I don't usually talk about my health here because I have the good fortune of being a generally healthy person. This July has had other ideas.

Around July 3, I started feeling tightness in my upper abdomen and upper belly, along with being unusually tired. It continued through the weekend, and by Monday I was so uncomfortable that I called a triage nurse and got in to see a doctor. My labs showed elevated lipase and a high white blood cell count, and we were concerned about inflammation in the abdomen (including possible pancreas involvement).

On Tuesday, after reviewing the labs drawn on Monday, the doctor recommended I go to the ER for a CT scan. At Sharp Hospital, I was evaluated and had imaging and additional tests done. The ER team diagnosed acute pancreatitis along with acute dehydration, and I was admitted to the hospital for treatment.

On Wednesday and Thursday I continued recovering in the hospital. By late Thursday, July 9th, I was able to eat about half a sandwich without trouble, and I was released. No prescriptions to take home—just a low-fat diet which I've been following closely and feel much better. Next stop is a visit to a Gastroenterologist tomorrow to see what other follow-up is needed.

July wasn't done with me yet.

On Saturday (July 18), we were out running errands for about 1.5 hours for groceries and Costco, and we got home around 2pm. We headed to church later that evening, and around 5:30pm I suddenly started feeling hot and sweaty while standing. On my way out to get some air, I experienced tunnel vision and ended up feeling faint.

I sat down hard on the cement and scraped my right knee and inside of my right wrist. My wife and a doctor how saw me leave the church went outside and found me unconscious—I was probably out for 1–2 minutes, and they revived me right there. They checked my pulse and called an ambulance.

The ambulance arrived quickly. They checked my blood sugar, ran orientation-type checks, and then took me to Sharp Memorial (two ER visits in one month!). On the way, they gave IV fluids and Zofran for nausea. At the ER, EKG and lab tests came back okay, so I was discharged. This incident was deemed unrelated to my Pancreatitis. Personally, I think this comes down to diet and hydration management but I have a follow up appointment in a couple of weeks with a Cardiologist to make sure my heart is healthy. Fun fact, if you lose consciousness it gets reported and California takes away your drivers license until you are cleared. So that's fun.

I'm suddenly collecting doctors like they are Pokémon and have given more blood in lab tests in one month than I have in my entire life! Hopefully this is all just a time and I can get back to the business of life.

Thanks for reading. Take care of yourselves, friends.