Life sometimes gives you curves

I wanted to sleep in bed last night instead of in the recliner.  My stomach felt a little better, so I tried it.  At 1 AM I woke up feeling like I was on fire and went to the recliner, thinking at least we'd know more about what's happening.  I dozed a little, but I was so miserable.  I tried to read my book, but couldn't concentrate.  I've been weak for days, and could hardly put one foot in front of the other.  By the way, the procedure I was due for is an upper GI.  Nurses call it an EDG, but here's the real name for it:  esophagogastroduodenoscopy.  

I was supposed to be there for my appointment at 7:30, so I woke Cliff up at 5:45 and went to shower, still feeling really weak, my esophagus burning, but not quite as bad as when I first got out of bed.  Something came over me in the shower and I didn't think I'd be able to finish.  I felt so strange; I hardly had the energy to wash my hair.  I was afraid to step out of the tub, but leaned on the wall and made it; I put down the lid of the toilet, sat down on it, and called to Cliff.  By the time he got there I was nauseous, but there was nothing to vomit because I hadn't eaten for 12 hours and hadn't had any water since before midnight, per directions of the doctor doing the GI.  I also had not taken my morning blood pressure pill; I didn't think that was a big deal; I'd just take it when we came home. 

Cliff called the ambulance, and they were here in ten minutes.  Our ambulance is all volunteer; two young men were in charge on this visit.  The one who rode in back with me monitored my vitals and kept me talking a little.  I told him I was laying in my recliner wanting to die half the night, then looked up and said, "I didn't mean it, God," sort of as a joke.  That nudged something in him and he said, "Would you like me to pray for you?"

Hey, I'll take all the prayers I can get.  And that was obviously a young man very close to God, because he laid a hand on my shoulder and prayed as sweet a prayer as I ever heard.   

Cliff followed behind the ambulance, and away we went to  Centerpoint, which is where I was supposed to have my upper GI... but I'll have to reschedule that now.  

My blood pressure was 210 over 90.  I was low on potassium and dehydrated.  I drank six cups of water yesterday, but since I can't eat much, I guess that wasn't enough.  They gave me some potassium and hydrated me through IV; my blood pressure got down to 158, and I came home.  

I would say THE END, but I still have to get my upper GI.  And why is it something like this always happens right before the weekend, so you have to wait two days before you can make an appointment?

Just one more bump on the road of life.