MS Treatment – 03.21.09
After 2 hours of arguing with Dr.Crawford about increasing my pain meds, the discussion turned to Tuesday’s (tomorrow) appointment and that I was hoping to suggest giving my IV Solumedrol treatments again (they failed in January but that was a full 3 months ago and my body might have lost it’s tolerance by now) and he was all for it and asked ‘why wait? why not do them now?’ I was so excited I could’ve cried (if I wasn’t already bawling about trying to explain other things including my belief that I was being refused the right to a quality of life)… As if that news didn’t do enough to lift my spirits, he then agreed to increase my Dilaudid injection, just for the afternoon, so that I could get to the ski hill with Emeraude – WOW! Imagine a doctor that is not only humble enough to hear his patients but even reconsider his position on things when given more information… Who would’ve imagined I would come across such a person!
That was wonderful, unfortunately, by the time he decided this it was now 14h15 and although he gave the ok for me to recieve the injection immediately, the nurse on duty was not in any hurry (I could here her having a laugh about someone bringing Jos Louis in their lunch) and didn’t manage to give me the injection until a full 30 minutes later (I was also the only person in the emergency and as I said, she was not busy helping on the floor either); by then Dr.Crawford had gone of course and so I could not ask about whether I needed to choose one single day for skiing (obviously if this was the case I would now choose Sunday as there would only be an hour – at best – left once we made it to the hill and I got my rentals)… That also turned out though, I did race home, get dressed, Lloyd had Emeraude pretty much ready, had even had her take a nap, and was finishing getting her dressed and getting our things loaded up in the van, we had a great time and later, when I went to the hospital to begin my 1st dose of steroid treatments, I saw Dr.Crawford in the hall and asked if he could put an order for the increased Dilaudid Sunday at lunch as well so that I could enjoy a full afternoon with both the kids and he had no problem with doing so! WOW again! (I can’t think of what else to say about it!!)
IV SOLUMEDROL, Day 1, 03.21.09 – Saturday night
Emeraude & I went to the hospital at 18h for me to recieve an injection of dilaudid as I was in rather bad shape after some great fun at Kiwissa Ski Hill and also scheduled to start my treatment at that time. The hospital was packed with a very unfortunate situation having come in however The locum nurse managed somehow to get me in only about 30 minutes later (very impressive with everything that was going on) at least for my pain meds. I guess there had been a message left about me waiting until the next shift before coming in for my treatment but I had not checked my voice mail and things seemed to be getting a little less hectic so she suggested that I just stick around and would be able to get my IV shunt and start my treatment soon. I realized at this point that I had forgotten the battery for my camera but Linda (rendez vous) was there visiting someone and was nice enough to drive our van so that I could bring Emeraude and get it.
- IV tray
The nurse on the emerg floor at shift change didn’t seem terribly interested and so I asked if we
could just put the IV shunt in my anitcubital (inside of elbow) not wanting to add to the night by offering my arm full of less than ideal veins and have Emeraude bum out about seeing me uncomfortable (obviously I would’ve tried my best not to show it but there is only so much fishing up my arm with a IV needle I can take). It seemed to be the right call as even with this choice which made the IV easy to succeed on the first attempt, there was no gauze put under the butterfly (she didn’t even bother to put tape under and accross as they always do) which meant that overnight the plastic dug in my arm and this morning I had an ugly cut/soar looking thing from that and more on either side + bruising. She got frustrated at me trying to clean the dried blood from around it as well (most of the nurses are quite particular about wanting them to look neat and I’ve never noticed that she didn’t before – having it there for the 5 days it needed to hold out it would’ve been smelling and looking really gross by even day 2 with blood left around – gross.
ANYWAYS, the rest of the night was uneventful, Emeraude was wonderful company. We got out of there super late and had to cancel our ‘party night’ putting it off until Sunday – Emeraude looked at the bright side of this agreeing that it would be even more special with Lloyd included which he would not have been Saturday as he was out watching Twilight at the High School with Tessa & some friends.
Emeraude was wonderfuly patient, playing with her letter book a bit (the marker had dried out and we would need to add a new one from home) and then occupying herself mostly with the band that had been put around my arm as ‘school of rock’ played on tv (she had hoped we could watch America’s Best Dance Crew – as had I when she suggested it – but it was not on) interesting her only midly until the very end, while the credits were playing, when the kids sang and jammed which of course she danced to and joined in.
The nurse had talked to her briefly when we first arrived, although this nurse is very sweet at heart she does have a habit of asking questions that she never bothers to listen to the answers to, even with adults, but to a 3 year old who puts a lot of thought into answers, this can be quite insulting and Emeraude had been hurt as she walked out of the room giving a ‘oh yeah’ that didn’t even make sense following up her comment, I was put off by this as my kids are very polite to the hospital staff and therefore deserve at least the same respect, next time this happens (it is bound to as it does pretty much every time we see her, I will say something as politely as I can).
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- IV tray
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- This photo is not upside down, she was looking under the end of the bed as she put the strap they tie around your arm through openings on the bed.
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- of course my girl has her hand in there too lol
