The (not-so) Big Sleep

Another episode of “As The Stomach Turns at General Hospital in Happy Valley” is coming to an end.  I hope there was enough pop corn to go round. 

Lab results were dismal yesterday morning, so I had to return 3 hours later for a 2-unit infusion session. There is always a delay supplying my specific blood product because of some bizarre antibodies that are necessary, for some reason. That’s why I usually have blood drawn on Thursday, then return on Friday if transfusing is necessary. 

Well, my CBC numbers were in the toy-toy yesterday and I could’t wait another 24 hours.  To make matters worse, the blood pressure was too low and the temperature was too high at various stages in the infusion process.  Nothing they tried seemed to have any effect on either condition. Since I didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary (Ha! Ha! I laugh in your general direction.) they continued with the procedures - monitoring me carefully. 

When all was said and done, I spent 10 hours at the Center. I was taught how to care for the port to avoid infection, and learned a few tricks to use for the new POWER PAC which, BTW, was accessed for the first time as well. 

It was painful since the surgery was less than 48 hours before and the area was still raw and purple, but once the blood started flowing, I was able to relax.  No more pin cushion…Yay!

A prescription for a local anesthetic (for the port area) was called in, but when I left for home at 6 pm last night I was in no condition to deal with pharmacy staff. Aside from not speaking English well, they lack a certain je ne sais quoi, if you get my drift.  I wanted home and bed, and couldn’t get here fast enough. No appetite, so no dinner. I was too shaky and exhausted to even think of forcing myself to do one more thing.  Went to bed and slept through til 4 am today. 

Made a coffee, enjoyed a hunk of melon and set about changing the surgical dressing.  As I said, hard to do in a mirror, but it’s done, port is clean, if a little raw-looking on the edges. I am leaving it uncovered, watching closely for leakage, so it will heal faster (The Triage nurse’s suggestion). 

The prescription can wait another day or two. So, I have nowhere to go today. Downloaded a couple of new books, and since we’re due for heavy rains all day I will drift in and out of consciousness as I feel necessary.  Even my card of the day offers some good news and hope.  May it be so.

And so it goes.

*

NOTE: Thanks for all the comments and well wishes. They do my old heart good and give me hope to keep hanging on. I feel blessed by your caring thoughts.

I will attempt to answer a few comments in the next post or two. It will be so much easier than hunting down each individual comment in the comments section of those posts.  I'll be a accurate as possible.