I was SUPPOSED to go up to San Francisco to meet one of my internet sheroes, the lovely Jennifer from Textile Fetish. Instead I had to call her and cancel because I seem to have developed an infection in one of my appendectomy incisions, even though it’s already healed. The advice nurse said I MUST be seen, TODAY. So, I’m off to the emergency room, where I bet anyone fifty bux that I will have to wait until tomorrow to be seen. I’m not being sarcastic, either. I’ve waited there for over twelve hours before, and once saw a man who came in with his severed finger in a fast food cup of ice wait at least four hours to be seen. He kept the cup in the windowsill, where the finger stewed in the melted ice water.
Every time I looked in his direction, I gagged a little.
Anyway, I’d much rather go hang out with Jennifer. Am feeling bummed and ill and crabby. Will be back with at least one entertaining story to share. If nothing else, I’ll finish reading Eat, Pray, Love.
Updated–
Well, now. I’m back, hours earlier than I expected, with antibiotics, advice to "take it easy," (uh, okay. sure.) and orders to put a hot compress on my incision site for a half hour every two hours. Like breastfeeding, but without the baby, the poop or the nursing bras. The doctor who saw me AFTER THEY PULLED ME FROM THE ER AND SNUCK ME INTO URGENT CARE (I am still feeling shock over this) said that one of my internal stitches probably decided to get all festery instead of just giving it up and dissolving like it should. So, get this: I am to put hot compresses on it until all the gunk drains out of it, even though it’s already healed over. Ewww. "You’ll probably see the thread come out!" she told me. And, weirdo that I am, the idea of that both sickens and fascinates me. I’m the one who will peel your sunburned skin off your back (but, seriously, don’t let that happen — use sunscreen!) and if I love you I will pop your zits. But, at the same time, if there is hair in my food I will throw up, and sometimes, just seeing a hair not attached to anything will set my gag reflexes off.
So, I’m not going to be able to deliver a story, unless you count the gossip I heard from the woman who worked at urgent care about what a bitch the emergency room manager is.
On my way out of the hospital, I got a good shot of a long, empty hallway with my cell phone camera. Now I need to figure out how I’m going to get the picture from the phone to my computer. That ought to keep me busy for a while.
This ER shit is out of control. Did you hear about the lady at King/Drew who writhed in pain for 45 minutes on the ER waiting room floor while someone mopped around her? And then she died.
Something is wrong with this system.
Something is wrong. What an awful story. I was encouraged to hear that the ER where I was tonight (the county hospital who treats everyone, regardless of their income or insurance status) is finally going to expand the ER a bit. It’s so small for the numbers of patients who go through there. Hopefully, that will help speed things up for people like it did for me tonight.
I was there for not quite three hours, which was amazingly fast compared to other visits. In fact, I waited longer with a confirmed appendicitis than I did with a possible infection from the surgery.
Health care and education are my biggest concerns in the upcoming election. While the rich folks in America might have the best health care and best educations of the world, what about the rest of us?
I don’t think you could ever use a restroom in my house. My dear hubby is so hairy and my cat and dog shed like mad, I think every surface in my house has at least one hair. Probably more like a thousand.
I will take you out to a nice restaurant if you are ever in town.
My house is a bit like Marsha’s, I fear. We have three rabbits who seem to be perpetually shedding. If I could spin the stuff into yarn for knitting I’d be almost self-sufficient!
I am in the middle of Eat, Love, Pray… I think I would like to run away for the year and copy her trip! Enjoy the book….
I once spent 15 hours in the ER. My doc called me at 4:30 on Fri afternoon saying I needed immediate IV drugs, based on a culture I left Mon, whose results arrived on Wed. At 2 am, they announced they weren’t taking anymore patients for several hours. It was amazing how many parents and significant others turned to their loved ones and said “You are NOT that sick. Suck it up till Monday.” 30 minutes later, they called a bunch of people to the back.
The whole stitch coming out thing happened to me when I had knee surgery about 6 years ago. It’s alot like an ingrown hair coming out–but with a larger diameter and ALOT more gunk. If you like popping zits and peeling sunburn (I do) you might think it’s cool. Also, the sensation of having a thread half in and half out of an incision is reeeeallly weird.
I’m glad to hear you are ok and they didn’t have to cut you open all over again.