April 19/2017 

Well my friends you can not make this stuff up !! I have had a wild 36 hours. 

It started about Friday last week I was feeling pretty sick, then Saturday I finally had a better day I thought I had turned a corner, only to get worse Easter Sunday.  I did go to our Easter dinner but I sat with a heated blanket and never moved from my seat. I took some Tylenol 4. I am sure that is the only way I got through the day. But I was the first to leave which left my family in shock knowing I was sick now too. As much as I try to hide it, so no one worries. I could not hide it any more. I was so weak Jamie had to help me walk. It was really scaring me for round 4 of chemo. 

I new I needed to see a dr but I had a appointment with my family dr Tuesday and I was so sick of emergencies and new doctors going through all the steps again and again. I slept pretty much all Monday away and finally Tuesday morning we got up early and off to our family dr. As soon as he saw me, he told us I needed to be admitted to the hospital which instantny brought on tears. The last place I wanted to go. But my dr wrote up all my history and what he thought it was and even what tests I needed a CT and x-rays, full blood work up etc etc he told us to go to U of A they are the best he said. I also have a letter from the cross as a chemo patient I should get some priority!!!

We got to the UofA at 11:00 am and waited until 2 to be seen so much for getting me in quick. But it gets much worse. I was taken to a room with a bed told to put the gown on and they would be back to do tests. To my surprise I had a CT and X-Ray within  1/2 and hour. But once they move you from the bed you now get a recliner that only has a foot lift. But better than the hard chairs  poor Jamie had to sit on he was seizing up all over. There we sat with dr after dr seeing me only to pass the buck to the next dr. They all agreed I needed to be in hospital. But just not  under whose care. We waited there untill midnight. Finally  a gastro doctor told us they were admitting me and I would have a bed within an hour. I told Jamie to go home we were both so tired of sitting and I was finally getting a room. I would see him in the morning. I have been in the blue recliner for 10 hours my ass was numb I was tired and sick. 

Jamie went home and no bed, I finally cornered the dr who told us I was getting a room and he said they made a mistake and the GI dept would not be taking me on. It is now 2/30, I was crying I told him I am sick and tired and I need to lay down. He said someone would see me soon at 4 am another doctor saw me the third now he did a whole assessment using the same questionare sheet as the last two doctors. At the end he said I am not talking you on there is just to much going on cancer, chemo, and now diverticulitis. Could he not have read that, off my other 3 charts, now I am really crying and mad I stomp off back to my blue chair, now it is 4:30 am I have been in this chair with a foot rest for 14 hours. A nurse comes by about then that has seen me crying off and on all night and moving from side to side trying to get somewhat comfortable, and tells me this is a special recliner the button is on the back of the chair not on the side where the foot arm is. It does lay back. I stay there until 6 am crying most of the time out of frustration. 

Finally a dr comes to tell me I get a bed, kind off, a gurney in a different part of emergency. I’ll take it I say, 6:30 am I get my bed I can stretch out. My whole body is hurting now. BUT happiness is short lived. The elderly man in the bed next to me is shackled to the bed and is screeming for someone to untie him and let him sit up he says he is having back spasams. It was so sad and so frustrating at the same time. He stays beside me yelling until 8:30 finally they move himto an ICU room where they can shut the door. I don’t know what happened to him through the day. But I was saddened by the treatment of him. He just wanted to sit up. I am sure there was more to the story but that is what I saw.

I send out texts to my family at 6:30 telling them all of my night. By 9 am Cathy was there guns a blazing. I had just requested to see the dr on call I wanted some answers. I was arguing with him when Cathy came in. The poor guy had it come from all sides then these two sisters were very upset.  I told him I was checking myself out if I didn’t get a room and a doctor now. The next thing magically a doctor takes my case. She came to my little cubical and pulled a chair up and took my had and could not apologize enough about the terriable night I had just had.  She is the head of gastro, which was the first doctor to see me not her but someone from her team. She promised me things will get better and said I needed to be in hospital, my bowls were infected and very inflamed. ” No Shit” I have been trying to get someone to listen to me since before my third round of chemo when Dr Dick blew me off. She told me that this diverticulitis has most likely been the problem , and that Dr Dick who she knows should have caught it. She is sending him some info on me. I cant wait until I see him next week. He is going to get a earful,  Imodium is not a cure for diverticulitis. 

So tonight I am in a private room because diarrhea can be contagious, if it is one called.       c-diff which they are checking me for. But I am ok with the private room. I have had high doses of antibiotics and pain meds and I am already feeling better. But I am sure I will be here for a couple of days hopefully I will have this under control before I go home. 

Just keeping it real. But I had a nightmare 36 hours. Things have to start turning around       ” Right!!!!!!” 

Tonight saying : Everytime I think I have my ducks in a row, I turn around and one of those suckers has waddled off.   Hopefully my ducks are lining up 

Beth 😇