Thursday Thirteen

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My Thursday Thirteen is late again.  I had a bad asthma attack this week and now am in the hospital, so I did not feel like doing it earlier in the week.

My Thursday Thirteen list for this week is going to be a positive, but very hard for me to do.  I am going to do a list of 13 things I have liked my hospital stay so far. LOL

Let’s see if I can do it!

1.  Yesterday was my birthday and they gave me angel food cake and fresh strawberries for my birthday cake.

2.  My  mother has been a huge huge huge, did I say huge? emotional support to me while I have been in here.

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Mom and my birthday balloons.

3.  My breathing is much better than it was when I first got here.  I could not talk Thursday when I was admitted.

4.  I have a private room.

5.  Even though I am on high doses of steroids, my doctors are keeping my blood sugar under 400

6.  I do not have to share the TV with anyone, not even my family.

7.  The respiratory therapist I had last night was a cutie.

8.  My hospital bed does this cool trick.  When it feels that I might need some extra comfort, it will blow up the section of the mattress where it decides I need the extra comfort.  It is almost like getting a massage in bed.

9.  I get to choose my own food for my meals, like in a fancy restaurant. 

10.  There is a blue couch in my room

11.  I only need to be completely hooked up to my IV when I am getting antibiotics now.

12.  The old Dr. Dolittle that I watched when I was a kid is on TV now.  I am really enjoying that movie.

13.  I am in the purple tower (name of it, it is not actually purple) part of the hospital.  Purple is my favorite color. 

Yes, some of those were very bad, but I did do thirteen of them

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Thursday Thunks

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This week we will answer some crazy questions brought to you by Berleen’s demon spawns (teenagers), the color of snowflakes, and the number 7200.

They are 15 and 13… that is your warning.

And thanks to Bud for reminding us that it was time.

1. Why are computer mouses called mouses?

Because it has a tail?

2. If a guy has no money and he goes into a bar does he get kicked out?

Yes, or if he drank his drinks first then he would be arrested.

3. Why does Taryn hate rat terrier puppies?

Because they bark too much, and nibble at your ankles.

4. Why do polar bears not moo?

Because they have not been body snatched by cows

5. Why do people let doves fly at their weddings?

No idea, but I would be afraid one would poo in my eye as I looked at the in the sky.

6. Why are no two snowflakes alike?

To make them more interesting?

7. Why do people want things that don’t work? (ads in newspapers – like junk batteries wanted)

In the case of batteries, you can sell used ones that do not work for about $10 a piece to places that dispose of them properly.

8. Why do we have to wear shoes at school?

Because people have germs on their feet and you can catch all sorts of gross, painful, itchy, and oozing funguses and illnesses from other people’s foot germs.

9. Why do people wear socks with sandals?

They are usually old, like your mother, and have no fashion sense.

10. Why do we always want bear hugs?


They feel good.

11. Why do dogs lick people’s toes? And why do they like to lick lotion?

 
They are licking your toes to remove the toe jam and to remove the foot germs, and they must lick the lotion to get the taste of foot out of their mouth.

12. Why do people get this little thing pierced – as she points to the little thing on her ear.  

No idea!

13. Why do dogs like to eat out of litterboxes?

My brother is a vet and he explained this to me.  Cat food is high in protein and so is their poop, dog really really like high protein foods.  So it makes cat poo appealing to them.

14. Have you ever eaten a sandwhich that had really weird things in it?

yes, have you

15. Why isn’t snow purple?

 
Because that would be annoying

16. When the earth was made why was the sky made blue?

The sky is blue because of how the sun light is refracted through out atmostphere

17. Why do cats like laser lights?

Let’s face it….cats are not really all that intelligent

18. When someone invented Santa Clause, why did they make him fat?

Fat people are supposed to be jolly, I seemed to missed out on my fair share of jolly.  Maybe Santa Clause took mine.

19. What do you think Santa does when he’s not making toys?

Seeing who is naughty and  nice.

20. Why is it that suddenly I don’t care anymore?
 

Because you have reached the time in your life when you are hormonal, THINK you know everything and are the bane of your parents existence.

21. Why are the healthiest things for you most expensive?

It is a conspiracy by the drug companies, if we really got healthy, we would need less prescriptions, then they drug companies would lose money.

I did warn you….

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Good Morning!

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This is my dad slee…..visiting me last night! Shhh he does not know I took his picture.

Never enough sleep in a hospital. I have been awake since about 2:00 am. First it was to have my blood sugar checked, then it was to have respiratory therapy to come in and for me to have a breathing treatment, shortly after that, I had to have some insulin injections. At least I can get an early start on my blogging today!!

My blood sugar is still in the 300’s, so my wish right now is that the Hospitalist who is working on the diabetes part of things does not decide to put me on an insulin drip. If that happens, I found out that I would probably have to go to ICU.

I do have some good news though. I am only partially IV’d up now. I now need fluids,so that part of things was disconnected. I just have the IV needle in my hand with a small amount of tubing. They use it to give me the steroids. The only time I will have to be hooked back to the full IV thing is about five this evening when I get my antibiotics. When I was hooked up to oxygen I was given a huge amount of tubing so I can go to the restroom still hooked up to oxygen. So I just feel better now that I can move around more, and now that I am not having to drag my IV pole around, I am not losing my breathe as much.

My chest is still tight. I know that it will continue to improve.

Have a good day, neighbors!

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Hospital Birthday

The Birthday in the Hospital is not as bad as it could have been.  I got some pretty balloons, birthday cards and a few decorations for my room.  My mom was the thoughtful to make my room brighter.  My niece brought me a Hannah Montana card, told me Hannah Montana is her favorite rock star.  My niece is only four so I have forgiven her for her taste in music.  Oh…she also likes the Jonas Brothers.  When I asked her if she thought they were cute, she said yes!  Her Daddy better watch out!

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The hospital brought me angel food cake and fresh strawberries for my birthday cake.  I really enjoyed it….the only thing that would have made it better was if some chocolate had been involved.  Unfortunately, no chocolate for me.

This hospital is doing a much, much better job at keeping my blood sugar from getting horribly out of control.  The highest it has been 389, but most of the time it has been under 300, in the high 200’s.  The doctor dealing with the blood sugar said he might, starting giving me insulin by IV, that would mean I would have to change rooms though.  It would be too easy for things to go bad with such a direct line of insulin, so I would need more intensive supervision. 

As much as I like being alone, there is a difference in being alone because I am choosing to and being alone because I am forced to.  I am experiencing some loneliness right about now. I am watching American Loggers because it is a show my husband likes, and talking to ya’ll on the blog, so I am hoping that it will help with my loneliness.  I know that I am feeling better, just because of the fact that I am even wanting to blog.  I was feeling so bad because of the lack of being able to breath and the things going on with my nursing care, as well as just being in the hospital, that I did not feel like blogging earlier. 

Ok going to run for now, I am sure I will send out some more rambling later.

Be well, my neighbors!

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Spirometer And Better Care

Today I am going to teach you some numbers that have to do with Asthma. Yesterday, before the doctor sent me over here I had to have a breathing test at his office. It was done on a machine called a spirometer. Basically it measures the amount of air you can blow out.

The process you have to go through to have this machine take this measurement is not bad, it can just be a little tiring when you are having a difficult time breathing.

This is what the spirometer looks like.
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Basically, when I saw the Doctor yesterday, my ability to exhale was half of what it was the last time I saw him. Which is a big change. It indicates some sort of blockage, which in my case is my airways constricting.

I am feeling some better today, however, still quite a bit of a ways to go before I am well enough to go home.  Just walking the few feet from my bed to the bathroom is horrible enough to make it so I have no breath left.  I had to get respiratory to come and give me an extra breathing treatment after my last bathroom trip

As far as the horrible nursing care I got yesterday afternoon, things are very much improved. 

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Party Hats, And Party Horns….Ok Maybe We Should Skip The Party Horns

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Hi, Everyone! Guess where I am? If you said the hospital, you would be absolutely correct. My pulmonologist, felt it was in my best interest to spend some time in the hospital, getting some IV steroids anda few other things. I am in a different hospital than I as last time, I am in the one that my pulmonologist has privileges in but it is further away from home.

I had blood drawn for a blood gas reading. Good Grief did that hurt! I have never had that done before, so I was not expecting then to have to go so far into the underside of my wrist.

I am still waiting for my IV to be put in and they are running a bit late with my restless leg medicine.

I asked my mother if she thought they forgot about me, and she suggested I buzz the nurse’s desk. I did and hopefully we will see someone soon.

I just realized no one has checked my blood sugar either, I am not a happy camper right now.

LOL I just realized that nothing about this post has anything to do with being positive. I think I am just too grumpy to do that right now.

Oh and to add further to my joy, tomorrow is my birthday and I guess I get to spend it here.

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Time Out For Me

Since I am feeling really bad today, I am not going to be doing any blogging today. It requires more concentration than I can devote to it right now. Depending on how things go at the lung doctor tomorrow and how I feel tomorrow, I may take tomorrow off too.

I am feeling somewhat anxious at the present moment because of struggling to breathe, and it is making it impossible for me to concentrate on much.

I appreciate everyone’s understanding and patience.

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Breathing Update

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Just a quick update about my breathing…..

I opted to not go to the ER last night. I am going to try and make it until tomorrow and then go see my lung doctor. He has all the proper equipment and can get an accurate reading of my breathing. I will be taking a small overnight bag and my computer in case he decides to admit me.

My mother has offered to drive up from where she lives to take me to the doctor.

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No No No No, I Don't Wanna!!!

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Yes., I am having a whining, temper tantrum fit. My wheeze is steadily getting worse and I am afraid that I will need to go to the ER when my husband gets home and I do not want to.  They will want to take blood, and do xrays, and all kinds of other stuff.  Then they even might find me a room there and make me stay.  Last time they kept me for six days. 

If stomping my feet right now would not leave me out of breath I would do that too. 

Ok, temper tantrum over.  I will smile again.

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