Drat, have one mean infection around the feeding tube.. skin all bright red and hurts like the Dickens... yesterday called the surgeon who said go to the gastro specialist who then said go to the surgeon. Finally I put my foot down and got angry and said , " I have a bad infection, someone has got to see me and now!". The gastro guy agreed to see me. What a cranky son of a bitch he was. Barking orders to his staff ,barking orders at me, mad that no visiting nurse has been here since early in November. Hey, that's not my fault, yell at Medicare, not me! After being on penicillin for 20 days this doc put me on Keflex and enough for two weeks so hope that will do the trick.. otherwise he says I have to go see an infectious disease specialist to find an antibiotic that will work.
My caregiver is a very sweet girl but she never once said to me, " I think you have an infection" and she looks at that site every day when she changes the bandage. I looked at it on Sunday with a mirror after my shower cus it hurt so much and gees, bright red skin in a big circle all around the feeding tube and very obviously infected. So Monday morning by 8 a.m. I had already made contact with the surgeon, but didn't see the specialist until about 3 that afternoon. Today is my first full day on the antibiotics. Oh, the doctor said I needed a visiting nurse to be here, well , so had his partner said that to me in November and no nurse ever showed up. So today I called the nurse agency myself and asked if they had a work order for me from the doctor. Well, not yet, but they will call the doctor and get the ball rolling since I have this nasty infection and really do need a nurse to check it out every day until it is gone.
Dragged along Grisham's collection of short stories to the doctor office with me in case I had to wait and I did so started the book. Think I am going to like it a lot.
Karen got it for me as one of my Christmas gifts.
Was 71 here today and they call this winter? Last winter was chilly and damp but this is like summer and I am loving it. Perfect climate.
This is coming to you by way of the new keyboard son Lee got me. It's very touchy, barely touch a key and up pops the letter in my writing. Will take a little getting used to.
Okay, this is supposed to be the quick compose feature on Typepad which means you just write a little bit and I am sure I have gone over the limit. Sort of like Twitter but without a character count....
Until next time...
Good lord, it's like one step forward and three steps back...you must be feeling frustrated. But it's good to get mad and then let it go. I tell everyone that you have to be your own advocate all the time. Not fair but a reality of our lives. The more you know, the better off you are. And it makes it easier to kick butt when you know what you're talking about (also helps to not ever back down to bullies).
Chin up honey and be grateful you don't live in Iowa!
Love to you.
Posted by: Tracey Schaaf | January 07, 2010 at 10:24 AM