Pneumonia
So, my self-diagnosed bronchitis was off a wee bit. Thanksgiving I ended up getting up to go to friends, deciding I needed more sleep, and sleeping until 5PM. After mucking around a bit and determining that my GP wouldn't be in until Monday I figured I might as well head to a local ER and get started on some antibiotics ASAP.
It turns out A LOT of people had the same idea.
Although the three ambos that arrived during my stay had obvious priority, I ended up with a bit of a secret advantage in triage that helped me get out a bit faster. Something they don't tell you in any workout magazine, in any power lifting journal, any "iron game" book: When you reach a certain size, violent coughing will tend to make one pass out, or nearly so. I've lived with it for years so I don't recall exactly when it happened, though I do recall being freaked out and all the old gym dogs laughing and telling me it goes with the territory. Say it happens maybe around the point of being able to press 1.5X your body weight.
When I cough the pulmonary branches of the vagus nerve get squeezed, I see stars and black out or nearly so. I know this, the triage nurse did not. So as she saw me staggering and wobbling I got to the back pretty quickly. I guess she should have paid better attention in school.
They ER staff got their revenge, though: They did an x-ray (thank you Heather, the cute x-ray tech) and confirmed pneumonia. So I am pretty much sleeping when I should be working.
I don't have a copy of my x-ray to show you, so instead I give you the vagus nerve:
So, my self-diagnosed bronchitis was off a wee bit. Thanksgiving I ended up getting up to go to friends, deciding I needed more sleep, and sleeping until 5PM. After mucking around a bit and determining that my GP wouldn't be in until Monday I figured I might as well head to a local ER and get started on some antibiotics ASAP.
It turns out A LOT of people had the same idea.
Although the three ambos that arrived during my stay had obvious priority, I ended up with a bit of a secret advantage in triage that helped me get out a bit faster. Something they don't tell you in any workout magazine, in any power lifting journal, any "iron game" book: When you reach a certain size, violent coughing will tend to make one pass out, or nearly so. I've lived with it for years so I don't recall exactly when it happened, though I do recall being freaked out and all the old gym dogs laughing and telling me it goes with the territory. Say it happens maybe around the point of being able to press 1.5X your body weight.
When I cough the pulmonary branches of the vagus nerve get squeezed, I see stars and black out or nearly so. I know this, the triage nurse did not. So as she saw me staggering and wobbling I got to the back pretty quickly. I guess she should have paid better attention in school.
They ER staff got their revenge, though: They did an x-ray (thank you Heather, the cute x-ray tech) and confirmed pneumonia. So I am pretty much sleeping when I should be working.
I don't have a copy of my x-ray to show you, so instead I give you the vagus nerve:
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brightredscream:
I had a great time, thank you 
raynne:
yup those are my eyes! ;D