Mysteries, needles, and Chick-fil-a

So, you might have noticed in my weekly recap that I wrote about getting blood drawn. It was certainly not the most fun experience ever......=P

I'll start at the beginning, though.


Wednesday morning began like any other morning. I woke up, ate breakfast, and sat down to read my Bible. I had just finished when I looked up and realized I was seeing spots, like when you stare at a bright light then look away. But these spots were not going away. They stayed right in the corner of my eye, so when I looked at my right hand I couldn't see my thumb. I was a little freaked out, but I decided to walk Sammy and see if the spots would go away.

Needless to say, they did not. In fact, they got worse!

So I came back inside and went to lay down on my bed. I've had these spots before, and I found laying down always helped them go away. I took a little 15 minute nap, then got up. The spots were gone, but I found that my left hand was acting weird: the fingers were slightly numb, and the hand itself wasn't working well when I told it to move (okay, when my brain told it to move).  Anyway, I figured my hand was just asleep and decided to do my schoolwork.
Five minutes later, my hand was still numb and my head was starting to really hurt. I also realized (with some terror and surprise) that my upper left lip and some of my left cheek were also numb! Like when you go to the dentist and he shoots a shot in the lip/cheek area. I tried touching it (with my right hand, which was still working) and I couldn't feel anything!

I was super freaked out now, and my headache was getting worse. I still hadn't told my dad (BAD idea, I know) because I figured whatever this was, it would blow over soon.

Probably eight or ten minutes later, my lip wasn't numb anymore, but the numbness in my hand had started to creep up my arm. If I tried to put my hands on my hips, the left hand would just kind of slide down a bit.

If you're following this closely, you'll notice that these symptoms (numbness on my left side, headache, and spots) could be symptoms of a stroke. Once I realized that, I seriously started wondering if anyone my age had ever died of a stroke (yes, I know that was completely ridiculous, but I was really worried! And if you know me well, you'll know I'm a worrier).

So I was just kind of sitting around, and my dad asked me what was wrong (thank goodness he did, too!). I told him about my hand/arm, headache, and seeing spots. He gave me some ibuprofen, then told me to explain it all to my mom. I told her like an hour later, and Mom called my doctor.

The doctor asked if I was still experiencing any numbness. By this time, the numbness was gone, but I still had a really bad headache. The doctor said that I didn't need to visit the ER, but to come to her office later that day.

I took a nap, and when I woke up I felt back to my normal self. The headache was gone, I wasn't seeing spots, and my arm was back to normal. My mom was relieved, but we visited the doctor anyway.

The doctor had no idea what was wrong with me! Considering the stroke aspect, however, she did a nuerological  neurological exam on me. I passed with flying colors (naturally ;) and the doctor said that I was fine, but she wanted some blood tests done and for a neurologist to take a look at me and make sure nothing was wrong up in the attic.
Mom and Dad have been wanting us to get our cholesterol checked for a while now (my dad's dad died at age 39 from a massive heart attack) and this was the perfect time!

Fast forward to today. All five of us are sitting in the lab, waiting for me and the boys to be called in. I was okay with the whole needle, vial, and blood thing, but Owen and Aiden were kind of nervous. I was also nervous, but just for Owen: his past history with shots has not been good at all. Pretty much whenever he gets a shot, he turns ash white, starts to sway and get dizzy, and throws up. Not pretty

When it came our turn, I was nominated to go first (naturally, being the 'lady' and the oldest). Our nurse was really awesome though: she told me not to look (which I already knew, but it was kind of her to remind me) and joked with us throughout the whole appointment. She took my left arm, put the rubber band thing around it, then told me to look away. I did so, and then she said to take a deep breath. I did, then felt a really sharp prick. My dad asked me a question about my soccer practice, and that took my mind off the pain from the needle. Then in a few seconds it was over. I got out of the chair and Aiden took his seat. His drawing went well, and then it was Owen's turn.

I had brought my iPod, and I let Owen listen to 'Whispers in the Dark' by Skillet. It's a really loud, upbeat song, so I figured that would get his mind off the slight pain.
He was a trooper, and got through the drawing.

We thanked the nurse, then left. In the hallway Mom stopped to use the restroom. The boys and I were in the hallway with Dad, joking about what we had just been through. Owen got really quiet, and I noticed he had gotten a little white in the face. I was like, 'Oh great, he's going to throw up and faint.'
I watched him closely, then gasped as he started to sway.

I'm talking, serious swaying. Whole body swaying, like you see in the movies. I yelled for Dad, who grabbed Owen and took him to the bathroom. There (I'm assuming, I didn't watch) Owen threw up.

Aiden and I waited patiently, hoping Owen would be okay. He was fine, and we decided that Chick-fil-a would cheer him up and get his mind off the swaying and puking.

Chick-fil-a was wonderful (as usual) and soon Owen was back to his rosy-cheeked, freckle-faced self. Crazy kid.

So there's our crazy day. Still don't know why all that stuff happened to me on Wednesday-----as soon as the results come back, I'll be sure to post about it!


Love (again),