[10:36am]
I just got settled in! I set up my laptop, plugged in Barbara's hard drive, put away my clothes, and politely refused to wear a gown. I mean, it doesn't make any sense! I want to feel human, not like some sick person! Granted, I am sick... but that doesn't mean I have to feel sick!
It's also funny that they all seem to think that, without a gown, I will choose to instead sleep in my jeans. "We have some pajama pants you can wear..." Maybe they're extremely prudish?
But it's like, "H-e-l-l-o!! I have Hodgkin's Lymphoma...anyone know what that means...anyone...anyone...Bueller?" Night sweats! And if you think I'm a going nite-nite in anything other than my undies, you got another thing coming!
So, no gown. :) I am, of course, wearing clothes :P
[12:28pm]
Red Warrior needs food badly!
Hmmm... I'm such a pig. Nurse is trying to explain all the upcoming chemo and side effects, and I'm like: "Yes, yes, but when is the food coming?" and she's like: "Well, usually lun..." and I'm like: "YES, FOOD! FOOD FOOD FOOD!"
*ahem* Yes. The point is that I'm not used to having to wait for food. I suppose I am spoiled in that regard. At home, when I am hungry, I eat. Simple as that. Accordingly, it has turned into somewhat of a personal obsession over the past thirty minutes. I think to myself: "I wonder what's going to be on the menu...French fries? No...they wouldn't dare...At least some type of desert object though...Thats good...But will they remember that I usually eat double portions? Or will they screw me on the first day?" Arrrgh! So much stress!
[1:24pm]
Hmmm....I found a Japanese Restaurant that will deliver here. I hope the staff here wouldn't consider that rude...
[1:47pm]
Ah, I've been fed. All is right in the world. Chemo hasn't started yet, but my lab results are in!
WBC: 5.1 [Nom: 4.8 to 10.8]
RBC: 3.8 [Nom: 4.7 to 6.1]
HGB: 11.7 [Nom: 14 to 18]
Slightly anemic, but not immunosuppressed. Chemo is a go!
[3:43pm]
Chemo is not a go! There hasn't been any chemo orders faxed from Irwin's office. The pharmacy closes at 4:30pm. No orders before 4:30pm means no chemo today. In other words, the whole day will be pointless. Bah, more stress. It's not fighting cancer, it's fighting to get treated!
[4:00pm]
Dr. C isn't going to send the orders today. I have no clue why. No chemo today. What a waste. Bah.
The nurse came in and was furious!! It was awesome! She said something about "kicking" my "doctor's butt" and then immediately apologized for being "extremely unprofessional." She explained that she was a patient advocate, and things like these especially infuriated her. Rock on!
She then gave me a $10 cafeteria voucher for all the inconvenience. Kinda silly to be spending thousands and thousands for hospital care, delaying your life-saving chemo, and wasting an entire day, only to be given a little $10 voucher. I got a bacon cheeseburger and fries. It was worth it :P
Plus, the good news is that they are going to start the hydration process in a couple of hours. That process takes at least 5 hours. The entire day won't be completely a waste, in other words. So, getting that out of the way, I will be able to start my day with a fresh cup of chemo.
Watching: League of Gentlemen (Silly BBC Comedy)
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
Here's to an uneventful, gownless hospital stay - Round 2 *ding ding*..........Vx
They're probably not going to remember about the double portions ... you might be better off reminding the nurses. Or, alternatively, I think it's generally cool for restaurants to deliver to the hospital, so you could just go that route!
I will, of course, call for your takeout order before I come over. I fully support the "spoiling Austin with food" project. ;)
Absolutly! Call in pizza delivery! Chinese, Japanese, and anything else that will deliver! If you want, I would be happy to treat you to a few meals. Call me and I will give you my credit card info - or if you give me your specific delivery address and the ordering info, I will call in your order! How cool that would be to be able to bring a satisifying (sp?)meal to you from Kentucky! I want to spoil you some too!
Love,
Mom
Are you serious?!? Why would Becky confirm a check in time of this morning if it was not confirmed with the doctor that you would begin chemo today? Who did she confirm the hospital stay with? You can't be admitted without the doctor approving right? I don't want to get you all worked up again. Just slow moving bureaucracy bull $&!* I guess. Does this mean you are discharged Monday instead of Sunday?
There should be rant tags for those posting comments :)
Jen
The doctor approved the admission and everything, but the specific chemo prescription was not written out in time. The pharmacy has to make the stuff before 4:30pm or so. I'm really kinda ticked off at the doctor responsible.
But, it *is* just 4 days of chemo. If we get started early tomorrow, I could be out on Sunday evening or so.
Oh - the memories this brings back! During Wullie's 2nd round of salvage chemo I got a call in the (very) early hours of the morning from a very P1$$ed off Wullie to say that he had started his chemo (DHAP for him) and when it came for his 2nd bag to go up they couldn't do it because there was no-one QUALIFIED on the ward to administer chemo! How scary is that - they have someone receiving chemo and there's no-one in a position to help if something went wrong - well he went ballistic (he later blamed the steroids :0p) and really told a few home truths to the medical staff - such fun to return there for treatment #3 ;0)
I think it's part of the regimen - undergoing life-saving chemo? - let's see how much stress we can administer on the way!
Just keep eating, Austin - take a few deep breaths and inhale a few burgers on the way!
Hope today is a MUCH better and more cancer-killing productive day!.............Vx
PS....'League of Gentlemen' = VERY silly BBC comedy, I can only assume it's male humour :0p........Vx
Thanks, Veronica :)
In a few hours, I should get started!
And yes, I think you're right about the "League of Gentlemen." VERY Silly.
You have to be proactive in the hospital and with doctors. They do forget things and will put off bringing you pain meds or whatever to finish doing something else. They can't feel your pain and when surrounded be people in pain all the time at work they have to make themselves immune to "feeling" too much. Most of the time the nurses and doctors try to be prompt but I have experienced some that go to lunch or take a break before bringing you the relief you need.
My way of dealing with this is like training Pavlov's dogs. When it took too long, expressing how greatful I was to FINALLY be getting relief and how wonderful they are to bring it. It has worked well for me before. Bringing medication = words of praise. Postponing bring medication = frequent reminders.
Love you!
Post a Comment