"Button Up Your Overcoat..."

[stoutfellow]

Hoo. That was an experience I don't want to repeat.

I spent most of this week - Monday afternoon through Friday afternoon - in the hospital, with gastric bleeding. Apparently I have very bad stomach ulcers, and one of them came in contact with one of the major blood vessels servicing the stomach. They clamped that off, put me on ulcer medication, and sent me home.

I'm still a bit anemic, so I won't be taking any long, or even medium-length, walks for the next while. The mandate for the time being is lots of rest, and food to get my blood back up to snuff. Sister C advised me to eat baked potatoes in the skin for this purpose, and (in my dutiful-brother style) I am following her orders.

Both of my arms hurt from all the IVs and blood samples, but other than that and the anemia I'm feeling OK. I had a naso-gastric tube in me for over 24 hours, which would have been the worst part of the hospital stay if not for the double-damned MRI they put me threw through. [Ed: Brain no workee.]. The only thing that saved my sanity was starting to work math problems in my head to block out the cacophony. (843: 3 times 281. 844: 2 squared times 211. 845: 5 times 13 squared. 846...)

Gah. But I'm home, I'm sleeping in my own bed again, and I have the dogs. I've also had the support and aid of my friends and colleagues W and S. W made the arrangements for my classes and appointments (proctors, cancellation notices, and one class coverage) - well, all that's part of his job as Chair. But he also fed my dogs, visited me at the hospital, brought me home from the hospital, and made a grocery run for me, and then - knowing he wouldn't be available this weekend - asked S to step in for that period. S has also brought me groceries (mostly for the dogs, but also including potatoes), and - from his wife - some flowers. I haven't been one for having flowers around the house, but these are quite nice, and I may reconsider the issue. I'm very grateful to both of them.

Ah, well. Tired; I think I'd better hit the sack again.

Comments

[sraun]

Ouch! Hope you recover quickly!

[mmegaera]

Oh, my. I'm glad you're doing better. I had to have an MRI before my shoulder surgery nine years ago, and they're my equivalent of Ivan and that cubby in the Thames tidal barrier for inducing a massive bout of claustrophobia. Left an indelible mark on my memory, it did. And, for another Vorkosiverse reference, it doesn't matter whether the large holes streaming blood are on the inside or the outside, they're still capable of killing you. So I'm glad they straightened you out and closed them off. No handy biochip on your vagus nerve, though, I take it? [wry g]

Did they give you any sort of dietary recs to go along with the meds?

Take care! Sending good thoughts your way.

[stoutfellow]

Yes, I had the scene from The Warrior's Apprentice running through my mind, too. Ivan didn't occur to me, though.

No dietary recommendations, no, though they do want me to talk to my (soon-to-be-selected) primary care physician about such things. No NSAIDS, emphatically, and of my own accord I'm removing Marie Callendar from my shopping lists. (Not that MC has much to do with this problem, but an overheard lecture to another patient made it clear that that stuff's bad for you. Which I suppose I knew already....)

[mmegaera]

You and my almost 90-year-old mother about PCPs. She fell the other day (didn't break anything or do any serious damage, thank all the gods), but when the paramedic told her she needed to go to the doctor and get checked out, she made the mistake of telling him she didn't have one, and he read her the riot act [g]. She's got one now...