I sat up most of last night because I had a sharp pain on one side every time I breathed in, except when I was sitting straight up. Kaiser didn't have any appointments available, and my oncologist told me to go to the emergency room.
I'm having a fluid buildup in my abdomen that's scheduled to be drained Wednesday, and it seemed to be a reasonable to suppose that the pain might be due to the mashup of fluid pressure and pneumonia. I think my oncologist and I both had the notion that a hospital would be able to drain that earlier and I'd feel better.
Instead I got a doctor who threw out unlikely scenarios like blood clots and got all kinds of tests and scans that showed the same thing as tests I already had at Kaiser. He contended that the shadows in my lungs that my doctor says are pneumonia were fluid that needed to be drained. He proposed a leisurely 4-5 days in the hospital treating me for one thing at a time and seeing what happened. None of that addressed the fact that IT HURTS WHEN I BREATHE. I left against medical advice. It seems, however, that lying on a supportive gurney for 6 hours helped the pain, which is much better.
It did make me realize that I need a better contingency plan for Mr Peabody.
Hospitals over major holiday weekends are a bitch anyway. Of course it would be leisurely, the staff won't be there do be anything else.
The gurney made me want an adjustable mattress. I struggled last night with pillows in a vain attempt find a comfortable position.
Connie, that's one of the many reasons I didn't want to stay in the hospital. I've known too many people who were kept in hospitals over the weekend for tests that somehow never happened until Monday.
I've known too many people who were kept in hospitals over the weekend for tests that somehow never happened until Monday.
Oh yeah, you never want to go into a hospital the Friday of a three day weekend. Unless you can avoid it.
What a clusterfuck.
I've known too many people who were kept in hospitals over the weekend for tests that somehow never happened until Monday.
Happened to my dad more than once. I mean, what the shit, they have his medical record, they can see he's had 5 heart attacks, but they make him wait from Friday until Monday to have a test to see if he has a blockage? Bullshit.
Sorry you have to deal with this, Ginger.
Ginger that sucks. I hope you found some relief in some arrangement of pillows or whatnot. :(
I hope you got some good rest last night, Ginger.
Between the pain being better and exhaustion, I slept like a rock. This pain is weird. I don't know if I pulled something, broke another rib or if it's related to the lung. I haven't been coughing hard or anything like that.
