The good Samaritans
After a call to my oncologist’s nurse on a Friday night a few weeks ago, I was encouraged to go to the Emergency Room. It was about 5 p. m. I left the hospital the following Wednesday after they treated my pneumonia and drained 2 liters of fluid via a surgically implanted chest tube in my lung. This isn’t all bad and I thought you might find it interesting.
After all the blood work and CAT scan, the doctor told my immediate family the results of the tests. I was somewhat relieved because like most patients, especially those of us with cancer, it is natural to expect bad news. I’ll describe the next few days because some of you may have been through it, but it always has twists and turns.
It has been my experience through more than a few hospitalizations, over the years, that it is one of the most uncomfortable, disconcerting and emotionally challenging experiences even if you have a brief stay. You get your blood sucked out, lose sleep, get anxious, endure pain, and basically feel lousy during your stay. Despite all of this the stay can be tolerable and most medical workers try to make your experience comfortable.
Here are some of the positive aspects of my six- day vacation. I watched the Yankee games four nights in a row, something I never do at home. I was fussed over every few hours by caring and skillful and wonderful medical personnel. I have to admit though at some time their attention overwhelmed me. I saw two or three oncologists regularly, the thoracic surgeon and anesthesiologist before the surgery, respiratory therapists about three times daily, vital sign technicians many times, a visiting nurses coordinator a couple of times, a few nurse practitioners, social workers, several nurses on various shifts, nursing students, maintenance staff, a nutritionist, and daily visits from representatives from various religions.
I’ll have to say that the best part of my stay, aside from the Yankee game, was getting Holy Communion daily except for the day I had surgery. I couldn’t have anything in my stomach for the procedure.. I got really lucky when Br. Philip from St. Anthony’s in Troy recognized my name on the patient list and came to see me. It doesn’t matter to me which God you worship, or if none at all, but there exists in our troubled world true people of God who sacrifice all for the common good. This is Brother Philip.
After being home- bound and getting my chest tube drained for three weeks, I went to the hospital and had it removed. I had some serious pain but and learned to manage it. Now it is absent. The production of lung fluid was being stimulated by my metastatic cancer.
I had a few bursts of energy while hospitalized so I walked around the unit several times. I’ve walked every day when at home since my diagnosis. I used to play racquetball three days a week but that is history. These energy bursts could have occurred at any time. Once in a while, I walked in the middle of the night past the nurse’s station probably looking like a zombie with all of my tubes sticking out and my halfasleep face. My wife told me to keep my gown closed in the back. More than a few medical personnel have seen the butts of patients. Probably thousands!
I am running out of gas for the rest of this column. It is interesting, even when you talk on the phone, you can get tired when you are recovering.
This is just another bump in the road on a lengthy recovery. Some of you have been through it. In the end, God decides how many more Yankee games that I’ll see.