China can do whatever the hell it wants and has done for 5000 years

Well except for that whole Opium War bit where Britain forced them to be addicts to fatten their profit margins.

Geez, msbelle, that's awful. I would have no idea what to do!

The doctor did not say how much dilaudid, and...I punked out. I was so grateful to be getting >0, I just nodded. I cannot take care of myself. I told him my neuro's name, and that the doses were on file....but I'm scared if I cause trouble, they won't give me anything.

I think there's a new couple next to me where the girlie has a UTI. She must really like this guy to bring him to a girly parts hospital visit.

More actually interestingly, there was a guy in the waiting room that they clearly wanted to bring back, but he was freaked out by the triage process--he thought they were going to admit him. Half an hour later they pretended to triage his mother and then everything they did to her, they did to him because "a family wants to be healthy together, right?" and that's how they conned him into actually going back into the ER. Poor guy--he was mid 20s at least.

msbelle, is there an actual saint of patience that I could call upon for you in situations like this?

My sister jacked her ankle during squash badly enough that they x-rayed it. Soft tissue injury only so far, but she doesn't know which one yet. I think she's bouncing from free service from friend to friend, and she doesn't have joint doctor friends.

Hey! They gave me the full dosage.

...but their only giving one round. Recently it's been taking three. I will see what the resident says when they come around. But the nurse offered to leave the portacath access in case I planned to come back tomorrow (and it would mean I'd have to--I can't take it out myself (well I am good with yanking the needle out but they fill the well with anti-coags between uses)) which is a pretty big deal. She's one of the more sterile nurses (offered me a mask), but she's also big on agency--lets me help organise the area for the accessing.

TURN OFF THE LIGHTS. What can possibly be so important that you have to look at it? Man,I hate sharing rooms. But, I guess I've been lucky. This is my first time sharing with kids. Plural. One of whom they seem to be teaching to talk.

The trick to a private room, ita, is being MRSA colonized. You don't want the actual infection, just colonization. Which I would think you would have.

I'm sorry, msbelle. You shouldn't have to deal with hall peeing.

Also, hall peeing. Poor noodle. I know it's a giant fucking hassle, but how self-demoralizing does it have to be for that to be an option?

Noah, on the other hand, totally happy to pee on himself. When will potty training be over?

Can I mention one area of confusion....

I can't believe Republicans are all lining up behind the guy whose dad was born in Mexico.

Kat, I fear it's room 3 or the waiting room. Not only are the hall beds full, there are beds out there in places I've never seen them wedged before. They will remember to bring me in from the hall to somewhere quieter and darker, but I don't think I've ever been moved from this room.

*1* shared room in the entire hospital, IIRC (....there might be a couple shared rooms in L&D, now that I think about it, that they will clear out for you if you're rich.

Okay, nextdoor kid pulled out their g-tube, amongst...something else. They're remarkably quiet for a family with 2 kids under 10, but that doesn't actually mean quiet.

Nurses seem to really dig the near lack of hair. One of them actually asked to touch it "I know your head hurts, but?" Enh. I let her. She's on my side, and she was gentle. But, alla y'all (white folks especially, but everyone's on notice) don't think I've have outgrown that particular hangup. Just, sometimes, if you have the painkillers, I'll go with the expeditious choice.

A kid pulling out a g-tube is no big deal! Just deflate the balloon and shove it back in. Then give the kid some tylenol with codeine. (We just changed Grace's g-tube yesterday and damn, she was fucking mad). That is not a reason to visit the ER for us (too may germs in the ER).

Unless it's a PEG tube, then that would hurt like hell because of the disk. I'm sure the balloon tubes hurt too but not as much.

There are lots of shared rooms on the pediatric floors (3 & 5 both, I think). At least in Westwood. In SM, I don't know. I didn't see any.

oy.I hope things go more smoothly, ita.

Well, that was not good news. Apparently they finally have come to an agreement with my doctor about dosage. Just what I got. Like, the right amount, but only once.

I'm a bit scared, TBH. One dose has never fixed it. And by fix, I only mean take it down to a 5. I'm at a six or seven now--this is Thursday pain, not Monday pain.

I don't know what to do. I'm sure this wasn't easy, but it's also not enough. But I can't freak out about it, because I will put myself into a more painful place. So...biorhythms.

Okay--not a G tube--there are two syllables, but it doesn't sound like PEG. N something? He's had some sort of transplant. And a broken leg--they had to give him a spinal tap, and they broke his leg holding him down. Poor kid.

I really need not to cry about this.