An hour later, enough of the drugs wears off, and I regain consciousness. I slowly articulate words to my mom. I tell her, "I think the doctor is trying to kill me. I think her 'treatment' plan is to put me in a drug-induced coma and then disconnect me from my vent." Instantly, my mom is enraged and in a panic. She consults the medical staff. Yes, everything I had heard was correct. It is time to just give up and let me go. My mom demands I be discharged immediately. The doctor tells my mom she cannot discharge me because I am highly sedated. As much as both my mom and I plea throughout the day, I am not allowed to be released from the hospital.
As the day progresses and the effectiveness of the drugs disminishes, alarm and panic take hold of my soul. I need to flee. I need to escape. “Oh, LORD! What should I do? Where should I go?"
A very short time later, my respiratory therapist from my DME company arrives in my hospital room. I briefly explain the situation to her and ask for her help. "Have you ever tried going to the medical center?" she asks. Me: "No. What medical center?" Respiratory therapist: "There is a large medical center 400 miles from here. They have some of the best medicine in the country. If they cannot help you, I am not sure anyone else can." I thank the respiratory therapist for the information. When she leaves, I frantically start scouring the internet for pulmonologists at the medical center.
As I am searching to find a doctor, I discover a website which allows me to make an appointment online. I seek out a doctor who can see me the fastest. Today is Saturday. The soonest I can be seen is on Tuesday. I make the appointment. I then start praying to God, "LORD, I need to be discharged. I need to get out of here to get to a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. Make this all work. Lead me to where I need to be. Find me a doctor who will help me."
On Sunday morning an incredible miracle happens. As obstinate and mean as my doctor was the previous day, she is a bright ray of sunshine today. She said there is nothing more she can do. She is going to discharge me. I am in utter disbelief at the words flowing from the doctor's mouth. I know it is nothing short of God directing these events to get me to where I need to be. I am released from the hospital in the afternoon. When I arrive home, I sleep for the rest of the day and all of Monday. Early Tuesday morning, we leave on our 400 mile journey to the medical center.
When I arrive at my doctor's appointment, the pulmonologist is startled that I am breathing so quickly. He clicks through the settings on my ventilator. He has no idea what is wrong with me. He then tells me I should go to the emergency department at the main hospital campus. (Unknown to us, we are not at the main medical center. We are at one of the satellite hospitals.) Unfamiliar with the city, we ask for directions. With an address in hand, we start on another journey. It is rush hour, and traffic is crawling. It takes us an hour and a half to get to the area of the city where the main medical center is located. We are all fatigued. I do not have the energy to endure any more medical encounters. I convince my parents we should rest and to go to the emergency room in the morning. We find a hotel and crash for the night.
In the morning, we begin another ambitious adventure—trying to find the hospital emergency department. When we see the medical center, we are left breathless at the size of the complex! High rise building after high rise building line street after street of the medical metropolis. We travel the perimeter of the campus, desperately searching for the emergency department. Suddenly I feel the need to turn right. I quickly tell my dad to make the turn. About a block down on the right-hand side is the entrance to the emergency department. I praise God for the insight to turn down that street because otherwise we would have been hopelessly lost.
When I enter the building, I am shocked to see the emergency department waiting room is empty! "Oh, LORD, this must be a sign that we are in the right place! Emergency department waiting rooms are never empty!" After I check in at the desk, I am immediately taken back to triage. As I am about to enter the emergency department, fear and anxiety grip my soul. I want to flee. I want to run. I do not want to cross the threshold of those double doors. I do not want to suffer through any more medicine. I tightly grip my ventilator on my lap. I fight back the tears welling up in my eyes. I bow my head and pray God will lead an amazing doctor into my life.
My emergency department (ED) experience is incredible! I have never been in an ED which is so well organized. As soon as I am wheeled into a room, the nurses, doctors and respiratory therapist are at my side. Tests are ordered, and everything moves swiftly. Within 45 minutes, my entire ED escapade is complete! I am being admitted to the hospital. As soon as a bed is available, I am to be rolled up to the medical ICU.
(Link to Part Three click here)
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