Last night was an exercise in patience. After a week and a half of struggling with smaller spasms that felt like muscle tissue was ripping and tearing, Adam said it was time to go to the hospital. I have to go to a Mercy hospital because my neurologist is the big neuro guy for Mercy in this area. At about six PM, we rolled up to Mercy San Juan. We saw everything last night...but mostly it was just sick people with the flu.
There was the girl with what I think was an infection from her insulin pump. The lady with what looked like either acid burns or horrible psoriasis on her feet. The five day old baby that was constipated. The teenager with something that went through his lip...not sure what, but there was a police report. There were four or five pregnant women with emergency symptoms, and an IVF patient that suffering bleeding, possibly from implantation or a loss. Two women came in after swallowing bottles of pills and were placed on involuntary holds after they had their stomachs pumped full of charcoal. Several little kids had high fevers. I saw the same ambulance drivers several times as they brought in everything from heart attacks to lonely elderly folks. I figured that prayer was a better way to spend time than staring at a wall, so I prayed with all of my heart. I prayed for each of those patients.
I quietly dealt with the pain for a long time before I started to cry. Luckily the nurse noticed, and got me my regular medicine and some percocet. It cut the pain enough to deal with another couple hours before I was crying out of pain again. Somewhere past 2 am, I got a bed and a sweet, kindly doctor and nurse that got me out of pain. It took one stick for blood and three painful sticks to get an IV line started. My veins are toast and when I mentioned infusions, the nurse told me to ask for a port-a-cath. We rolled into the driveway when Mom was waking up for the day.
Adam and I got a little sleep before Emma got up for the day. Unfortunately, one of our Barred Rock chicks ate something hard, and we lost her. Emma found her and was so upset. Explaining why it was not a good idea to immediately go and buy another one was lost on a four year old. Little pepper will be buried with love and respect. She brought joy to some dark, dark days.
Adam called my neurologist's assistant, and we got some updates. Plasmapheresis is out because I don't carry anti-GAD antibodies. We are waiting on my insurance company to approve IVIG, and that could be a couple weeks. I'm off the Valium for good, and the Ativan has been switched to three times a day. I have some Norco in case Tramadol doesn't manage the pain. Because neurology hasn't ordered a port-a-cath in awhile, I've been referred back to the rheumatologist to get one put in. We aren't sure now long it will take to get the port in, and get IVIG approved and scheduled since this is such a rare situation. I pray to God that it will be soon, and that it will be helpful. Last night was if nothing else, a lesson in patience and humility.
After dozing for a few hours, we took Emma to get some breakfast. Having a happy face pancake with whipped cream and sprinkles made her forget about little Pepper for a few minutes. Then we took her to Goodwill to find some cute new Summer clothes, and a few books for all of us. Then it was back to hibernating for me. (Or sleeping off the loads of percocet, ativan, dilaudid, and benadryl.)
If you're the praying type, please send out prayer for healing. My mom is having back/neck issues, and I need the Lord's help to get through the next few weeks. Please also pray for those affected by the disaster in Japan. May they all be comforted by His healing and love.
There was the girl with what I think was an infection from her insulin pump. The lady with what looked like either acid burns or horrible psoriasis on her feet. The five day old baby that was constipated. The teenager with something that went through his lip...not sure what, but there was a police report. There were four or five pregnant women with emergency symptoms, and an IVF patient that suffering bleeding, possibly from implantation or a loss. Two women came in after swallowing bottles of pills and were placed on involuntary holds after they had their stomachs pumped full of charcoal. Several little kids had high fevers. I saw the same ambulance drivers several times as they brought in everything from heart attacks to lonely elderly folks. I figured that prayer was a better way to spend time than staring at a wall, so I prayed with all of my heart. I prayed for each of those patients.
I quietly dealt with the pain for a long time before I started to cry. Luckily the nurse noticed, and got me my regular medicine and some percocet. It cut the pain enough to deal with another couple hours before I was crying out of pain again. Somewhere past 2 am, I got a bed and a sweet, kindly doctor and nurse that got me out of pain. It took one stick for blood and three painful sticks to get an IV line started. My veins are toast and when I mentioned infusions, the nurse told me to ask for a port-a-cath. We rolled into the driveway when Mom was waking up for the day.
Adam and I got a little sleep before Emma got up for the day. Unfortunately, one of our Barred Rock chicks ate something hard, and we lost her. Emma found her and was so upset. Explaining why it was not a good idea to immediately go and buy another one was lost on a four year old. Little pepper will be buried with love and respect. She brought joy to some dark, dark days.
Adam called my neurologist's assistant, and we got some updates. Plasmapheresis is out because I don't carry anti-GAD antibodies. We are waiting on my insurance company to approve IVIG, and that could be a couple weeks. I'm off the Valium for good, and the Ativan has been switched to three times a day. I have some Norco in case Tramadol doesn't manage the pain. Because neurology hasn't ordered a port-a-cath in awhile, I've been referred back to the rheumatologist to get one put in. We aren't sure now long it will take to get the port in, and get IVIG approved and scheduled since this is such a rare situation. I pray to God that it will be soon, and that it will be helpful. Last night was if nothing else, a lesson in patience and humility.
After dozing for a few hours, we took Emma to get some breakfast. Having a happy face pancake with whipped cream and sprinkles made her forget about little Pepper for a few minutes. Then we took her to Goodwill to find some cute new Summer clothes, and a few books for all of us. Then it was back to hibernating for me. (Or sleeping off the loads of percocet, ativan, dilaudid, and benadryl.)
If you're the praying type, please send out prayer for healing. My mom is having back/neck issues, and I need the Lord's help to get through the next few weeks. Please also pray for those affected by the disaster in Japan. May they all be comforted by His healing and love.
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