Get well Chris!

[ODAT]

To go through all that and in the end be back off Lipitor. Luck of the draw with roommates. My dad had some dozies. You wonder too why the first person you explain things to can't write it down in a way that someone could and would take the time to read. They're called Charts! I had to bite my tongue while being my dad's support in the hospital. It was so frustrating to have to repeat when you would think they'd bone up on the person before coming in. Someone told me 'well, they don't have time to read and can get better quicker info from you.'

Did you get or do you already have nitro pills? 

[Sluff]

Glad you are doing better Chris. Thanks for the post. I'm glad you got your coffee...

[Romona]

 

[okarol]

I wish you were closer, I would have raised hell on your behalf! I really think you need an advocate to stand there and not be ignored, like they seem to do with patients. I would rather sleep in the hallway than put up with that room mate. So sorry Chris, it sounds like a nightmare. I hope you can recuperate at home! 

[angela515]

One of the great things about being a transplant patient, or even a Lupus patient... is I *never* have to share a room. I am *required* to have a private room due to my immune system.

I hope you feel back to par soon. 

[kidney4traci]

Man that is why I can't stand being in hospitals!!  Seems like all stays are bad ones.  Glad you are out and pray for your healing.  And more coffee!! 

[Chris]

Round Two, body falling apart:

Well Tuesday the side effects of Lipitor are weaning off since stopping it, but then the day got shittier at docs office. W started off discussing an MRI I had done of my back and the results are not an easy fix as I had hoped. The doctor said I have a compressed disc and to fix it, one technique is to go in with a needle and inject "super glue" to build up area to regain height and loss of pressure. However another scan is wanted, but both doctors at the hospital who specialize in this scan are on vacation for a week. Next we discuss the scan I had of my knee. Crap, more bad news there, SOB this is not my day, better play lotto! I have a tear on a tendon in my knee along with something else that I have to brush up on my medical terminology on to understand. Next I asked about the pressure in my chest that I still have off and on, just not as severe. Says that it is acid reflux, but needs to discuss with nephrologist on what to do, so free pills to try. Suppose to take them 1 hour prior to eating. WTF, I have the pressure pain without eating, how about a more definitive answer other than it's a diabetes complication. So now I see a knee specialist at the end of the month and no idea about back specialist. He then prescribes me Vicodin, whoopee! I don't take pain killers, how about give me something to make me feel good instead. Only good news I can think of right now, I have an excuse not to mow the lawn. The docs better get this taken care of before next semester classes start, I have things to do, places to go, people to see! Just make sure I'm out when they work on me.

[Sluff]

This may be way out there Chris but have they checked into (mild)pancreatitis attack. Symptoms are close to what I had once except I had a severe case and was in excruciating pain.

[kitkatz]

Your hospital visit sounds very close to what I experience every time I go in there.  No sleep, no food, no understanding.  I often end up in tears.  I am surprised I do not get a psych consult whenever I am in the hospital.  I know one cardiologist who thinks I am completely crazy!

[Chris]

This may be way out there Chris but have they checked into (mild)pancreatitis attack. Symptoms are close to what I had once except I had a severe case and was in excruciating pain.

Not sure if they did. Looking at blood test performed in the hospital, I'm suprised they didn't tell me my red blood cell count is lower than usual and didn't mention m BUN was up o 28. No confidense in this hospital or transplant center (they may take you in, but all they care about is if te organ is ejecting and nothing else).

Kit,
As far as the food concern is, I don't mind not eating there. As long as someone could bring me a few decent cup of decaf coffee, I would be happy and that never happens. Only good part about transplant center is that they allow me to go downstairs to Starbuck's or Au Bon cafe for a latte, espresso, or just a plain cup of real coffee.

[twirl]

Chris, sorry about all the bad but I want you to know how much I enjoy reading your writing. You pull me right into the story.
I used to teach literature------ I would have read some of your writing for examples ...... you are good------ keep writing---
sometimes I feel like you are writing exactly what I feel

[Sluff]

Hope you are better now.

[monrein]

I just stumbled on this thread Chris.  OMG what a nightmare.  Hope things are better these days.

[twirl]

is this Chris with the red car

[flip]

are they giving you epo shots for the red blood cells?

[keith]

I hope You get well soon 

[Chris]

To tell the truth, I don't know how I am, nor do I think they know how I am. During the weekend of June 14; after eating some ribs, I became ill, no energy, but not in the bathroom to much either. Never checked my temp, but figured since I had an appointment with my transplant center on Monday, maybe they will do something. I get there and the first thing they say is "You don't look well", gee thanks and hello to you too! Can we get the pleasantries out first before saying hey you look like Sh&*! They had me get on the scale and to my suprise I lost 8.5 pounds. Oh Crap that's not good! Then they take my b/p, again that's not good either, CRAP! So they draw 12 vials of blood (whoopee!) and then ask me to give them a sample. I already told them I haven't been going to the bathroom very much, which part didn't you understand of that! So they give me some cold water, great cold water to a person who is shivering. Thanks for paying attention to any signs a person maybe showing Moron! So the doc sees me, gives me a prescription for Mycelex and tells me to come back in a month. So I go upstairs to see the internal doc who orders more blood test and yet again a urine and stool sample. Well one of them isn't going to happen since I can't go and the other is no way am I going to do that. Since my knee surgery was cancelled, had a bone density scan done, now a MRI of the brain was scheduled, a tilt table test, and a carotid artery scan scheduled (might be forgetting one or two) and sent home to wait to see a knee and a back doctor due to problems found in MRI's done locally. Well I get home  and from taking the train to Chicago and fall asleep. On Tuesday some nurse with an attitude from the transplant center calls me on my cell phone asking where I was. I told her I am at home and she ask me why didn't I call back. I said I didn't get a message. She said they called my home phone and wanted me to come in that day due to lab results (They know my cell is my primary number, not my home) and ask if I could still come in. I said no because it is 2 pm and the next train to Chicago is after 3 pm and takes an hour to get there, which by the time I get there you will be closed. So she tells me to come in Wed at 12:30 for IV fluids and meds. So I get there and now they wonder why I am there, I'm not on their list. WT? why did so and so tell me to come in then? So they then take me back, take more blood, and then try to get an IV started. Of course they won't listen to you to where to try, so they ended up trying 4 times to get an IV started and the last place they try is the one I told them to go to. After 2 hours more blood is taken and no improvement is made and then something happens to the IV line and a new site has to be tried, CRAPOLA! Another 3 tries this time around, but now there is a leak. IV solution is now soaking the sheets, no call button to press, no one coming in the room, and I can't remember how to get the guard rail down on these ER type beds. Finally someone walks by and notices me squirming down to the end of the bed and she goes and gets a nurse. Bed is cleaned up, but my pants are wet, no help there and I'm cold due to it. More blood taken and levels comeback with no change. It is now 4:30 pm and they ask me if I would like to comeback or get admitted to the hospital. Gee, let me think there nice and hard. ADMIT ME PLEASE, I DO NOT NEED TO BE A PIN CUSHION TOMORROW! AND DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH IT COST TO GO BACK AND FORTH HERE ON A LIMITED INCOME! geesh! So now I play the waiting game for a room. 7 pm rolls around and their waiting on transport from the hospital. They call transport again and get some excuse and then they take my IV out once transport gets there, SO%, I know they will need one!. Well finally after 8pm I am up in a room and the nurse has a fit because they took the IV out and she has to start another one. I'm the one who should be complaining, not her! Well nothing to eat or drink all day, but then they give me the old dialysis stand by meal, the dreaded turkey sandwich. So a nurse comes in and ask me to give a urine sample, I didn't feel like going, so she stands me up in my dizzy state and held on to me and well she tries to have me urinate while she is holding me. THAT AIN"T GONNA HAPPEN. So she lays me back down and tells me she is going to call the doctor for a catheter. OH Crap! Don't need to add pain to insult or injury, whatever it is. I then decide to get out of bed and make my way to the bathroom. Doing so I set off the bed alarms for getting up because I am on some sort of  watch due to dizziness. I hobble to the bathroom and lock the door and then there is the pounding and rasping at the door, never more (sorry Edgar Allen Poe came to mind) wanting to know if I was OK. I would be if you wouldn't interupt me I say. Well I got them their sample, not much but enough not to get a catheter is all that mattered. Doctors ordered a ultrasound of the kidney, a kidney biospy, NPO diet (no big deal there, food sucks there anyway), and different medications. One that they gave me soon was heparin. Nurse ask me if I knew about heparin and I ask her which part. The part about the bad batches from China or what it is used for. I could tell that she wanted to call me a smartass, oh well, I say just say it, like I care. So far blood test a coming back negative for infections, but more test are ordered. They put off the biopsy due to being on the higher dose of aspirin until a few day later. Whatever test they did, they comeback negative, but kidney function is has comeback to normal. I just feel worn out is all, but that could be due to all the BS I have been going through since May either due to the slowness about the care for my knee and back or dealing with Dr. cookoobananas. So they give me the option of going home or staying one more day. What's one more day going to do besides drive me nuts? Then they finally give me something for pain. I finally get something that works and they won't prescribe it for me, CRAP! I was told I have to ask my other doctor, then why give it to me then if you can't prescibe it? Well in my fun filled loopy state a friend from school decides she wants to pick me up from the hospital instead of having me take the train home. Told her not too, but she insisted, but she had to look it up on mapquest. Oh crap I thought, this is going to be an adventure, I have no idea how to get home from the hospital and neither does the person driving. But as you see I made it home, most scans done now, seeing a doctor for osteoporosis, seeing a neurologist, but then find out the darn knee doctor cancelled today. The most important doctor I want to see so I can walk normally again.Physical Therapy on my back and knee hasn't helped, so hopefully I can get something done as a quick temp fix so I can go to school still and get it fixed when I am on break.

Probably missed something in this though.

[kitkatz]

Holy cow! 

[flip]

Reading all that made me sleepy. Good night,all and good luck,Chris.

[monrein]

Chris, I'm so sorry.  That sounds wretched and then some.

[Chris]

At tis point, I never expect to have a good hospital or clinic visit. It is a part of my life it seems since I was a kid.

[keith]

i'm sorry but dam

[pelagia]

Oh Chris, so sorry to hear of all the problems.  No wonder you can't sleep.  I hope they figure this out as soon as possible.   

[paris]

How horrible!  My favorite part of your post was the phrase "Dr. CooCooBananas"!   I think we have all met him!    I do hope you get some answers and the knee doctor can help you.  You are dealing with too many things at one time.  You deserve some rest today.

[Chris]

Well I get to see the knee doc on the 24th of this month, bad part is I have an added expence to go downtown. I tried to get an appointment on the 28th since I would be down there, but no opening. Hospital/clinic ned to move closer to the train station so I could walk there or move closer to my house to cut down  on my expences.

 I don't  see that happening though.