Life's Unexpected Turn, Part One

On Tuesday, February 19, life took an unexpected turn that sent me to the emergency room of our local hospital.

For about a week, I'd been having strange sensations in my arm, beginning in my wrist and radiating to my elbow. I thought it might be a pinched nerve from exercises that used my arms, like treading water at the swimming pool, or upper body workouts with the crosswalk arms of my treadmill, or even holding my arms at shoulder height during ballroom dancing. In desperation, I even removed the rings on my left hand, reasoning (irrationally) that they might be hitting a nerve.

But as the days rolled on, the sensation became more frequent and insistent. I stopped exercising on the treadmill, thinking a little rest would do the trick. It didn't.

On Monday morning, I went to water aerobics, as usual. I was in the pool only minutes before the sensation returned. A fellow swimmer noticed, but I denied there was anything serious going on. Nevertheless, I left the pool and returned home, where I called for an appointment with my primary physician.

She did an electrocardiogram, which appeared normal. And then she scheduled me for a treadmill stress test on the following Wednesday afternoon. She cautioned me to go immediately to the hospital emergency room if I experienced anything else unusual.

On Tuesday, I went about my business. Mother and I got haircuts at our local beauty salon, and then enjoyed a visit that included tea and coffeecake at a friend's house.

Throughout the days, I'd prayed that if it was God's will, please let the sensation in my arm go away. During supper Tuesday night, He sent His answer. Not a sensation this time, but a powerful and pervasive ache beginning in my wrist, making it's way to my elbow, and then to my shoulder...an ache that would not go away, so strong that it could not be denied or ignored, and that would leave no doubt that I needed to go to the hospital emergency room.

I arrived at the ER around 6 p.m., and the adventure began.