Tuesday, November 30, 2010

I'm Home

Sorry this post has taken soooo long.  I've been out of the hospital for over a week.  I was just tooo distracted by Thanksgiving!!!

My favorite Holiday

Of course it only has to do with the fact that my mom makes delicious food and I eat like a pig.  It's my least favorite holiday because we are celebrating the massacre of a Native people who were just minding their own business when ships full of "other people" decided to claim a land, that was already occupied!, for themselves.  I kinda turn angry hippie around the holidays yet I still participate.  I don't think that makes me hypocritical.  It just makes me a sucker for good food and gifts.

Anywayz, I have been feeling pretty good at home. After my short stint back on the ward I got a lot of energy back and a lot of drugs too.  The energy part is awesome because it doesn't take me 30 minutes to get up and down the stairs anymore.  The drug part makes the stairs just as difficult as before because I'm in constant concern that I'm just going to fall asleep and tumble down them.  The pain med they gave me is this precious little pill called Methadone.  It works amazingly.  It totally alleviated my pain by distracting with the fact I had no idea what was going on around me.  The first time I took it, I was still in the hospital getting ready to leave.  I was looking out my window dreamily and spotted this large area full of parked cars.  My first thought was "When did a car dealership get in front of the hospital?"  It's called a parking garage!  From there, it only got fuzzier. 

Every couple of hours I was just passing out for no reason.  I fell asleep on the toilet, the kitchen table, my laptop.  I almost fell asleep in my closet one day but I could feel myself falling forward.  That little pill is heavy duty.  I guess that's why its such a good pain pill cause the last thing I'm even thinking about is my pain.  I've cut my dosage in half which helps a little but I can still feel myself slipping out-of-it. 
Oh, it also gives me the craziest dreams known to man!  They're actually really fun to recount.  None of them make any sense in the least bit: I fought a 6 foot 300 lb man, people were doing things they wouldn't ever ever do in real life, and I was on a beach on a ship in the middle of no where hanging out with J.K. Simmons.  They were all very vivid and real.  Drugs are bad...lol

Until Next Time, BMT Babe is out**

Thursday, November 18, 2010

I'm back

Soooo I'm back in the hospital.  Yeah, it blows!  But I'm only going to be here for a few days.  I had to be admitted since my pain got out of control.  They wanted me to be here to get some kind of hold on my pain and try to cure it.  Soooo, I don't really want to tell the world where my pain is.  I'm pretty sure you can interpret something from that statement...

Anyway, I'm back here and it is soooo much easier than at home but of course I would still like to be at home.  The difference is that here, I have stayed in bed all day because I can't leave the room and every things done for me.  This helps me get better quicker since I'm not pushing myself to do "stuff."  Another difference with home is I don't have an IV supply of diluted there (hmmm diluted).  But the one thing that will never change about the hospital, and makes home a winner every time, is the constant pestering.  Now don't get me wrong, I love nurses but when they are bad they are awful.  The ones I had on this visit have been pretty terrible. 
Kristin- She admitted me and is such a sweetheart. She gets a Gold Star!
Shannon- Very nice but almost more talkative than me! It is possible. But also a sweetheart. Gold Star!
Now, these people don't get any kind of metal stars.
Danelle- Wow she's stupid. I know it seems harsh but it is soooo true.  She's like a cute kinda Jessica Simpson stupid but as a nurse that's not too cute anymore.  My stomach was killing me so I asked for a hot pack around 10:45.  I ended up falling asleep for awhile, waiting for the hot pack that took 15 minutes to even get to me.  When I woke up, there was an already activated hot pack on my table so when I picked it up, it was cold.  There are other stories of her stupidity but I think that's the funniest.
I don't even remember her name. That's how much I dislike her- When she first started, she flushed a med really really fast.  Flushing things like that really hurts me and usually ends up choking me a little.  I told her that was too just for future knowledge. All other nurses have apologized and checked how fast is too fast for the future.  Not bug-faced-trick-bag, she didn't even acknowledge that I spoke to her! So I repeated myself with the addition of "I wasn't sure if you heard me since you didn't respond at all" and a smile.  Then there were other little things that built all through the night.  Well, when she actually came to check on her freakin patient.  I could have died and it would've taken her 2 hours to even realize it.  I did have an allergic reaction that she could care less about.  My lips started to get swollen so I let her know.  Get it, she's my nurse and its an issue with my health, I had to deal with her.  She seemed to forget that that's how it works. 
Anyway, my favorite thing in the night was when I called her in and told her my lips were still swelling (I had told her before) and she asked, "Oh, can you feel it like tingling" so I responded, "No, I can look at them" so she said, "Really? cause they look exactly the same."  I could have punched her.  Instead I used my words of fury.  "They do not look the same!  I know my lips.  They have always been full because I am black and maybe that's what you're confusing it with but I can tell a difference."  Then I slapped her and told her to find me a real doctor to talk to.  Okay, the last part didn't really happen but I was pissed.  I called my mommy like any mature person would do. 

I made it through the night and into today even inspite of the crappy nurses never giving me my pills at a constant, accurate time.  Whatever, they were on top of the really important things.  I just want this infection to go away so I can go home and not deal with any more nurses for awhile.

Until Next Time, BMT Babe is out**

Friday, November 12, 2010

It's been a week!

Soooooo the reason I haven't written in forever is because I've been at home!!!!!!!

I left the hospital on Day +25 and today is Day +35 or 36...I've kinda lost track.  Since I'm not blogging everyday (why, I will explain later) or getting my counts every morning I don't really keep up with how long I've been doing this stupid thing.

This stupid thing that has sucked ALL the life/energy out of me.  It seems ironic that all the chemo and other crap that they put in my body was to save my life when now I feel like I'm dying every time I wake up!  I'm sooooo tired all the time!  Super common and to be expected this soon after.  Even knowing this, I'm still PISSED.  It really blows (yes, blows lol) to get winded from walking upstairs or showering.  I can't do Anything I use to be able to.  I can't even help around the house with regular things.  It makes me so mad that I can't help my mom.  She's a single mother that works full time then comes home to a useless 82 year old man and a worthless 19 year old Cancer survivor.  So then she works full time at home too.  She knows that I would help if I didn't get tired from being tired.  It's just a sensitive area that makes me more annoyed then probably anyone else.
Anyway, that's all another matter.  I'm trying my hardest to get through this time of exhaustion, itching, and pain.  Oh yeah, being at home is not a bundle of roses.  It's awesome! don't mistake but the fact that only 30 days ago my body was completely wiped with all of these toxic chemicals and is now being put back together again from the inside out does make things a little hard.  I just have to deal with the fact that my skin is sensitive to freakin water pressure, my entire body itches CONSTANTLY, and that I have to be at least 33 different shades of brown (this one isn't that big-a-deal). 

Trying to stay strong but it is very hard.  When in doubt though I think about not wasting this wonderful bone marrow that I was lucky enough to receive.  OH, about my bone marrow!  I am 100% donor and it's engrafted 60% which is again amazing because usually by day 30 it's only about 30%.  I am sooooo grateful that my bone marrow transplant has gone so wonderfully.  I am sending all of my good energy and fortunate vibes to the 7th floor at The Children's Hospital.

Until Next Time, BMT Babe is out**

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Halloween

ANC 2886!!!!
WBC 3.9
RBC 3.34
Hemoglobin 10.2
Plt Ct 17
ABS # 0.4

Such a fun day!  So since I wasn't allowed to  leave my room or anything to actually show off a costume I did a really easy costume I could sit around my room in.  Drumroll please....I was 3 things in 1-A bum, a stoner, and a CC student lol.  They all look the same!

While I was "dressed up" I played video games in my room and ate everything.  Especially Candy.  I will not look at another snickers for awhile.

After that, I watched "Hocus Pocus" and felt soooooo old!  That movie came out when I was 2 and I remember watching it and loving it growing up.  Do you know what I realized while watching the movie.  The little boy that played the cat Binx is now McGee on "NCIS!"  How weird is that to recognize someone almost 20 years in the future.  It was also surreal that I could say 15 years ago and remember it!  I sooooo appreciate how much life I have gotten to enjoy.  It's beautiful to appreciate how many years you have been around.  Getting old is weird but pretty awesome!

Until Next Time, BMT Babe is out**