The way they told me is, it has more to do with nurse shift changes and getting stuff done before that happens rather than the actual quality of blood in relation to time and/or food.
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I’m sorry, I was just being snarky. It was the end of a long, long day. I’ve been told the same thing, and it makes sense from the business/admin perspective of the hospital. Like the beeping machines, it’s goofy when considered from the perspective of a patient who needs good rest.
Hopefully you are done with the hospital and all its disruptions. Continued prayers for healing!
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That’s wonderful news!! Now just focus on yourself and getting better, everything else you can put on hold for a little while. Glad your on the mend🎉
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(So i had to take a minute to respond to this one because i knew it was going to be a long one.)
I truly and dearly appreciate your understanding and support. I wish it was over but we’re not done yet. I am still crippled for the next minimum of 3 months. I may hopefully be out of the hospital for good, but this is the beginning. I wish it wasn’t, but what can we do when it’s out of our control?
Oh my gosh I’m so sorry that happened to YOU. That’s insane. At least i went back in within 24 hours. They tried to send me home but i wasn’t having it. They they called me back almost a day later to call me back into the hospital. I couldn’t imagine dealing with that kind of infection a week on my own! One of the good things they said about my condition is it was an early infection and that because of it, i shouldn’t expect any serious long term complications. If i had however, the bacteria could have latched on to the titanium rod in my bone and if that happened i was screwed. (No pun intended) i looked it up and the strep bacterial blood infection can lead to a toxic shock syndrome if not caught on time where the bacteria deposits wastes in all of your organs and only 1/3rd survive, and out of those that do, they always suffer from some sort of complication. Some have permanent organ damage, some have to have septic limbs removed, some have both, and all walk away with PTSD. Which is probably what would have happened to me if i didn’t catch it so soon. That and loosing my leg from what it sounded like.
You know, there was a time i could have read that and seen it as no big deal, unfortunate maybe, but it’s the help you needed so it must be ok. Now i know better. Those routine needles, it’s torture. Plain and simple. Nothing makes having to get stabbed on a schedule easy just because you need it.
I was on 2 aggressive IV antibiotics, 3x a day, for 3 hours of drip each. That is for a total of 9 hours on drip morning afternoon and night every day for the week i was back in there. Not to mention that one IV couldn’t last that long. My body doesn’t hold an iv well. I lost count but i had to have had over 15 different IV’s, with multiple changes/attempts on a day for some days. The vein in the crook of my right elbow burst and i still have pain from the medicine deposits into my soft tissue. They stabbed my wrist (and I’m a skinny lady, there’s not much skin to be had on my wrists) and i honestly wanted to end it all right there. It was so much pain, and I didn’t want them to do it, there was blood pouring from my wrist in droves. The pain honestly rivaled my broken leg, and i lost it right then. They had to send for the chaplain to calm me down. The chaplain tried and failed. Then they put me on watch all through the night.
I had 2 blood clot shots a day, 3 or 4 blood draws that i could expect at all hours of the day and night, i had to endure multiple strip searches against my will, i can’t count how many nurses there have seen my body. I couldn’t eat hardly anything because the stupid kitchen for the life of me just COULD NOT get my diet right. And i couldn’t go outside not for a single breath of fresh air i was stuck to that godforsaken bed.
They don’t recognize it enough but the the traumas you are made to endure in those institutions are real and damaging. I don’t think i will ever forget what they put me through. So i get it now. I’m so so so sorry that you had to endure the same traumas.
That’s exactly what happened with me as well. Except i asked and asked and asked and for the longest time i didn’t even know what kind of infection i had. And the first time i started getting any answers was when a nurse said to me: “the odds of you getting an infection from surgery are very low but it is a risk and you agreed to that risk when you signed the release form to have them do it.”
That right there, man. 
Like, all i had asked her is how could i have gotten streptococcus bacteria inside my bloodstream? I never even mentioned the surgery…
And i was crying my eyes out about it with another nurse, asking her “what are the odds? What are the (bleep)ing odds??!” And all she could say is “I’m sorry.”
Later on the contagious diseases doctor says it ‘could have been’ from the surgery, but we will ‘never know for sure.’ which is a load of cr*p.
Exactly.
Now that I’ve seen how they ‘determine’ where the infection came from, i agree. I’ll bet the numbers that count up the risk of a surgical complication that leads to infection like this is so low in part because there is such a high number of individuals suffering out there in which they can ‘never know for sure’ what the true origins of their complication actually is. If that were to be discovered however, i bet the risk factors regarding surgical operations would change dramatically as a result…
Now, that doesn’t overtun my previous statement. I don’t believe that because something got contaminated in surgery it’s always the direct fault of the surgical staff. The streptococcus bacteria resides normally on people’s skin. It’s kind of hard to judge where in the surgery there was skin contact with a sterile tool or operation site. Or if that was it at all. Perhaps someone has flaky skin like i do. I don’t know. But regardless, it happened. There was a student amongst the surgeons, he could have easily made the mistake that caused it.
But regardless, I’m still mad. And i have the right to be. I shouldn’t have had to endure any of what I’ve had to endure. Period.
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AMEN sister! At least I was in my twenties when I went through the infection so I had age on my side! At 67 years old this old body would have been laid up a lot longer than a week! Plus at the time, I had a little 2 year old boy that my mother had to take care of for that week I was in the hospital. She loved him dearly but it was hard on her. But I was a single parent so she had no choice.
So here are 2 kickers. When we were both released from the hospital we were still in pain and suffering. But the biggie is that we had to pay for the hospital’s error, physically, mentally, emotionally, but most of all financially because our insurance paid the bill. Ever wonder why insurance is so ridiculously expensive these days?
Your ordeal was and still is a lot worse than mine was and I surely wish I lived close to you to help you through this. What was the line in the movie Steel Magnolias? “What does not kill us makes us stronger”.
Feel free to PM me anytime. I can’t make it go away but I will support you as best as I can……
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Im in my 20’s right now so i have age on my side too and there is a lot to be said for that.
I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been to have a toddler up in the mix of all of the other stressors.
I don’t know about that. They may have put me through a lot, but an abdominal abscess sounds really intense and i couldn’t imagine having to go through that myself. That and pain is pain. It all sucks.
I so appreciate you @caron you’re like the coolest reptile loving grandma i never had.
(I hope I don’t offend you by saying that, lol. My actual grandma is only a couple of years older than you, but my family has always had kids young.)
And I’m a shy lady in direct conversation, but i would love to chat! I’ll definitely reach out.
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Sweetie you do not offend me in any way! In fact quite the opposite! I am so glad to be considered a “cool” grandma”!
You reach out to me any time! Just hang in there girl! Pull out that inner strength we women are born with. Believe me you are not alone!
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I am so sorry for all you’re continuing to go though, @auriea. I’m praying for you. And @caron, you have also come though so much. I’m a member of this unhappy club, too. If I can help in any way, be an ear, a shoulder, a virtual hug, please do let me know.
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@auriea and @caron I am so sorry for the ordeals you’ve both endured in hospitals. I am grateful that I haven’t suffered through hospital stays, pain and infections like you and so many others have, but I can almost feel the pain, worry and frustration just from reading your words. My cousin, who is a very dear friend of mine, has been in hospitals for weeks and months at a time due to an extremely rare genetic disorder (well, that’s the diagnosis that most closely relates to the widely unpredictable and unexplainable symptoms she has), and the bells, alarms, injections, IVs, loads of puzzled doctors and hopelessness that she and her elderly parents endure day in and day out is heartbreaking. I sincerely wish you a speedy recovery! Please do keep us updated. Also, if you have anybody such as acquaintances, family, near or far, don’t be afraid or hesitant to reach out. I sincerely wish my friends, family, neighbors, acquaintances, etc would reach out to me because I would love to lend a hand, I just don’t get asked even though I readily offer. I dunno, maybe some / many / most people aren’t sure if the offer is authentic or generic in this crazy world these days, but I want to say a strong majority would be happy you asked. Take care.
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God bless you sweetie! Thank you so much for your kind words! Virtual hug right back atcha! 
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Sweet! I got both of the cool grandmas here! You two are like, my favorite people.
( Sweating once again because I don’t know how old you are or if i just insulted you by assuming* 
)
You can absolutely join this newly founded ‘hospital survivors anonymous’
We should make relatable t-shirts like:
“4am? Really?” With a drawing of a blood draw needle
A particle pin board with a piece of paper and a bunch of iv and shot needles pined to it that says “got poked?”
Another one that says “Every shift change be like:”
Wheel of fortune: NURSE ADDITION!!
Spin for competency.
Options: nice but in a fake way, obviously doesn’t know what they’re doing, forgets to give you pain medication but turns out the lights at night, passive aggressive and treats you like a disobedient animal, Didn’t read your chart but is chill, the cool nurse but constantly M.I.A.
I bet people stuck in long term inpatient care would love those.
Virtual hugs right back at you both! Sorry @caron i have disappeared since my last reply, but i have great news! I got out! I also got a new phone from my brother because my old phone had the data connection and internet speed of a doughnut and he’s long since had enough of begging me to replace it. I’m not a technology savvy person and I’m still trying to figure out how it works… This is the first time in like 4 years that I’ve had a brand other than Motorola. I’m not going to lie, i miss my Motorola functions. It’s been a little piece of chaos around my house trying to figure out post inpatient phone calls, paperwork, attorneys, appointments and home care and pet care visits, all that. But i am so so so happy to be home.
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Thank you, so much, for your words! I really mean it. I can’t imagine what your cousin is going through after so much time with so few answers…
It hurts me to hear that she’s going through that.
You know what would honestly mean a lot, is if you haven’t in a little bit, visit her. Sneak in some of her favorite food (if it wouldn’t interfere with her health, ofc.) Or download a season of her favorite show or a couple movies onto a laptop and have a movie night. Or bring a pack of cards and play together. If you both are nerdy like me, you could play magic together. Or learn if you haven’t ever played. It’s a lot more engaging than go fish, and a single game lasts longer too. It can get complicated if you play with certain mechanics like artifact decks or just the color blue in general, but that’s part of the fun! There’s so many ways to play and you can make it as easy or complex as you want!
Honestly I’ll bet she doesn’t get too many frequent visits anymore. When i went into the hospital, the first couple of days, all of my close family and my partner showed up. I was brought clothes, snuck food, given entertainment, it was really nice. But just a couple of days later and no one visited me after that. My partner would come by to give me things from the house that i requested, but he got frustrated with the frequency of visits. I definitely noticed when days went by and no one came. It’s really lonely. When you get lucky and have a nice nurse it’s cool, but they’ll leave by the end of their shift, and you might never see them again. It’s nice when a decent nurse does become a repeat nurse for a short while, but that doesn’t usually happen. So it can get really lonely having so many strangers coming in and out of your room but never for long enough to have a decent conversation.
And blankets. Comfy pillows and blankets are so so so appreciated when you’re stuck in the hospital! Like, i had my partner bring me my brand new extra soft pillow and my soft fluffy green full sized throw blanket from home, and it was a dream. I was so glad to be rid of those rough cotton throw away sheets and the extra long cheap towel like blankets it made the rest of my stay so much better.
So yeah. It’s really hard being in those institutions for long periods of time. They’re not designed to make you well, they’re designed to keep you alive until you are able to stay alive without help. They don’t give a damn about your mental situation as long as you’re not a threat to yourself or others. That’s why it’s so important to visit whenever you can.
And I’m not usually a flowers or plant person, but flowers are actually really nice inside a hospital. Or a little potted plant. Something green and alive. It’s really nice amongst all of the white walls and whirring machines.
Virtual hugs back, i will that your sister may get better soon. That she might finally get a reprieve from the hospital even for a little while.
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Thank you so very much. She amazes me every single day. When she is not in the hospital she is a special education teacher, track coach and volunteer tutor. I’m not exaggerating at the fact that she’s missed over half the school year being in the hospital. She is not able to walk. Yet the most spectacular gesture she does is pay for my mom, my daughter and I to go on a cruise and to Mexico together every year. Literally pays it all. I pay her back as much as I am able but I drive the 1.5 hours at least twice a month to stay with her the whole day to try to cheer her up. Her disease is degenerative and incurable; the funny part about her is that she somehow convinces the hospital staff that she is well enough to go home just in time for each vacation lol. I know she knows that she is running on borrowed time, but she is darn sure to make these special memories that last a lifetime and it means the world to each one of us.
Aannddd the train just went off the tracks!! I completely DERAILED your original post. I’m so sorry.
So, steering us back to topic, I read about forum members here and in other forums who fall on hard times, maybe have to sell some or all of their collections to pay for medical bills, veterinary treatment for beloved pets. It obviously adds that extra punch in the gut. If any of our members here are ever facing such a devastating hardship with their reptiles, it really doesn’t hurt to post here, like @auriea did. So many folks on here genuinely seem to have hearts of gold, multiple talents and possible ideas or resources to help.
I think my special skill is to type extra long posts here that veer off on 10 tangents within a single post. Yup, that’s my mind all day every day, and most nights too. I’m done. Sorry guys!
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Oh my gosh, yes!!! Those shirts would sell! LOVE your take on the Wheel of Fortune. I have absolutely played that game! Got the literal scars to prove it, too. 
And yeah, I’m a literal Grandma. Delighted to be a literal Grandma since 2018, but as a high school teacher I got accustomed to 14YO freshmen thinking I was a grandma when I was 35 lol. (Disclaimer, I know there are actual 35YO grandmas. I’ve met more than a couple, usually raising their grandkids.) I’m sorry you’ve joined the medical misery sorority but happy to count you “in the family” as a fellow herp lover.
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No no! Don’t be sorry, i absolutely LOVE hearing stories about you folks as well! Your cousin sounds like an amazing woman… i can only wish to become that strong and driven someday! It sounds like she’s already collected a good bit of great life experiences. I’ll bet she’ll figure out a way to collect many more before she’s through. I’m glad to hear you take the time to say hi to her on a regularly scheduled basis. I bet that means a LOT.
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Being a part of the fam makes being in the sorority a little better. I appreciate you guys and everyone on here so much! It’s so invaluable to have a community and I’m so glad i found mine. 
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@auriea Well I am SO glad to almost literally hear you rejoicing to be home and free of the hospital medical mess! I love your quips too!
One of these days I’ll have to pm you guys @caryl about the “Dr Demento” who talked me into getting a shingles vaccine……. 4 loooooooong years ago……. 
And of course I am a 67 year old grandma and I am proud to be yours too! For me age is just a number. And by the way. Jeff Runne, the Boaphile guy, calls me the crazy boa lady. Sound familiar? We are kindred spirits!! And you didn’t even know it did you? Lol!
You take care til next time!
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Hey. I’m sorry about everything that’s going on, that sounds insane!
I just want to put out there that I also live in the puget sound area, because I’m not sure how many people from here are. So I’m decently close to you.
If your pet sitter has to back out, or they aren’t doing well, or the animals will need care for a longer time than the sitter is able to provide, I’d be willing to help out with some or all. Depending on what you have and the extra space I can make.
I don’t have a car, so anyone I was taking care of would have to come home with me for that period of time so that I could care for them. And that would suck so hard, not having your kid(s) with you. Definitely a last resort.
But I figured I’d put it in your back pocket. If things get desperate, you have at least one person you can look at while you search for better solutions. I have experience with turtles, tortoises, snakes, beardies and leopard geckos: I learn quick, and nothing but a tarantula will scare me.
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