The long and winding road...

I am sitting on my couch in the D to the C. The pundints are blah blahing on the TV. These are the days I am glad that I have "taxation without representation" so I dont have to vote for these jokers.

It has been a long week. Last weekend, I was happily traveling back and forth to Baltimore rehearsing a reading of an original play at Centerstage. The play was about a way station between life and death - a nightclub called club termina. A play with music, I was still using my voice. I was working with equity actresses and holding my own. Pretty exciting, right?

On saturday night, I came home tired and nauseous. I was having some breathing issues and still struggling with a cold. I went to bed and hoped for the best.

Sunday morning I woke up with an asthma attack of sorts and pain in my left underarm. I thought I had slept wrong or something. I hopped in my car and as I headed up 295N the pressure in my chest seemed to be getting worse. I kept coughing and couldnt really catch my breath. I got to Centerstage and calmed down a bit. My voice was hoarse and I could feel the rattle in my chest. There happened to be a doctor in the reading, he came up to me and asked me if I was okay. I told him what my symptoms were and I knew he watched me the whole rehearsal. At the end, I was mad tired and wanted to go home. The doctor made me take his cell phone number and call him if I thought I needed to go to the hospital. Eek.

I went home and went to bed. I got up and had some dinner, I was tired... but I didnt feel as bad as I did while I was singing. I went back to bed about 11pm. As I laid down, I felt a lot of pressure on my chest. I turned to the side - really bad. I turned to the other side - really bad. I figured if I stayed flat I would be alright. I fell alseep. Two hours later I sat up and was really unsure of what to do. I called my nurse hotline... the nurse said - hang up and call 911. WHAAAA???????

So I got up, brushed my teeth, washed my face put on some clothes and left the house. I drove over to GWU Hopsital and went to the emergency room. They triaged me and took me in pretty quickly. I wasnt sure what was going on. I was praying it wasnt a heart attack. Hours went by...EKGS...hooked up to a monitor, oxygen...it was nightmarish really. Mostly it made me think about my Dad. How scary this must have been for him.

Around 5am, they made the decision to admit me. That was when it became real for me. I was beinfg admitted to the hospital - the hospital! I started text messaging my sister so that someone knew where I was. Funny things started going through my head... I need someone to move my car so I dont get a ticket. I am being admitted for possible heart problems and I am worried about a parking ticket! I was worried about the reading. I had committed to this and now, like several things in the past few months...I came up short. I was failing.

Anyway, this story is really long, sorry... the short ending is that after I was admitted I was tested tested and re tested. My heart was not damaged. I did not have a heart attack. Thank God! What I was stricken with was a combination of things...Asthma, Bronchial cold, Extreme Fatigue and Reflux. Basically, I was a mess and I needed to slow down.

So, I have spent the past week resting. I have allowed my body to dictate when I slept and ate and all that good stuff. My job has been terrific about this! My boss told me not to come back till I felt 100%. I feel very blessed and grateful that I have that kind of support. I will work hard to make sure that the support is warrented.

I am ready to go to work and ready to take better care of myself. Wish me luck