Yesterday, Tuesday, I woke up with a ache in my belly. Nothing really wrong. Just this generalized ache. I thought that I might need to use the toilet or have some gas or something. I took a few advil and the discomfort went away.
Last night, I had fallen alseep early. I was just tired. I woke up around 10 or 11, needing to pee. But my belly ache had gotten worse. There was this stabbing pain in the lower right section of my belly. I was doubled over in pain for several hours until I finally got up and went to take one of Brian's Percocets. I finally fell asleep.
When my alarm went off this morning the pain was worse. I did something I have only done once before on the job. I called in sick for myself. After waiting a while, drifiting in and out of sleep, I called our regular doctor.
There is an advantage being a nurse and having a great relationship with you doctor. You can save yourself office visits.
So, I described my symptoms and asked when I could have an appointment in the office. The receoptionist put me on hold, talked to the doctor, who then got on the phone with me. We talked for a few minutes and she told me to go to the ER.
We arrived at the ER around 945. Let's just say the following things about me being here.
1) Since my pain is pretty bad, as I have a high tolerance for pain, I'm pretty stoned.
2) Scans, ultrasounds and labs have not given a conclusive picture of what is happening to me. However all the signs and symptoms point to my appendeix.
3) The doctor wants to keep me over night to see what happens. That means it maybe nothing or it could be something. I'll know more tomorrow. I'll be meeting the surgeon then.
Okay, time to go. The letters are danicing to the music. Yeah Dilauded!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
When will it ever stop??!!
I have been so busy lately, I haven't had time to check my e mail, let alone blog.
So, let me catch you all up on what has been going on here.
Last weekend we went camping. The first and last time in our camper for the season. It was fun. That Saturday night, we were to go to Brian's older sister's house for a party for my in-law's 40th wedding anniversery. So, let me tell you about the cake. There is this fancy grocery, garden center, florist thing in the area. There are three of them. We were supposed to bring the cake. So, I ordered the cake from the closet place to the campground. We went down there to pick up the cake. I walked in the store and proceeded to walk into a pile of vomit on the floor. It was after I stepped in it that the store person told me that I needed to watch where I was walking as some kid puked. Yuck!
I walk over the bakery and ask for my cake. She takes forever to find it and brings it out. She shows it to me and I look at it. It's a quarter sheet cake and a rectangle. But the right side was perfect. The left.... well, the cake slanted to the left and to the back. From the right to the left there was over a 1/2 inch difference. Then the back corner was a hole. An accutal hole that they tried to cover up with icing. I told the girl it wasn't square. She looked at me, confused, looked at the cake and back at me, confused. She told me the cake looked fine to her.
Then I asked to talk to the manager. She comes out, with an attitude, and asks me what's wrong. I said, "The cake isn't square. It's horrible. How can you sell something like this?"
Manager B@#$^ch: It's not supposed to be square. It's supposed to be a rectangle."
Me: "Not the shape. Look at it."
She looks at it.
Me: "Now turn it."
She turns it.
Manager: It's fine.
Me: It's not fine. It's not level. It's horrible. Look at the hole!
Man next to me: I'm a guy and I can tell that the cake is bad... you should fix it.
Manager B : Well... I guess we could make you a new one. Someone didn't fill the cake correctly and it colapsed.
Me: Number one, I don't have time to wait for you to fix the cake, number two, how did this cake pass inspection in the first place, number three, if it wasn't for the fact I was going to a special event with this cake, I wouldn't care. Cake is cake. But, now, I'm going to look like an ass thanks to the fact you are hiring the blind to work in your bakery. How much are you going to take off the price for your mistake?
Manager: 10%.
That worked out to $2.50. Pathetic. But this story isn't done. I went to the garden center to pay. The woman at the registar tells me that she is not allowed to let me pay for food at the garden center. I asked her where the sign was that stated that. She was flustered and I paid for the cake.
So, we are having a nice time at Brian's sisters. Then the phone rings, just as we are pulling dinner out of the oven. The caller ID shows it to be a cousin that we don't call much. Not a good sign.
Brian's father is the youngest of five children. Elizabeth, Phillip, Patrick, Brian and George. Phil has been in the hospital, in ICU on a vent. We didn't know much more. At six o'clock Sat night, they were giving him hours. He died at midnight.
So, the wake was Tuesday, in Clark, NJ, where he lived. That's down central Jersey, south of Newark. About 110 miles from here. Brian, myself and his sisters left at dinner time, drove down, stayed a bit more than an hour and drove back. We got home around 11 that night. About 6 hours start to finish.
Then.... I know... sound like it never stops, right? But anyway, Em had stayed with my parents that night and Mom's office is just past my house. It's right on the way. So, she dropped Em off the next morning on her way to work. Em's got a lovely cold.
I've had enough. When the hell do I get a break? Needless to say, while I work yesterday, I was tired and just the littlest things the staff did, that I normally ignore sent me on a write up and yelling spree. By the end of the day, I had made two people cry. I didn't care. I still don't. Are people in this world just that stupid that they can't carry out the simplest tasks?
If you want to be in health care, and take care of people, you had best be steppping up to the plate and take care of them. If not, McDonald's is always looking...
So, let me catch you all up on what has been going on here.
Last weekend we went camping. The first and last time in our camper for the season. It was fun. That Saturday night, we were to go to Brian's older sister's house for a party for my in-law's 40th wedding anniversery. So, let me tell you about the cake. There is this fancy grocery, garden center, florist thing in the area. There are three of them. We were supposed to bring the cake. So, I ordered the cake from the closet place to the campground. We went down there to pick up the cake. I walked in the store and proceeded to walk into a pile of vomit on the floor. It was after I stepped in it that the store person told me that I needed to watch where I was walking as some kid puked. Yuck!
I walk over the bakery and ask for my cake. She takes forever to find it and brings it out. She shows it to me and I look at it. It's a quarter sheet cake and a rectangle. But the right side was perfect. The left.... well, the cake slanted to the left and to the back. From the right to the left there was over a 1/2 inch difference. Then the back corner was a hole. An accutal hole that they tried to cover up with icing. I told the girl it wasn't square. She looked at me, confused, looked at the cake and back at me, confused. She told me the cake looked fine to her.
Then I asked to talk to the manager. She comes out, with an attitude, and asks me what's wrong. I said, "The cake isn't square. It's horrible. How can you sell something like this?"
Manager B@#$^ch: It's not supposed to be square. It's supposed to be a rectangle."
Me: "Not the shape. Look at it."
She looks at it.
Me: "Now turn it."
She turns it.
Manager: It's fine.
Me: It's not fine. It's not level. It's horrible. Look at the hole!
Man next to me: I'm a guy and I can tell that the cake is bad... you should fix it.
Manager B : Well... I guess we could make you a new one. Someone didn't fill the cake correctly and it colapsed.
Me: Number one, I don't have time to wait for you to fix the cake, number two, how did this cake pass inspection in the first place, number three, if it wasn't for the fact I was going to a special event with this cake, I wouldn't care. Cake is cake. But, now, I'm going to look like an ass thanks to the fact you are hiring the blind to work in your bakery. How much are you going to take off the price for your mistake?
Manager: 10%.
That worked out to $2.50. Pathetic. But this story isn't done. I went to the garden center to pay. The woman at the registar tells me that she is not allowed to let me pay for food at the garden center. I asked her where the sign was that stated that. She was flustered and I paid for the cake.
So, we are having a nice time at Brian's sisters. Then the phone rings, just as we are pulling dinner out of the oven. The caller ID shows it to be a cousin that we don't call much. Not a good sign.
Brian's father is the youngest of five children. Elizabeth, Phillip, Patrick, Brian and George. Phil has been in the hospital, in ICU on a vent. We didn't know much more. At six o'clock Sat night, they were giving him hours. He died at midnight.
So, the wake was Tuesday, in Clark, NJ, where he lived. That's down central Jersey, south of Newark. About 110 miles from here. Brian, myself and his sisters left at dinner time, drove down, stayed a bit more than an hour and drove back. We got home around 11 that night. About 6 hours start to finish.
Then.... I know... sound like it never stops, right? But anyway, Em had stayed with my parents that night and Mom's office is just past my house. It's right on the way. So, she dropped Em off the next morning on her way to work. Em's got a lovely cold.
I've had enough. When the hell do I get a break? Needless to say, while I work yesterday, I was tired and just the littlest things the staff did, that I normally ignore sent me on a write up and yelling spree. By the end of the day, I had made two people cry. I didn't care. I still don't. Are people in this world just that stupid that they can't carry out the simplest tasks?
If you want to be in health care, and take care of people, you had best be steppping up to the plate and take care of them. If not, McDonald's is always looking...
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Brownies
This past week, Emily started Brownies. I don't know who was more excited about it, me or her. She loved every moment of it. They are starting their first fund raiser, magazines. The first field trip was this weekend, to one of the local fruit stands that has cows to milk, petting zoo... etc.
We had a great time. I'm just so excited to say that Emily is fourth generation Girl Scout. We'll see how long it lasts.
I was trying to get Em to make a few friends with some of the other girls. She told me that she wasn't going to talk to them because it was bad to talk to strangers.
Okay, so she got that message. Don't talk to strangers. Now, I get to try and explain to her that it's okay to talk to strangers otherwise you don't get to make new friends.
Life is awfully confusing isn't it?
We had a great time. I'm just so excited to say that Emily is fourth generation Girl Scout. We'll see how long it lasts.
I was trying to get Em to make a few friends with some of the other girls. She told me that she wasn't going to talk to them because it was bad to talk to strangers.
Okay, so she got that message. Don't talk to strangers. Now, I get to try and explain to her that it's okay to talk to strangers otherwise you don't get to make new friends.
Life is awfully confusing isn't it?
Friday, October 10, 2008
How Much??!!!
Today in the mail was the first two bills from Sloan Kettering. I say the first, because we have recently been back to see the doctor and the bills don't include the doctor.
So, you ready? I hope you are sitting down and those with heart conditions have some nitro nearby.
First doctor's visit $226.00
Second doctor's visit $226.00
CT of belly to get a better look at the tumor $772.00
Contrast Dye needed for scan $73.50
Blood Typing $32.00
Screening for antibodies in the blood $60.00
Presurgical Chest X-Ray $253.00
EKG pre surgical $167.00
Sticking the needle in his arm to get the blood $19.00
Liver Functions $227.00
Basic Metabolic Panel $259.00
Urinalaysis $36.00
CBC $37.00
Bleeding Times $ 94.00
Blood Compatability Tests $144.00
Total $2625.50
And this is even before he was admitted to the hospital.
Hospital Room for 6 days $18320.00
Surgery $14254.00
Recovery Room $3122.00
Surgery Supplies both op and post op $3252.00
Medications $1006.80
Labs $3927.00
Pathology $2113.00
Blood Processing $92.00
Cardiology Consult $133.00
Physical Therapy she saw Bri for about 30 minutes to tell him that I had already done her job $838.00
For a Grand Total $47057.80
And, like I said, we haven't seen the doctor's bills from being inpatient yet.
Then add in about $100 for transportation to and from.
$400 for staying my hotel bill.
$150 for transport in the city.
$200 for my food.
$150 for other things.
Plus the two other trips to the city before the surgery.
I would have to say, since Brian's first trip to the city we have wracked up somewhere between $60,000.00 and $75,000.00.
Thank God for health insurance.
I would love to sit and figure it out some time. It's almost mind boggling.
So, you ready? I hope you are sitting down and those with heart conditions have some nitro nearby.
First doctor's visit $226.00
Second doctor's visit $226.00
CT of belly to get a better look at the tumor $772.00
Contrast Dye needed for scan $73.50
Blood Typing $32.00
Screening for antibodies in the blood $60.00
Presurgical Chest X-Ray $253.00
EKG pre surgical $167.00
Sticking the needle in his arm to get the blood $19.00
Liver Functions $227.00
Basic Metabolic Panel $259.00
Urinalaysis $36.00
CBC $37.00
Bleeding Times $ 94.00
Blood Compatability Tests $144.00
Total $2625.50
And this is even before he was admitted to the hospital.
Hospital Room for 6 days $18320.00
Surgery $14254.00
Recovery Room $3122.00
Surgery Supplies both op and post op $3252.00
Medications $1006.80
Labs $3927.00
Pathology $2113.00
Blood Processing $92.00
Cardiology Consult $133.00
Physical Therapy she saw Bri for about 30 minutes to tell him that I had already done her job $838.00
For a Grand Total $47057.80
And, like I said, we haven't seen the doctor's bills from being inpatient yet.
Then add in about $100 for transportation to and from.
$400 for staying my hotel bill.
$150 for transport in the city.
$200 for my food.
$150 for other things.
Plus the two other trips to the city before the surgery.
I would have to say, since Brian's first trip to the city we have wracked up somewhere between $60,000.00 and $75,000.00.
Thank God for health insurance.
I would love to sit and figure it out some time. It's almost mind boggling.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Back to New York... again
Yesterday, Brian had his post op appointment with the surgeon. We waited nearly two hours to see the doctor and we were out in about twenty minutes. Everything is healing well and the pathology said it was all good.
We have to go back in a month and Brian has to have a full bosy scan and then we just scan annually after that.
We had a whirlwind day. We drive to the next train station south of where we usually get the train, because parking was hard. Then we went to the city, got off, grabbed a cab and went to the doctors. Then we tried to get the subway back to the train station, but the subway was down. So, we tried, really hard to get a cab. Then the train home and drive to the pharmacy and then on to get Emily from my mother's.
By the time, I went to bed last night, I was so tired, I was walking dead.
But, as usual, me taking a day off from work was hard. I've been trying to catch up all day and I want to go to bed. But since there is no school tomorrow, Emily wants to stay up a bit later than usual. So, it'll be a while before I can go to bed.
We have to go back in a month and Brian has to have a full bosy scan and then we just scan annually after that.
We had a whirlwind day. We drive to the next train station south of where we usually get the train, because parking was hard. Then we went to the city, got off, grabbed a cab and went to the doctors. Then we tried to get the subway back to the train station, but the subway was down. So, we tried, really hard to get a cab. Then the train home and drive to the pharmacy and then on to get Emily from my mother's.
By the time, I went to bed last night, I was so tired, I was walking dead.
But, as usual, me taking a day off from work was hard. I've been trying to catch up all day and I want to go to bed. But since there is no school tomorrow, Emily wants to stay up a bit later than usual. So, it'll be a while before I can go to bed.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Cranky
I've been cranky the last few days. I've taken on a lot around the house, considering Brian can't pitch in and help out right now. My birthday really sucked. I got a total of four presents. My grandfather, two of my aunt and my mother in law. Not even a card from my husband. My daughter never even told me happy birthday. And trust me she knew. I had to work, the evening shift. I've been so busy at work, all I want to do is come home and sleep. But no, I have to make dinner, work on homework and do things around the house.
I was hoping that there was going to be something. My mother made me a birthday cake and brought it over to the house the night before. Brian kinds knew that he was going to be recovering around my birthday. But did he do anything about it? NO.
When I buy presents, I try to spend time finding things that the giftee would apperciate. Christmas is a challange. Sure, Brian gets the traditional under ware, socks, toothbrush and stuff, but I try to find things that I know he would love. Hell, for his brithday this year, I bought him a Nintendo DS so he would have something to keep him occupied during his recovery. I bought myself a new MP3 player a while back, but still, when it comes to his birthday I'll find something.
I know people say it's the thought that counts, but they aren't the ones who are getting dollar store junk from their husbands for their birthday's and christmas. It really sucks.
I've been trying hard to take care of Brian. And oh, by the way, George, my father in law is sick again. I need to go out, but where and with whom? I have no friends. My mother is busy with her friends and sewing. My machine is broken. I have no money. I need a vacation.
But we can't even go camping. The camper is broken. And it's not going to be fixed anytime soon. So, we can't go a way anytime soon.
I just want some time to relax. No cell phone rining. No worrying about Brian or George or the next straw that is going to fall on my back. I've had enough. Really I have. I need some time off. But I have no where to go. Or money to get there.
Plus, this year is our tenth anniversery. Guess what I won't be getting.
Sorry to vent but I get this way every single year around my birthday. I have been known to throw parties for Brian's birthdays. I have been invited to parties for my inlaws inlaws birthdays. I threw a party so that everyone could see Brian before his surgery. And there is going to be a party when Brian is all healed and ready to go. But NO ONE throws a party for me. It so sucks.......
I was hoping that there was going to be something. My mother made me a birthday cake and brought it over to the house the night before. Brian kinds knew that he was going to be recovering around my birthday. But did he do anything about it? NO.
When I buy presents, I try to spend time finding things that the giftee would apperciate. Christmas is a challange. Sure, Brian gets the traditional under ware, socks, toothbrush and stuff, but I try to find things that I know he would love. Hell, for his brithday this year, I bought him a Nintendo DS so he would have something to keep him occupied during his recovery. I bought myself a new MP3 player a while back, but still, when it comes to his birthday I'll find something.
I know people say it's the thought that counts, but they aren't the ones who are getting dollar store junk from their husbands for their birthday's and christmas. It really sucks.
I've been trying hard to take care of Brian. And oh, by the way, George, my father in law is sick again. I need to go out, but where and with whom? I have no friends. My mother is busy with her friends and sewing. My machine is broken. I have no money. I need a vacation.
But we can't even go camping. The camper is broken. And it's not going to be fixed anytime soon. So, we can't go a way anytime soon.
I just want some time to relax. No cell phone rining. No worrying about Brian or George or the next straw that is going to fall on my back. I've had enough. Really I have. I need some time off. But I have no where to go. Or money to get there.
Plus, this year is our tenth anniversery. Guess what I won't be getting.
Sorry to vent but I get this way every single year around my birthday. I have been known to throw parties for Brian's birthdays. I have been invited to parties for my inlaws inlaws birthdays. I threw a party so that everyone could see Brian before his surgery. And there is going to be a party when Brian is all healed and ready to go. But NO ONE throws a party for me. It so sucks.......
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