Wednesday, August 22, 2007 - Hospital
Hi, everyone, Mark here again with another of Jeanette's blog entries. One quick update, she had the surgery yesterday (Tuesday) and it went without a hitch. She's back in her room recovering, and taking a number of scans and tests. Now, on to her entry:
6:30 AM
I was just about to order breakfast, but the nurse told me not to eat because I'm supposed to have an abdominal CAT Scan today. I wish I could avoid all these tests. They're trying to rule out an abcess that could be causing my infection.
Some chick woke me up at 1 AM to take blood. She was wearing gloves, but ripped off the middle finger. She swabbed me with alcohol, then touched my vein with her bare finger! I was shocked! The reason I'm here is because of infection!
"Should you be doing that?" I asked.
She mumbled something about how she can feel the vein better that way and reluctantly swabbed my arm with the used swab, then used it on her finger. Gross! how many other people did she touch without washing her hands? Maybe she feels like we're all dying anyway, so who cares?
Had the port out yesterday. The area is a little sore but not too bad.
I asked for some ibuprofen last night.
"Do you want some Vicodin?" the nurse asked.
"Vicodin?!" I said. "Heavens, no! I don't want to throw up, I just need ibuprofen."
They found some in their drawers, so I didn't have to wait 5 hours for the pharmacy to re-open.
2:55 PM
My forehead is turning red. Not sure if it's the antibiotic or the "contrast" I drank for my impending CAT Scan. Someone paged the nurse, so hopefully she can solve this problem.
Had 3 visitors so far today. My stepmom first thing in the morning, then Dad, then my favorite Deacon from church. (Actually, I don't know the other ones.) The Deacon walked into a philosophical discussion I was having with my roommate and a Methodist pastoral associate.
3:10 PM
Now I'm scared and nervous. They'll be "coming to get me" for the CAT Scan soon. Two main fears: I'll have to stay here longer, and (the big one) they'll find cancer in an organ. Oh, no, they're here!
4:20 PM
Said a rosary in the Radiology hallway waiting to go in, then waiting to be transported back. My stepmom came to see me again. they wouldn't let her drive me up to my room. We had to wait for an official pink-shirt transport chick. She was nice--let me make a pit stop on the way.
5:20 PM
ordered a burger w/ extra tomatoes, cheesy potatoes and apple pie. Was on hold for at least 15 minutes. This is my first food today.
Need to have another test, a TEE (trans-esophogeal echocardiogram) tomorrow. The 2D Echo showed no infection of the heart but to be absolutely sure, I need to swallow some tube that'll take pictures of my heart from my esophagus! So guess what--they're starving me tomorrow, too. No food after midnight for the third day in a row.
[Mark's note: I brought Jeanette some candy around 8 PM.]
yesterday was because of the port removal surgery, today for the CAT Scan, tomorrow this TEE. That's okay, I was planning to lose 10 lbs anyway. The heart nurse promised numbing of the throat and some type of "twilight sleep" sedative.
The infectious disease chick said if I don't do the test, she'll treat me for 4 weeks of IV antibiotics (just assume the heart is infected.) If I take the test and it's OK, I get 2 weeks. (If it IS infected, 4 weeks anyway.) So the test may get me out of 2 weeks.
Get this -- I get to administer my own IV.
I go to the doc, "Yeah, I hear someone will be coming to my home to give the antibiotics every day."
"Oh, no," she said. "they're coming once, to teach you!"
6:05 PM
Food's here.
Still scared stiff about the CAT Scan results. I hope I don't have to cry again. Bawled enough this morning.
They forgot my tomatoes.
6:30 AM
I was just about to order breakfast, but the nurse told me not to eat because I'm supposed to have an abdominal CAT Scan today. I wish I could avoid all these tests. They're trying to rule out an abcess that could be causing my infection.
Some chick woke me up at 1 AM to take blood. She was wearing gloves, but ripped off the middle finger. She swabbed me with alcohol, then touched my vein with her bare finger! I was shocked! The reason I'm here is because of infection!
"Should you be doing that?" I asked.
She mumbled something about how she can feel the vein better that way and reluctantly swabbed my arm with the used swab, then used it on her finger. Gross! how many other people did she touch without washing her hands? Maybe she feels like we're all dying anyway, so who cares?
Had the port out yesterday. The area is a little sore but not too bad.
I asked for some ibuprofen last night.
"Do you want some Vicodin?" the nurse asked.
"Vicodin?!" I said. "Heavens, no! I don't want to throw up, I just need ibuprofen."
They found some in their drawers, so I didn't have to wait 5 hours for the pharmacy to re-open.
2:55 PM
My forehead is turning red. Not sure if it's the antibiotic or the "contrast" I drank for my impending CAT Scan. Someone paged the nurse, so hopefully she can solve this problem.
Had 3 visitors so far today. My stepmom first thing in the morning, then Dad, then my favorite Deacon from church. (Actually, I don't know the other ones.) The Deacon walked into a philosophical discussion I was having with my roommate and a Methodist pastoral associate.
3:10 PM
Now I'm scared and nervous. They'll be "coming to get me" for the CAT Scan soon. Two main fears: I'll have to stay here longer, and (the big one) they'll find cancer in an organ. Oh, no, they're here!
4:20 PM
Said a rosary in the Radiology hallway waiting to go in, then waiting to be transported back. My stepmom came to see me again. they wouldn't let her drive me up to my room. We had to wait for an official pink-shirt transport chick. She was nice--let me make a pit stop on the way.
5:20 PM
ordered a burger w/ extra tomatoes, cheesy potatoes and apple pie. Was on hold for at least 15 minutes. This is my first food today.
Need to have another test, a TEE (trans-esophogeal echocardiogram) tomorrow. The 2D Echo showed no infection of the heart but to be absolutely sure, I need to swallow some tube that'll take pictures of my heart from my esophagus! So guess what--they're starving me tomorrow, too. No food after midnight for the third day in a row.
[Mark's note: I brought Jeanette some candy around 8 PM.]
yesterday was because of the port removal surgery, today for the CAT Scan, tomorrow this TEE. That's okay, I was planning to lose 10 lbs anyway. The heart nurse promised numbing of the throat and some type of "twilight sleep" sedative.
The infectious disease chick said if I don't do the test, she'll treat me for 4 weeks of IV antibiotics (just assume the heart is infected.) If I take the test and it's OK, I get 2 weeks. (If it IS infected, 4 weeks anyway.) So the test may get me out of 2 weeks.
Get this -- I get to administer my own IV.
I go to the doc, "Yeah, I hear someone will be coming to my home to give the antibiotics every day."
"Oh, no," she said. "they're coming once, to teach you!"
6:05 PM
Food's here.
Still scared stiff about the CAT Scan results. I hope I don't have to cry again. Bawled enough this morning.
They forgot my tomatoes.
posted by Mark Kappe @ 7:56 PM
1 Comments:
At 2:20 PM,
Berni said…
Hey you,
just been talking on msn to your hubby and it was lovely to hear about your disney trip. Hope you get out of hospital soon and i am thinking of you and praying for you although im not sure that god listens to me that much... so you are 40 next, wow all those years ago that we started writing..... still have the same sense of humour though, must dig out those letters for the blog...just kidding.
chin up.. love your friend Bernadette.xxxx
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