As said previously …
This post had been planned under vastly different circumstances. Then monday the 20th happened. Short form … I wound up in hospital with left lower lobe pneumonia.
After four days of stressed out staff (and two covid deaths that I recognized as gurneys passed my door with body bags) the only non-harried attendants with any loose time I saw were the students. They were harried, but by instructors. I did hope to teach them one thing which I think is REALLY important … LISTEN TO YOUR PATIENTS.!!!
I wound up really pissed at the RNs (especially the one who poopooed the importance of a bloody sputum sample by telling the student to have me spit into tissues and thrown them away.) and the MDS (of the three who were overall assigned to me I saw only one more than once and he was so involved with machines and what they were saying he had no time to listen to me and told me so).
I was put on IV antibiotics (which my body kept refusing by leaking into surrounding tissue). I finally told the one RN who listened, I can drink so why not switch to orals. He listened and the switch occured.
My head has “white coat” anxiety. To those who don’t recognize the phrase, every time I enter a medical interaction, however benign or how well I know the medical person involved, my heart rate increases and my blood pressure goes up. My regular caregiver knows that about me so waits a couple of minutes for my head to catch up and then rechecks vital signs which are by then normal. I tried to tell the MD in charge about this anomaly and his response was he didn’t have time for this, turned his back on me, advised if those conditions weren’t taken care of, I’d die … and left my bedside. There were other incidents when listening to me could have improved his understanding of what was happening, but his stock response was he was not going to take time to listen.
As a result, I was sent home with the oral broad range antibiotic as well as aspirin and a betablocker for my“atrial fibrillation” and hypertension. He had not asked, and obviously not read the list of my daily supplements which include 1000mg of Vitamin C (an excellent blood thinner) and after trusting and taking the Rx aspirin for two days and waking up with a nosebleed, I stopped.
Also knowing my reaction to medical interactions, I was afraid of the betablocker.
I had been instructed to make a follow-up appointment with my regular caregiver, so did (it had to be a phone consult due to Covid). I said “Troy, you know me and my medical patterns … so here’s my list of fears, concerns, and non-compliances.”
We talked for nearly an hour, he asked questions and wound up agreeing I was wise to stop the aspirin, he could see no need for the betablocker based on our exam history, and the antibiotic was proper and adequate.
I need updates on my inoculations. They are scheduled for tomorrow (thursday) at the clinic. A friend is coming to get me and take me to the clinic. Troy says he’ll make a quick dash to see me and say “Hi”.
I’ve been home over a week and am improving … not as fast as I would like but faster than I might have expected. My mornings are good, then an assigned nap, and a slower afternoon.
Up and around by 0700 and in bed by when the street lights come on at 1930.
Appetite still not up to snuff, but I’m trying. And one day next week a friend will be here in the morning bearing a pot of homemade soup. That should help.
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On to other more mundane events …
It took a couple of weeks after escrow closed (more about escrow later when I can be more objective) to get the new flooring installed and the big furniture out of storage and into place (most big furniture is still in the place I had the movers put it).
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One entertaining, educational event last week filled the morning of the 28th.
The very tall dead pine in the RV park to the northeast, and which has had everyone a bit on edge with winter approaching, since its possible trajectory if snow load and winter wind should cause it to uproot would seem to have put two of the neighbor’s houses on the fallline, was dropped.
The last time I watched them fall a tree that tall was in the days when one lone lumberjack with climbing spikes on his boots, a strong belt around his waist and the tree, and a tool belt holding a handheld saw and some rope went up a tree, alone, with only ground support.
Boy was that exciting watching.
Nowadays it is a whole lot different.
Two workmen (I hesitate to call them lumbermen) in a cherry picker with electric saws and oodles of rope and pins did the work it used to take one lumberman less time to do. Interesting, but not as exciting.
At least it kept a lot of us entertained all morning.
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The big tv is operational. The library table, which will be its site, is still in storage. More on that later.
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Now you’ve heard my gripes etc. and I leave you with …
When life seems dark;
When despair grows around you;
You are sent this thought …
Move with flame to light the darkness.
Rise from the Earth like a tree.
Accept that from the rivers and mountains life runs
Bringing you surprises.
Receive and embrace this wish.
It is named and brings you … Hope.
So … ‘til next week …