Here I go again!!!

For the most part, they only worry about the money they will make for having people stay there. I feel sorry for the staff who have to go through the procedures of drawing blood at those ungodly hours. At least they just draw blood through the port rather than having to find a vein (at least I hope they don't try to find a vein since they are practically non-existent on me any more). I guess I will wait and see...

A big hug from here, Debbie, friend! In my country we used to have a decent if not perfect health care until some people decided to get rich instead of healing people. It is not the doctors: they just hire them and pay them a small amount as compared to what they get.

I had really planned to stay around until I got the lab results, but for some reason I decided to leave when I did. Most of the time they had things together, but I think my leaving had more to with the fact that my ride had shown up and he had a tendency toward impatience of sitting around clinics and hospitals. This is in Columbia Missouri and both facilities are run by the university, but sometimes things aren't very well coordinated. From what I hear, the cancer center will soon be moving closer to the university hospital, but where they are sending me for treatment is at yet another hospital (also run by the university) that treats mostly women and children. I like the facilities there a lot better than the cancer center and definitely better than the university hospital so I actually look forward to getting it done there (hot meals instead of bag lunch). Since this is a recurrence, I knew what to expect (more or less) so I am holding up ok. I do get a little frustrated at times, but little support outside of the treatment center that is to be expected. The last time around I was living in my older brother's home and didn't have to worry about expenses. This time around I'm living in a motel and my younger brother sometimes comes to visit and he runs me around when I am too sick to run myself around. Oh well...

I don't know what happened here because I was assured that they would be ready for me when I got here. Perhaps the person who told me that didn't tell the person who was supposed to call over here that needed to happen. Who knows? They started the blood about an hour ago and the first bag is about half empty. Each time they have to access the port, they have to take it out unless it is going to be used again soon thereafter. If I would have waited 20 more minutes before going home, they would have not taken the needle out and I wouldn't have been dropped off at home and have to wait for an hour for my ride to get back again. Oh well...that's life...

I'm still feeling somewhat light-headed, but when I called in they didn't seem too worried about it but suggested I get it checked out tomorrow if not better. I slept well last night, but still don't feel like I could drive if I got the car back. That is a little worrisome.

So far, it is going smoothly. I have been here 4 hours and have received 1 full liter of fluids plus part of the first of two bags of blood. They hope to have that finished by midnight. The nurse checked in a few minutes ago to see if I was doing ok. She said I could turn off the lights any time I wanted to. How nice of her! I will probably be awake until at least midnight probably much later.

It was tiring! And such a waste of gas! No sooner than my brother got home from dropping me off he had to come back out and get me. That is 10 miles each way! He says that next month he is going to move me into town even though the Regency would cost $300/month MORE than what I pay here! I will almost have enough to cover that amount after my disability starts up next month. I would have moved this month, but I didn't have enough money on my own, especially after paying for my brother's trip to Thailand and I had already paid for the month before he made the suggestion. Oh well...