Report from Sick Bay Day 1
It has now been one day since I have been admitted into Clara Maas hospital. I tried to avoid this all week and possibly made it worse, but the discomfort and just pure misery of being in the hospital kept me away. It is like a repeating cycle. I had a similar problem in 2016 when I developed MRSA. It does not appear to be as serious this time; last time, I spent a few days in the ICU. I understand the dietary restrictions, but can we get a full slate of channels? I mean, prisoners get cable in New Jersey. Add in the constant interruptions a pillow that is thinner than New Yor Pizza, a tiny bed, and you get a torture chamber. How does anyone actually recover in these conditions?
I started feeling a pain in my leg last Friday. I knew it was likely cellulitis. Cellulitis is an infection that attacks dry skin and comes with diabetes. Sadly cellulitis triggers the blood sugar to go up to dangerous levels. I get attacks of cellulitis every year or two. Usually, it goes away in a few days, sometimes it flares up, and I need meds, and other times it ends with me in the hospital, and sadly New Jersey hospitals are like New Jersey Transit, so I tried to do everything to avoid it. I had blood work scheduled on Monday, bloodwork I need every four months. So I went to the NP I have been seeing since my regular doctor died, and she suggested an ultrasound of my leg to check for blood clots. I knew it was not a clot.
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In pain on Tuesday, I did not go into the office. I also rested Wednesday shooting a new Raw Dog episode that will be released this week. Thursday was the day for my ultrasound, with no blood clots. I later went to a quick care center, and they drained the abscess on my thigh, but a new problem was developing a sack that was on my knee burst. They instructed me to return if the knee got worse. On Saturday, the knee got worse.
Returning to the immediate center, I was instructed to go to the ER. I knew I was fucked. I grabbed lunch at Wendy's, knowing it would be the last good food I would have for days. I get into the ER, and they begin working their magic, giving me a second unnecessary ultrasound and making my knee feel worse. In this area, they don't like giving anyone water while sticking you on a bed with a pole in your spine, and there is no bathroom. All around, you can hear elderly people crying out for a nurse and none coming to answer.
An IV line was drawn for antibiotics, and blood was drawn several times. Then I met "Ed". Ed is an ER tech who likely is the most incompetent healthcare worker in the world. I have exposed veins in my left arm, but he prefers to take blood out of the right arm. He may have been the person who came up with the idea for the Left and Right Twix commercials. He poked my arm in four spots and could not get the blood needed for blood cultures, all while leaving the needles and bandage coverings on my chest. Ed returned later to do an EKG and had all the wires twisted in a knot.
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Waiting for my room, I was surprised by a visit from Coach Duggs. Not that I was surprised by his efforts to help, but I was shocked the ER personnel let him in. Duggs stayed with me until I was moved to my room. I did get a nice bottle of Body Armour Water.
Upon getting to my room, I was asked for the sixth time to list prescriptions and lectured I should know each by heart, even those like Rosuvastatin. This is another hospital annoyance. I asked once it should be written somewhere. So now I sit and wait. I can't eat anything after midnight for possible surgery tomorrow, not that they have anything I would want. So I am a Gremlin and on stand-by for surgery, meaning it is two gonna be a while.
I miss the office. I hope I get well soon to make more great videos with Rone for Soda reviews. When this is over, I am going to get a new primary doctor. I have been in the market since my previous doctor died in May. Second I need a new apartment because I need a cleaner living space with more space, because my home mattress may have aggravated the condition and I need a new bed. Third I want advice on how to stop this from happening again because this is the pits.