to 100º and I still felt kinda fluish, not really bad. So, I went to physical therapy Mon., Tues. and Wed. and on Wed. also had a post op appt. with the surgeon. She looked at me and asked how I felt and I told her what I wrote above. She went and got her stethescope (sp?) and listened to my lungs and then went into another room. She came back and said she had called the imaging clinic and my family doc. I was to go get x-rays and go straight to my doc. I asked why and she said "because I said so".
Went and got the x-rays and then went to my doctors'. They did my vitals and my doc said I needed to get to the ER. I asked why and he wasn't volunteering any info. except to say I had pneumonia in my right lung (which I already knew since I read the x-ray report on the way to his office). My oxygen level was 85.
By the time I got to the ER they were ready for me and were taking my vitals and the doctor had a
< look on his face. I asked what is going on? The were trying different blood pressure machines and oximeter readers. They brought the chest x-ray machine into the room and took some x-rays. Still the doc isn't telling me what is going on. I was looking at my other 1/2 with a look of concern. Then they put me on a automatic blood pressure machine that takes your blood pressure every so many minutes. It started setting off the alarms and when I saw the #'s I thought wth??? My blood pressure was dropping dramatically. Then the nurse came in the room to do a blood gas. So, I asked her what my oxygen level was and she said the doc would have to tell me. A blood gas is where they take blood from your artery to verify your oxygen level. Still the blood pressure machine alarms are going off during this and my blood pressure was still dropping. I told the nurse I was relaxed as possible and try not to miss that artery because it hurts like hell when they do. She got it the first time
Within 10 minutes they had the results and the doc said the pneumonia was already spreading to my left lung and my oxygen level was in the 70's. He asked me if I was dizzy. I starting laughing and said if you ask most people they would say yes. He said this isn't funny so, I said no I am not dizzy and why am I still alert and talking if my blood pressure is so low and my oxygen level is so low. He said he had no idea and I was going over to ICU asap.
From there things just went down and was continuing to go down. They had a lot of doctors working hard to try to save my life. The problem was they didn't know what was causing all this. I never lost my sense of humor though.
I might write more later and if anyone can learn anything from my experience that is good enough for me.