When I was released from the hospital on Sunday, the doctor wanted me to have follow-up lab work a few days later to ensure my blood counts were OK. Seemed harmless....
After I finished a few meetings Wednesday morning, we headed to the lab. I checked in only to be told it would be 135 minute wait. So instead of waiting in my car because I had no interested in waiting inside, especially since they do COVID testing and only have 4 chairs. I had no interest in sitting the car for over two hours waiting for the text to come inside. So, we went back home by way of Dunkin' for fall donuts. With an hour to go, we headed back to the lab. As we were driving back to the lab, I get a text to come inside. I showed up shortly after I got the text and went inside. According to the waiting board, I had 15 minutes to wait. Then one of the workers opened the door and called the next person in line and my name. When I said, I am here, she snapped at me. She berated me telling me how she had been calling and calling my name. I told her I just got the text. She continued and I finally told her to chill out. I was fed up. Then they sent me back to the tech. She began complaining about the hospital ordering the labs. I said when the results really need to go to my doctor. She explained that I could not add him. I questioned it since it was my blood, she said, "No!" I asked if they could come to me, she said, "No!" So I said, "Basically, I will pay for lab work that will go to the black hole of the hospital?" She told me that I could just get my local doctor to write a new order. I explained that my appointment was Thursday at 4:15, which was the latest appointment I could get in the week and this was the earliest I could do my labs. I told her, "No! Just take the blood, send the results to the hospital, and I will figure it out." At this point, she told me that I didn't need to have an attitude. I explained that I didn't appreciate the attitude when I got there nor hers about the orders, I didn't feel well, and I was over the entire experience. I told her to do the labs. As she finished with my insurance and credit cards, she said, "Oh, the hospital did list your local doctor and Mayo." I just smiled and said, "That is good." Urgh!!!! She told me as I was leaving she would put a rush order to ensure it made it to my doctor before my appointment.
On Thursday, I was working and trying to get things done. It was a busy day. I missed a phone call from the hospital so they called my mom. It turned out it was the hospitalist calling to talk to me about my lab work. The platelets had dropped dangerously low. He had called my oncologist at Mayo. They both agreed I needed to go to the ER. While I was on the phone with him, Mayo called to tell me the same thing. After meeting with my local doctor, who also told me the same thing, I headed to the ER. When I got there, they had the orders from the hospitalist and my wonderful nurse who saw me the week before came in to draw my blood, since she knew my case and how difficult my veins can be. When the doctor came in, he immediately said, "So how did YOU get mesothelioma?" I gave my normal answer to that question, "I know, right!" They all were great. Unfortunately, the blood results were not. We were all hoping the lab was incorrect but the platelets had dropped even more. A normal person has 150,000 or more. At this point, mine were at 12,000. So the doctor called the hospital to make a plan to get me platelets.
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| Yes, I am in the Children's ER |
It took three and a half hours for me to leave the ER and get a room at the hospital. Another ambulance ride across town.....
By 9:15 PM I was in my room. They did go and get me dinner; however, it was 11:00 PM before I got food and midnight until I was able to start eating by the time they did everything they needed to do.
Then it took until 3 AM for them to start pushing platelets. At 4 AM, I got my second unit of platelets. About every hour throughout the night they came in to do something. When the nurse came in at 7:30 to introduce herself, my platelet count was at 111,000. I was ready to go home.
At 5:30 PM (yes, PM), the doctor finally came in. She began with an apology about how late it was when she got there. Then she asked me what the plan was. I said, to go home at 7 AM this morning. Finally, after a few minutes she told me she was writing my discharge orders. Then I waited and waited and waited for the nurse. At 6 PM, she popped in and said she would be right back. At 6:30 PM, the Patient Care Technician came in to ask what he could get me, I said my nurse so I can go home. He told me they only had one wheelchair on the floor and that is what was taking so long. I said, I do not need a wheelchair, I can walk out. He went and got my nurse. At 7:15, we were finally in the car and driving home. What a long, wasted day of sitting in bed!
For tonight . . . I'm just sayin' XOXO
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