Back to the hospital...and home again

@daeckardt (6237)
United States
February 16, 2012 9:56am CST
This has been one heck of a week for me. Last Tuesday, I was in the hospital getting chemo bye desensitization to make sure I wouldn't have a reaction to it. It had snowed that day while I was there so they didn't want me to drive home even if I had finished before midnight. I thought things were going to be ok for me, but by Saturday, I started to get a fever. I kept an eye on it all day and called in a few times. The doctor I talked to said just to take tylenol or ibuprofen and if it went over 102 to come in to the ER overnight. It did reach that point about 2am, but since I had the DAT phone and no one to take me I just took more ibuprofen and went back to bed. By 6 I had no fever so I thought I wouldn't have to go in. I didn't get up for the day until later and by that time, the fever was back to almost 101 again. I called in again and they told me to get in as soon as I could. I called the person in charge of the DAT phone (diaster action team--I'm with disaster services with the Red Cross and had the phone to dispatch calls for the weekend) to have someone pick up the phone. I got a call a few minutes later that someone would be coming to get the phone and the same person took me to the hospital. I was in the ER for about three hours and the Gyn/Onc Physician that was on-call for the weekend came down and told me they were going to admit me and put me on IV antibiotics. It turns out that I had both a UTI and a kidney infection. I was in from Sunday until Yesterday. I thought I would be at least one more day because when the doctor came through in the morning she had told me that they were waiting on one more lab result that should come in an hour, but I never heard about that one. About 2pm, I got a call from the doctor's office setting up a 3-week followup appointment following discharge and I asked her if it wouldn't be better for me to be discharged before setting up such an appointment. My nurse came in a few minutes later and asked if I was leaving her and I told her about the phone call and told her I hadn't heard anything so she said she would call and ask about it. A while later, the doctor finally showed up and told me yes I was going home and cleared up that confusion. He said he likes to get people out as soon as possible so that they are not exposed to hospital caused infections. I sure don't want anything to do with those since I lost two family members to them in the past. I just wish they would have given me a little more warning. They arranged a ride for me and only had a short time to get dressed and get everything done. Why can't doctors be more communicative more of the time??? I have been home overnight now and seem to be doing ok. I will be on antibiotics for two weeks and that means my next chemo is delayed another week. I just hope that I don't have to go through that on every cycle! I'm so tired of this everlasting roller coaster!
2 people like this
6 responses
@GardenGerty (169474)
• United States
16 Feb 12
I sure hope that your system levels out. I am sorry you have those infections, but your doctor is right. Those hospital related infections are nasty and I am sure your immune system is lower because of your chemo. Be good, rest a lot and take your medicine. Do not forget to come back and give us updates, though.
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
12 Mar 12
I hope things are going better for you now my friend. It can be quite frustrating when you think things are going better for you, and then there is a setback again. And Doctors anymore can be the worst in really knowing what is Best and what will work Best for you, as well as what is their next plan. Wish it were a lot more easier.
1 person likes this
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
13 Mar 12
After last week, I finally feel like they knew what they were talking about. I couldn't get the treatment last week because the counts were too low, but they decided that the next treatment at the hospital will be labs drawn on Monday and treatment on Tuesday rather than sitting at the hospital all day after finding out counts were too low. I went for labs today and the nurse kept objecting to everything I said even though I told her what I had been told. It might be a cultural thing because she was from Indonesia. Oh well...
@AmbiePam (120738)
• United States
17 Feb 12
You are, using the phrase my dad uses, one tough mother bear!
1 person likes this
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
17 Feb 12
I may be tough when it comes to persistance, but when it comes to pain I'm just a big baby! Thanks for the response!
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
16 Feb 12
you poor dear. i know what you mean by the roller coaster. i sure hope things get better soon. yes it would really be nice if doctors would let us, the people thats involved know whats going on with us! we are usually the last to know. like when i was told late at night, i was to leave when my daughter had already taken cold meds and was groggy. i sure wish you could get rid of all this bad health. hugs, bon
1 person likes this
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
17 Feb 12
I wish I could get rid of the bad health as well. I am hoping that nothing else goes wrong over the next month. I just want this all to go away! It puts such a damper on me! Have a great week!!!
• United States
16 Feb 12
Well im suer glad you are home now. its more comfortable being in your own enivornment and having all your stuff with you as well. You feel almost more complete when your at home. I sure do help you are feeling better and i hope that your antibiotics sure do help with the pain for the kidney infection and the UTI as well. Everyone should know that those are fun to deal with at all. Now with the chemo i sure do hope you can get a treatment done soon. I have a family member going through chemo and i know its important to go to your treatments and get them done and over with and i do hope for th ebest with the chemo for you.
1 person likes this
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
17 Feb 12
When he came up before I left the hospital, the doctor told me not to worry about the delay. I have never felt good about the delays in the past even though I was told my cancer was slow growing. Slow can kill just as fast as fast if it is not treated in time. Last year my brother asked my regular oncologist (currently on maternity leave) how long I would last if we did nothing. She said a year. It took almost two months before they started treatment that time so I was not very happy about that. I didn't ask this doc about it, but both he and the nurse practioner who works with both docs agreed that I should start the treatment even though my regular doctor was avoiding it as much as possible when I was feeling well. After the bowel obstruction in December, along with an abnormal pap smear that led to a PET scan that showed active disease, they decided to take action pretty quickly. Unfortunately there has been one delay after another either because of the low blood counts (between week 1/2) and now the infection. I have had an extra week between each week of the three week cycle. Maybe now I can get back on schedule. Have a great week!!!
@SassyBrat (463)
• Canada
17 Feb 12
Wow, I'm so sorry to hear you have been having such a trying time this week :(. I really hope all things improve for you, so you can continue your protocol. In the meantime I send you healing energy and positive thoughts as you regain your strength.
1 person likes this
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
17 Feb 12
Thanks for the response! I think things will start going better now...at least I hope so! Have a great weekend!!!