Easter was good, things are good, Dr. appt today was good, everything's just good. :] I've spent a lot of time these last few days hanging with friends, catching up, that sort of thing. Basically, enjoying life! Tomorrow (well, I guess "today") I am going up to work to get some things done. Whatever, I don't mind. I'm in a good mood. Everything is good!
Except for the minor little setbacks of feeling really sick suddenly sometimes, I am improving drastically. A chest x-ray today showed the pneumonia is almost completely gone! YAY!
I'm working on a new quilt. Crazy, right? It's for a friend who is having twins, so I'm making a second one after this. I'll post pictures when it's pieced together.
I played Apples-to-Apples for the first time ever. That game... is FUN. With the right group of people, it is absolutely, down-right, hilarious. And I played with some of my Small Group s and my 2 leaders.... a fantastic group for this game. Fun evening. Love those s.
Nothing else really to mention I guess. Dang, I need to finish erasing everything in the giant ACT practice book for Emmons.... it's sitting on my desk so I don't forget.... hmmm.... I'll get to it eventually, kid, I promise!
Time to enjoy the rest of my Spring Break!!
-Andrea
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Good Friday
I'm up so early on a Friday off because I learned that I have an ENT appointment today to "finish the job." Uh oh. I know what means and I'm honestly a bit afraid. He's going to numb the inside of my nose (it's a WEIRD feeling, trust me) and then clean out all the gel packing and any dried . Oh yay. Not.
I mean, yes, it's good but I'm not looking forward to it at all. He said it would not take very long, a few minutes, but that's a few minutes toooooo looooooong!!! I'll let ya know how that goes.
The rest of Good Friday is up in the air, aside from the Good Friday service at my church. My whole Spring Break is up in the air. I mean, I've got a book to finish, some work to do in the lab, and a lab to write, but other than preparing for state science fair, my week is free. :]
I know I already posted this, but I'm so glad to be home... so glad to be back. I've never enjoyed school more than those last two days. I was so happy to just be back to my "normal" because being in the hospital is NOT my normal. And I missed normal.
-Andrea
I mean, yes, it's good but I'm not looking forward to it at all. He said it would not take very long, a few minutes, but that's a few minutes toooooo looooooong!!! I'll let ya know how that goes.
The rest of Good Friday is up in the air, aside from the Good Friday service at my church. My whole Spring Break is up in the air. I mean, I've got a book to finish, some work to do in the lab, and a lab to write, but other than preparing for state science fair, my week is free. :]
I know I already posted this, but I'm so glad to be home... so glad to be back. I've never enjoyed school more than those last two days. I was so happy to just be back to my "normal" because being in the hospital is NOT my normal. And I missed normal.
-Andrea
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
HOME! HOME!
Yes! Finally, a blog post from my own desk! I'm home!!!
As far as the medical junk goes, PFTs were down, weight is down, but pneumonia is starting to clear up. BUT I still got to have my PICC line pulled so my arm is free once again. But man, it HURT to have this one pulled. It didn't help that while my sweet nurse was trying to cut my stitches, she had someone standing over her saying "oh no no. Not like that!" That did not help anything. However, once she cut both stictches, the only pain left was just the "after-throb."
Glad to be home,
Andrea
As far as the medical junk goes, PFTs were down, weight is down, but pneumonia is starting to clear up. BUT I still got to have my PICC line pulled so my arm is free once again. But man, it HURT to have this one pulled. It didn't help that while my sweet nurse was trying to cut my stitches, she had someone standing over her saying "oh no no. Not like that!" That did not help anything. However, once she cut both stictches, the only pain left was just the "after-throb."
Glad to be home,
Andrea
Monday, April 6, 2009
Hello, setback.
QUOTE FROM LAST BLOG ENTRY:
"Parents and doctors both worried that I would catch pneumonia from just lying there all the time."
Dun dun duuuuuuuuun. Is that foreshadowing or WHAT? Guess who did end up getting pneumonia? Yep. Me.
Last Friday, the day after posting about how great I was feeling, seriously, 12 hours after I had posted that, I returned all the food I had eaten on Thursday to the porcelain shrine. It was a bad, bad day.
I spent from 9..ish until 4ish in the bed, crying, miserable, nauseated (or throwing up) with no relief. We even got some medicine for nausea, but it didn't work. Around 4 we realized I needed help so my parents rushed me up to the ER at Schumpert, where they had assured us there would be no wait. They lied. I sat in a chair for a good 15 or 20 minutes feeling like I was about to die. I was also denied at the children's ER, which had no wait. Once I was finally seen, it was discovered they my heart rate was 171, my blood pressure on the floor, I was EXTREMELY dehydrated, and I had a fever. Hmmm... thanks for making me sit and wait. I get wheelchaired to the triage where they were surprised to see I had a PICC line. "I was here 2 days ago, on peds." The nurses were glad to not have to try to find a vein on me!
After a few nurses come by and they got some fluids running through me, we finally see a familiar face: a guy we know from church is one of the ER doctors. He was as shocked as we were.
Five hours later, we are admitted into a hospital room. I had gotten an armband that said "511" so I knew I was going to be back on the pediatric floor again. YES. As I'm being wheeled away, someone asked what room I was going to. "511" "Oh no you're not. You're too old. 688 for you." What?! 2 days later I'm too old for the pedatric floor where I just WAS?? So I can't get continual care from the people who just took care of me? K.........
6th floor medical tower is no where near as comforting as the peds floor. But I guess that's more incentive to NOT return.... lol
As a side-note, a nurse on the peds floor is also the mom of a teammate, and one of my biggest fans. She printed out the "policy" on age limits for the peds floor. I am allowed to stay through my "entire eighteenth year." So technically, I really should have been on peds again..... but "change is hard, isn't it?" (rude receptionist told that to my mom on this floor)
I've enjoyed my company ranging from family members, to friends, to 4 grown men in tiaras and tulle skirts rapping to me, one of whom I'm proud to say is my father. :]
I just went and did PFTs (pulmonary function tests) and if they are stable still, and my chest X-ray shows improvement, I'm having my PICC line pulled and being shipped home tomorrow morning!!!! I hope that's the case because I'm really, really, REALLY tired of being here. Sad to say, but I'd rather be at school.
That's all for now. Signing off.
"Parents and doctors both worried that I would catch pneumonia from just lying there all the time."
Dun dun duuuuuuuuun. Is that foreshadowing or WHAT? Guess who did end up getting pneumonia? Yep. Me.
Last Friday, the day after posting about how great I was feeling, seriously, 12 hours after I had posted that, I returned all the food I had eaten on Thursday to the porcelain shrine. It was a bad, bad day.
I spent from 9..ish until 4ish in the bed, crying, miserable, nauseated (or throwing up) with no relief. We even got some medicine for nausea, but it didn't work. Around 4 we realized I needed help so my parents rushed me up to the ER at Schumpert, where they had assured us there would be no wait. They lied. I sat in a chair for a good 15 or 20 minutes feeling like I was about to die. I was also denied at the children's ER, which had no wait. Once I was finally seen, it was discovered they my heart rate was 171, my blood pressure on the floor, I was EXTREMELY dehydrated, and I had a fever. Hmmm... thanks for making me sit and wait. I get wheelchaired to the triage where they were surprised to see I had a PICC line. "I was here 2 days ago, on peds." The nurses were glad to not have to try to find a vein on me!
After a few nurses come by and they got some fluids running through me, we finally see a familiar face: a guy we know from church is one of the ER doctors. He was as shocked as we were.
Five hours later, we are admitted into a hospital room. I had gotten an armband that said "511" so I knew I was going to be back on the pediatric floor again. YES. As I'm being wheeled away, someone asked what room I was going to. "511" "Oh no you're not. You're too old. 688 for you." What?! 2 days later I'm too old for the pedatric floor where I just WAS?? So I can't get continual care from the people who just took care of me? K.........
6th floor medical tower is no where near as comforting as the peds floor. But I guess that's more incentive to NOT return.... lol
As a side-note, a nurse on the peds floor is also the mom of a teammate, and one of my biggest fans. She printed out the "policy" on age limits for the peds floor. I am allowed to stay through my "entire eighteenth year." So technically, I really should have been on peds again..... but "change is hard, isn't it?" (rude receptionist told that to my mom on this floor)
I've enjoyed my company ranging from family members, to friends, to 4 grown men in tiaras and tulle skirts rapping to me, one of whom I'm proud to say is my father. :]
I just went and did PFTs (pulmonary function tests) and if they are stable still, and my chest X-ray shows improvement, I'm having my PICC line pulled and being shipped home tomorrow morning!!!! I hope that's the case because I'm really, really, REALLY tired of being here. Sad to say, but I'd rather be at school.
That's all for now. Signing off.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Recovery
Wow. Surgery Friday and here it is the Thursday after. Seeing as I slept most of this week away, I don't remember much. And what I do remember, mostly isn't pleasant. Thursday night, my arm was hurting from the PICC line so I took some Dilaudid. Little did I know I was allergic. Worst night of my life but glad I found out then instead of after surgery when they would have given me a much greater dose!!
Up until the last day or so, I've been dru.gged up on pain meds and nausea meds trying to manage both. I hardly ate, moved, or enjoyed my day. Basically, recovery was 100000x harder than I thought it would be. Because of all the meds, I didn't eat. Because I didn't eat, I felt sick. Because I felt sick, I wouldn't move nor eat. Etc etc etc. Parents and doctors both worried that I would catch pneumonia from just lying there all the time. But I would be very dizzy when I sat up, so I felt discouraged to move. It was a HORRIBLE recovery filled with pain, sickness, dizziness, overheating, and night sweats. One evening I even spiked a fever but sweated it out by the next hour.
But now I'm home after a week in the hospital. Here, I'm more inclined to walk around and eat, which in-turn quickens my recovery. I go back to the doctor on Monday to get the PICC taken out and then for my surgeon to "finish the job"...... Oh boy.
So far, the only difference I've noticed is my lack of tolerance for spicy foods. :[ That was my claim to fame! I won't feel 100% better until I go see my ENT again on Monday. I'll let ya know how that one goes...
Today I ate my first FULL meal since last Thursday (before surgery). YAY!
I'll keep updating as exciting things happen.
-Andrea
Up until the last day or so, I've been dru.gged up on pain meds and nausea meds trying to manage both. I hardly ate, moved, or enjoyed my day. Basically, recovery was 100000x harder than I thought it would be. Because of all the meds, I didn't eat. Because I didn't eat, I felt sick. Because I felt sick, I wouldn't move nor eat. Etc etc etc. Parents and doctors both worried that I would catch pneumonia from just lying there all the time. But I would be very dizzy when I sat up, so I felt discouraged to move. It was a HORRIBLE recovery filled with pain, sickness, dizziness, overheating, and night sweats. One evening I even spiked a fever but sweated it out by the next hour.
But now I'm home after a week in the hospital. Here, I'm more inclined to walk around and eat, which in-turn quickens my recovery. I go back to the doctor on Monday to get the PICC taken out and then for my surgeon to "finish the job"...... Oh boy.
So far, the only difference I've noticed is my lack of tolerance for spicy foods. :[ That was my claim to fame! I won't feel 100% better until I go see my ENT again on Monday. I'll let ya know how that one goes...
Today I ate my first FULL meal since last Thursday (before surgery). YAY!
I'll keep updating as exciting things happen.
-Andrea
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