After going to Chicago, seeing old friends, and then the famous camping out at a neighbor's back yard and sleeping in a child's teepee a couple of nights ago, I have had an awakening. Listening to lectures on the brachial plexus, listening to 'doctor talk'.....it re-awakened a different part of my brain. Everyone says I look much better. I still need help keeping my balance, remembering which of my 32 medications to take and when to take them. Most importantly, it looks like I may have a neurogenic bladder and I have an appointment with a urologist tomorrow. Hopefully, I won't pee in my pants before then. I met a lot of my neighbors, ministered about God with a very Godly man, was inspired by how inspiring my 'story' was to new friends, and was at so much peace to see children and families having such a great time together. I loved singing to the Eagles on guitar by several gentlemen who knew how to play. What follows is a synopsis to catch you up to today. It will be peacemeal, just so you know, since my thoughts go back and forth over this last month.
You can't please everybody
You might as well please yourself" Ricky Nelson
The single Mom in me, the disabled Mom in me, and to the physician in me. I'm going to start taking better care of myself. At the suggestion of the manager/owner of a local store, I started taking some homeopathic mushrooms to boost my natural killer (NK) cell activity by up to 300%, consolidated calcium with Vitamin D and magnesium (I'm constantly hypomagnesemic), something for imbalance in my system, a natural product for constipation. My new motto, since the Chicago trip, is "Simplify life and maximize health". Really, I just don't want to have a PICC line infection every 3 months. I'll run out of veins.
Oh, boy. Important things to catch up on: bout of cystitis (bladder infection) a month or so ago where I was peeing not only in my pants (hello 80 year old group ;-) ) , but more. I was passing blood and blood clots through my urine (how do you spell P-A-I-N) so much that I have another story for you.
4 weeks ago, my caregiver dropped off a sample of urine at my primary care physician (PCP) that looked cloudy. They do the dipstick test, checking for blood, white blood cells that fight infection, nitrite that the bacteria produce. Needless to say, it was positive, otherwise I would not have sent it in. (I had all the symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI: frequent peeing, pain during peeing, feeling like you need to pee after you just did it. In my book, antibiotics and pyridium anesthetic for the urinary tract, go together. So if your doctor tells you that you have a UTI, make sure and ask if you could also have pyridium for the pain. By the time I got to the doctors' office, we had a second sample that looked like pure blood. The nurses were questioning whether I was on my period, it looked so bloody. Since I feel I have a history of not being 'believed', it's a sensitive point for me. I turned to any one who questioned me about the origin of the blood, and I said, "I know the difference between my orifices. The bloody sample came from my urethra, not my v.......a." I love my PCP's office. They call me if I haven't been in for a week, and I call them to say, "Hi" whenever we're not in a crisis together. But I can't help it. Boh. I'll be glad when everyone believes me the first time. It's so cute to see the different things that need to be talked about. The Origin of the Pee. On to other things, quickly.
3 weeks ago, I was admitted to a well known heart institute. My presenting symptoms were altered mental status (AMS) and increased nausea/vomiting. Harbingers of more badness to come, with my peripherally-inserted central catheter (PICC) line about to become royally infected. I never wait until I'm fully septic (bacteria in the blood), otherwise I'd be half-dead in someone else's Intensive Care Unit (ICU).(I used to help run 3 types of ICUs: surgery/trauma, cardiothoracic, and neurosurgical. I am not searching for repeated visits to the hospital, especially the ICU. :-). I know my body and its presenting symptoms. For example, my lungs never wheeze when I get asthma attacks.
2 weeks ago, I was discharged from the hospital after a 6 day stay. I was sent home on intravenous (iv) antibiotics after the 'Grandfathers' of Cardiology and Vascular Surgery waited for the antibiotics to start killing the bacteria. I was sent home on 14 days of iv daptomycin (I get 'red man's syndrome' as each drop of vancomycin goes in, so the precious Infectious Disease doctor removed my need to have a red face, low blood pressure, the feeling as if large ants were crawling on my head, and a need for premedication that makes one drowsy.
1 week ago, we ventured out as a family and went on a plane to Chicago, where we used to go every year before our car accident. (The car occupants were me, my daughter, and our puppy whom we still have). We were there for six days. I awakened.
I'll let you know about Chicago tomorrow. Today's Labor Day anyhoo. Happy to catch up with you and I hope you're enjoying your Holiday vacation. Either by playing or working (which some people have to do to make money). Keep your head up to the Heavens.
Yours in Christ,
Dr. Margaret
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