A scary time, and a few more scars to add.
NOTICE:
Please excuse any errors or nonscence in this e-mail, Those of you who know me well, I take a sleeping pill called Ambien. Unfortunatly the side effect to that is that I cannot remember anything i have done after I take the pill. But the good part is that my best writing comes out by that. However I know there are tons of typo's and some sentences do not flow. But I think I fixed most of it. Thanks guys for your support.
Hello friends and family. Some of you were aware that i was in the hospital again. I had an infection in my port-a-cath, the implant that allows me to have IV access when I need medicine. I knew it was infected. I was addmitted in the Banner Good Samaritan Hospital on Monday. I spent most of the night being shuffled repeatably back and forth, and it took 1/2- 1 hour to get pain medication from the nurses. Now i realize nurses are busy and I am not the only patient, but I am a paying patient who needs and deserves dignity and understanding; and see no problems in having medication to make me more comfortable and at ease. I waited and waited and got poked at least 2-4 hours a day, a few times a day, and every single insertion of aneedle feels like a razor blade. I spent alot ot time crying and upset. The docs came back and said my blood cultures were all positive, which is not a good sign, that means it has gone system all over in my blood, and this in turn can infect the valves of the heart. They felt it had made its way to my heart, and they would need to do a Trans Esophogeal Echocardiogram to see my heart. My first 2 days were spent not being able to eat or drink anything; I had to "Wait" on the Radiology department to fit me in. So I waited and waited and finally by 6:00 pm I was taken down to the OR to have my right sided port taken out. Being diabetic, that is not a wise move on their behalf. Needless to say, the short story is that they took my port-a-cath out So that next day they took me again to the operating room to put in another port-a-cath (they could go ahead now that we knew the infection isn't in my heart, They thought they would try to get one in the left side this time becasue it would give my right side a chance to heal after having the one taken out. i said that I was always told by docs that my left side vein access was not able to ever work for intravenious devices. My doctor asked if I would have a problem with him at least looking for a good vein. I said sure. And they did, they got into the left side and had a complication on the table with me, something about a heart arrythmia being a possibility. I could feel something was wrong and going on. All the sudden it felt like being pushed back into this world again.. It was very vivid. To see the looks of panic and terror on the faces of all those in the room spoke for itself. They wouldn't elaborate on the details, which I would like to know. Once the port is in place they have to shoot dye into it to make sure it is going the correct way and that the catheter is correctly placed. When they did this, they discoverd I have a birth defect in my main left vein they choose to use, and instead of going where it should, my heart, it goes to my spine. He said this is extremely rare but can form. He was so nearvous (the doctor) he could hardly look at my parent or me. I have never had the experience of seeing such fear and perplexion on someones face. The doc said that since I was already sewn up that I will have to come back to the hospital and do it all over again because they have to take the port they left in the left side, and take that out, then put another one back into the right side. I know it seems like no big deal, but it is such a big deal.I spent my nights in the hospital being poked over and oever again to find a vein to put in an IV. I cried repeatedly and I just wanted it to all go away. It is so painfull, physically and mentaly when you are chronically thrown into this environment where you don't call the shots. But, I have learned that you dao have the shots, you have a right to question what they are doing , why they are doing it, that is your right also to refuse anything you are not comfortable with. I always have a mental breakdown while in there. It's a struglle to get pain meds on time, or if at all. Nurses treat you like you are a drug addict because you want to be made comfortable in the hospital and so what if morphine IV works best, what does it really matter to them. We are the ones who have to endure the tourture of our own minds, There are certain comfort measures that need to be acknowledged and respected that are the patients wishes. I find the level of quality there pretty good accept I think all of the nurses and doctors and health care professionals should be mandated to take a course in which they go to various hospitals not doing the doctor thing, but become on a level the patient is at, get to really know things about their patients. Just the slightest bit of compassion and understanding is what can literally make someones life see tolerable for one more day. It would be a very valuable program to help bring this mentality of feeling superior back down to the people who need it, the patients, medical professionals could all work togeether.
Anyhow, Because I have been sick and in the hospital not much is able to happen with the book. However, I will be featured on a major news station in Phoenix, so I will keep you all posted on that.
This time in the hospital was much scarier that any of my stays. I really had thought that because my bacteria was getting septic, and they were pretty convinced that it had gone to my heart....it hit me hard. I honestly felt like maybe this was the time, like I am going out like this. But, from the experience on the Operating Room Table, I think that already happened, and once again ,God has brought me back to finish what has not been done. I have learned to take it easy, not schedule so mucc, and I have to learn to say no eventhough it is someting I would love to do, but it would ware me out to much. I just don't want my life to always be so fragile. I guess the rest of the world will wait. And if they dont, how much they'll miss. I hope this chat finds you all resting safely and happily.
Happy THanksgiving to you all
Thank you for all your support and prayers. God Bless Jennifer
Please excuse any errors or nonscence in this e-mail, Those of you who know me well, I take a sleeping pill called Ambien. Unfortunatly the side effect to that is that I cannot remember anything i have done after I take the pill. But the good part is that my best writing comes out by that. However I know there are tons of typo's and some sentences do not flow. But I think I fixed most of it. Thanks guys for your support.
Hello friends and family. Some of you were aware that i was in the hospital again. I had an infection in my port-a-cath, the implant that allows me to have IV access when I need medicine. I knew it was infected. I was addmitted in the Banner Good Samaritan Hospital on Monday. I spent most of the night being shuffled repeatably back and forth, and it took 1/2- 1 hour to get pain medication from the nurses. Now i realize nurses are busy and I am not the only patient, but I am a paying patient who needs and deserves dignity and understanding; and see no problems in having medication to make me more comfortable and at ease. I waited and waited and got poked at least 2-4 hours a day, a few times a day, and every single insertion of aneedle feels like a razor blade. I spent alot ot time crying and upset. The docs came back and said my blood cultures were all positive, which is not a good sign, that means it has gone system all over in my blood, and this in turn can infect the valves of the heart. They felt it had made its way to my heart, and they would need to do a Trans Esophogeal Echocardiogram to see my heart. My first 2 days were spent not being able to eat or drink anything; I had to "Wait" on the Radiology department to fit me in. So I waited and waited and finally by 6:00 pm I was taken down to the OR to have my right sided port taken out. Being diabetic, that is not a wise move on their behalf. Needless to say, the short story is that they took my port-a-cath out So that next day they took me again to the operating room to put in another port-a-cath (they could go ahead now that we knew the infection isn't in my heart, They thought they would try to get one in the left side this time becasue it would give my right side a chance to heal after having the one taken out. i said that I was always told by docs that my left side vein access was not able to ever work for intravenious devices. My doctor asked if I would have a problem with him at least looking for a good vein. I said sure. And they did, they got into the left side and had a complication on the table with me, something about a heart arrythmia being a possibility. I could feel something was wrong and going on. All the sudden it felt like being pushed back into this world again.. It was very vivid. To see the looks of panic and terror on the faces of all those in the room spoke for itself. They wouldn't elaborate on the details, which I would like to know. Once the port is in place they have to shoot dye into it to make sure it is going the correct way and that the catheter is correctly placed. When they did this, they discoverd I have a birth defect in my main left vein they choose to use, and instead of going where it should, my heart, it goes to my spine. He said this is extremely rare but can form. He was so nearvous (the doctor) he could hardly look at my parent or me. I have never had the experience of seeing such fear and perplexion on someones face. The doc said that since I was already sewn up that I will have to come back to the hospital and do it all over again because they have to take the port they left in the left side, and take that out, then put another one back into the right side. I know it seems like no big deal, but it is such a big deal.I spent my nights in the hospital being poked over and oever again to find a vein to put in an IV. I cried repeatedly and I just wanted it to all go away. It is so painfull, physically and mentaly when you are chronically thrown into this environment where you don't call the shots. But, I have learned that you dao have the shots, you have a right to question what they are doing , why they are doing it, that is your right also to refuse anything you are not comfortable with. I always have a mental breakdown while in there. It's a struglle to get pain meds on time, or if at all. Nurses treat you like you are a drug addict because you want to be made comfortable in the hospital and so what if morphine IV works best, what does it really matter to them. We are the ones who have to endure the tourture of our own minds, There are certain comfort measures that need to be acknowledged and respected that are the patients wishes. I find the level of quality there pretty good accept I think all of the nurses and doctors and health care professionals should be mandated to take a course in which they go to various hospitals not doing the doctor thing, but become on a level the patient is at, get to really know things about their patients. Just the slightest bit of compassion and understanding is what can literally make someones life see tolerable for one more day. It would be a very valuable program to help bring this mentality of feeling superior back down to the people who need it, the patients, medical professionals could all work togeether.
Anyhow, Because I have been sick and in the hospital not much is able to happen with the book. However, I will be featured on a major news station in Phoenix, so I will keep you all posted on that.
This time in the hospital was much scarier that any of my stays. I really had thought that because my bacteria was getting septic, and they were pretty convinced that it had gone to my heart....it hit me hard. I honestly felt like maybe this was the time, like I am going out like this. But, from the experience on the Operating Room Table, I think that already happened, and once again ,God has brought me back to finish what has not been done. I have learned to take it easy, not schedule so mucc, and I have to learn to say no eventhough it is someting I would love to do, but it would ware me out to much. I just don't want my life to always be so fragile. I guess the rest of the world will wait. And if they dont, how much they'll miss. I hope this chat finds you all resting safely and happily.
Happy THanksgiving to you all
Thank you for all your support and prayers. God Bless Jennifer
