Well, Here We Go Again

Do not get Dilantin toxicity. Try not to take Dilantin because, although it’s a mighty, mighty man fighting seizures, it does awful things to your liver, or so I’m told. And it seems to be capable of making itself “toxic” even if you don’t take more than you should.

I know! I’m trying to figure out how that can happen, too. “Surpatheth-ing” my understanding. Logic would suggest that if you take “X” dosage over a long period of time, and your blood level stays at “Y”, it should not be able to go to “Z” on its own. But you’d be wrong about that. You can get splendlidy, stupidly toxic all on your own.

Got time for a quick story? I know you do. All last week I felt as though I was not walking well, I was awfully tired, and felt as though I was losing a grip on things. I called the neurologist’s office, they wanted me to have blood taken so I set it up for Monday (that would be the 5^th) and continued to stagger on. Kenny and I went to Dallas for Friday night (delightful surprise from St. Kenny) but I was walking like a drunk on skates.

Now, the best thing (perhaps) about this is you lose all judgment as to whether something is serious or not. But this time even I was worried as I staggered down the hallway of a very luxurious hotel.

We came home Saturday, and all was well until about 9pm. I bolted up from my desk chair (either my pajama pant leg was around my foot, or my right foot had stopped working, could be either) and fell, headlong, into a solid oak entertainment cabinet.

I hit the suture line on my skull. Ouch. St. Kenny swears I blacked out, I know I couldn’t speak for a while and, oh my, if you want to frighten yourself just go ahead and do that.

Bless him, he called an ambulance and very quickly they were here. Two ambulance guys and three firemen, each as handsome as could be. (Now, in civilian life, they might not be so charismatic. But at that moment, they were all stunning.)

I’ll spare you the details…but picture a cervical collar (that gives you a sore throat, by the way) and jumping the line on a crowded Saturday night at the ER.

Happy news. Didn’t break anything. The CT showed nothing bleeding. It hurts if you fall on ceramic tile. It is entirely possible to sleep for 48 hours or so with just short restroom and food breaks.

I offer this by update and also a word of caution: DON’T DO THIS. It’s already Wednesday and I’m as crazy as a sack of squirrels, my head still hurts, and I am in a generally bad mood. (At least for me. For the rest of the world that would be sunny skies.) I expect all to be healed any minute now.

Again, though, it serves as a reminder that “it could have been worse” is probably wiser and more encouraging than it sounds.