So, how was your weekend?
May. 28th, 2007 10:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gridloreMine was... eventful. Thanks to everyone for their messages of support for me and Kiri. This one was scary. So, let's set the wayback machine to...
Thursday
Our day started with a phone call from Kaiser, telling me that my test results were "troubling" and "out of normal ranges" and suggesting I come in immediately. The doctor on the phone didn't give me any specifics, nor did he say anything like "Yo, dumbass, you're dying.. get in here!" Also, one of the signs of Potassium deprivation is a pronounced decline in the ability to think clearly. So I worried more about Baycon and asked how I could put this off until Tuesday.
Yes, that was really, really, stupid. Even for me.
Anyway, Kiri leaves for work, I net for a bit, and head back to bed. Where I get another call, this one from my doctor. "We really need you to come into the ER." At that point I needed to piss, so promised I'd come in and hung up, telling Dr. C that I'd call him back in a few minutes. I then tried to stand up. And fell flat on my face. I was too weak to move, barely able to, after a minute or so, pull myself along the floor into the bathroom, where I wet myself. To say I was terrified was a gross understatement. I really felt I was dying there.
Managed to pull myself up onto the john, got my clothes off, cleaned up a bit, and after a few tries, walked (unsteadily) back into the bedroom. I called Kiri to tell her to come get, and tried to call my doctor back. His number goes to a call center, which can't do anything without an ID number, which is on my card in my wallet. Which I can't open. The snaps were too tight for me. Needless to say, I ended up screaming at the call center rep who, given my name, my doctor's full name, and even his office address, couldn't make a simple connection. I managed to pull together some hospital essentials together; I was packed for the con and my suitcase was next to me and open, so I got some underwear, my slippers, etc. I also managed to pull clothes on. Kiri got home, helped me down to the car, and took me to Kaiser.
Once there, I fell into the hands of some of the best people I've encountered so far at that mess of a hospital. The intake nurse was a joy; he had to lift me out of the car into a wheelchair, and never once let me feel like anything other than another man, albeit one suffering a problem. The ER folks got me started on "K" and let me know I was going to be admitted. That's when I shooed Kiri back to work. After a brief stop on the 4th floor, the decision was made to move me to seven and the Cardiac Monitoring Unit. With my dangerously low levels, and the rate they were planning on pumping it into me, watching my heart constantly was vital. I settled in for the usual hospital routine: boredom.
Friday
Friday I learned a bit more. My thyroid is underachieving, I wasn't making to con that day, and my new hobby was pissing. Potassium is very caustic, and needs to be diluted when infused. Consider the amount of K I needed, that meant a huge amount of saline solution and lidocaine (to lessen the burning feeling.) Add to that I was thirsty as hell (another side effect) I was produces Herculean amounts of urine. This got to be a great source of amusement because I was on a 24 hour urine sample. All of my precious bodily fluids had to be measured and stored on ice for 24 hours.
Normally, the output of a relatively healthy adult male of my age would fill one of the containers they were using. I filled four. I got a good laugh at the face of the lab monkey who came to collect the sample. "You did all this?" "Not much else to do around here but sleep and piss, man!" Of course, it was also amateur phlebotomy week at Kaiser. With two IV's in my right arm, they needed to take blood from my left.. which is now a mass of bruises caused by people not listening to me when I tel them what areas still have usable veins. The biggest bruise is on my wrist. Yes, a blood draw from my wrist. And yes, it fucking hurt.
But the good news was I was responding to the treatment. My numbers were coming up from a low of 1.7 to 2.7 by around dinner. My doctor told me that if the improvement continued through the night, I could leave for the con on Saturday morning. I also met with a physical therapist and took a walk, which included doing fifteen stairs (I couldn't remember the exact number here at the Manor, so I guessed high.) No pain, no exhaustion. I practically danced the last three. My body was answer its phone calls again!
But now I must share with you the true horror of my experience. The CMU is a no-caffeine zone. No Cokes! For over 36 hours! Aiiieee!!!!
At 1900 I had a little ice-water toast to the start of a panel I had been trying to get on the schedule for five years, Sports in SF. Le sigh.
Saturday
All morning, my mind was fixed on two numbers: 1300, the time of my first panel of the day (The Ultimate Conspiracy Theory) and 4.0, the Potassium level that was set as my target for release. About 0830, I got the good news. I was being sprung. I was given a long list of things to watch for that would demand an immediate trip to the nearest ER, and ordered to come in Tuesday for follow-up labs. Dr. Jin made sure that I would have an adequate support structure at the con, and that I had access to a wheelchair. While waiting for Kirsten, I watched The Harder They Fall on TCM. Bogart's last, and possibly best film role.
Kirsten showed up, and we took off for the con. Kiri being a Goddess, had brought me a 2-liter of Coke. Guzzle. Blessed caffeine
This is getting very long, so I'll end the story here and tell you all about Baycon tomorrow.
Thursday
Our day started with a phone call from Kaiser, telling me that my test results were "troubling" and "out of normal ranges" and suggesting I come in immediately. The doctor on the phone didn't give me any specifics, nor did he say anything like "Yo, dumbass, you're dying.. get in here!" Also, one of the signs of Potassium deprivation is a pronounced decline in the ability to think clearly. So I worried more about Baycon and asked how I could put this off until Tuesday.
Yes, that was really, really, stupid. Even for me.
Anyway, Kiri leaves for work, I net for a bit, and head back to bed. Where I get another call, this one from my doctor. "We really need you to come into the ER." At that point I needed to piss, so promised I'd come in and hung up, telling Dr. C that I'd call him back in a few minutes. I then tried to stand up. And fell flat on my face. I was too weak to move, barely able to, after a minute or so, pull myself along the floor into the bathroom, where I wet myself. To say I was terrified was a gross understatement. I really felt I was dying there.
Managed to pull myself up onto the john, got my clothes off, cleaned up a bit, and after a few tries, walked (unsteadily) back into the bedroom. I called Kiri to tell her to come get, and tried to call my doctor back. His number goes to a call center, which can't do anything without an ID number, which is on my card in my wallet. Which I can't open. The snaps were too tight for me. Needless to say, I ended up screaming at the call center rep who, given my name, my doctor's full name, and even his office address, couldn't make a simple connection. I managed to pull together some hospital essentials together; I was packed for the con and my suitcase was next to me and open, so I got some underwear, my slippers, etc. I also managed to pull clothes on. Kiri got home, helped me down to the car, and took me to Kaiser.
Once there, I fell into the hands of some of the best people I've encountered so far at that mess of a hospital. The intake nurse was a joy; he had to lift me out of the car into a wheelchair, and never once let me feel like anything other than another man, albeit one suffering a problem. The ER folks got me started on "K" and let me know I was going to be admitted. That's when I shooed Kiri back to work. After a brief stop on the 4th floor, the decision was made to move me to seven and the Cardiac Monitoring Unit. With my dangerously low levels, and the rate they were planning on pumping it into me, watching my heart constantly was vital. I settled in for the usual hospital routine: boredom.
Friday
Friday I learned a bit more. My thyroid is underachieving, I wasn't making to con that day, and my new hobby was pissing. Potassium is very caustic, and needs to be diluted when infused. Consider the amount of K I needed, that meant a huge amount of saline solution and lidocaine (to lessen the burning feeling.) Add to that I was thirsty as hell (another side effect) I was produces Herculean amounts of urine. This got to be a great source of amusement because I was on a 24 hour urine sample. All of my precious bodily fluids had to be measured and stored on ice for 24 hours.
Normally, the output of a relatively healthy adult male of my age would fill one of the containers they were using. I filled four. I got a good laugh at the face of the lab monkey who came to collect the sample. "You did all this?" "Not much else to do around here but sleep and piss, man!" Of course, it was also amateur phlebotomy week at Kaiser. With two IV's in my right arm, they needed to take blood from my left.. which is now a mass of bruises caused by people not listening to me when I tel them what areas still have usable veins. The biggest bruise is on my wrist. Yes, a blood draw from my wrist. And yes, it fucking hurt.
But the good news was I was responding to the treatment. My numbers were coming up from a low of 1.7 to 2.7 by around dinner. My doctor told me that if the improvement continued through the night, I could leave for the con on Saturday morning. I also met with a physical therapist and took a walk, which included doing fifteen stairs (I couldn't remember the exact number here at the Manor, so I guessed high.) No pain, no exhaustion. I practically danced the last three. My body was answer its phone calls again!
But now I must share with you the true horror of my experience. The CMU is a no-caffeine zone. No Cokes! For over 36 hours! Aiiieee!!!!
At 1900 I had a little ice-water toast to the start of a panel I had been trying to get on the schedule for five years, Sports in SF. Le sigh.
Saturday
All morning, my mind was fixed on two numbers: 1300, the time of my first panel of the day (The Ultimate Conspiracy Theory) and 4.0, the Potassium level that was set as my target for release. About 0830, I got the good news. I was being sprung. I was given a long list of things to watch for that would demand an immediate trip to the nearest ER, and ordered to come in Tuesday for follow-up labs. Dr. Jin made sure that I would have an adequate support structure at the con, and that I had access to a wheelchair. While waiting for Kirsten, I watched The Harder They Fall on TCM. Bogart's last, and possibly best film role.
Kirsten showed up, and we took off for the con. Kiri being a Goddess, had brought me a 2-liter of Coke. Guzzle. Blessed caffeine
This is getting very long, so I'll end the story here and tell you all about Baycon tomorrow.
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no subject
Date: 29 May 2007 06:26 (UTC)no subject
Date: 29 May 2007 07:27 (UTC)I was just thinking, "Jeez, I wonder how Doug is doing?", so I checked my friends list -- and here's your post. Thanks for the sit-rep.
Your venipuncture problems remind me a lot of my intestinal horror incident (http://grimmwire.livejournal.com/20918.html) of last autumn, when they drilled a lot of unsuccessful exploratory wells in my arm, pointlessly hoping to hit a vein of red stuff. Like you, I ended up with a shunt in my wrist.
Very glad you made it to the con -- not to mention living to see it.
Have a banana, dude.
no subject
Date: 29 May 2007 17:05 (UTC)no subject
Date: 30 May 2007 00:35 (UTC)Me hear Penguins. Marching north. Many moons away.
Also: eastbound Metro train on Green Line with squeeky number-three bogey.
(Will Montreal win? Depends on whether Japanese SF fans would rather visit Kansas City or Montreal. Pretty easy to predict, I'd say :)
no subject
Date: 29 May 2007 07:32 (UTC)no subject
Date: 29 May 2007 08:13 (UTC)Drop me an email with your mailing address, I've got a button I've been meaning to send you.
no subject
Date: 29 May 2007 13:16 (UTC)Ok, now wire this into your brain.
Date: 29 May 2007 13:39 (UTC)Guess when I learned that one?
(Hint: This is Robin)
Re: Ok, now wire this into your brain.
Date: 29 May 2007 15:07 (UTC)What she said only with a little more emphasis on the fact that a doctor only says to do something immediately (if it will otherwise impact their schedule) when it's life/death.
Now, get ye to that appointment Douglas.
no subject
Date: 29 May 2007 14:04 (UTC)cu
no subject
Date: 29 May 2007 15:19 (UTC)no subject
Date: 29 May 2007 22:05 (UTC)no subject
Date: 30 May 2007 00:00 (UTC)no subject
Date: 30 May 2007 01:50 (UTC)no subject
Date: 31 May 2007 22:50 (UTC)