Day 19

I'm in the computer lab for some work stuff, again, so I thought I'd take time to post some stuff. Remember, as you read these two posts, I am ok.

Day 18
It’s Saturday the 18th and it’s been one of the better days. It’s been one of the better days as yesterday I saw the doctor and got a clean bill of health. I went back to the hospital and was seen by a cardiologist. It turns out I had an allergic reaction to the smallpox vaccination. It gave me something called Pericarditis. My pericardium became inflamed and is putting slight pressure on my heart. For the next four weeks it’s going to feel like I am having a heart attack most of the time. But there is nothing wrong with me. I will continue with training for mobilization and when the pain gets to be too much, I’m supposed to rest until I can continue. I will still mobilize. So, I got to sit though 17 classes I’ve missed this week and am almost up to speed. I have 4 more classes to attend to catch up with everybody, and I’ll get those done in the next few days. Other than that, it’s just been paperwork, laundry, and manning the supply office. Still, no regrets. This is a good thing.

Day 14
Well, here it is, about 9 pm on the 14th, and it’s been an exciting day past 24 hours. Yesterday, while sitting in a class on communications equipment, I started feeling poorly. Then I had difficulty breathing and starting getting tingly. The Ft. Lewis hospital looks nice and the people are mostly friendly, but don’t let them try to stick you with a needle; they blew a vein in my arm when they tried to put in the IV line. I spent about 22 hours in the hospital under observation for possible heart related problems. In the end, they found nothing wrong with me, other than the cigarettes. So, I get to quit again. I got to lie in a bed with a microphone and camera constantly monitoring me, and with a nurse in the room no more than 30 feet away, and with 12 EKG monitoring devices hooked to me, and with an automatic blood pressure cuff that thought I was a camel and had to pump up the pressure to 750 PSI every time, and with that little pulse monitor on my finger. And they kept coming by to take blood every couple of hours. I was in the bed from 2 pm on the 13th until 9 am on the 14th, but I know I didn’t get much sleep. The morning of the 14th, after they got me out of bed at 0900 they put me on a treadmill to give me a stress test. They found no problems. I got back to the company area and went on light duty. I have a follow-up appointment at the Troop Medical Clinic, TMC, tomorrow morning. More drama to follow, I’m sure.