In the hospital

[Shell B]

Eh, if god were real, *laughs* I'm sure he really just likes watching you have to give yourself injections. Much more fun than letting you croak.

[Jackalope]

I'm sure the bible thumpers can't understand why god saved your heathen ass.

My ex's family (all jesus freaks) think it's because "god has a plan for me".

I LOLed.

---

Eh, if god were real, *laughs* I'm sure he really just likes watching you have to give yourself injections. Much more fun than letting you croak.

As much as I hate needles and giving myself injections, the oxycodone more than makes up for it.

Maybe god just likes watching me watch football in a narcotic-induced haze.

[Faith No More]

Fortunately they sent me home with a lot of oxycodone.

At least you got a consolation prize.

[Minimalist]

My ex's family (all jesus freaks) think it's because "god has a plan for me".

Tell them you have no plans for him.

[Jackalope]

At least you got a consolation prize.

Words of wisdom: When the doc asks you if the Vicodin is managing your pain, always say no.

---

My ex's family (all jesus freaks) think it's because "god has a plan for me".

Tell them you have no plans for him.

Min, you truly are the king of the one-line response.

[Minimalist]

Necessary, amigo. Xtians have short attention spans.

[orogenicman]

I'm sure the bible thumpers can't understand why god saved your heathen ass.

My ex's family (all jesus freaks) think it's because "god has a plan for me".

I LOLed.

---

Eh, if god were real, *laughs* I'm sure he really just likes watching you have to give yourself injections. Much more fun than letting you croak.

As much as I hate needles and giving myself injections, the oxycodone more than makes up for it.

Maybe god just likes watching me watch football in a narcotic-induced haze.

It sounds fun, nonetheless! Can the rest of us join you?

[Handprint]

I'm glad you made it through that okay.

[Jackalope]

I have to vent a bit. The last couple of days have been frustrating.

Today I went in for my first post-discharge appointment with my primary care doc. Beyond making sure we were on the same page regarding my treatment plan, I needed to get some blood taken for an "INR test", which shows how well the Coumadin (anti-coagulant) is working. The short of it is that they're looking for a level of 2.0-3.0, anything under that, I have to continue giving myself daily Arixtra injections. At discharge, my INR was 0.9, now 4 days later, it's 1.5. Half way there, so the injections continue. Slightly disheartening, but it is what it is.

While we were talking about pain management, the subject of the numbness in my right foot came up. It's been numb since last Friday - the theory is that the swelling in my leg and foot is putting pressure on a nerve, leading to the numbness. Picture the lower portion of your foot being continuously "asleep", with the "pins and needles" sensation. She said that once the swelling goes down, I "probably" will "eventually" regain feeling in my foot. There's no way to know. Given that I still have mild parathesia in my left thumb from a nerve injury almost 30 years ago I know that recovery from nerve damage isn't predictable.

The pain and numbness is crippling. I can't walk more than 10 feet without a cane (not more than several dozen yards with one), and can't stand or sit for any length of time. I can't work like this - certainly not in my line of work, and probably not any other that unless I can do it lying down. It's frustrating to not know if or when I can expect for it to heal to the point where I can function somewhat normally.

I can't take anti-inflammatory drugs when I'm on anti-coagulants, so all I can do is apply heat, rest, take narcotics, and hope it gets better - which is precisely what I'm doing.

I'm not used to leaning on others to meet basic living needs, and I'm finding that I have to. I can't do it by myself.

On the other hand, I did get some good news. All of blood work that has come back has been encouraging. There's some that hasn't come back (testing for inherited clotting defects), and I don't expect it to be bad news. I'm breathing a bit easier - though any kind of activity is still exhausting.

I'm trying to stay positive - when I consider what the outcome could have been, what I'm dealing with is not so bad. It's frustrating. It's disheartening to think that there may be lasting life-altering things to deal with.

Oh, and if one more person says "You're lucky to be alive!", I may just punch them in the face. I jest. I'm not a violent guy.

---

I'm glad you made it through that okay.

Thank you very much.

[Handprint]

Thanks for the update. I hope the shots continue to help you.