in which i end my perfectly wonderful long weekend with a trip to the hospital

Some people go to church on Sundays, I go to the ER.As you all know I have been unwell since the night I got home from NYC. It took over 35 days but that swollen throat and green mucus finally departed this weekend but for almost 2 full weeks my upper abdomen has been swollen and just under my rib cage from middle to right side I have been in immense pain. The first few days I thought it was maybe just a virus or something and since I wasn't going to the doctor for the throat/sinus problem I wasn't going for this. It felt like I had a rock in my stomach, or something.A few sleepless nights last week and then this weekend (including last night where I didn't sleep AT all) started concerning me because this was a different sort of discomfort and pain than I was used to. So I thought I might go to the walk-in clinic after all, but I didn't want go Friday because it was my anniversary. And I didn't want to go Saturday because I was meeting my childhood friend for breakfast. Too many things going on. Until last night.But first let me backtrack to yesterday morning a little before 7:00 AM. I had gotten up to go to the bathroom, happy to see I still had a couple more hours to sleep should I need to before the alarm went off. The a/c had been going on and off all night and even though it had only gone down to 17C that was unusual and with each time the compressor turned off I'd wake up so when I got back from the bathroom I put my ear plugs in so it wouldn't bother me for the last few hours.Cut to twenty minutes later when I woke up out of a doze to realize, hey, the bedroom is REALLY warm. I must have yelled crap louder than I thought because it woke up Shawn. Our power was out. Until Shawn opened the bedroom door and said "but the fan is still on out here!". So the power in the bedroom was out. Shawn went down to the basement to replace the fuse and came back upstairs, got dressed and stayed up. I tried to sleep for an hour but it didn't work. I flipped the a/c to fan, opened up the window since there was a breeze and went on about our day.When we both napped that afternoon the room never really cooled off with the a/c on and Shawn just figured it was because it was so hot outside. But I swear the machine sounds different.Last night when I went to be with the a/c on because it was still 32C outside I didn't feel like it was cooling the room at all. In fact it felt WARM. I thought maybe the hose from the machine to the vent came unattached as it has in the past and that's why the hot air in the room. The hose was still attached but it was beyond hot. I turned the light on to get a better look and POOF. No power. Shawn was still up and I called down to him and he changed the fuse yet again.We reattached the hose (just in case) and cleaned the air filter and Shawn hoped that would work. It did a little while. I was already feeling crappy and unable to find a comfortable position to sleep in since my stomach hurt at every angle. I think I managed to get about 2 hours of sleep a little after mid-night until Shawn came to bed the first time at 2:18 (I know the time since I woke up looking right at the clock). The room was cool. Aside from my pain and discomfort all was good.Shawn couldn't sleep. I couldn't sleep because of the pain. And then the a/c shut off. Again. And turned right back on as we both sat up in bed. And then turned off. Shawn may have swore a little then, unplugged the a/c and rolled it into the guest room, went down t0 the basement where our second machine is (the one Sears lost and then found again 3 years ago) carried it by himself up two flights of stairs, plugged it in and voila. Working a/c.But he still couldn't sleep and I couldn't sleep and he got back up and went back downstairs and by 4AM I joined him and googled anatomy charts so I could figure out what the hell was hurting me and swelling. We both went back up to bed after 5 AM where I couldn't sleep and it was getting worse (the pain) and finally I went to tell Shawn I think I needed to go to the ER and he had just fallen asleep. Poor thing. I felt bad.So about five to six this morning we were pulling out of the driveway and entered the hospital parking lot at 6:17. There was no one in the ER save one other girl and then one person after me at that time. I was triaged fast, seen, blood taken and ultrasound done by 9:30 in the morning. The ER doctor was sure it was my gall bladder. I was actually sort of happy that he made that decision right away and didn't just tell me I had a flu or something.Ultra sound and blood tests were all normal. The longest wait was to re-see the doctor to be told that. I was finally put in a room about 10:45 am and then left there until noon without seeing anyone. A nurse did apologize when I asked if I had time to run to the bathroom and said the doctor was busy with other emergencies. I wasn't complaining one bit. I had a feeling by this time that I was going to be sent home since the doctor who did the ultra sound actually told me she didn't see any stones and everything looked normal.Almost exactly 6 hours after we got there I was on my way home with a prescription for a new stomach pill and a referral to see an out patient Emergency GI doctor (they will phone me tomorrow to make an appointment). The very nice ER doctor said there was nothing in the ultrasound but maybe I have some sort of gastric irritation (loosely translated) and he'd like me to be followed up by the GI doctor. I'm ok with what.I munched on a hospital vending machine chicken sandwich on the way home as I was starving and thirsty since I hadn't eaten or drank anything yet that day (which was good for the ultrasound) and said to Shawn that I would have been happy to know it was gall stones so that it had been something but knowing that it wasn't was also a relief and that was the fastest and most pleasant ER trip I have ever done.I didn't go to my normal hospital downtown. I went to the Charles Lemoyne hospital near my house. The same one that took care of both my grandparents in their final days. I was beyond impressed with how efficient and organized they were. And young. And friendly and helpful. And I didn't get sent home right away being told it was nothing. They thought it was something and they checked and didn't make me feel like a fool for being there and wasting everyone's time.I still feel like crap. I still hurt, more now that I have been poked and prodded, but the sort of panic that was in the background over "What the hell is wrong?" is gone so it's made breathing easier. Maybe the GI will do an upper GI test and look in my stomach. Maybe it is an ulcer or something. It doesn't feel like the regular burning I have with my acid reflux though.I slept from 1:30 - 4:25 this afternoon and got up, starving. I have never wanted something sugary in all my life.With whatever this is I haven't had much of an appetite  but rather than lose weight that upper abdomen got all distended. Not cool.So I'll just wait and see what's what with this new appointment when I get it. I'm not too worried right now and I am hoping I'll be able to make it while I'm off for 2 weeks in a week.I am tired of it never being anything. BUT this is the first time I have had any sort of stomach troubles since I have been to BodyTalk in almost 3 years. This is why I knew it was something different because it felt different. And it's the first time I have been to the hospital in the ER since...um... 2005? So, this is a huge deal for me.Also funny? I have not been to this hospital since I lived at home and the registration lady was amused that the medicare card I had on file expired in 1990. So was I, actually. And I had all my address information changed from my parents' house to my own one now. 1990. Wow, this is a weekend for lifetimes ago, too it seems.Shawn's still sleeping. I'll make sure to get him up soon so that he can sleep tonight as well. And I'll just finish off my weekend with something light to eat and reading I guess. Thank goodness I have 4.5 days of work and then a two week vacation coming up! (And BodyTalk on Friday afternoon!)Don't you wish you knew how to have as much fun with your long weekends as I do?