
We got to the ER around 5:15 and I was in a room by 5:30. I had a very frustrating ER visit. They never called my oncologist and I got put on the general internal medicine doctor's caseload. At 11:20 they came in and said they were putting me on the 5th floor in a room. The 6th floor is the cancer floor. I was in a hole of a room with no cell service so JR took my phone and called the on call oncologist. She said she hadn't even heard from the ER so she wasn't sure how I was being admitted to the hospital and that I should be on the cancer floor. I had the internal medicine doctor call my oncologist and they settled on the 5th floor for one night. They diagnosed mild sepsis and a bad kidney infection. During this time they did a CT scan with contrast to ensure there was no internal issues.
At 11:40 he came back in the room and said the oncologist agreed to the 5th floor and oh, by the way, no eating after midnight in case urology wants to do a stent exchange tomorrow to help clear the infection. Lets recap, I got at the hospital at around 5:15, had lunch at 12:15 and it was now 11:40. I needed to eat something if I was just going on nothing by mouth diet "in case" I had a surgery. So they scrounged up crackers and cheese and JR got me a tasty pudding sundae from the cafeteria.
Friday: I saw the on call doctor for my oncologist office at about 7:30 on Friday mooring. I asked to move to the 6th floor, the cancer floor. So she worked some magic and got me moved to the 6th floor. It was like being home again. I spent so much time on that floor last summer that I knew several of the nurses and preferred those rooms. I was happy when I got moved. Friday I spiked my last fever at 100 degrees. The highest it got was in the ER at 103 degrees. The broad spectrum antibiotic they had me on was working. At around 8:00 pm I went down for surgery. It was time for my stent exchange.
Saturday and Sunday I felt pretty good, no fevers. I was just waiting for the cultures to come back so they could put me on the correct oral medication to bring home.
Monday they finally got the cultures back. They determined the issue was a bad kidney infection. The stent exchange and antibiotics worked. Monday when I met with my team of oncologists they informed me they reviewed my CT with contrast scan results from my ER intake with the cancer board. I also found out that there is still cancer. We are looking at radiation, I of course want to start immediately. They said I have to wait for the surgery recovery period to be completed.
So, five days after being admitted I got to come home. Home to my life and my family. Home to wait for more treatment, but home. I'm not cancer free like I'd hoped, but I'm here.
This hospital visit hit me extra hard. On Thursday my son was suppose to be home for the first time since my surgery but I had to reschedule. It broke my heart to have to reschedule on my son. My baby sister picked him up Friday and brought him to visit me in the hospital. There was terrible traffic so they actually only made it as far as my house on Friday. Saturday morning brought a bundle of sunshine into my room when Hallie and my nephews, Shelby, and Wylee made it up to the room for a visit. My oncologist came while they were there and Wylee talked to him about his job and that he "killed cancer" as his job.
Tuesday Wylee came home and it is almost time to start school. I go back on partial days tomorrow and he starts Wednesday.