Bad to Worse
As the words of my grandmother echo in my ears, let’s just say we are adding a bit of bad to worse.
The recovery of my friend did not last very long I am sad to report. His parents left early as in the earliest hours of dawn on Friday the 15th and by 8 pm that evening I was summoned with a phone call asking just how high a fever should go before there is a need to worry.
“Just exactly how high is the fever?” I responded and the sheepish answer made my heart jump. He was fanning the flames at 103.9 and rising. All my mind could do was reel in the thoughts of horrid infection, blood clots large enough to break loose, viral epidemic or whatever else the internet and my medical books could drum together.
I loaded my dog up and took off to drive the 30+ miles to rendezvous with my very sick friend. Of course his roommate/partner is standing guard with wet wash cloth and a befuddled look on his face. Tanner exited the car and was happy to keep Mollie, my friend's border collie's mind off of the fact that I was once again whisking her Papa off to parts unknown. I loaded my friend into my car packed the pillows around him and began the 40+ mile trek back to the VA Hospital for an exciting Friday night in the emergency room.
Well, after a great deal of controlled panic that ER nurses are famous for there were specialists alerted and tests being conducted within minutes. The wound which had been left open to close up on its own was not looking all fancy and clean, or closing properly throwing everyone into further panic.
Fast forward through the last three days and there have been tests and continued fever spikes of 102.9 and a mystery illness that the doctors and a flurry of tests cannot seem to find residing in his now 140 lb frame.
I am working very hard at keeping my chin up because that is the only thing that supports him as he slips into the “what if” mode. I stayed in the room with him through two full days, through every poke, every prod, and every vital sign quandary. On Monday afternoon I hit the wall emotionally and physically to where I was ordered home for much needed rest by his attending doctor who had her "no sleep" badge awarded as well. I got home cleaned up the house a bit and I swear I do not remember a thing until the Tuesday morning bell rang in my ear.
I have a life and that life called me into action with an appointment I had set at school for signing re-entry forms and while I was in the middle of that the phone rings with him wanting me to know of the decision to hang two units of blood and of a visit from the physiatrist on staff. There is great concern about the “pain” and the use of pain medicine that seems to have become a crutch can we say? What more can a man do than to numb himself from all the bad going to worse?
When I arrived we were greeted by another doctor of the renal variety. It seems that on the 17th there was an issue of blood pressure dropping to levels of great concern and the use of contrast dye that of course has to be used as a diagnostic tool. Obviously contrast dye is very hard on kidneys and his consumption of several gallons of the stuff over the course of the past month has probably taxed them past the point of tolerance. His kidney function is sadly not at the optimal range was the doctor's report therefore sending us, well especially him into another tail-spin. Of course he has not been put on the dialysis list but the doctor has very grave concerns about the regeneration of their functional abilities but as usual, before the permanency of this condition can be written in stone weeks must float by and a great deal of hope must be mustered.
Oh and to add bad to worse a bit further….his fever is still spiking to 102.7 leaving us to wonder what mystery bug is still hiding out in the deep recesses that the tests, the poking, the prodding has yet to surface.
I told him in my parting lecture that there was not allowed the expression “What Next” for at this point the spirits just might show us without remorse. He agrees. I think that is the best part, that he does agree.
The recovery of my friend did not last very long I am sad to report. His parents left early as in the earliest hours of dawn on Friday the 15th and by 8 pm that evening I was summoned with a phone call asking just how high a fever should go before there is a need to worry.
“Just exactly how high is the fever?” I responded and the sheepish answer made my heart jump. He was fanning the flames at 103.9 and rising. All my mind could do was reel in the thoughts of horrid infection, blood clots large enough to break loose, viral epidemic or whatever else the internet and my medical books could drum together.
I loaded my dog up and took off to drive the 30+ miles to rendezvous with my very sick friend. Of course his roommate/partner is standing guard with wet wash cloth and a befuddled look on his face. Tanner exited the car and was happy to keep Mollie, my friend's border collie's mind off of the fact that I was once again whisking her Papa off to parts unknown. I loaded my friend into my car packed the pillows around him and began the 40+ mile trek back to the VA Hospital for an exciting Friday night in the emergency room.
Well, after a great deal of controlled panic that ER nurses are famous for there were specialists alerted and tests being conducted within minutes. The wound which had been left open to close up on its own was not looking all fancy and clean, or closing properly throwing everyone into further panic.
Fast forward through the last three days and there have been tests and continued fever spikes of 102.9 and a mystery illness that the doctors and a flurry of tests cannot seem to find residing in his now 140 lb frame.
I am working very hard at keeping my chin up because that is the only thing that supports him as he slips into the “what if” mode. I stayed in the room with him through two full days, through every poke, every prod, and every vital sign quandary. On Monday afternoon I hit the wall emotionally and physically to where I was ordered home for much needed rest by his attending doctor who had her "no sleep" badge awarded as well. I got home cleaned up the house a bit and I swear I do not remember a thing until the Tuesday morning bell rang in my ear.
I have a life and that life called me into action with an appointment I had set at school for signing re-entry forms and while I was in the middle of that the phone rings with him wanting me to know of the decision to hang two units of blood and of a visit from the physiatrist on staff. There is great concern about the “pain” and the use of pain medicine that seems to have become a crutch can we say? What more can a man do than to numb himself from all the bad going to worse?
When I arrived we were greeted by another doctor of the renal variety. It seems that on the 17th there was an issue of blood pressure dropping to levels of great concern and the use of contrast dye that of course has to be used as a diagnostic tool. Obviously contrast dye is very hard on kidneys and his consumption of several gallons of the stuff over the course of the past month has probably taxed them past the point of tolerance. His kidney function is sadly not at the optimal range was the doctor's report therefore sending us, well especially him into another tail-spin. Of course he has not been put on the dialysis list but the doctor has very grave concerns about the regeneration of their functional abilities but as usual, before the permanency of this condition can be written in stone weeks must float by and a great deal of hope must be mustered.
Oh and to add bad to worse a bit further….his fever is still spiking to 102.7 leaving us to wonder what mystery bug is still hiding out in the deep recesses that the tests, the poking, the prodding has yet to surface.
I told him in my parting lecture that there was not allowed the expression “What Next” for at this point the spirits just might show us without remorse. He agrees. I think that is the best part, that he does agree.