NEVER VISIT THE E.R. OF A HOSPITAL WHOSE TEAM IS PLAYING IN A BOWL GAME

As many of you know, I am recovering from pneumonia. What you may not know, is that I was diagnosed in the emergency room of the Ohio State University Hospital-on the day of the Rose Bowl when the Buckeyes were playing. Here's some advice. Don't go to the E.R. of OSU when the Bucks are playing in any Bowl game. Period. No bueno. The doctor has one eye on you and one ear on the television in the nurses' station. I never heard from anyone between the x-rays, the ct-scan, or the blood work. I had to piece information together and infer, from the available knowledge, what was happening. My first diagnosis was a pulmonary embolism. Nice. I had chest pain on inspiration, which was severe in two spots, and an non-productive cough. My chest sounded relatively clear. My x-ray came back clear. My d-dimer (blood work) came back wildly elevated. Combined with a family history for pulmonary emboli, I was a shoe-in. I laid back ready for my treatment. I was told I was planted in Columbus for awhile because I wouldn't be cleared to ride in a car or airplane for quite some time. Then, after the CT-scan, I was told that I had mid-lobe pneumonia. So.....

All of this took, are you ready?...8 hours. EIGHT! I was given a couple of prescriptions and turned loose. I didn't know my way out, no one showed me, it was just weird. Now...heaven knows I love me some Ohio State. I LOVE IT. We used to take our kids down to the stadium (The Horseshoe) and play football down there on the field with them. How's THAT for being open to the public? My son is a graduate. My twin grand babies were born there. But this was just crazy.

So, my first piece of advice is: don't get pneumonia. My second piece of advice is: don't go to the OSU emergency room during a bowl game when the Bucks are playing. My third piece of advice is: don't let this blog prejudice you against the Buckeyes. They're as wholesome and "home-town" as a team can get.

I'm getting better and better. *cough* *hack* *wheeze* Go Bucks!!!