Friday, September 25, 2009

I'm alive. And I'm home. And I'm maybe, maybe, safe.

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I'm alive. I'm home. HOME.

And I dare to think this: I may, even, be safe.

Safe. Staying at home now.

After almost 5 months *away,* 4 or 5 admissions to the hospital, and 2 into the step-down nursing homes.

ach. Quiet. Don't want to jinx it...

I have so much to tell you all. Right now it's 3:10 pm and there are calls to make before 5 pm, you know how that goes. But I'll be back soon, probably before most of you even read this.

Bear with me. Just 2 days ago I lost the use of my Left Hand Swearing Finger. (A finger that, of course, I treasure.) The tendon, which was already in that contracture state, decided to blow completely. Now I can move the finger up and down at the place it attaches to the hand, but I can't bend it. (And yeah, it hurts.)

Then I ended up back in the ER, with coumadin (warfarin) issues. aGAIN. argh!

Last night a cut on my leg started an uncontrollable bleed. The doofus insurance company hadn't arranged for a visiting nurse to come do the blood tests to adjust the warfarin. I noticed my blood was looking sort of...watery, so I stopped the warfarin, pending the Invisible Blood Test conducted by the Invisible Visiting Nurse.

And for the ER, I brought in a rather spectacular bloody bandage to show how much it seeped overnight.

Which was a good idea. Because, of course, it stopped bleeding once I got to the ER.

I told them it was just like when the fridge is on the fritz and the appliance guy finally shows up, usually 2 hours late, and the fridge has decided to work for now. So Mr. Appliance Fixer comes out from behind the fridge - grinning of course, grinning fit to beat the band - and says: --Seems to be doing fine now, ma'm-- and hands you a ridiculous bill that should be actionable, Lord above.

Doc said go back on the warfarin, put heavy pressure on it if it bleeds again, and ride it out.

Yuuu'ho-kay Doc.

Plus there seems to be a lizard trapped in my Special Electric Air Mattress, which I pretty much live on, 24/7. Poor thing, jumping around inside, looking for a way out. Hitting its little head on my legs here and there, bop! bop! bop bop! And how in the world did it get in there in the first place?

But - BUT!!!!! - the electric bill is PAID!!!!!, YAY!!!!!!!!!!!! We have lights again! And we can keep the three kinds of insulin cold and run my oxygen machine and crank up my hospital bed at the foot (elevate elevate elevate) and at the head (head should be upright when patient enters or leaves the bed) and I can charge my camera battery too, if I can find the charger.

And since I'm on the internet again, FINALLY, I can try to find that dermatologist I scheduled an appointment with because my ID doc is very concerned about these infections all over my right arm. (They're the ones that let me escape the most recent nursing home by getting admitted to the real hospital again. heh heh heh!) She - get this - this doc who can diagnose a new infection from 10 feet away, with her eyes closed and both hands tied behind her back - she sees some that she can't identify.

Eeeeeek!

So it should be interesting, at least.

Okay. I better go. I shall, I will, be back; there's so much to tell you all. Even lizards in air mattresses and The. Best. Readers. In. The. World. sometimes must wait a bit for more good news.

Well...I hope it's good news, anyway. At least it will be to Lizard and Friends, if we can free him.

And me? Yes. I LOVE to be alive.
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