UCLA Journal 13

First, Thank You Sis. I love the pics you sent me. Just how big is that truck, anyway?


OK. Mac first. The news I got from Mom last night was all good. Mac had a very good day, sitting up in a chair for several hours and a visit from Bill and Audrey. Mom said after they left, he watched TV - with his eyes closed. The news from the surgeon was that his gall bladder was severly infected but they're giving him massive doses of antibiotics and say he's doing well. I talked with my "sources" here (meaning my nurses) and they said that the fact he could get out of bed for a few hours and have some company were all GREAT signs. (They ought to know!!!) It's real nice to have my own crew to bounce things off of.

Now Me. I had a bad day yesterday. First, Dr. Morigouchi (sp?) was not at all helpful when he came for his brief (30 second) visit. He basically told me that if I want to get any better/stronger, I need to walk and that walking will make my breathing easier. He's obviously's NOT looked at the x ray/ct scans. His attitude was I'm just laying around doing nothing, expecting to get better and that if I didn't get up and get busy, they would end my stay here and I would have to pay for any additional time I stayed out of my own pocket at about $2000.00 a day.

I was so mad/upset/discouraged that if any of the nurses had given me two cents, I would have packed my stuff up and called one of you to come take me home. However, cooler minds prevailed. Ra-door-a (the phonetic spelling of her name) was supposed to come walk with me later and Aubree, my nurse, suggested I talk with her.

When she came, I explained I was doing my walking like I was supposed to but physical strength wasn't the problelm I was having. It's the blasted pump. She went and looked at the x rays/ct scan and came back and said yes, the pump IS sitting just below the diaphram and she can see why I'm having trouble with breathing and shortness of breath.

She also told me some other things about the transplant procedure that were different from what I'd been told. I believe what she said because she is the one doing it. First, it's not two weeks after the surgery that you get re-listed for transplant, it SIX. They wait that long because there is less bleeding and complications. They'll do it sooner but only in emergencies. Second, you have to be able to walk 500 feet. We measured the distance I can walk and it's only 120 but, after walking with me, she understands that it's not the lack of strength but the lack of oxygen that's keeping me from doing the 500. She said the transplant meetings are on fridays (not mondays, like I was told) and she would bring all of this up at the meeting.

The other thing that was a positive was I FINALLY got a nurse to believe I was filling up with fluid. They stopped my lasics (water pills). I'd been telling them for a couple days that I felt bloated and my right foot was swollen (couldn't find my ankle). I was feeling like I was a size 12 stuffed into a size 8. Last night my nurse, Aubree, got hold of the Nurse Practioner on duty and explained the problem to her. They gave me a small dose (20 ml) of lasics in my IV and I've been going like a band o'fire. This morning I feel more myself; my foot is almost back to normal and I feel like the day is going to be OK.

Now, I've caught you all up on my own odessey. I just want to tell you that, because there are so many of you out there that want to know what's going on with Mac, Mom's going to call me in the evenings when she gets home from the hospital and I will post what she tells me on my blog so she doesn't have to spend an hour or two repeating everything over and over. So, in the future you can get all the latest news about BOTH Mac and myself right here. Hope that's OK with all of you. I'm trying to make it a bit easier for Mom.

Thank you, one and all, for your prayers for the both of us. We appreciate all we can get. Take care.


Jini