*DISCLAIMER* I was without internet access for a week (horrid, I know), so I wrote during the week.
I have been up for 22 hours. Not a record, I know, but I can't sleep! My breakfast will arrive in less than 3 hours. I think I'll have more visitors after that. Hospitals are no place for resting. Sunday morning I went in to the ER where I thought that they'd just give me some back-to-back nebulizer treatments and steroids and then send me home like most of my asthma attack episodes. Not so this time. It was back enough (even with clear chest x-rays) that they still wanted me to be admitted. It's now almost 5:15 am Tuesday morning. There may be a chance for me to be discharged later on today, but the doctor was not definitive on that.
I've dealt with acid reflux last night from all the breathing treatments and now I'm nauseous. The nurse was able to get a hold of the doctor rather quickly to get me something for it. I'm attempting to type without my left index finger due to the pulse-oxymeter I've been hooked to. It's been interesting to see how my O2 level and pulse react to various movements. My pulse has been rather high (100-120) during the day and right now it's about 80. My O2 level could be higher. It's been sitting at 93-96% throughout the day. It needs to be 99-100%. They've had me on oxygen since they decided to admit me.
This really wasn't what I expected to be doing this summer at all. I had blood drawn twice in the ER and an IV put in. That IV did not work for the second dose of steroids, so they had an IV tech person come in to restart one. That took 3 more pokes yesterday. OUCH! Then, the area around that IV started to swell. Had to have another one restarted. That hurt too. I'm not afraid of needles, though. I've watched every poke they've made. Kind of interesting. I know I've asked them a lot of questions, but I haven't bugged them too much, I think.
I'm thankful for the friends that have called and visited. And for the prayers. I did have a funny call, though. I've been living with a 73 year old woman for about a month now. Her son, who set up this living arrangement, called me and said that admitting my self to the ER was a quite extreme way to get away from his mother. He never thought of that! We had a good laugh over that (and she's not THAT bad to live with). Well, it's time to get off and try so get to sleep now. *Yawn*
Haha! No joke, as soon as I put the bed down and shut off the light, a nurse comes in to give me some meds. Then, a short while later, another nurse comes in to hook up the antibiotics to the IV and take my vitals. 7:50 am and I am up. I guess all I needed was short nap. Such as life.
Two more IV pokes today. Ouch. No naps though. Maybe I'll be able to sleep tonight.
I was told by the allergy and asthma doctor that a case of unmanaged asthma like mine usually results in a 3-5 day hospital stay. This is going on night number 3. *sigh* The respiratory therapist is changing up my neb treatments a bit by adding an inhaled steroid morning and evening and the albuterol treatments every 4 hours as needed.
I do have to say that some strange shows come on at night. I had the tv in the animal channel and I learned a bit about a very small but poisonous relative of the Portuguese-Man-of-War. Interesting. I think I've seen it before.
China and India get to see a 7 minute long lunar eclipse tonight. I'd like to see that. We just get rain. (Yeah, watching the negatively-biased news. Can't take too much of it.)
Wednesday was a first for me. Apparently the steroids they have me on may have a side effect of raising my blood sugar. When the nurse pricked my finger, my sugar was 320. They gave me insulin. The next time they came in to check, it was 317, so I had to have more insulin. "Normal" is 120 or so. The first was taking the insulin. I used to check my sugar level at grandparents' house (both were diabetic and I was a little paranoid).
Now it's Thursday morning. Still don't know if I've leaving yet. Every time I get up, my oxygen level dips to 88-89% without the oxygen in my nose and that's to do minimal movements. I'd like to get some walking in but I feel like I'm on a leash since they have the pulse-ox on me 24/7. I can only get as far as the bathroom. Getting a little stir crazy being stuck in this room. I guess I saw a doctor yesterday, but I don't remember. They are all meshing together. It doesn’t help that the name of the doctor that has been on the info board in my room hasn't changed in three days and I never even met that doctor.
5:40 am Friday. Awake with pain. The nurse came in to start the antibiotic IV drip. No real problem there, but when she left, I felt a burning sensation. I thought it was the initial entering the vein burning, but it persisted after the nurse left. Then, I felt an odd wetness. I lifted my arm and some the antibiotic dripped onto my face. Yeah, another IV issue. The nurse was quick to come back in and take the IV out. She said she'd have another nurse that's good with IVs come in and check me out to see if she could get another one in me. If not, I'd have to wait for IV therapy to come in (mind you, IV therapy has done six pokes for 3 IV sites on me already). The other nurse did a great job. She found another vein quickly and only poked me once. It bled a bit, but it's not burning or anything. So now, the grand total is 8 pokes for 4 IVs.
I had my sugar checked this morning already. The last 4-5 checks have resulted in high sugar levels followed by a dose of insulin. I've done what I could (not eating or drinking anything knowingly high in sugar) to try to get it down. It was 115 this morning! Much better than 340 yesterday. No insulin this morning.
Completely off topic, but it seems that the government is against people owning things that are old. The whole HD TV thing and now cars. They are not happy unless people are spending money out the wazoo. Just leave us be! Oh, and another thing that's bugging me (and I wouldn't know it, but I've been watching TV and can't fast forward through the commercials) is a ridiculous and offensive commercial put on by some gay group. It's the "Emma and Julia" one. It starts with two teenage girls that are talking about what to do after work. One asks if the other is going to a party or something and the other replies that she parents said she had be go home right after work. The other answers with "that is go gay" and the other one says the same thing. That's when a customer walks up and says that "that is so Emma and Julia" and that everyone is saying it. The commercial ends with telling people (rather rudely) that they need to think before they speak and knock it off. Excuse you? I have to listen to the world say all sorts of offensive things about Christianity and the world gets in a tizzy when Christians speak up about but now I have listen to that crap? No way.
Today is going pretty well, I guess. My O2 stats still aren't the best though.
I think all these meds have had a strange affect on me. I tear up so easily! I find it amusing. From reading a great book (which would lead to some tears anyway) to the results of What Not to Wear to even the astounded reactions in a car restoration show (of which the title completely left me). Yeah, odd, I know. I think I even teared up watching a dog show. I know I'm female, but even that is a little much for me.
OverHauled. It came back to me.
Just found out that they need to do another IV for the CAT scan. Lager gauge. A nurse just tried and it must have been on a nerve because I felt pain all the way up in my shoulder from the poke in my elbow. Up to 9 IV pokes now and heading to 10.
The CAT scan IV took 3 pokes to take. That scan was quite a bit different. It really made me feel warm as the fluid was pushed through me. I had to ask for the results since no one bothered to tell me anything after a couple hours. No blood clots (very good news) but the lower sections of my lungs aren't expanding as they ought to be. The nurse basically told me to exercise my lungs by taking deeps breaths throughout every hour (in addition to my regular breathing, of course!) to try to make those pockets expand.
I get to go home today! Woo-hoo! It's about time! Lol
A full week in the hospital is not what I planned a all, but I am finally feeling much better.
(me, Gloria, Claudia, Yolanda, Julia, Lucia, and Melissa
(awful pic of me, but I am in front of the Atlantic Ocean)| By Edna Ellison I spent the week before my daughter's June wedding running last-minute trips to the caterer, florist, tuxedo shop, and the church about forty miles away. As happy as I was that Patsy was marrying a good Christian young man, I felt laden with responsibilities as I watched my budget dwindle . So many details, so many bills, and so little time. My son Jack was away at college, but he said he would be there to walk his younger sister down the aisle, taking the place of his dad who had died a few years before. He teased Patsy, saying he'd wanted to give her away since she was about three years old! To save money, I gathered blossoms from several friends who had large magnolia trees. Their luscious, creamy-white blooms and slick green leaves would make beautiful arrangements against the rich dark wood inside the church. After the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, we banked the podium area and choir loft with magnolias. As we left just before midnight, I felt tired but satisfied this would be the best wedding any bride had ever had! The music, the ceremony, the reception - and especially the flowers - would be remembered for years. The big day arrived - the busiest day of my life - and while her bridesmaids helped Patsy to dress, her fiance Tim walked with me to the sanctuary to do a final check. When we opened the door and felt a rush of hot air, I almost fainted; and then I saw them - all the beautiful white flowers were black. Funeral black. An electrical storm during the night had knocked out the air conditioning system, and on that hot summer day, the flowers had wilted and died. I panicked, knowing I didn't have time to drive back to our hometown, gather more flowers, and return in time for the wedding. Tim turned to me. 'Edna, can you get more flowers? I'll throw away these dead ones and put fresh flowers in these arrangements.' I mumbled, 'Sure,' as he be-bopped down the hall to put on his cuff links. Alone in the large sanctuary, I looked up at the dark wooden beams in the arched ceiling. 'Lord,' I prayed, 'please help me. I don't know anyone in this town. Help me find someone willing to give me flowers - in a hurry!' I scurried out praying for four things: the blessing of white magnolias, courage to find them in an unfamiliar yard, safety from any dog that may bite my leg, and a nice person who would not get out a shotgun when I asked to cut his tree to shreds. As I left the church, I saw magnolia trees in the distance. I approached a house...No dog in sight. I knocked on the door and an older man answered. So far so good . .No shotgun. When I stated my plea the man beamed, 'I'd be happy to!' He climbed a stepladder and cut large boughs and handed them down to me. Minutes later, as I lifted the last armload into my car trunk, I said, 'Sir, you've made the mother of a bride happy today.' 'No, Ma'am,' he said. 'You don't understand what's happening here.' 'What?' I asked. 'You see, my wife of sixty-seven years died on Monday. On Tuesday I received friends at the funeral home, and on Wednesday . . . He paused. I saw tears welling up in his eyes. 'On Wednesday I buried her.' He looked away. 'On Thursday most of my out-of-town relatives went back home, and on Friday - yesterday - my children left.' I nodded. 'This morning,' he continued, 'I was sitting in my den crying out loud. I miss her so much. For the last sixteen years, as her health got worse, she needed me. But now nobody needs me. This morning I cried, 'Who needs an eighty-six-year-old wore-out man? Nobody!' I began to cry louder. 'Nobody needs me!' About that time, you knocked, and said, 'Sir, I need you.' I stood with my mouth open. He asked, 'Are you an angel? The way the light shone around your head into my dark living room...' I assured him I was no angel. He smiled. 'Do you know what I was thinking when I handed you those magnolias?' 'No.' 'I decided I'm needed. My flowers are needed. Why, I might have a flower ministry! I could give them to everyone! Some caskets at the funeral home have no flowers. People need flowers at times like that and I have lots of them.. They're all over the backyard! I can give them to hospitals, churches - all sorts of places. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to serve the Lord until the day He calls me home!' I drove back to the church, filled with wonder. On Patsy's wedding day, if anyone had asked me to encourage someone who was hurting, I would have said, 'Forget it! It's my only daughter's wedding, for goodness' sake! There is no way I can minister to anyone today.' But God found a way. Through dead flowers. 'Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.' If you have missed knowing me, you have missed nothing. If you have missed some of my emails, you may have missed a laugh. But, if you have missed knowing my LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, you have missed everything in the world. May God's blessings be upon you. THIS IS SO TRUE, BEING NEEDED IS SO UPLIFTING TO EACH OF US. This story is too beautiful not to send and share with others |
HOW TO START EACH DAY WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK
1. Open a new file in your computer.
2. Name it 'Barack Obama'.
3. Send it to the Recycle Bin.
4. Empty the Recycle Bin.
5. Your PC will ask you: 'Do you really want to get rid of 'Barack Obama?'
6. Firmly Click 'Yes.'
7. Feel better?
GOOD! - Tomorrow we'll do Nancy Pelosi
11 Most Expensive Catastrophes in History
# 11. Titanic - $150 Million
The sinking of the Titanic is possibly the most famous accident in the world. But it barely makes our list of top 10 most expensive. On April 15, 1912, the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage and was considered to be the most luxurious ocean liner ever built. Over 1,500 people lost their lives when the ship ran into an iceberg and sunk in frigid waters. The ship cost $7 million to build ($150 million in today ' s dollars).
# 10. Tanker Truck vs Bridge - $358 Million
On August 26, 2004, a car collided with a tanker truck containing 32,000 liters of fuel on the Wiehltal Bridge in Germany . The tanker crashed through the guardrail and fell 90 feet off the A4 Autobahn resulting in a huge explosion and fire which destroyed the load-bearing ability of the bridge. Temporary repairs cost $40 million and the cost to replace the bridge is estimated at $318 Million.
# 9. MetroLink Crash - $500 Million
On September 12, 2008, in what was one of the worst train crashes in California history, 25 people were killed when a Metrolink commuter train crashed head-on into a Union Pacific freight train in Los Angeles . It is thought that the Metrolink train may have run through a red signal while the conductor was busy text messaging.. Wrongful death lawsuits are expected to cause $500 million in losses for Metrolink.
# 8. B-2 Bomber Crash - $1.4 Billion
Here we have our first billion dollar accident (and we ' re only #7 on the list). This B-2 stealth bomber crashed shortly after taking off from an air base in Guam on February 23, 2008. Investigators blamed distorted data in the flight control computers caused by moisture in the system. This resulted in the aircraft making a sudden nose-up move which made the B-2 stall and crash. This was 1 of only 21 ever built and was the most expensive aviation accident in history. Both pilots were able to eject to safety.
# 7. Exxon Valdez - $2.5 Billion
The Exxon Valdez oil spill was not a large one in relation to the world ' s biggest oil spills, but it was a costly one due to the remote location of Prince William Sound (accessible only by helicopter and boat). On March 24, 1989, 10.8 million gallons of oil was spilled when the ship ' s master, Joseph Hazelwood, left the controls and the ship crashed into a Reef. The cleanup cost Exxon $2.5 billion.
# 6. Piper Alpha Oil Rig - $3.4 Billion
The world ' s worst off-shore oil disaster. At one time, it was the world ' s single largest oil producer, spewing out 317,000 barrels of oil per day. On July 6, 1988, as part of routine maintenance, technicians removed and checked safety valves which were essential in preventing dangerous build-up of liquid gas. There were 100 identical safety valves which were checked. Unfortunately, the technicians made a mistake and forgot to replace one of them. At 10 PM that same night, a technician pressed a start button for the liquid gas pumps and the world ' s most expensive oil rig accident was set in motion.
Within 2 hours, the 300 foot platform was engulfed in flames. It eventually collapsed, killing 167 workers and resulting in $3.4 Billion in damages.
# 5. Challenger Explosion - $5.5 Billion
The Space Shuttle Challenger was destroyed 73 seconds after takeoff due on January 28, 1986 due to a faulty O-ring. It failed to seal one of the joints, allowing pressurized gas to reach the outside. This in turn caused the external tank to dump its payload of liquid hydrogen causing a massive explosion. The cost of replacing the Space Shuttle was $2 billion in 1986 ($4.5 billion in today ' s dollars). The cost of investigation, problem correction, and replacement of lost equipment cost $450 million from 1986-1987 ($1 Billion in today ' s dollars).
# 4. Prestige Oil Spill - $12 Billion
On November 13, 2002, the Prestige oil tanker was carrying 77,000 tons of heavy fuel oil when one of its twelve tanks burst during a storm off Galicia , Spain . Fearing that the ship would sink, the captain called for help from Spanish rescue workers, expecting them to take the ship into harbour. However, pressure from local authorities forced the captain to steer the ship away from the coast. The captain tried to get help from the French and Portuguese authorities, but they too ordered the ship away from their shores. The storm eventually took its toll on the ship resulting in the tanker splitting in half and releasing 20 million gallons oil into the sea.
According to a report by the Pontevedra Economist Board, the total cleanup cost $12 billion.
# 3. Space Shuttle Columbia - $13 Billion
The Space Shuttle Columbia was the first space worthy shuttle in NASA ' s orbital fleet. It was destroyed during re-entry over Texas on February 1, 2003 after a hole was punctured in one of the wings during launch 16 days earlier. The original cost of the shuttle was $2 Billion in 1978. That comes out to $6.3 Billion in today ' s dollars. $500 million was spent on the investigation, making it the costliest aircraft accident investigation in history. The search and recovery of debris cost $300 million.
In the end, the total cost of the accident (not including replacement of the shuttle) came out to $13 Billion according to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics..
# 2. Chernobyl - $200 Billion
On April 26, 1986, the world witnessed the costliest accident in history. The Chernobyl disaster has been called the biggest socio-economic catastrophe in peacetime history. 50% of the area of Ukraine is in some way contaminated. Over 200,000 people had to be evacuated and resettled while 1.7 million people were directly affected by the disaster. The death toll attributed to Chernobyl , including people who died from cancer years later, is estimated at 125,000. The total costs including cleanup, resettlement, and compensation to victims has been estimated to be roughly $200 Billion. The cost of a new steel shelter for the Chernobyl nuclear plant will cost $2 billion alone. The accident was officially attributed to power plant operators who violated plant procedures and were ignorant of the safety requirements needed.
# 1. 2008 Presidential Election- $800 Billion in the first two months…AND HE'S ONLY JUST BEGUN!
