Wednesday, July 15, 2009

My Story (Chapter One)


I lay here in bed celebrating the 1st "Cystamatic" experience that rocked my abdominal area exactly 1 year ago. The same pains shoot through me like a midnight storm this day. So let's take a moon walk back down memory lane (R.I.P. Michael Jackson).
 
It all started the fourth of July(2008) weekend...  I spent the holiday in the heat shadows of Miami with my girlie's Eve, Jen, Puttie, Erikka and Rebeca. Great times for the memory bank, (I bow my head to another as always) (*_*) only to catch a early flight and return to smoggy azz Old York. 1st night back home, the vaca bug still prominent in my soul I went to eat a Los Dados Mexican cuisine dinner (those shredded beef tacos are bangin') with my two faves (Chel and Putt). After Din Din, we ended up @ a table full of patron in one of the ghetto'est spots of the NYC (Guest House). A table for only us 3, with a bottle of patron and 3 rounds of shots each for starters @ the bar. I know, way too many drinks for even a 300lb man. Only to awake (still drunk) and receive a call to meet Jazzy B @ the hospital. She injured herself on set and Puttie had been wheezing and coughing  (anyhow) while in Miami. Puttie decided to join us and we all took a trip to the Emergency Room.

One friend with a sprained ankle the other a bad cold. "I" on the other with these contraction like pains but still deeming them as merely bad gas. I left the hospital with two helpless souls, one on crutches the other with a codeine cough medicine prescription in hand. Nonetheless, still with the knowing floating in my head of something being wrong. I'd been bleeding far too much off and on since the 1st Moon of the January New Year. Team Nia, (myself) got her a-hole up the next morning and headed to work. I'd been gone about 13days on vaca and it was time to get back to my managerial duties. As I walked through the doors of BB, I was greeted with smiles.  All tanned and Gorge faced but my new walk was profound. A coworker noticed my limp and my sudden bend over positions from the sharp pains. He told me to go to the hospital and see what was going on. I ignored him and the pains and continued my work. I just couldn't take off another day. Suddenly, the pains grew sharper and I apologized to my employees but needed just 1 more personal day. I felt so bad because I had arrived back from vaca and I knew they needed my guidance to get back on track. Left out the door and hailed a cab straight to Lenox Hill Hospital. 

I ran into the doors of the Emergency Room with tears in my eyes. They set me down and started to examine me immediately. They drew my blood and discovered my blood count was low and it was a possibility I would need a blood transfusion. I slid out the seat in tears... Fear began to halo overhead. What the hell was going on? They laid me on a hospital bed, put IV in my right arm and told me I needed a ultra sound immediately. I said to them, I'd been bleeding for months but the Gynecologist said, its just my body adapting to the Birth Control. So what was causing these pains??? The blood flowed heavier and I soaked the sheets of the hospital bed. Weakness grew on me like a weed on a brownstone and even the IV fluid wasn't helping. 

The doctor had the nurse inject me with morphine for pain and so I could @ least rest while they worked. About 1 1/2 hours later they revived me as my sister arrived and took me to the ultra sound room. The exam lasted long and it was very painful for me. I felt as if someone was sticking me with a knife inside. I weeped throughout the entire process praying to God this would all be over soon. I was transported back downstairs and given more meds. I kept dosing off in and out of sleep while we awaited the results. 

Finally after hours of nothing... A doc came to me with some answers . They discovered I had a ruptured ovarian cyst and my pain was caused from the fluids released from the cyst. I couldn't understand how fluid could reek pain on a body like this. I knew there had to be more to this because the docs and techs working on me didn't seem too solid with their information. The doctor took me in the examination room for a pelvic exam and I repeatedly told him I feel the pain mainly on my right side. He said, well the cyst ruptured on your left so maybe you are confused with where the pain is coming from. If there's one thing I know for sure, its my body. I awake to it everyday as well as travel this Earth with it. I know what I feel Mr. Doc Mann... The docs orders were to take off work for the next 10days and stay on bed rest until all the fluid escaped and you feel much better. Also, follow up with your Gynecologist. 

Puttie arrived, but I was still too weak to be discharged. I wanted out of that hospital but I couldn't stand on my own two feet from all the loss of blood. They kept me longer until the IV gave me enough strength to walk out. I dosed off again but the meds made me extremely too nauseous. I told Putt, I needed to vomit. She quickly ran to find me a pail. The puke out-weighed the pail and the hospital floor is where most of it landed. I felt so bad because a pregnant young girl was sharing the room with me. B-/ I dosed off again, I think for maybe another hour then my Sister and Felicia came to rescue me. The pains were @ their full max as I exited the hospital and entered her car. 

They brought me home and for the next 4 days I cried and bled heavily as they feed me soup and strong meds (to nurse me back to health). Still with the excruciating pains on my right side, day 5 appeared and I got up enough strength to have my Dad take me to the Gynecologist. She was a weird individual of a doctor (Dr. Barbara Shortle). I remember her coming into the waiting room with polished toe nails. It stood out to me because they were each a different color in a sequence of Red, White and Blue. I could not figure out how a woman of this age could walk around work in flip flops. Her professionalism went out the window as soon as my Dad laid eyes on her. She took me in the room examined me quickly and wrote a prescription for Provera
(pills that stop you from bleeding). She asked, what did they give me for pain @ the hospital? I told her vicodin but they made me feel weird. She wrote another two prescriptions for valium and naponex. I told her, I still felt pain on my right side and there had to be something they missed. She insisted its just pain and probably  from the rupture and me bleeding for so long. She told me not to take those birth controls anymore and gave me a pack of something stronger (never took them so don't remember what they were). My Dad and I left and I could see that he was extremely angry as well as disappointed. He said, you are seeking a 2nd opinion ASAP. I arrived home still not well and reached out to my girlies. I needed a great not a good Gynecologist. Jenn gave me her mother's # and told me to tell her about my condition. I spoke to Mrs. Hamer (gynecologist in Miami) and she insisted I go to another doctor. During this time, Chel said get online and look for docs affiliated with Cornell or Columbia Presbyterian hospitals. I went to my health coverage site and found a list of docs. I ended up making a appointment for the clinic facility on 60th and Madison, Dr. Mary Polan. This is where the journey really begins...  


7 comments:

  1. Each one teach one is what they say. No better way to get through your struggle, than connecting with others who've gone down the same lane. Your story, your info, your experience, your endurance may be all another needs to move forward on their trying journey. The route you're going will allow you to handle your condition from a bigger place of love and a lesser place of fear. Keep it pushin!

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  2. Beautiful testimony so far! And very well written (as is expected from you Nia)....
    I think your story can speak to not only women suffering from this particular condition, but from other ailments as well.

    We as ambitious women are often so absorbed in the daily aspects of our goal-driven lives (career, relationships, finances, etc) that we dont take the time to reflect on what matters most, our personal health. I admire your tenacity in identifying that something wasn't right and acting on it, as opposed to pushing it aside with hopes that it would ultimately go away. Women have the BEST instincts, we need to follow them, and know that whatever goals we have set for ourselves, the main goal is to make sure we are healthy enough to achieve them and to enjoy the benefits once they are achieved.

    I've witnessed too many situations where writing something off as "nothing" has led to a diagnosis much more worse and severe - and I'm even guilty of that happening to me. Your story serves as an inspiration. As I was reading you discuss being on vacation and not wanting to take off work again to tend to yourself... thats me, my mom, my sister, and many other women I'm sure. Then as you ultimately decide to see a doctor, I'm wondering if it had been me would I instead just suffer in silence as my conditioned worsened. So for me your story is one of intuition and strength...

    With that being said you WILL get through this; You will be able to reflect on it, and share your story...A story will help others get through whatever they're going through, or even prevent them from going through something at all.

    Embrace your "blessing in disguise" and stay the strong positive woman that you are because it is admirable and will surely keep you going.
    And ladies: Take care of your body. It's the only REAL place you have to live.

    Looking forward to the next chapter ;)

    -Toy

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  3. WOW Nia...we never really sat down and spoke about this...I just knew something was wrong and you weren't feeling well. I don't know how you've dealt with this condition for so long babe. Thank you for sharing this journey with us. Love you to pieces and you know i'm always here for ya :)

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  4. Damn women have it rough. I've felt many different types of pains. What your going through though may be even more than I would be able to handle. Strong woman you are.

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  5. I am here for you, Ms. Nia. It is great you have an outlet to express...

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  6. Took a lot letting your heart speak.. Stay strong old friend! God bless you!

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