[Counts]
WBC:20.2
HCT:30.6
PLT:46,000
[12:34pm]
Everything has changed in an instant. In my last angsty posting, Barbara posted a comment recommending that I try a local mouth pain-relief product, such as Oraljel, to combat my persistent mouth pain. At the time, I was communicating with Liz through the computer, or a series of grunts and awkward hand gestures -- it was the best I could do.
She saw Barbara's comment and immediately offered to drive to the nearest Walgreens to acquire said product. When she returned I applied the product and found instant relief. For the first time in what felt like forever, I was actually talking! Liz and I spend the next few hours talking about stuff -- it was a beautiful thing.
Naturally, everything changed after that. I no longer need any pain medication (Fentanyl) and I can actually eat my meals! That is the two major things keeping me in the Hospital; now it could be as little as 48 hours before I am discharged.
The downside is that, to leave the hospital, one needs to be better. If one is better, they no longer need a single room. So, they moved me to a double with a caregiver that, within minutes, was preventing my mom and I from watching a much anticipated episode of House. Sure, I get wanting to sleep -- 0but it's the middle of the day, when else can I watch some T.V.? With nothing much to do and a lack of sleep haunting me from last night, I decided to get some blissful sleep as well. I was forced awake with loud talking.
But I wasn't upset; this is what happens in double rooms in hospitals. Just don't force double standards on the patients around you.
Perhaps I'm being unreasonable, but I thought our volume level was minimal... and I was really looking forward to watching that episode. Plus, when can we watch it now? Don't they now have precedence to request that we not watch it at any time?
Ok, excuse the rant.
In conclusion, things are going well. I'm going to try to eat well and whatnot to get out of here soon!
Monday, November 17, 2008
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10 comments:
How annoying that they made you move again. But I'm *so* relieved that you can eat and talk! Keeping my fingers crossed that you get discharged soon ...
Many thanks to Liz for getting the Orajel for you! I was sure that would help. That's great, and I feel like I've been useful, even though I'm far away.
Be careful with eating! After this long not eating, your stomach has probably shrunk to the size of a tennis ball. Eat tiny amounts until you discover how much you can hold. Don't worry, your stomach will stretch out again, and you'll be able to wolf down those big meals again.
I seem to have no cold symptoms, so perhaps I am safe to visit. Shall I come up tonight?
Again on the Orajel subject... Why did the physicians not know in advance you could benefit so much from a simple non-narcotic topical anesthetic? You could have had a lot of pain relief much earlier. I originally suggested a topical as a comment to your entry entitled "Silence" last week. They could have compounded some lidocaine and saline for you to use - it would have been easy and cheap. Tell your doctors. The ideal mouthwash would be a bit like the one your doctor Cecchi originally prescribed, but minus the nauseating benadryl and yucky Maalox.
Yeah, that's what I'm wondering. I don't know why we non-medical folks thought of something that the entire BMT staff did not. [/annoyed]
I requested the "triple-mix" as they call it here -- I was desperate and was willing to get nauseated for momentary mouth relief. But for some reason it got lost in the system. I inquire about it to the nurses, who reply "I'll look into it" and never hear from them again.
Now that you are closer to discharge, we have to plan things again.
First, you will be needing cash to cover the apartment move-in, and I will have that ready. You need to get details on the arrangement and the availability date.
There will be things "missing" from the apartment which you will need. Bedding, cooking utensils, whatever. We need to get a list of those needs. I guess you will have to inspect it to find out.
You need Internet access to keep you happy. We had talked about using a cellphone interface such as Dan's, but the per-byte costs might be a lot. Instead, I recall you saying that the apartment is close to the Stanford clinic. If so, we might be able to access their wireless if we have an external wireless antenna, similar to the one we use on the boat. We can find out whether that is practical once we have visited the site and can do a scan. If it is not, we can then go ahead and use the cellphone network.
I am holding some of your things in storage or on the boat. Give me a list of the items you will want and I will bring them later this week.
Your recent post did not mention the fevers you had been having. Have they disappeared?
Orajel - amazing! Thanks to Barbara and Liz for making that happen.
Enjoy your food and get busy talking up a storm.
GOOD TIMES!
Sweet Sweetness!!!
Woo Hoo - can't believe the difference in your post - welcome back!!
Glad to hear that everything is moving in the right direction even if that does mean sharing with what sounds like a miserable git! Wow - if anyone tried to get in the way of me and a House episode, they'd know all about it!!! Congrats on the restraint and here's to an early release so you can watch House ad infinitum!!.........Vx
Actually, your room is what hospitals used to refer to as "semi-private". That differentiated them from the 6-10 or more per room wards which were the norm. At least we can be thankful that day is gone - at least in the US. I'm sure such a thing is still common in other countries.
British comedy is great for hospital sketches. I love the episode of Absolutely Fabulous in which Edina gets a hangnail, and since she is rich she doesn't get National Health care, her snobby doctor sends her off to a private hospital, where she demands narcotics and pedicures, and gets them. Another is the Monty Python sketch, in which a new program is parodied in which hospital patients are encouraged to get "healthy exercise" despite being sick or bedridden - this of course means that a British drill sergeant has all the patients out doing marathons and being personal slave labor for the pampered doctors. Both those episodes are, I think, on your video library drive you have...
That's awesome! I'm glad you can eat and talk again! Those seem to be things I find myself doing often.
Gaming update! The new zombie-tastic game for the 360 "Left 4 Dead" is loaded full of multiplayer action! Get together 4 people who don't mind playing something as violent as all that and you've got hours of fun!
So yeah, congratulations on feeling better!
-TJ (Who else would be talking about video games?)
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