Saturday, November 8, 2008

Reality Check


I have been having chills, usually in the evening after I take off my wig, for the past couple of days. I have also been pushing myself to walk further and further every day. Last evening as I undressed, I noticed my skin hurt - my eyes had also been watering all day, my nose dripping. Since I am never sick, it didn't even occur to me that maybe I had a fever. So I went back to my cousin's, asked for a thermometer and sure enough, 100.4. I know about the neutropenia possibilities, so rang up the doc who sent me to Standford ER - it spiked to about 102 there. Everything else was negative, so they put me on two antibiotics and we await culture results. I think they will be negative.....I guess I'm just one hot mama, hahahaha!

I feel great this morning and think we will more than like have our weekly trip into the City which is always a great thing to look forward to.

In the meantime, I had planned to "escape" to Michigan the second weekend of December to put some things in order, a plan which changed last night. It's hard for me to accept that I cannot live as I have been accustomed to - "normal" is not my normal for the time being, but for those of you who know me, I never was very "normal" anyway! Being shut up in a plane for hours with lots of bacteria floating around is not something I can manage right now, boohoo!

I have to tell you about California and its medical system......VERY different from Michigan. You would NEVER walk into University of Michigan clinics or hospital and see things "junked" up nor would you see that at Beaumont in Royal Oak and most certainly not at Kettering Hospital in Dayton; however, that's all I have seen here.

The ER at Standford was just a tiny step above third world, junk everywhere. The portable x-ray machine looked like it was out of the Ark, BUT the service was topnotch - the staff everywhere have been incredible, competent, caring, intelligent, never better. They even faxed my Rx to Walgreen's last night without me asking.

My oncologist keeps her King George puppy in her office and was holding and petting it as I talked to her when I left last time. We Michiganders apparently are focusing on appearances more than on service - we are uptight and anal. It's too bad the medical community back home can't experience this. I must admit my first impression was not so favorable and I wondered what I had gotten myself into. Not to say that appearances are not important, they are, but that should not be the primary goal. We need to lighten up...hmmmmmmm, maybe it's the weather....or is it something in the water?

Discussion to be continued.........!

3 comments:

Sara Meli said...

What about a compromise?! Where service is good, but standards of presentation and cleanliness are also high? That is, I think, what we all need to strive towards. It sounds like Michigan and California have a lot to learn from each other mutually.

Anyway, I'm so worried about you. Please take care of yourself and REST!! Maybe you shouldn't go walking around San Francisco today, right?! I love you and will see you soon. Also, what is the second picture you posted?

soozy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
soozy said...

Hey Girl!

The second photo tried to capture the clutter, but didn't quite do it.

Stop worrying, I am FINE!