hospital

i just spent three nights at st vincent's hospital.  at least they gave me the nice room this time...double doors so as to reduce the staff giggles and the poor man across the hall two days of incessant screaming.   It's very unnerving to hear someone yell like that non-stop.    Luckily, it wasn't very noticeable in my double-doored room.   Apparently, he was an old man who kept pulling out his IV's so they finally strapped him down and well, understandably, he wasn't happy about the situation AT ALL.    Can't say I blame him.  It brings up all sorts of questions of patient's rights that I tried not to ponder too much,  which in the end isn't too hard when your busy sponge bathing yourself against a fever of 103.2.

Yup.  That temperature is what landed me in the hospital and quite honestly, I probably should have gone in five or six days earlier when the fevers started but, well, with features like screaming neighbors, blood draws at all hours of the day and night, etc, etc,  St. Vincent's doesn't quite have the allure of say, the Ritz.   However, I am feeling somewhat better and maybe next time I'll recall this as I ponder my options.   Or better yet, maybe there need not be a next time.  

Some of you kindly wrote your favorite remedies for constipation--many of which I have tried--and I thank you for taking the time to share.   I realized that my bowel movements seem to ebb and flow of the antibiotics.   Change the antibiotic, change the bowel movements.    This is somewhat comforting because I was really beginning to wonder if my organic body was beginning to shut down from lack of movement.   After the last few days, I'm not worried about "movement" anymore...now the issue is "soreness" and dehydration.   Ahh, the fun.

I'm glad to be home that's for sure.

busy dr week

wound dr today: short story--armpit better, butt no change (and ugly)
reality: fevers of 102.5-103.2 for the last few days.   they said if they continue i will have to be admitted
platelets today
blood tomorrow (lunch anyone? call me?)

inquiry: i've been constipated for 3 days. tried triphala, prunes, and my butt smells like a dead cat (not a good sign at all)    anyone got the "this'll work in a flash" trick.  email me at fieldofcosmos@gmail.com

miki the amazing japanese shiatsu practioner

in japan, one has to go to acupuncture and shiatsu school for three years to qualify for a license.

remember that book/movie "memoirs of a geisha"?  how the young women were pure, gentle, yet firm and graceful.  (forget about the sex part please)

combine over 8 years of expertise and the lovely strong energy of an exquisite Japanese woman (who just moved here with her husband Ted) and you get Miki.

She has kindly offered me sessions over the summer (so yes this is a commercial break).   if you are interested in hearing what she offers, please contact her at 505.946.8493 or matsumiki@hotmail.com.

she's wonderful.

rain

i listen to the rain while my sunflowers hang their heads in harvest.  the birds have been frequently checking then devouring the ripe ones.

i knit and then reknit a hat for a friend which i hope will fit her.  its too soon to tell. although im on version 7 already.

my wounds are perhaps slowly improving though they bother me with their ouch constantly.

i can imagine the aspen trees beginning to turn on the mountain, my favorite time of year in nm.

one day at a time (as the taxman lingers in the shadows)

if it's not one thing....

it's another
so some of you may have noticed that i've been indulging in the end of summer fruits as of late....i seem to have a never ending craving for pineapple....

well the fun is over (ie don't bring me anymore fruit please).   i have a new outbreak/infection of some kind down below in a very suspicious location reminiscent of earlier summer infections.    So I am not allowed sugar.   Again.     For all those that think I'm just being picky, well, when I let up this is what happens.  My true hope is that it will vanish by morning, but I'm gonna talk to the dr. nonetheless.

So enjoy your sweet root vegetables and yummie fruits and I will give away what I have and dream of the day that I might be able to eat these things again.

Grains and greens and protein.    That's my diet, if you are interested.   Love and light.  k

No help Today (Saturday)

Apparently I have no helpers from coming home connection until 4 pm today.   Let's face it--I'm already hungry.

If you have some time, call me and maybe you can come over and help......

karen
690-1021

a cleaning dilemna

so over the summer someone kindly sent their housekeeper over to deep clean my place every now and again.   it was wonderful.

the number one rule of aplastic anemia is keeping things clean, really really really clean: house, food, etc.  I am so prone to infection and have been down and out with infections all summer.

my helpers from coming home connection kindly sweep the floors, wash the dishes, do the laundry and manage the bathroom.  they do a great job.  but it's hardly a deep clean.   the floors have not been washed in over a month.

there is no way i can afford a housecleaner. point blank.  nor can i or should i do it myself.  yet, i hate to live this way.

so i guess i'm asking for volunteers who can spare an hour or two or whatever to help tidy things up. you could sign up on the calendar like old days.   i have vinegar, baking soda and sponges. sadly i do not have a vacuum.  please help if you can.  

love and light.
k

revolving everything

 revolving dr. today (dr. scott temperly who was my first dr when I got back from Seattle).  She sits down next to me and asks "what is the goal here?"    "To beat it" I said.  "didn't you read the book I gave you?"
(aplasticcentral.com).  She said she skimmed it.   That was all she had to say.

thanks to emily, the sept and oct calendars are up and running.   i need a ride from the hospital at some time in the evening on Wed pm (this week, not sure on time due to transfustions) and i need someone to take me to dr appt fri (this week) at 2:30-4.

any takers?

z update for z day

dr appt this am.   hemoglobin 7 (think dizzy and hard to breathe) and platelets 15!

so today would be day 5 on the platelet schedule....i'll get blood and platelets on wed....ie platelets are holding a little bit better, a little longer.

still it ain't anywhere near the 150 platelet or the 15 hemogloblin minimum they consider "normal"

but i'm happy to take it.   maybe next week it'll be 8 days between platelet transfusions.  then we'd really have something to write home about.

new horizons

it was a busy week.  dr appt and platelet transfusion on Thursday.   wound dr. appt on friday where he "removed" all the dead tissue around the would.  think small metal tool like an ice cream scoop, i forget the name of it.  think ouch.  but the dr. assures me that the new flesh will now grow in better--even though it looks worse.   of course, i haven't actually been brave enough to take a look yet.   that might have to change this afternoon when I have to redo the dressing.  ug.

in the meantime, i've decided to knit again.   a good time-consuming practice that encourages all of my obsessive tendencies and great meditations.   i become a bit obsessed with those there knitting needles.  not that i have any real talent or knowledge....i was looking up recipes for some fancy hats yesterday and realized that i am not at all versed in the language of knitting nor does my skill set extend much beyond k1,p1.   maybe i'll decide to learn someday but for now, all i want to do is knit me a new winter cap.   it is, after all, starting to get cold out there.  i'll let you know how it goes.   last time i knit a hat, i had to knit and then reknit the hat about 5 times before i got the size right (ie a very long project indeed).   if anyone out there knows a good way of telling how many stitched to cast on to get an appropriately sized hat, please let me know.

wounds

i woke up at 4 am with shooting pain in my swollen lymph node under my armpit which had decided to break and pus up and scab over the weekend.  the armpit situation got progressively worse over the weekend.   i even rang the emergency room at the hospital to see how busy they were...and of course being on hold for 30 minutes quickly answered my suspicion:  avoid the hospital over labor day weekend at all costs.

i took an early morning bath while my very sweet helper dragged himself outta bed to change my bedding. From a conversation I had yesterday, i've re-fallen in love with the idea of grapefruit seed extract as a fantastic antibiotic so my bright early morning idea was that I would spread the stuff all over my wounds.   I even did it IN the bathtub to test to see if I would be okay (the theory being that I would wash it off immediately if it wasn't).   everything seemed to be okay.   I dried off and dragged myself to my happy fresh bed.    being the extremist i tend to be, i added a little more grapefruit seed extract for good measure--after all, if a little bit works, more will work better, right?

WRONG.  within ten minutes both the cellulitis leg and the armpit sore were red and itchy.  unbearably itchy.   so itchy that i took another bath.   now one of my usual treatments is a goldenseal paste that cools my owwies.   so i applied the paste, gauzed it up, and turned the lights out in hopes of getting a few more hours sleep.   OMG.   Lemme tell you.   within a few minutes, the leg and armpit were screaming itch and I, the "I don't like to take drugs" girl,  was hastily swallowing one benedryl whilst seriously wondering how many I could take at once without death.   luckily 15 minutes later, the itch subsided enough that the drowsiness took over and I fell back asleep.   Whew.  close call.

luckily, i had a dr. appointment early this morning.   the good news is my platelet count wasn't too bad...probably will need transfusion Thursday or Friday but that is a slight improvement over my usual five day average.    the doctors both squeamishly looked at my sores and I suggested that perhaps I could go to the Wound Center.   One doctor suggested Dr. Lindsey at the center.

Praise Jah!   Dr.  Lindsey was the first doctor who actually really took an interest in my situation, bless his heart.    We ended up draining--scapel and all--the armpit wound in hopes that this will heal faster.  No baths.  Wish me luck.

sunflowers

when i moved in in the beginning of august they were giant happy sunflowers smiling at me through my bedroom window.

now they hang their heads heavy with seed, a few remaining yellow petals drift slowly to the ground as if to say i'm thirsty.

sadly my neighbors whose property they live on rarely water them and they sky has been dry for weeks.

i am waiting for the birds to come and feast on their seeds when ripened.  soon.  very soon.

SOMETHING AMAZING

http://www.wimp.com/merenguedog/

I'm on different antibiotics since my visit to yet another doctor yesterday, but these ones appear to be working.   The leg (and consequently my outlook) is much better.    A small bump in the road......

backsliding

it all happened at once.  i was feeling better then i was not.   the fevers started yesterday afternoon just as i was considering going outside for the first time in a month, wondering if i could navigate the house stairs (which might as well be bars), praying that the sun might last long enough that I could see it.

the culminated efforts of fighting against constipation resulted in the opposite...the runs.   At that precise moment the cellulitis on my leg decided to kick in full throttle, thus making running (or walking even) impossible.   I called the on-call dr last night, he prescribed a new antibiotic (with added bonus of side effect: the runs).    While I hate to be on it,  the pain and fear of the intense pain previously experienced with full throttle cellulitis inspired consumption.   it was a good choice, leg still hurts alot this morning but at least i can get to the bathroom.

and now i'm going to b bad and eat gluten and sugar in the form of an apple tart from sage bakery.  sometimes a persons gotta go wild (lets just hope the candida doesnt)