Saturday, February 4

Almost Home

Wow it seems like forever since I felt good enough to post here.  I am improving but it is a slow process.  Let me elaborate.


December 19/20  I was really sick all of December but on the 19th it was so bad I couldn't breath so the EMT's came and took me to the hospital.  Once there I struggled to breath and at one point my Blood Pressure dropped to 25/9 and my blood oxy was 17.  I got my very first helicopter ride when they did an emergency airlift to the hospital in St Paul.  I was stuffed in a little cocoon and away we went.  I couldn't see anything outside and I probably wouldn't have seen much anyway cause it was 2AM.  I was there in the hospital in St Paul for 10 days or so and missed Christmas and New Years.  Then I was transferred to a TCU (Transitional Care Unit/Nursing Home) for strength and endurance help to regain what I lost being sick.


Part 2 started in the TCU.  I got a nasty infection called Cellulitis.  My legs swelled up so huge they felt like they were going to split.  Back to the Hospital again for IV antibiotics.  I was there another week and they were able to get my leg swelling (Edema) under control and I lost 35 pounds of fluid weight in the process.  So back to TCU again.  


I have been here for a couple of weeks.  I do my PT and OT and walk and walk.  I am getting stronger and I feel much better.  My lungs have cleared however.....


Part 3.  I am now going back to Group 2 days to help me deal with the depression and anxiety that goes along with long term illness.  The other thing I will be doing 3 times a week is dialysis.  Boy that was a tough one.  I have known for a long time it was going to happen.  But it was just something that was going to happen sometime in the future and I never gave it a lot of thought.  I have to now.  So far I have to say that it isn't as bad as I thought it would be.  It is definitely no fun but I feared being sick afterward and the only thing that I notice is I am a little tired.


On the Bright Side.....I am having a Home Assessment on Tuesday and I may be going home within the next week.  My desire was to be home by Valentine's Day and it looks like I will be.  Please pray for me if you do that or think good wishes!!  


Thanks for spending a few minutes with me here and keep coming back as I will be updating how my treatments are going.