3 August 2024
It’s been a moving day – literally. Initially I was in 5 West. Today, I was moved to 5 East. I was sent next to my current location on the 4th floor, Room 407. It’s been a dizzying three days with diarrhea, two falls, hospitalization, procedures, pokes, doctors, students of doctors, changes of nurses (all great by the way) and literally moves from one wing to the next and one floor to the next.
That’s exactly what I was trying to get away from!
I thought I might get to go home today but the chief cardiologist wanted me to get another liter of saline – this makes 4 1/2 total.
Unfortunately, the IV line failed today and I had to get another put in. The first nurse couldn’t get it in the vein. She either saw the vein and couldn’t feel it or she couldn’t see it but could feel it. The result is I’m floating away on a saline sea.
Even more astounding is for the three moves, I’ve had an incredible streak of luck and have private rooms for all three moves. That like playing the slot machine and see three cherries in a row pop up.
The doctors here at Holy Cross really do stop by and see you. This morning was the cardiology group who gave me a clean bill of health. The echocardiogram came back at 50-55% ejection fraction which is considered low/normal.
I challenged the nurses today. It seemed everywhere I turned I screwed up. I spilled water on my hospital bed and they had to change sheets. I set off an alarm on my hospital bed. Who knew beds had alarm systems.
All in all, all the nurses assured me I was an easy patient to take care of. Add to that, seeing a faculty of doctors leads me to think superior healthcare at Holy Cross or they simply like my insurance plan and are milking it. Hopefully, it’s the first.
Anyway, for some reason I have a room with a view.
Barb came to visit today and brought me bananas, biscotti, and coffee. We had a nice chat and she showed me the rag papers she made at a workshop in Miami. She didn’t even stop at home first but came directly to the hospital.
Even though they haven’t found anything wrong with my heart, they keep a monitor on me that I continuously manage to dislodge the leads. I can’t take a shower while it is on me and that makes 3 days in a row without a shower.
To Michel and Nancy, safe voyage and to Holley and Jim, come back in one piece.
Stay tuned for tomorrow is another day. OK, no more movie references.