Saturday, December 27, 2008

Falalalalalifegoeson

It has been a long ime since I have posted here. 3 weeks at UCSF as an inpatient recovering from two surgeries in a variety of rooms (including 3 IcUs.) followed by several weeks in bed at home. On November 14, they admitted me to the surgical floor where Dr. El Sayed was to perform surgery on my nose, quite likely surgically separating it from my face. Five plus hours in the operating room and my nose was completely separated from my face. I awoke to a face swathed in bandages and some somber expressions. Turns out, Dr. El Sayed did not get all the cancer - the tumor had made its way under my skull base and was dangerously close to my brain. Dr. El sayed suggested a second surgery with Dr. Michael McDermott, a neurosurgeon who specializes in the skull base area. Damn! That was set for November 19 and once again, I gamely went into the OR although this time, I was terrified. When I came out of the anesthesia, I was shaking all over and freezing cold. Turns out, they lowered my body temperature for the surgery. It would have been nice to be warned about that. And on November 18, I went in for a biopsy on my lymph nodes. Thankfully, that test was negative.

While in hospital, I was served a vareity of awful food. Carboard, I believe it was. So I didn't eat during the time I was there.

I did have a lot of visitors - My sister and my son were there daily, and others who came on a regular basis were family friends Mary Yannaghas, Gari Katsanis, and Mary's daugheter Kathy Karsant, as well as Pat Campbell, Deb Grabien, Judy Dawson, Helana Fitzgerald, Lyn Scholz, Karen Lyberger, Peter Albin and Angela Gans. At one point, we were all in my room in the 11th floor neuro ICU, divided into teams and playing San Francisco Trivial Pursuit. Some bitch nurse decided we were too rowdy and made everybody leave. Later, in the same ICU, I was given a different nurse, Kelly Wood, who was wonderful.

After the drain in my brain was removed, I was relocated to regular ICU on the 13th floor, which was way cool because each of those rooms had flat screen LG TVs and Bose Sound systems with 5 CD changers. So I got to hear some of my music. One nurse on that floor was an asshole. While I was using the bedside commode for the first time, said nurse (A male named Ron) tore open the curtains and had a conversation with the nurse who was helping me, leaving me exposed to the entire area, I finally yelled at him, "Hey, patient here - I could use some privacy. SHUT THE FUCKING CURTAIN."

The next day, I was moved to a private room on the 8th floor where I was visited by the New Riders of the Purple Sage - en masse. They filed into the room led by Captain Toast - Little Toast, Johnny Markowski, Ronnie Penque, Buddy Cage and David Nelson. That was very special.

Damn Fools kept me incarcerated long after I was told I could go home - I had developed a fever and chills which they finally determined, days later, was a virus.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Michelle
I hope this finds you and you are doing well and are in good spirits. I don't know what to say to make you feel better except; May God Bless. Your friend always, Scotty.

Corry342 said...

Michelle

Great to see you back in the mix

Corry

Anonymous said...

Michelle,

All the best to you in recovery! So good to hear that you are back home and here at your blog. So the whole NRPS gang came to see you!!! SWEET! I wish that I could have met you while out in SF and I sure wish that you were well to join us here on the east coast for the NYE show. Get well so NEXT YEAR you can come east!!!

Look forward to reading more from you as you get better and better with each passing day!

-Bob (Reading, PA)

Vegas Linda Lou said...

Wow. I am so sending you positve healing vibes. I feel like such as asshole for complaining about my stupid hair.

Do take care!

DebGrabien said...

I'm still shaking my head over the way they kept using you as a human ICU pinball. "Butbutbut, she was in room 835 yesterday! I was there! Whaddya mean, she's up on twelve? DAMN IT!"

Patrick Wilson Fans Blog said...

Thinking of you and hoping you are feeling stronger/better.

Sharon :o)
Buffalo, NY