It started with a slight sore throat for about a day, followed by fits of coughing, then couldn't sleep laying down, and could not catch my breath. This lasted 2 days, and finally on April 23 Nettie drove me to Santa Rosa Kaiser for a doctor visit. I got in to see the doctor quickly, she checked me out and took me for a short walk down the hall, brought me back and said I was being admitted. I spent the next 3 hours or so in emergency, they trying to find my veins, get in some iv's. Finally made it up to a room (311) where I stayed for 13 days with double pneumonia and fluid on one lung. It took them a week to finally decide to put a chest tube into the lung to draw out all the fluid. In the end, it took out 1600 ml of fluid, more than 2 bottles of wine.
Being in hospital is not a fun event. You are tortured by nurses and everyone, don't get much sleep, are in pain, have nothing to do but lay there. I was able to use the bathroom myself the whole time, so it got me up and down all the time. My feet swelled to ungodly proportions, they felt like they were going to burst. My veins wouldn't cooperate, so they eventually had to find a vein via ultra sound. At one point, the ct scan/chest xray showed there was not one place the fluid was, but in modules that had to be broken up. So for 3 days they came in and injected enzymes into the chest tube to break up the fluid sacs, and those injections wiped me out. I felt like I'd been sucker punched, painful, no energy, totally zapped. The first time they did it, I asked for pain meds twice, and the second time the nurse (male) said once they closed the valve the pressure would ease and I would feel better. For whatever reason, a nurse leader came in and asked me how it was going, and I complained about not getting meds. Well, suffice to say, minutes later I had my pain medication, and over the next couple nights when they did the following injections, I was well taken care of. I was still zapped of energy, but the pain was handled immediately. Gotta love those nurse leaders!
After the injections, the next morning I would wake up with no pain; they would come in and do a chest xray and the doctor would show up later and we would discuss. Finally after the 3 injections they said overnight they were looking for less than 100 ml to come through the tube, and if so it would probably come out the following day. Well only 10 ml came out, so they took out the tube on Friday. They watched me another 24 hours, and finally on Saturday, May 5 (Cinco de Mayo), they released me and I got to go home.
So now I'm home recouperating, taking it easy. I've tried sleeping in my bed the past 2 nights, and can do so for only about 2 hours, then I have to be up and sleep in my recliner. I know I'll be back to normal eventually, but that's all I can do for now.
I am so blessed by all the phone calls, prayers, and visits everyone made. Nettie was a trouper, bringing me items I needed, rubbing my feet and legs to ease the swelling. I love that girl so much. I have got the most wonderful, caring daughter ever, and I am so proud of her. She is the best daughter and mom!
So taking it day by day, getting stronger and back to normal the best I can. I was supposed to be in Clovis/Fresno this coming weekend (May 12) for a vintage fair with Tami, but my health wouldn't allow it, as well, her husband (Les) passed away and she won't be doing it either. Life is short, I know. I am blessed by God, protected by His love and grace, and am thankful for every day I get up to breathe.
No comments:
Post a Comment