covenant's Journal
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covenant
Full Name: betsy
I Am A: Patient
Birthdate: May 12
Location: Union, Maine
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Well, it sure is good to be back home again. Spent nine days in isolation at the hospital because the second chemo treatment wiped out all the "benificial flora" in my gut, allowing C-Diff (naturally, there's a much longer Latin name for it) to take over, felling me like a tree before a chain saw.
Sure didn't expect to be layed low by the "trots," or whatever polite euphimisim one chooses. When they say call if you get 'em, they mean it, 'cause once that sucker gets hold, it sure doesn't want to let go.
Within a couple of days of that second treatment anything that went in dashed through like one of the Earlhardt crew members vying for a record. Called the Doc on call at the Cancer Center where I'm being treated (naturally it was the weekend) who told me to go to the local E-room, which we did. They pumped two liters of fluid in, gave me Immodium, acted like my repeated comments to them about being on chemo, this seeming like more than the usual "runs," ... were being a bit alarmist, and sent me home saying to cal the Cancer Center in a few days if it didn't clear up. Since at that point I didn't have a temp, which I rarely do-- in fact my normal temp is 96-97 -- it couldn't, they claimed, be much to worry about.
Two days later the temp started going up. Called the Cancer Center-- they said get over there-- they ran a culture, hung a bag of fluids, and the next thing I knew I was on an ambulance on my was to their affiliated hospital, where I spent the next 9 days in isolation, hooked up to IVs of fluids, potassiums, antibio's, etc. My temp kept rising for the next two days, my BP was running around 80/58. Finally, on day 3 things started turning around, but I couldn't leave until I could take liquid by mouth that would stay in without going through too fast to do any good. About day 6 I could actually eat a bit, and now things are getting almost normal!
I'll tell you, it is so good to be home! It is so hard to get much real rest at the hospital-- why do they have to be such noisy places? Even in the middle of the night? I understand all the vitals checks, wakeups for meds, etc., but can anyone tell me why they come in everytime they are changing shifts to tell you this? Fine during the day, But to tell you the truth, at 4 a.m. I really don't care who's going home and who's coming on. Do you?
No-- the staff was wonderful-- each and everyone of them. Even got to ride in an ambulance and they didn't drop me, although they DID knock over the little night stand in the room and manage to break of the drawers on it. Better it than me!
So take all these little details that come up during treatment seriously-- it might just turn out to be a problem.
Oh, and I've found a great way to get off those pesky short loose hairs that keep falling off-- duct tape! Just like you'd use it to get hair off the black wool coat the cat fell asleep on. Really.
And, by the way, no more chemo. We decided it was just too risky for me. So as soon as I feel good enough, out w/ the port (glad it was there this past few weeks, I must say), and on to radiation.
Who knows, maybe by the holidays I'll have an inch or so of hair! That'll be something to celebrate, won't it?
Sure didn't expect to be layed low by the "trots," or whatever polite euphimisim one chooses. When they say call if you get 'em, they mean it, 'cause once that sucker gets hold, it sure doesn't want to let go.
Within a couple of days of that second treatment anything that went in dashed through like one of the Earlhardt crew members vying for a record. Called the Doc on call at the Cancer Center where I'm being treated (naturally it was the weekend) who told me to go to the local E-room, which we did. They pumped two liters of fluid in, gave me Immodium, acted like my repeated comments to them about being on chemo, this seeming like more than the usual "runs," ... were being a bit alarmist, and sent me home saying to cal the Cancer Center in a few days if it didn't clear up. Since at that point I didn't have a temp, which I rarely do-- in fact my normal temp is 96-97 -- it couldn't, they claimed, be much to worry about.
Two days later the temp started going up. Called the Cancer Center-- they said get over there-- they ran a culture, hung a bag of fluids, and the next thing I knew I was on an ambulance on my was to their affiliated hospital, where I spent the next 9 days in isolation, hooked up to IVs of fluids, potassiums, antibio's, etc. My temp kept rising for the next two days, my BP was running around 80/58. Finally, on day 3 things started turning around, but I couldn't leave until I could take liquid by mouth that would stay in without going through too fast to do any good. About day 6 I could actually eat a bit, and now things are getting almost normal!
I'll tell you, it is so good to be home! It is so hard to get much real rest at the hospital-- why do they have to be such noisy places? Even in the middle of the night? I understand all the vitals checks, wakeups for meds, etc., but can anyone tell me why they come in everytime they are changing shifts to tell you this? Fine during the day, But to tell you the truth, at 4 a.m. I really don't care who's going home and who's coming on. Do you?
No-- the staff was wonderful-- each and everyone of them. Even got to ride in an ambulance and they didn't drop me, although they DID knock over the little night stand in the room and manage to break of the drawers on it. Better it than me!
So take all these little details that come up during treatment seriously-- it might just turn out to be a problem.
Oh, and I've found a great way to get off those pesky short loose hairs that keep falling off-- duct tape! Just like you'd use it to get hair off the black wool coat the cat fell asleep on. Really.
And, by the way, no more chemo. We decided it was just too risky for me. So as soon as I feel good enough, out w/ the port (glad it was there this past few weeks, I must say), and on to radiation.
Who knows, maybe by the holidays I'll have an inch or so of hair! That'll be something to celebrate, won't it?
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Comments:
Want to leave a comment? Login or Register now!BTW, I can relate with the hospital staff coming in at late hours...it's quite irritating!Betsy, it sounds like you had a really tough week (or 9 days). I'm glad you are back at home and things are getting back to "normal." Keep your high hopes and positivity, it helps so much! BTW, I can relate with the hospital staff coming in at late hours...it's quite irritating!