Hey SickleCellWarriors, I am Jay! A 29 year old Rochester NY native, currently living in San Antonio TX.
I just spent my 29th birthday 🎂🎉 in the hospital for a Acute Pain Crisis. During my stay I suffered a Hypoxic event where my breathing slowed down so low that my organs were getting starved of Oxygen. I was completely paralyzed for two days straight, conscious and aware, but unable to move. I heard Doctors, specialists, and nurses working frantically around me as I literally suffocate. I was aware of them telling me to breathe as I struggled to do so.😖
After what seemed like hours of this I finally caught a steady breath. The medical team also put a tube down my throat and this felt like hell trying to fight the incubator for breaths. Imagine only being aware of trying to stay alive by breathing around a tube you feel like is choking you. I wanted desperately to make the nurses aware that I was choking on the tube to no avail. 😵💫
After two days of being paralyzed I remember my finger starting to move. Suddenly like a God Sent burst of energy 🙏🏽🌄, I shot upright. Can you guess my next move? Yes, I instantly grabbed that damn tube and yanked it out of my throat 😅, I remember the nurses yelling at me 🧑🏻⚕️🙄 and I'm just like, PAIN MEDS - IV- NOW! NON of that oral shit! 🤬 And no, I'm usually VERY respectful to staff. They all love me, but after two days of choking on a damn tube, I wanted that feel good dose along with IV Benadryl, if ykyk 😏 ever since then 2 months into my hospital stay, I'm finally back doing what I love doing, exercising. I'm a body builder, 5'11 and 210 lbs of muscle. I lost over 40lbs this hospital stay! I'm slowly gaining my strength back. I'm at 185lbs now which is very small for me. But this is what I'm currently going throughThank God my wife and kids were by my side through out the whole ordeal. 🧑🧑🧒🧒♥️
Tomorrow I will begin Ketamine therapy, and ween off of my pain meds. This journey is my 2nd longest hospital stay. My first was 4 months, so trust me! My WARRIORS I know the battle, I know the War... Sometimes we may feel defeated in a battle, and that's OK, just aslong as we win the WAR! 💪🏽🪖💯
I love you guys, stay strong, stay resilient!!! 🫡
💪🏽🪖🩸♥️ BLESSED BE...🙏🏽🌄