Monday, August 6, 2018

My catheter tube disconnected tonight.

Hey, boys and girls, it’s me again … and what a day it’s been! For your possible interest I’ll list (and chronicle) the three visits I had today from various hospice medical personnel.

BATH-TIME WITH LETITIA. Letitia showed up at noon for a pleasant bath (mine, of course) and alpha-hydroxy cream therapy for my feet and legs. She’ll be back on Wednesday and Friday for more.

MY WEEKLY CHECK-UP WITH STELLA. Not too long after Letitia left this afternoon, Stella showed up to check my vitals (blood pressure 100/66, heart rate 56) and ask how I was feeling with my urinary tract infection. I asked her for a refill of my Furosemide (Lasix) prescription and requested more of the same (or a completely different) antibiotic because I’m still battling that damn UTI. I had two more “bladder burn” episodes earlier today, and they’re extremely uncomfortable.

A SCARY AND UNEXPECTED CATHETER HOO-HAH. MY CATHETER TUBE DISCONNECTED TONIGHT when I moved from my computer workstation bench back to the chaise lounge around 8 p.m. This was not a pleasant experience, believe me! Sam called the hospice emergency number, and they sent Isabella (an R.N.) to try and fix the problem, which involved screwing a plastic whatnot into the end of the tube and then shoving the tube farther into my bladder. (Not painful at all despite how repulsive it sounds.) Even Sam had to help at one point! While we waited for Isabella to show up I began to leak pish all over myself and eventually needed a second sponge bath and a fresh nightie. (I’m deeply sorry if that’s too much information.)



I’m freezing right now, and I really wouldn’t be surprised if I’ve got a low-grade fever going on. Stella took my temperature this morning when she checked my vital signs, and it was 98.5° … that’s at least two degrees too high for me. And I still have that UTI, remember? A low-grade fever could be part of it. Oy.

On top of a low-grade fever and a urinary tract infection, I’m also battling shitty burning skin on the back of both thighs, a couple of emerging pressure sores AND lumpy itchy things — possible mystery mosquito bites? — on the front of my left knee and shin! To cheer myself up tonight I think I’ll watch a damn good horror movie from the early 1930s, maybe The Secret of the Blue Room (1933) starring Lionel Atwill, Gloria Stewart, Paul Lukas and Edward Arnold.

Original movie poster for “The Secret of the Blue Room.”



It’s already 11:30 p.m., and definitely time for bed … although I think Sam beat me to it! I can hear him snoring in another room but I don’t know for sure where he is. The study? The master bedroom? Regardless, I’ll have to wake him up to turn on my oxygen generator, and I need a can of Read’s Three Bean Salad, couple of bedtime Popsicles and a Luigi’s Italian Ice! (I can’t go to bed without Popsicles. Not ever.)

Thank you for reading this, and I sincerely hope you’ll cast a brief passing thought to the Alamo next time you’re in San Antonio.

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