Here's a post from my wife's blog at www.kandicelynn.blogspot.com She suffers from a disease called ulcerative colitis and this was how our wonderful weekend was spent:

"Well....Last Thursday, I woke up with swollen glands for the third morning in a row. Something was definitely not right with me. David and I both called into work and we went to an urgent care facility. I did all the paperwork and sat in the doctor's office. When the doctor finally came in, he took one look at me and told me that I need to go straight to the hospital because there was no doubt that I was anemic. David took me to Beaumont hospital in Royal Oak (near work). I was admitted into the ER and the doc took some throat cultures and blood. About 40 Minutes passed and without saying a word, the nurse put me into isolation and made everyone around me wear a mask. The doctor came into my isolation room and advised that my blood levels are so low that I'm lucky I got in there when I did. Just to give you an idea....A woman's Hemoglobin level is normarlly12-14. Mine was at 4.9. I had virtually NO white blood cells (that's why I was put into isolation). Obviously, I was admitted to the hospital and a blood transfusion was given immediately. They started out with 3 bags of blood. Each bag taking 3 hours to empty into my veins. They tested my blood again, and my hemoglobin level was only raised to 7.7, so 2 more bags were given to me, which meant one more night in that dreaded place. Granted I was thankful they were saving my life, but trying to sleep in a hospital bed is nearly impossible. Especially since during the blood infusion, they have to check my Blood Pressure and Temperature EVERY 20 MINUTES!!!!!!!! Anyway, during my stay, I was visited by 3 different doctors....My regular doctor, my GI doctor, and the blood doctor. It was officially determined, the my medicine (6MP) made all my blood levels go down, and that I could of died with such blood levels. Needless to say I can't be on that medication anymore. On day 3, my regular doctor came to see me after my 2 more bags of blood, which now my hemoglobin was up to 9, and told me that I could go home, but that I can't go back to work until my white blood cell count came up a lot more. I have to go to his office to get my blood tested to see if my white count has risen and if I can go back to work. I can't be around anyone who might be sick, so that means that I'm house bound for a week. So I got home yesterday (Saturday) and I'm already stir crazy. I woke up this morning refreshed, and blessed to be alive. This was my official close to death experience and I pray it will be my last. So I will remain untreated for my UC until my body recovers from the anemia. My GI has advised me that he has run out of medicine options for me, and only advises that I get my colon removed at this point. Before that, he wants me to see a specialist at University of Michigan, which I definately plan on doing. Sorry for such a long post. Thanks for listening. "

Dave M.