Will Be Mia For A Few Days


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I need to go back into the hospital for a few days, hopefully. In the last two weeks Edema has set into my legs and lungs. When ever I tried to do a simple job I thought my heart was going to explode. I could not catch my breath when laying down. The last week and a half I slept sitting up in my chair with my legs propped up. If it is anything like the last time, all I'll want to do is catch up on my sleep after the treatments have been done.

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Thanks. The normal treatment isn't bad. They just pop a needle with an attached tube into the pleural cavity and suction the fluid out. If it is difficult to remove the fluid then they open me up to remove it.

The biggest pain is getting ready to go in. I spent most of yesterday going over with the crew what needed to be done at work. Then I had to get someone to take care of my dog, which is hard because he hates everyone. Throw in doing the laundry, dishes, discarding leftovers and cleaning the house before I leave.

Now I will wait for the call that a room is ready.

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I now know why my local hospital has been ordered to close by the Berger Commission. I called early today and said I would be coming in so they could admit me. I arrived to a room full of people coughing, hacking and sneezing only to be told to wait. My lungs are bad enough that I didn't need to be inhaling the germs permeating the waiting area. After two hours sitting in a hard plastic chair my legs started swelling from the edema so bad that they seemed to be at the bursting point. I got up and paced about so my legs could get some blood flow. I noticed that a lady was curled up on the floor in pain where you sign in for admittance. Three hours later no one was called in and the lady still lay on the floor. I finally lost it and walked up to the window and told them to forget it, then left.

To top it off I was supposed to have a new personal physician assigned to me, but they found out she doesn't accept my insurance. Now I can't even contact my own doctor to get a script for Lasix to control my pulmonary edema until I can be admitted to some hospital for treatment.

To think some people seem to think social medicine could make things worse.

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Geeze TT,

Sounds like a bad hospital.I hope you can come up with a backup plan or another hospital. Is there any way you can get some relief to make yourself more comfortable?

Take care,

Pat

I am going to contact my transplant team Monday and see if they can get me admitted to another hospital close by. As it is I have been getting a couple hours of sleep here and there in my recliner. As long as I am sitting up I can breathe shallowly. I placed a couple of cushions under my feet to keep them raised so the edema abates.

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I am going to contact my transplant team Monday and see if they can get me admitted to another hospital close by. As it is I have been getting a couple hours of sleep here and there in my recliner. As long as I am sitting up I can breathe shallowly. I placed a couple of cushions under my feet to keep them raised so the edema abates.

Wow!! I am very sorry to hear that you are ill and also struggling with hospital, insurance issues, TT_75! I sincerely hope that you have a speedy recovery, my friend!

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I now know why my local hospital has been ordered to close by the Berger Commission. I called early today and said I would be coming in so they could admit me. I arrived to a room full of people coughing, hacking and sneezing only to be told to wait. My lungs are bad enough that I didn't need to be inhaling the germs permeating the waiting area. After two hours sitting in a hard plastic chair my legs started swelling from the edema so bad that they seemed to be at the bursting point. I got up and paced about so my legs could get some blood flow. I noticed that a lady was curled up on the floor in pain where you sign in for admittance. Three hours later no one was called in and the lady still lay on the floor. I finally lost it and walked up to the window and told them to forget it, then left.

To think some people seem to think social medicine could make things worse.

Hey TT:

This is really bad - I also cannot believe that they would have had you even WAIT in an envornment like that!! At my local hospital, they ask visitors to don surgical masks if they have colds and would be sneezing or coughing. This is to protect patients and staff from getting sick!! Better Yet, if they could be sick themselbes, they are asked to stay HOME!!

What bothers me is that you have had your transplants, and they KNOW what the devil is going on, so why someone would NOT tell you of problems like this is unimagineable. The hospital is supposed to KNOW their patient, and especially one with a history like yours - I would have had you transferred to another hospital, or better yet, I would have called your transplant team and told them of how you have been to date, and tell them that you have edema really bad, and need to be admitted somewhere. Being unable to sleep is one thing, but not being able to BREATHE, with edema as bad as you say is NOT acceptable, and I would have triaged that and set you up somewhere, rather then to have to have you deal with this at home.

To top it off I was supposed to have a new personal physician assigned to me, but they found out she doesn't accept my insurance. Now I can't even contact my own doctor to get a script for Lasix to control my pulmonary edema until I can be admitted to some hospital for treatment.

This Doctor (Primary Physician) stuff is helpful in some ways, but now, you have to shop for your doctor like you shop for your groceries. I am lucky that my doctor takes both medicaid and medicare, and can service me for most of my needs. I would THINK that you would still be able to get something from your local hospital or from a doctor on your transplant team, as it would make sense that you could get a script for Lasix REGARDLESS of who the hell your doctor was, as long as the records show a history of need, and consistant use that is warrented and that is working to control edema.

Why they make guys like us go through this is beyond me - I hate that sometimes I have troubles breathing, and have to use my inhaler for this - but at least I don't have the problem of having an assigned doctor that does NOT take my insurance - In this case, you needed help THEN - I am sure that the Team will determine that you need to be admitted, and I pray that they can help you, and make you better so you can return to what you do best ;)

Good Luck, Godspeed, and Take Care TT!!

Brian

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Kind of makes you wish they had the "I know what I am doing" option.

I get this with my lack of a spleen ( You have no fever, therefore you cannot be sick. answer; RTFM , no spleen means delayed response to infections. Infection can reach near fatal levels before any immune response begins let alone a fever.

Your blood pressure is high, I think we need to concentrate on that first. answer RTFM, no spleen, nothing to expand and contract as fluid levels change. You gave me an IV or I drank a glass of water while waiting. Now I have high blood pressure, let me take a piss and it will drop. Give me a diuretic blood pressure medicine and I will pass out when I piss.)

Yeah, if you operated a your business like they operate theirs you would be out of business in no time.

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My new doctor had me admitted to Oswego Hospital while I sat in her examination room. I just spent a lovely week there. Looks like I have a slight issue with my heart's left ventricle. I need to see a specialist in two weeks.

It sounds like you got a competent one this round. Just hope your insurance company does not fold; or drop her.

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