The "The Wonders Of Medicine" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Make that a day and a half!  Had just returned home from the Lancaster Genreral Hospital where I had spent the best part of yesterday in the emergency room.  On Sunday morning I awoke and didn't feel right.  Tried to get through the day, but late afternoon I told Carol that I just didn't feel right.  I was having a hard time breathing.  About a half-hour later I told her I think I should go to the Emergency Room at Lancaster General, since  I was having a hard time breathing.  She said she would take me, but I asked her what she would do if I passed out on the way.  So...we called for an ambulance.  About 10 minutes later an ambulance arrived with all it's lights flashing and stopped in the middle of the street, blocking all traffic.  They proceeded to put me on a gurney and strap me in place and off we went to the hospital.  When we arrived they deposited me in the ER and wished me the best.  By that time it had just turned dark on Sunday evening.  I was given a room, a gown was placed over my clothes and I was officially a patient of the hospital.  In about an hour a doctor visited me and we talked about what I was experiencing.  He decided I should have a CT scan and an MRI as well as a COVID test.  Sounds easy!  Well, I laid on the hard bed and about an hour later I was taken to a room for the CT scan.   About a half-hour later a  doctor stopped to tell me there was nothing wrong on my CT scan.  Still was having trouble breathing.  Carol had been sitting by my side.  Close to 10:00 PM, after the first test, I told her to go home, since it may be forever before they do anything else.  She called our daughter-in-law who picked her up a short time later.  I laid on the hard table for close to 11:00 PM when they came to take me for the MRI test.  When I returned back to my room they told me that someone would be in to tell me about the results.  An hour and a half later a doctor stopped and told me they didn't find anything out of the ordinary.  So...I could go home.  By that time it was close to 2:00 am and I was breathing better!  I asked a nurse if she could call my wife who came to the hospital with my daughter-in-law to pick me up.  By about 2:30 AM I was back in bed at my house.  No longer had the breathing problem, but did have quite a few sore spots on my back from the ER bed.  As I laid on the bed throughout the evening and early morning, I wondered what would have happened had I just stayed home and put up with the breathing problem a bit longer.  May have to try that the next time, if it ever happens again.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

PS - I just solved my own problem!  Seems that my wife purchased an atomizer that goes off every so many minutes.  Also just placed a new can of pine scent and I happened to be sitting next to it while typing this story.  It is so strong that it took my breath away.  Exactly what it did Sunday before I had a hard time breathing and had to go to the hospital.  That can of spray is now in the trash can.  Now I need to send a bill to the hospital telling them about how I took care of my own problem and it will only cost them the amount that they will charge me.   See if it works!  I won't even charge them for the ambulance!