Due to the current string of 90-degree days and because our only working air conditioner is now in the living room, I have officially moved my iron lung out of the bedroom for less sweaty sleeping. Luckily the living room is large enough that the addition doesn't affect space, but it is quite unnerving sleeping level with the window, which ( Read more... )

I've been trying for months now to get state-funded home care, and things are NOT going smoothly. After applying for home care about two months ago, a CASA caseworker finally visited my apartment to evaluate me about two weeks ago. As we discussed my medical evaluation and needs, she kept pointing out things that my future personal care attendant ( ( Read more... )

I want to gush for a minute and say that I have the best boyfriend in the world. I've been having a rough week anticipating the trial of my newly arrived BiPAP (an upcoming post in itself), so on Monday night, after he had worked all day and done his laundry, Aaron drove the 2.5 hours to my house to help me through my first night. (Un)fortunately, ( Read more... )

Our dog, Gretel, is having minor surgery tomorrow morning to drain a hematoma in her left ear flap, but judging by my mother's reaction, I'm more likely to believe that the dog is being put to sleep. Zachary found the water-balloon-like blister yesterday morning and brought it to the attention of my mother, who had the vet on the phone and a ( Read more... )

I returned home last night after a 10-day vacation that hit every high, low and frustration possible in a family trip. The aspects of the vacation that I had dreaded, however, actually turned out to be the most enjoyable, while the parts that I had anticipated resulted in irritation and physical and emotional drainage. Luckily I could recouperate ( Read more... )

Besides being extremely challenging medically, I am also a hospital snob. I despise small-town hospitals -- I only go to them when I need a minor prescription or flu shot -- and am only comfortable in big-city, tersiary-care institutions. In addition, I prefer that the center be a teaching hospital, as I possess a fondness for residents dating back ( Read more... )

The sleep study did not go as expected. First of all, I stayed the entire night -- 8:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. -- instead of failing and being home by midnight as I had planned. Secondly, I used the BiPAP/CPAP. Finally, I did not enjoy the new machine at all ( Read more... )

I’m a medical nightmare. I have been since the moment I was born a ball of dislocated hips and shoulders, and I will continue to be until these hips and shoulders finally collapse. But until that day, it seems one of my life's purposes is to torment the medical industry. I won't list examples of past experiences right now, but know that I'm a ( Read more... )

Got home from Allegheny General Hospital yesterday afternoon, and am currently back in the Boro. My lungs weren't nearly as bad as last spring, and they think I had a nasty case of bronchitis rather than pneumonia -- which is good. I've have enough antibiotics to kill a horse, so now I'm just taking everything very easy while I regain energy and ( Read more... )

I feel like death today. Not as bad as Dobler felt last week, but pretty damn bad. I woke up at 8 a.m. feeling like I needed to vomit and like I had a sinus/ear infection. After getting out of bed at 11 a.m., the nausea has subsided -- thank God -- but the soreness has taken over. I feel as if my entire back has been pummeled, knocking the wind out ( Read more... )