Surgery--Again

Steroids make you hungry. It's not enough that I didn't eat from Monday to Thursday? I'm running out of supplies and am eying a houseplant the way Wile E. Coyote eyes the road runner. . (I'll do some shopping tomorrow.)

Steroids also make it hard to sleep. I'm groggy but not sleepy. Two hours last night.

On the plus side, I'm breathing ok (by my standards) again.

Another plus to the whole miserable hospital experience. I got new booties. Free. Well, I took them. Stolen? I'm not sure. Hospital booties are designed to keep your feet warm on the inside and skid-free on the outside. I wear them a lot, from previous hospital stays.

when you said hospital booties, I briefly flashed to nurse butts...

glad you have an appetite.

don't eat the dieffenbachia...

(((B)))

What the hell am I gonna do with a supply of nurse butts in a small NYC apartment?

nothing legal or moral I suppose...

good to have ya back, B.

really...

Friends of mine were airline stewardesses back in the days when stewardesses was the word. Thus, as a pal, I usually had the odd pair of airline socks in my bureau sock drawer, possibly part of the wonderful christmas gifts a friend gave. Usually, of course, she had actually purchased the stuff. Long may I mourn my hawaiian cutting board, the one my bro in law broke hammering chocolate to show my niece how. I didn't catch him doing that in time.

Once when I was in Mexico with girlfriends, I was sorely tested about whether to steal a charming hotel terra cotta ash tray. This was resolved when a friend had an affair (yes, it lasted a while) with the tennis pro, and he told us the hotel bought those by the hundreds, expecting them to be taken by guests.

I know hospitals 'run on low money, honey', but I think those socks are very much yours now.

Wear them in improved health.

osso, I'm pretty sure the booties are like the ashtrays. For the taking. Bought in great bulk. I was sad to see that Bellevue no longer has its own booties. It's now using those of another hospital. How do I know? I was in the other hospital and have some of those booties.

Considering what hospital costs are these days, I've taken the steekin' booties, and I ain't paying for them.

When I get the bill for the surgery and the ER, I'll probably end up back in the hospital, this time with a cardiac problem. I'm gonna take those booties too.

I miss Medicaid.

Sounds like a great title for a digression thread!

Be my guest. I'm in too weakened a condition to be starting new threads. And you're the master at digression threads. I'm too specific.

Can't get the picture of tushies piled up in my apt. What's a goil to do?

I came back too late to edit. In a weakened condition, like I said.

Posted only part of a sentence.

Can't get the picture of tushies piled up in my apt out of my head. What's a goil to do?

Use them as sound proofing? Seating?

Seating seems more appropropriate, doncha think?

Here's a soft butt pillow for you.


If that's too soft, here's nature's version, a whole wall of 'em.

Re: booties

Look at it this way. You know how hospitals are. You don't seriously think they would have given your used booties to another patient after you left? Of course not. So you might as well take them. It was better than leaving them for the nurses to throw away.

Eva, I know how hospitals used to be. These days it wouldn't surprise me if they ripped the booties off my feet and stuck them on someone else's. Hey, nothing wrong with that. I took a bath before the surgery.

Oh no. Hospitals don't reuse much of anything. Practically everything is disposable.

You're right, Eva. Everything is disposable these days, including the patients.

Hey, how're you feeling?

Not terrible. Breathing better. Pain diminished. Still having a problem with swallowing, but I can eat. Dealing with some sores in my mouth. Not overwhelming. Vision focused (first time since the surgery). Got more than two hours of sleep.

Checklist completed. I'm eh, which for me is good.

Thanks for asking, jes. How's by you?

Part of ER nightmare: Went to the ER the day after surgery. Two complaints. (1) Couldn't swallow and was worried about dehydration. (2) Asthma was getting bad.

They addressed the swallowing issue, kinda. One of the ENT docs came to see me. Said there was no reason for the swallowing problem. Gave me an IV of steroids to lessen the swelling. ER doc gave me IV of liquids to address the dehydration.

The IV was disconnected when I went to the bathroom.

Two hours later I was wheeled into the discharge room. The IV had not been reconnected. The asthma was completely ignored. Fortunately, there was no one in the discharge room, including the people doing the discharging. I was wheeled back into the ER. I asked a random employee to reconnect my IV. Someone eventually came along and reconnected me.

After about five hours, I was having real trouble breathing. No one noticed--except me. I asked a random person for help. Somebody eventually brought me a nebulizer. I had already been given my discharge papers. I nebbed. I left.

Appalling.

they get paid well for that kind of performance.

damn system...

(((B)))

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ela-Z7HqqS8