Annie

I think I talked about Annie before. She is one of my friends wonderful daughters.

The other night my friend called to get my address. I started my spiel about not sending anything when she stopped me and said that Annie had been working hard on a card for me. Well, how could I stop her. When I am in the Norwalk Hospital her grandmother who works there will bring me what the girls make. Last time Annie made me a card and had pasted empty candy wrappers in it. It was wonderful.

To get back to what happened the other night. Annie, who is around 6, was making her card for me and she sent her mother down to the car to get her wallet. She makes money by selling her works of art. (I do think she will be a millionaire by 12.)
Annie had 11 dollars and she wanted to give it all to me. I think she is really worried about me since I am in a hospital that is far away from her and even her grandmother can't visit. Also I am sure she has heard that since I have been in this hospital I have gotten worse and they can't even treat me for what I came here for. Poor Annie. I know her sister is worried too. I have been in the hospital so much you would think I was dying. Most of it is what the hospital or the doctors have done to me.

Annie's mother called and made me tell Annie that I didn't need the money. I had a hard time convincing her. I told her that her cards our the best medicine for me. And it really is so true. The cards that she and her sister make me are just wonderful. I smile for days and hang them up so I can always see them. I make all the nurses and doctors look at them.

Thank you Annie and Jane. I miss you a lot. I miss our trips to Wild Oats. I am looking forward to the next craft fair that we can all go to.

UPDATE:

Annie's mother called this morning and told me Annie still put the money in the envelope. I guess I was not that convincing.

Favorite Commercial

The Superbowl was pretty good thing year. First of all the Rolling Stones were there. My favorite band of all time. Then of course the commercials. I am so glad all those dot com ones are gone. They cheapen the tradition.
This was my favorite one.

The Flu

The last time I had the Flu was in grade school and I don't know if I really ever had it. To get out of school I would say my stomach hurt. My mother would bring me to the doctors and he said I had the Flu. I think that was the first time I realized that doctors had no idea what they were doing.

Well, I got the flu here. I had a 103 temp. I don't remember ever having such a high fever. All the doctors agreed this morning that I got it here along with C. Diff. I am not waiting for Pneumonia. I was coughing all night and I am having a hard time breathing. They are going to be giving me the Flu medicine.

I really am glad my girlfriends didn't come this past weekend. They have kids and I know they would love to have a kid home from school for a week.

My friend Lee is smart enough to know what visiting the hospital can bring. She already has Lyme so she sure doesn't need the Flu.

I am also glad my daughter didn't get guilted into coming up here. It would have been awful for her since she doesn't have health insurance and doesn't get paid if she is out.

I do miss Lee's mother-in-law. She works at the Norwalk Hospital and would visit me all the time when I was there. We both fight over her grandchildren. They are so cute. I babysat for them and they were a riot. Annie, the younger one, made me get in the pool. It was really cold. She said she was going to come in and then she didn't. She just stood on the ladder and laughed at me and her sister. Yeah, we were fools for listening to her. She can be tricky.

Did you see this superbowl ad? I bet it would have made Norah cry if she saw it. We love to cry at commercials. We use to watch those Hallmarck movies just so we could cry at the commercials.

Are you fat?

Have you noticed how fat people are? Do you really think they like all that extra weight hanging off their arms and thighs? I don't know if it is just suburbia or if it is happening in the cities too.

I don't know if I am oversensitive about it because I have to take steriods that make you look like you are 50 pounds heavier. I think I should make up a sign that says I don't really look like Shriek.

My daughter is on a diet. I am very proud of her. She had gained some weight while living in Boston. Must have been all that beer. Only kidding, Norah. Of course, I have been nagging her all these years because I know how unhealthy it is. I tried to get my doctor to talk to her but he wanted to her to go to Brigham and Women's Hospital.

I would hate to see her get sick. I don't think I would handle it well. Probably cry a lot.

My daughter and I finally made a deal about not talking about her weight and it was very hard. But to me it was like not talking about her drug problem or drinking problem. How could I not talk about it and who is to say it isn't like a drinking problem. And why are people so afraid to tell their friends or spouses that they are worried about them? I have a girlfriend that has always asked me how my weight is. It used to bother me because I thought she was being vain but it wasn't true. She had seen too many of her friends gain weight and get diabetes.

I on the other hand am sick of my health insurance going up. I pay just under 1000.00 a month for my health insurance. The researchers said the rising insurance company spending can be traced to the cost of treating the obese. In 2001, they said, overweight people with private health insurance pushed up insurance outlays an average of $1,200 per person when compared with people with healthy weights. In 1987, the difference was less than $300.

So if you are obese, do something about it ! Go walk around the block.

I want my veins back

I just want to go home. I am so sick of answering questions. Did so and so come? What did he say? I feel like I am doing my SATs. What happened in 1996? What happened last month?

Last night I had my second cat scan.this week. When they put the dye in my fifth vein went. Oh did that hurt!

Now it seems that I have an air bubble in my bladder. Why? I have no idea. How would I know? Now it seems we are back 10 years. I wish my surgeon was here. I really only trust him and I know he has my best interest at heart.

I really don't want another operation but with all these surgeons coming in and out I think they just might do it while I am asleep. Well, one thing I know for sure. No one is overlooking me. The top surgeon and the top GI doctor are on the case.

My friend, Tom, wrote. He seems to be doing OK. He is working on Martha's Vineyard doing finish work on a 20+ million home in Chapaquidick on the water. Sounds really nice.

He was telling me that there are a lot of signs about Lyme Disease on the ferry. I know that Nantucket is filled with Lyme. The prevalence of Lyme disease on Nantucket is about 14.3 percent, one of the highest reported incidences of the illness in the country. My boss has a house there and his family lives there in the summer. His wife has been treated for Lyme a number of times.

My friend's girlfriend got a job here at Yale doing a study on Lyme. They are trying to see who is susceptible to it. She was telling me that they fill the mice container with ticks. Then they dissect them. Ugh.

It is so nice that Larry comes to visit me. He got me a nice new laptop. It is wireless and they support wireless in the hospital. Cool. The IT guys at work are really most supportative. The first day I came to work they had everything ready for me. In November when I had to go to the hospital, they got together and sent me everything so I could work and bunches of candy.

The team just left. They tried to get some blood but no such luck

I am waiting for one of my users to bring their computer to see if I can get it to work.

Blood Clots

I am waiting for a Cat Scan to be done. It is 11 pm. I drank all the contrast so I am ready. I really think they have ruined all my veins. I have ice packs on them. What a pain!!! I have to try and stay still because they are worried about my blood clots. I keep getting shots of Heprin. It is supposed to be in the stomach but they are afraid to put it there.

I have seen at least 5 surgeons and had a couple of procedures done. One was a fistulagram. I made them put me out. It really hurts. They did one yesterday and it was awful. Now after this second Cat scan they decide whether to operate of not. The head of GI was here tonight and he is bringing another surgeon to see me tomorrow. I like how they work through the weekend.

Just please do it

Today has been the worse day. I am in the hospital and I can't seem to get anything I ask for.
Supposedly, you press the nurses button and then someone comes on the little intercom on your thinghy and you can tell them your needs. The thinghy has the light switches and TV channel switches and speaker for the TV. Trouble is that the intercom for the nurse's station and TV is coming out of the same speaker. Therefore if they are looking for someone you will not get to hear what your favorite character is saying.

It really is awful. When you are in the hospital you would like to try at night to fade out watching TV. No such luck with them coming over the intercom every few minutes.

Also I found that when you ask for something it does not mean they will relay that request. I had such a bad night last night that this morning I talked to a patient rep. I never had to complain so much. But it didn't seem to help because tonight I was supposed to finally get some food after 5 days. I had a window of six hours because I can't have anything after midnight because I am having a procedure tomorrow. Well, no food came. They said they called and no food again. I just about started to cry because I was so frustrated and they found some Jello.

I really am sick of asking for something that you would think would be so simple and it not happening. In my other hospital they were very good. It was just that the doctors didn't know how to treat me so they sent me to a larger center.

Then it is the choice of drugs or how you want them. IV, tablet or mixed in OJ ?? If I say mixed in OJ I mean it. Don't come back and say I thought you might like it this other way. You probably brought it to me your way because you forgot what I wanted. I really don't need the stress of dealing with it.

Everyone thinks they know better. They have no idea about what I have but they think I should go to the Mayo Clinc. They think the Mayo will cure all. It is so stupid and I really get tired even talking about it. If I want their opinion I am sure I would ask for it. (For my Lyme I have a number of people I get opinions from)

I guess everyone has people in their lives that can run it better. I have one that thinks if I move in with him I will be OK. NOT! I think it has to do with people not being able to control their own lives so they try and control someone elses. Get a dog!

Or maybe when their children are grown they need someone else to boss around. Some people still like to control their kids when they are in their thirties. I really try not to. My mother was really good about not interfering in our lives. She had such an interesting life so she didn't have to live through other peoples, I guess. My daughter and I have a pretty good relationship. She lets me know when she doesn't like something and I listen to her. At least I hope she thinks that. She will tell me because she reads this. She said the people are impressed when she says her Mom has a blog. Hey, that would make a good song. My mom has a blog, oh yeah.

It has now been 15 mins until I asked the stranger in the gadget to ask my nurse to get me a pain shot. At least now I have a walker so in a few minutes I am getting up to take a picture of the stranger.