Monday, March 24, 2008

Hello 911 - My Wife is Paralyzed

OK - So back to the end of my last post....where I mention a breakdown. Well, that breakdown resulted in a 911 call made by Aaron on my behalf. I suppose I should fill ya'll in. I joke about it know, but remember as you laugh your way through this story that....at the time...I was truly scared!!! Anyhoo - On Saturday, Daisy was napping, so we gave Kalvin the monitor and Aaron and I headed out the door for our respective workouts. Aaron is training for his upcoming sprint triathalon so he headed off on the bike and I was just stoked to not be sick anymore, so I started off on my first run in awhile. (Up and down the street ofcourse, so the kids just have to come out the door and flag me down if Daisy wakes up). All goes well and I come back in after I am done. Aaron is doing his run by now. I hop in the shower and start to get ready. I am in my closet and start to feel a little light headed so I sit down to rest and decide to paint my toenails. Finished with that and then my left arm starts to feel a little tingly, so I go into my room to lie down a bit (still wrapped in a towel). The tingle worsens and then I start to feel tingly in my other arm. Aaron walks in the door at this point so I call for him. That is when my left hand starts to tighten and curl into itself. I have completely lost control of me fingers and am freaking out a little bit. Aaron tries to pry my fingers open, but they won't budge. I send him to look online about signs of a stroke, because that is my first thought. By the time he returns, my left arm is totally curled into my body and completely paralyzed and my right hand up to the elbow is the same. OK - so now I am starting to freak out a little. This is when Aaron offers some help in the form of...."Do you want me to go and get you 4 advil?" I am not joking! I look at him and say something like, "Are you freaking kidding me. My arms are paralyzed and you want me to take some ADVIL!" I digress......So, I send him for some undergarments for me because we are obviously going to have to take me to Urgent Care or something. Then my stomach starts that tingling/tightening thing my arms have done. Then I start feeling it in my legs. So, I sit at the edge of the bed and by the time Aaron returns I tell him to quick get my bottoms on because my legs are freezing. He struggles through that because my feet are now paralyzed and my legs are starting to curl into my body. It is funny now, but at the time I was totally freaking out. No longer having the use of my body I fall over to the side on the bed and with tears running down my face say something about telling the kids I love them and what not. That is when my tongue started going numb. I knew I was not going to be able to speak in a little while so I say to Aaron and BOY do I wish I could convey how funny I am sure it sounded (imagine your tongue growing 3 sizes and not having control over it - my words were slurred and....well...you get the point). So, I scream to Aaron - "I don't care if I am naked....CALL 911 NOW! His response was, "Are you sure you don't want any advil!" Nice, huh? So I scream again, "I AM PARALYZED! CALL 911 (I AMB PARWHALITHED. CALL 9 1 1)" He gets the drift and calls. Some day you will have to call and ask Aaron about this from his point of view because I know it was scary for both of us, but well this is when he says my lips turned blue and I started foaming at the mouth. I don't remember much until the fire truck shows up and 6 guys are suddenly in my room and I am saying over and over and over again, "AM I COVERED UP?" (AMB I COBERWHERD UP?) Then I start yelling at all the guys to stop laughing at me. In my defense I was not quite right and .....really......next time you are paralyzed.....I won't judge you either -k-. So what was wrong? Get this - Apparently I was hyperventilating. Who knew that when your body does not have enough carbon dioxide it paralyzes itself and then stops your breathing to try and reset itself. So, I suppose it is good that I didn't pass out and stop breathing before the paramedics got there because I am sure Aaron would have truly freaked and I would have ended up with broken ribs and a punctured lung from a CPR attempt. Well, I am ok now. they got my co2 level back up and my body eventually unparalyzed itself and all is well now, but I tell you what.....I was really freaked out going through that. Moral of the story - I really shouldn't work out anymore.....or ask for a breakdown! It's just not worth it!
I hope that my next blog entry will be boring as heck because if something else happens....you will have to visit me from some mental institution. I swear it! I am SOOO done. Hope ya'll are all well. Cheers, Mandy

5 comments:

David Torres said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
David Torres said...

Mandy, Until I made it to the very end of your blog I was picturing you writing everything out from some Stephen Hawking's like wheelchair. (So let me get your last months straight: flooding, black mold, Whooping Cough, RSV, paralysis, hyperventilation and a few random coughs and flews for good measure, oh and lets not leave out semipublic nudity). We will be sure to keep the advil handy for your next visit. dt

Aaron and Mandy said...

It has been a crazy and wild ride!

Aaron and Mandy said...

It has been a crazy and wild ride!

Aaron and Mandy said...

It has been a crazy and wild ride!