The journey begins - purchased a truck.

Well - we kinda figured that out today.

Allow me a quick rant - but the medical system here is about as fudged up as a fudge factory could be on fudging Friday of fudge year.

Goes to ER, they chest X-ray, but do not release results to patient.

Goes to GP - happens to photograph ER paperwork left on counter waiting for GP.

GP does not read paperwork - Gretchen has to ask for fluid retention pills. GP suggest tripling dosage of BP medication.

Gretchen consults with her NP friend, I consult with agent that has been through this - Google . . .

See a cardiologist? No - need a referral for that.

I almost called down there. But HIPPA. She'll call on Monday, request/demand referral to cardiologist and hope for a quick appointment.

Paperwork, as read by radiologist -

Heart is enlarged
Mild Central pulmonary congestion
Suspected underlying mild Congestive Heart Failure.

I ain't a doctor - but probably needs echocardiogram , ASAP, and cardiologist attention.

And obviously looking for a new GP.

 

"Blood and Pus Sausage II - the cyst returns"

Tune in as our beleagured victim suffers through yet another one of the more irritating blessings of human life.

@Espressolane put it succinctly. Yes - I'm done. DONE . DONE I TELL YOU!

I returned after box 11, for Box 12. Last Thursday, I drove the 690 miles from Atwood,CO to load in MN. The beast was starting to wriggle and swell. I thought , after looking at myself in the mirror - " Do you really want/need to put yourself in this situation again?".

I wondered if it might just need a shower, some rest, and be fine. Like we often foolishly believe that "It's just a cold water leak, it'll be OK" - and continue until the water pump goes. Wishful thinking I guess. Stuff doesn't fix itself.

So, I slept the night, woke up and made the call, and bailed out for home on Friday. Called the GP and got a refill for Bactrim (It's the better antibiotic than the ((worthless in my opinion)) Amoxycillin, but not as broad spectrum as Clindamyacin, of which I had two left and immediately took). And an appointment for 11am Monday. Got home after 600 miles , cleaned out the truck and slept. The sausage kept growing, and Saturday night reached its peak, waking me up about every hour. Woke up Sunday and went and made coffee, after trying to figure out in bouts of wakefulness the previous night, was I willing to stab the thing myself, or succumb to a $10k ER visit like last time.

Luckily the waters broke - it found its way out through a skin pore, without tunneling too much farther. I retraced my steps with paper towels mopping up blood and pus spots from the kitchen to the bedroom, ran a warm bath and let the waters run red/yellow draining it out.

Monday morning my blessed GP injected Lidocaine,( that's a fun one - intense pain followed quickly by immediate relief) - stabbed me with the heavenly Toradol, (remember that one by name folks - it's a nerve blocker, far better than Fentanyl) ,and sliced the pore open about 3/4ths of an inch, and stuffed the new wound with gauze rope. Today has been fun - we don't want to defecate, because my One god-given exit for defecation, and my healed incision, and now my new opening are all within inches of one another. Tomorrow I go back to GP and hope he doesn't want to remove and re-stuff with gauze rope. But doc knows best.

Unfortunately it's an intentionally open wound. The stuff that comes out is sticky/tacky, and quickly irritates skin. The wound tries to heal up around the gauze, so if you sit ( you can't sit, you just lean on a flank) for too long, there is a tearing action when you move again. (And hydrocodone barely makes a dent on it - it's a pretty sharp pain there).

They're supposedly setting the building yesterday and today - wish them luck, and truly miss being there to see the completion. I delivered 1/7th of the units, and would have liked to have been there to see it go up.

Still working through with the insurance company, but the initial claims and 'patient responsible' reflect $6,384 owed for my one ER visit to rid the blood sausage Part One. No way I wanted to go back there, so I'm pleased that it found a way out on its own this time.

Fun, Fun, Fun.