The first night that I came home, the pain was so severe I could hardly believe it, and I had not been given any pain medicine so that I was up all night with Marcello sleeping on the ironing board, or on the floor. He had been let in after I came home Sunday and he was tentatively staying friendly with me but also he stayed away from me as well. He seemed to be contrite but afraid of what I might do as well. I had prayed all night long, and I had been up every hour so that I got no rest whatsoever, but was tired and weary when I returned to the emergency room. A different doctor was on duty who had to get the original doctor to discuss the case, and they looked at it but still sent me home not letting me think that I would be admitted. The second doctor said he would be there the following day and to be sure to come back to treat the wound. I was a bit naive I guess...I had been taking the antibiotics but the fever and the infection, swelling, and redness was all very strong and very high. I had been given a tetanus shot when I had first gone into the emergency room on Sunday.
Then I had called the breeder of Marcello who came to take him to her apartment so that he would not be a problem for me. She took me to the emergency room on Monday I believe, and so she sat and listened to what they were saying. She had started to treat the wound but the bandages were so high and deep and stuck with blood that she decided that we should go to the e.r. to have them do it. I recall that on Monday we took Marcello to animal control but were given a bad time there so we ended up bringing him back and she took him to her home...that is what happened. I am trying to remember all this now...My neighbor took me to the e.r. on Tuesday thinking that i would be going in to be out in half an hour so that she did not stay with me but I had to call her to tell her when to pick me up. Because the wound seemed to be creeping up my arm instead of receding, they decided that I would need intravenous feeding of antibiotics so that they then had me admitted as an inpatient.
I was moved to the other part of the hospital where they had a room for me. I had been given a gauze pad and gauze along with some ointment to put on top of it but I never did get to use any of that until after I left the hospital..Fortunately, it was here so that I could use it when I got back home. Funny thing is that I had a roommate at the hospital whose name is the same as mine. We eventually came to be acquainted with one another, and she is a lovely lady who will be in the hospital for some time yet.
Because she was being treated round the clock and I was being treated round the clock, I did not get any sleep at all that first night that I was there. I had found two lovely ladies from Boxnia were my nurses and nurses's aide, and so I got my first dose of what it is like to be a hospital patient. I had never been admitted to a hospital until now except for an emergency room once years ago at St. Joe's.
By the time I got into that room, I had seen five different doctors. I cannot believe what this bill will be for this experience. I had a different nurse and aide every time we turned around. I ate a little while there but not very much. I had asked if there were any rules or regulations to follow as the emergency room doctor had given me my set of patient's rights to read. There is little difference between jails and hospitals, believe it or not.
So Thursday night I am prepared for o.r. Operating Room. I was taken down to the O.R. where I met the nicest and friendliest nurse. I am one of those people who changes according to environment, and I myself do not always know how I will behave in any situation until I am there. I could hardly believe what came over me while in that environment. It was cold, sterile, and efficient. We discussed drugs, blood types, and age differences. I had been placed on the floor for the elderly care patients by the way. So it turns out that i am the doctor's last patient that night, and suddenly in breezes a woman who has a very commanding, sharp, business like, and authoritative presence.Just as the police will question you over and over on the same subject so do hospitals...all your medical history is repeated, and so she began her questioning. I did like her as I had been apprehensive about going under, and had to recall when I had had my teeth pulled that I had been under then but came out of it. Twice I had been under at a dentist's office.
She then explains to me what will happen, and another nurse comes out, puts a hat on me so I look like everyone else, and then I am wheeled into surgery, and just like that I am out, and back in the recovery room with Maria, one of the nicest nurses that I had met. Also very efficient, businesslike and efficient. What a time there is in going to a hospital. Then I am taken back upstairs to continue to spend the night, and get antibiotics pumped into me. They take your blood every morning, and they pump antibiotics into you at a variety of intervals.
Next thing is the problem of doctors because everyone had thought I was going home on Thursday so for sure I had been told by one doctor it would be Friday and sure enough, finally on Friday, after being moved from Room 508 to 501 I am in a room with another woman who had just suffered a severe boating accident. I am walking around, looking at my hand which looked great, cleaned up, all swelling gone, and back to being white again instead of red. I wanted to get home.
Finally, after fussing a lot and making certain I get a doctor come up as these nurses make me furious changing their stories from day to day I insisted that I get a doctor to approve my going home. I was beginning to feel as though I was not ever going to get out of there. I found a ride home, and was told how to proceed, and finally a doctor did come up, approve my getting out, as my hand was good then...
Finally, I got out! Fresh air and sunshine at last! Nothing worst than being confined to a hospital bed.
I am now taking care of myself. I have to make appointments to see two doctors and to find a primary doctor. I have not had a doctor in all the time I have lived in Arizona. There is a story about that that I will not think about right now..
I have to go to social security to see about medicare. End of story for now.
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