TheGreatEscape

It's August 4, 2006 and here I am freshly escaped
from the big brick institution they call Edward Hospital,

AGAIN!

During the one week I was home after my surgery, I was learning to get around,
settling in with home therapy, still feeling a little yucky and kind of nauseated.

I'd just had a major operation and was taking pain medication
and a couple of other new things so I attributed the nausea to the meds.

Confirming that I was doing well was the fact that I'd had several visits
from the very competent home care associates affiliated with the hospital.

There was nothing out of the ordinary and no fever.
I was doing well with my therapy.

Then on Saturday morning of last weekend, I started running a high fever complete
with chills and tremors. Before the day was over I was vomiting as well.

On first arising on Sunday morning, I felt some better but as the day went on,
I grew worse. By Sunday evening, with a fever of 103 and all the doctors and
medical offices closed, we began to think it's time I headed to the hospital.

I thought maybe they would give me something to fix me up and send me home,
but they determined that they needed to admit me at least for the night and phoned
both my primary physician and my surgeon who did my knee replacement.

They asked a few hundred questions and did a few tests and drew some blood
etc etc which showed that there was bacteria in my blood; it seemed the
most likely culprit was the wound from my recent operation.

By the next morning I had been examined by several doctors who all agreed that
my post-surgical knee looked fine; but there was definitely an infection
somewhere that was spilling quite a lot of bacteria into my blood.

By Tuesday further tests revealed that the bacteria was a type normally
seen in kidneys. But why didn't I experinece the normal symptoms you have
with a urinary tract infection?

They were giving me liquids and all meds, including an antibiotic by infusion.
I was still very sick.

On Tuesday, my oxygen levels were very low, so they started giving me oxygen.

Ultra sounds of my kidneys and gall bladder showed nothing; further blood tests
and cultures identified the specific bacteria coming from an infection in my bladder.

This enabled them to target the treatment with the most effective antibiotic.
I was still extremely sick but showing signs of improvement,

By Wednesday morning, I had a brand new problem.
My blood count was extremely low so I needed a blood transfusion.

Was I losing blood somewhere and was I dying?

To add insult to injury, here I was attached to several bags of liquid running in
through my arms; I couldn't move without setting off some alarm, and every time
I closed my eyes, the thing monitoring my oxygen would inform me that
I wasn't breathing deeply enough. Grrrrrrr!!!!!!

Worst of all was the seemingly endless yards of material
draped loosely across the front of me.

When I needed to get up to go to the bathroom, I had to push the button
for a tech who would unplug my Star-Wars-like robot that was attached
to me with the several bags of whatever and roll it across the floor
behind me while I did a flash dance with the hospital gown that covered little
but mostly dangled and flopped all over in my way.

I am supposed to walk in this thing and then
try to use the bathroom with the dangling monstrosity in my way?

I realize this is all supposed to help me but I am starting to act
like a very disgruntled Maxine-type person.

By Wednesday afternoon all my temperature readings are normal.
and I managed to eat a little more. The infectious disease doctor replaced my
intravenous antibiotic with the oral form and the blood transfusion finishes.

They are concerned about the origin of my blood loss
but decided it must be a remnant from the surgery.
Further examinations and tests showed nothing new.

I start whining and moaning about the IV which I am convinced I shouldn't need now.

The hospital calls my primary doctor and he agrees to stop the IVs but with the
instructions that the infusion sets be left intact just in case.

I can certainly appreciate that since my arms and my right leg
are completely back and blue.

Because I was initially dehydrated, it was hard to get a good vein,
so it had taken numerous attempts by several nurses.

I cleaned up and put on one of my regular gowns. I feel human again!

Wednesday night I am just miserable with acid reflux which calmed down
after they gave me something for it. Also now I am starting to have symptoms
one normally has from a bladder infection.

On Thursday morning everything looks much brighter as I reflect:

1) Heavy rains and storms during the night have brought an end to the
oppressive heat wave that lasted for several days while I lay in the cool hospital.

Air conditioner at home needs some work but we didn’t dare shut
it down for service work during the hot humid dog days of summer.

In my weakened condition, I don’t know if I could have tolerated a hot house.

2) I have ordered from room service and received my breakfast,
a lovely tray of scrambled eggs, bacon, rye toast, and an orange.

Not my usual breakfast fare but I’ve hardly eaten
anything this week and now I’m hungry.

3) I have no attachments other than AnnSuLyn (insulin pump)
and no unusual irritating attire.

4) My doctor comes in and tells me they want to watch me one more day,
then I can go home.

5) That’s it; the light just came on!
I didn’t have any symptoms because I was taking pain killers the
whole time my body was raging out of control with infection.

6) I have a visit from a really cute and friendly
pet therapy dog.

It's a wonderful day in Naperville!

All body systems remain mostly normal throughout the day and night,
however it is very irritating that they want me to catch everything that
comes out of my body so they can measure and test.

Yes I understand why but I don’t have to like it.
I know they are looking out for my best interests
and I should be more appreciative.

Friday my two doctors (primary and infectious disease) see me
and give me their blessing to leave the hospital.

The process of getting me released to home health care began
AGAIN,
the first time was two weeks ago.

Once again God bless you, Dr. Costabile.
Ya done good and that’s a mouthful.

I am so fortunate to have found this wonderful, caring,
kind, talented, and wise doctor 17 or 18 years ago.
He is one of a kind.

About 11;00 AM all paperwork has been completed.
I have been given my farewell instructions,
and I have talked to the home health care person about resuming
my at-home care.

The PCT (patient care technician) arrives with my wheeled
chair transport and I feel exhilaration as I roll down the hallway
and she calls out to the main nurses’ station

“524 is leaving the building.”

We travel down the elevator and I am wheeled briskly
through the lobby and out the door.

I wanted to jump through the air as I reached my waiting car.

Wonderful place but I don’t ever want to come back!

Here are pictures of some of my visitors while in the hospital.   Edward Hospital has one of the
largest pet therapy programs in the country.   The dogs do a lot for your morale and well-being.
Little three pound Callie was probably the most entertaining.   She would give a high five and
also fold her paws and bow her head to pray for all the sick people in the hospital.

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