Hospital Life

Like anything, there are positives and negatives. Hospital stays included; in the CF world, this is known as "being in lockup".

While nobody I know actually enjoys being hospitalized, sometimes the staff can make the experience at least a bit entertaining.

What a difference from one nurse to another. I have some pretty cool nurses and some real cranky faced nurses. The cool ones always come in with a smile and easily pick up my humour. The cranky faced ones come in with a scowl and strain themselves to plaster on a smile.

The cool ones love their jobs. The crank-faced ones would rather be anywhere but here.

This morning I buzzed my nurse. She stuck her head through the door and shouted "What do you want?" (They don't come in unless they have to, as they always have to gown and glove up.) I asked her if I could be unhooked from my IV so I could have a shower. She glared at me and spit out "I have to do meds in a half an hour". I said "Ok, so I can't get unhooked?"

A stare down ensues.

Steam rolls out of her ears and her eyes turn red; she turns in a huff (literally) and goes out the door. I call out "I'm good if I have to wait".

I'm not sure what happened, maybe she realized that she was being a douche and felt bad, cause a minute later she came in to unhook me.

Jess: 1 - Crank faced nurse: 0

Oh, the shower was lovely. The water was lukewarm at best. The plus side is you don't waste water - unless you enjoy shivering and shaking.

I walked 3 times yesterday and 3 times today. We even snuck outside for a second while Brad ran to get me some street meat overflowing with sauerkraut...but we'll keep this on the down low as I'm not quite positive they wanted me to go outside. Every time I get stronger and can go further. Tomorrow I start training for the Boston Marathon.

Just need to get me some new kicks and spandex.

I've decided that a huge positive of being in the hospital is that you get to be lazy all day and have people wait on you (except when it's one of them grumpy get-up-on-the-wrong-side-of-bed-every-morning kind. However, it's a negative because you get to be lazy and forget how to look after yourself (get my own meds ready, wha??)

Another huge positive is the food. CF patients get to substitute food from a CF menu and we get cool snacks like pop, chips and chocolate bars. The downside is that most of the food, regardless of being on the CF menu, is absolutely puke evoking. Thankfully Brad brings in outside food and they give me "super shakes" (300 calories per shake) in here.

200 pound Jess coming soon!

The fun things we do to occupy ourselves here are: 

• trying to guess what's on the food tray
• dissecting the food
• coughing contests with other patients (although I'm unsure that they are aware of this)
• walks down the hall, challenging other oxygen-deprived patients to a race
• Brad spilling things every 5 minutes (for real)
• watching a certain nurse flirt with Brad
• watching Linds drool over "Dr. Hottie"

As far as my health: they've suspended my feeds for now, as it's more important that I am on the Bipap at night (and to do both has been making me feel gross and nauseous - my stomach can only bloat so far before it explodes...and nobody wants to clean that up) than for me to be throwing up my feeds and becoming even more malnourished.

I'm still battling the C Diff with vancomycin (which thankfully doesn't taste too too bad). My oxygen flow has been reduced (yay!!!!) and I am tolerating more exercise. I was just informed today that I have low potassium, which is fine, except I have to drink this yucky white powder dissolved in apple juice. Could be worse.

Bring it; I will fight it. Even Kung fu the hell out of it.