Hospitals, Circuses, and Yoga

Aloha all!

A few days after our last post, we paid a visit to the Emergency Room. After almost 6 hours, loads of drugs, every test taken on me, and an estimated $4500 later, no one knew what was wrong with me...

Let me back up...

On Saturday, February 5th, around 2:00pm at work I got sudden sharp pains in my upper and lower abdomen. I just thought I was hungry. I was dizzy, light headed, nauseous, and sweating a lot. Again, I figured since my body was getting used to not having a break at work, I was just starving. After a well balanced dinner that usually does the trick, there was really no difference in the pain. NOT a good sign. I began using the heating pad and hoped it'd be better in the morning.

It wasn't. I worked the next day and the pain seemed worst when I was not moving, so I tried to keep busy. By God's grace, the restaurant got slow and they wanted to send someone home so the other servers could make more money. They ended up sending 2 people and I was able to go. I called the hubby, cried over the pain and went straight to the doctor's office within the Whaler's Village complex. He couldn't disgnose anything without a blood test but most signs pointed toward Appendicitus. The fact that I was not nauseous anymore, my appendix wasn't ridgid or hard to the touch, and that I had an appetite were signs that I did not have appendicitus.

The dilemma: T.S. Restaurants will provide health insurance for employees who work 20 hours or more a week, implimented AFTER 4 weeks of working 20 hours or more. I had only worked 2 weeks. SO go to the ER for a blood test that night to see if I actually do have appendicitus, becuase if you do have appendicitus- time is of the essence! OR wait until the next morning and go to the local blood test facility and wait for results (less expensive option). Where the appendix is located was not hard or ridgid at that point, and I thought I could bear through the next day. SO I glued myself to a heating pad and slept maybe 10 minutes that night.

We went to the get blood test early in the morning. Sadly it took 6 hours for results, and by that time the pain was so bad that we went to the ER for help anyways. Any slight movements, laughing, talking, even breathing hurt. On the way to the ER ( which is about 1 hour away, on the other side of the island) the doctor called with the results and said it came back NORMAL. A-Whaaaat??

The doctors gave me morphine for the pain ( :D ) with some anti-nausea meds so I just slept in between the tests. They did a blood test, urine test, CT scan, ultrasound, and an vaginal exam... After the CT scan, the Doc comes in and tells me from reading the results, it looks like I have a 3rd kidney... ummmmmmmm is that possible?? But not to worry, it's on my left side and the pain was dominantly on the right side so it shouldn't be causing the pain. Other than that the results were normal. I fell back asleep a little worried. The doctor came back in and said he talked with those who administered the CT scan and they said it's just that my left kidney is higher and a little misplaced than where it usually is. Well THAT's a relief! Haha... So I called my aunt who was waiting in the waiting room (Jonny had to head off to work) and told her what the doc initially said so I could hear her reaction. Now the running joke is I was high on morphine and imagining that the doc told me I have 3 kidneys! But it DID happen! He DID tell me that and left the room so it was real for about 10 minutes!!

More tests were done and the results came in and finally the doc came back and said I have a case of: we-don't-know-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you syndrome. Cool...

So with no insurance covering me, and with too much in our assets to be elligible for the state's charity program for those without health insurance: this mishap was just extremely inconvenient. If only my stomach waited a few weeks to freak out, I would of been covered with health insurance. Now, since I missed so many days of work I'm out of the running to get my insurance by the first of the month of March. The 4 weeks of 20 hours has to be consecutive to qualify. Not a big deal as long as that abdomen pain does not come back!



After 3 1/2 days straight of using the heating pad constantly. I have heat rash.
Even some scabs from too much heat.
BUT IT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT MADE ME FEEL BETTER!!!

But I can safely say that I feel ALL BETTER :) Hoooooray! Who knows what happened. Many people have told me that it is not that uncommon for young women to have intense abdomen pain but can't get a diagnosis. I just hope it doesn't come back. Because I don't know if it was something that I did, and how to NOT do it again!

Anywho: moral of the story- We are in Maui, enjoy it!

Updates:

Jon has just finished being trained as a server at Pineapple Grill for the afternoon shift. And as a busser at Plantation House, he's had to cover many shifts because 2 bussers were recently fired. Well, one was fired, a new guy was hired and after his first day he just said: Nah, I don't like this. I'm not going to work here.  Ummmm... okay. You'd think people would appreciate getting a job in this economy, but he threw away that job like last week's left overs! Anyway, Jon has worked a double 3 days in a row last week, and every day this week to get his server training done and make up for many bussing shifts at Plantation House. He's a hard workin boy, and a TIRED boy! We are hoping for his schedule to even out soon.



See the Whale fin pokin' out under the branch?



I'm loving my job. It's a bummer that my entire day is gone and the sun is almost down by the time I'm home from work, but the landscape is just gorgeous during the day. Being able to see the various colors of the ocean, the 2 islands of Molokai and Lani on the horizon, and the view of whales playing in the ocean flipping their fins and flapping their tails making cute white splashes. Apparently this is the slowest season for the restaurant in the past years, but is has been extremely busy since Valentine's Day weekend! Our manager mentioned we have been selling lunches to the same degree as before August 2007- before the economy crashed!

Since Jonny is working nights, and my abdomen no long hurts, I've ventured out for some fitness classes in the evenings. I've started going to a Zumba class hosted at a local Elementry School's cafeteria. I've offered to sub if needed, but I'm not yet interested in committing to teaching my own class. I've also gotten into yoga.

I took a yoga class back in college for a semester but I was in the middle of an 18 unit semester and I was too stressed out about my day to let myself relax. Now all I want to do is relax. Yoga will be so good for me. Although I was and am a dancer, I'm extremely stiff, and my previous injuries are always so sensitive because they have not properly healed or lossened up. I am so excited to heal with Island Spirit Yoga. It is a very different experience than the yoga classes I took in college and at 24 Hour Fitness. The teachers come around and help you feel the correct positioning and it has a much more spiritual aspect. Although I do not believe in the spiritual side of yoga, it still makes it so much more relaxing and calming. I just pray instead of meditating and "picturing myself smiling in front of myself and hugging myself..." I've loved every class I've gone to so far.

We have gotten very little time together, but we definiely cherish it when we do.

Reading on the beach

Friday night Jon got his night shift covered and we went out on a great date. First eating at Duke's Beach House (which is a T.S. Restaurant so I get 50% off). Then we went to Cirque Polynesia. It was entertaining (but not really worth the $70). The first few acts made mistakes, or didn't complete their trick so the rest of the entire show I was so nervous the whole time because I was afraid they were going to mess up again. Which is scary when they are spinning on a wire by their neck or walking on a tight rope and faultering. Ughhh! I guess the nervous reaction to every act made it more enertaining when they actually did complete the trick but it was scary for me! Then we went to Hula Grill for drinks and food. Great night out. Jon finally got to hang out and relax after so much work, and I got my hubby all to myself finally!






 Having fun at dinner...

 

 

Now for some picture story tidbits...



We house sit for my aunt at least once a month
 so I get my doggie and kitty fix

I spy a kitten... can you see her?
I heard a lot of rustling in the kitchen so I come in and see nothing. I started freaking out
 like it was an imposter! I hear more thumping and I come back in and search the pantry and nothing...
While I'm in the kitchen I closely examine and look up and see Kiko poking her head out of the decoration baskets. So funny.

 

I caught a baby gecko running through the apartment!

 He's so freaky when he scatters away, reminds me of a spider!

It's so funny seeing the cruise lines on the horizon. See the huge size difference
 between the normal boats and the cruise ship?!

  

I was invited to try out paddling either for recreation or on a competitive team.
Not sure if I will- I'm not really into manual labor. I dance my way to a fitter me :)

 

Unknown creature by my car. A HUGE moth?? A small bat?? A FREAKY butterfly?
Anyone know??

Well that's all for now! Make sure to "follow" the blog so you can get email notifications when we update the blog! Mahalo!

Maui No Ka Oi