Shopping for an occasion

Not too long after my transplant a few years ago, I found myself out at the shops looking for a whole new set of clothing for a particular occasion.  The occasion of having to be stuck in hospital and wanting to wear something other than pyjamas. 

Now don't get me wrong, I do love my pyjamas and happily wear them all day when I'm not feeling the best.  But sometimes you have visitors, or want to pop down to the cafeteria for something more palatable than the hospital meal you've been served.  And sometimes you just want to have proper clothes on in the off chance that the doctors will look at you, see that you're dressed, presume you are well and send you home.*

Winter hospital clothing is quite easy, trackie dacks or yoga pants, a few loose tees and some cardies or zip up jackets.  Jumpers are no good due to cannulas sticking out of your arm in awkward places and having your obs done every hour or so.  I also like to buy the stretchy crop top bras because they are more comfortable to lounge around in if you feel the desire to bother putting one on.

Summer hospital attire is a little bit more difficult.  There really is nothing that compares in comfort and coolness to a pair of boxers.  I've purchased a few trial items such as knee length trackies but am still looking for just the right garment for the bottom half.  Yoga pants sometimes work okay as the air con is usually set to The North Pole.

Luckily at the moment it is Winter and my wardrobe now has sufficient amounts of trackie dacks and loose tees.  Luckily, I was up to date on my washing.



Have you ever shopped for a strange occasion?







* unfortunately this has not yet happened to me.

Things I have learnt about hospital #1

I've been going through my draft pile of posts and came across this one which was just sitting around waiting for more nuggets of gold to be added.  Since I don't plan on going back to hospital Any Time Soon (or Later), I figured I might as well post it.  I can always do a #2 if I've just jinxed myself...


Private health insurance is the bomb. Really.

Private hospitals are five billion times better than public hospitals, noticed particularly when you are being transfer from private to public.  And when you are eating the hospital meals.

Take your own pillow.  The first time I was there MR brought mine in for me when he arrived home.  Oh the bliss.

Ask for print outs of your blood test results.  You will learn loads.  For example, I finally learnt how to properly read and understand the greater than and less than signs ( < > ) that I never understood in high school.

If you are good (and not toooo sick) they will let you go out for the day.  So long as you come back.

Beeping is fucking annoying.  (Okay, I did already know this)

It is amazing what you can actually cope with being poked and prodded in and pulled out of your body.

Nurses will not believe you when you try to convince them that the nasogastric tube (that you pulled out) fell out.

Nasogastric tubes are the worst invention of all time EVER.  I do not blame anyone for pulling their own out.  I won't go so far as to encourage it, but oh the relief!*#(!#^!@^! (until they stuck it back in)

Many medical people think they are Good At Putting In Canulas.  They are Not.

Those sticky dots are their three goes on that arm before they got it in,
there are two matching sticky dots on the other arm...)

Please feel free to add your own random/ironic/sarcastic/serious observations from your hospital stays.

Out of hospital and health update

  
I'm out of hospital, they let me out yesterday, a day earlier than I was expecting!  Super yay!

I've got some new drugs to try and help my lungs, as they have gotten no better and a little bit worse in the month since I started treatment for them and if the drugs don't begin to work in the three weeks before my next check up with the pulminary docs they want me back in for some IV treatment.  So fingers crossed big time there!! I am planning to not be back in hospital Any Time Soon.  I can now also add endocrinologists to the gamut of specialists dealing with my case as the tests they ran show my adrenal glands are working and yet my cortisol is low so my hepatology docs want to consult with them to decide what to do about it.  Also, my BCR-ABL results (leukaemia concentration in blood) have come back from the February tests and show they have risen a little bit, from 5.6 to 8.8%  Not good, but not toooooo bad either.  My haemotologist said she wants to see two spikes in my levels before she needs to put me back on meds but they want to get the lungs and the adrenal glands sorted out first anyhow.  My liver count is finally back under 35 (where it is meant to be) after over a month, very excited about that and my kidneys are almost back to normal too.  They are attributing their rise in numbers to a mixture of my immunosuppressant and antifungal medications so they have lowered the immunosuppresants slightly while I get over all these stupid fungal and bacterial infections.

And that's the latest in my health news.  Ahh, I miss the days where I could wrap up health news in a sentence.  Oh, I had a cold last week but I'm better now. If only.  Now I just sound like a contender for the World's Biggest Hypochondriac.  Please God, don't let that become a new reality TV show. 

Anyhow, just a quick post from me today, I'll probably be absent for a few days because I have a housewarming party to organise and hold - whee! It certainly won't be anything like the spectacular parties I see hosted on some of your blogs.  I am making a coleslaw, a potato bake and perhaps a plate or two of nibbles.  MR is in charge of BBQ duties with whoever else that volunteers on the day and I have had six very kind and helpful people offer to bring more salads for me.  I am trying to be very casual and not my usual crazy over-catering self who thinks of lots of yummy things she could make that take many hours of preparation.  There will be no bunting, no rainbow cakes, no fancy colour themes, no themes at all for that matter.  Just a typical run of the mill Aussie BBQ.  And that is fine by me.  It will just be nice to spend time with friends and family.  MR's parents are coming down Saturday night and my Mum is coming around a bit early on Sunday to help us to get everything organised without me getting worn out.  And then all I have to stress over is making sure all our different groups of friends interact and no one gets left feeling lonely!

Looking forward to catching up on everyone's blogs when I'm back. x




A Year of Good Things
73/366 ::For Transplant Australia::
My Run for a Reason fundraiser page reached and passed it's target of $1000, I'm now up to $1045, two whole months before the event! Time for a target raising!  Thanks to those bloggy people who have donated, you know who you are!! 

74/366 ::For me::
Out of hospital on my liver's five month anniversary - yay!

75/366 ::For my meow::
Lots of cuddles and attention after being left alone (the neighbour fed her) for 3 days and 2 nights

Going ons

In hospital they serve dinner at 5.30pm.  This is Too Early, in my opinion, as I normally have dinner at 8 or later (mainly because I am too lazy to be bothered getting up and making it earlier and I am not particularly hungry because I had breakfast at 12 and then a lunchey snack of fruit and yoghurt or something similar at 5)  Along with too early, as mentioned before (I'm sure somewhere) it is quite not nice.  Instant mash potato and vegies from the freezer.  Bland mains.  Usually I give it a try and if it's okay I will eat some of it.  But never the instant mash potato, deeeesgusting. Tonight's meal was chicken schnitzel with gravy and it was tolerable.  But now it is 8.40 and I am hungry.

 So I am snacking on cheese and crackers and my Dad is on his way in with some carrot cake.  Last night my sister brought me a lamington and cream, along with the cheese (already had the crackers) and a punnet of cherry tomatoes.  Priorities.

Meanwhile, I am reading blogs.  Getting nice and up to date on all the ones in my list.  But, you are not posting enough, those of you that are my favourite bloggy people.  I need more entertainment!  I am not quite bored, but close.

Last night I did some embroidery, I decided last minute at about 3am Monday morning* that I could make a little case for my ereader while in hospital.  I could only find pink felt because I couldn't be bothered getting to the box at the bottom of the stack that has all my felt in it.  But I have fallen out of love with it after posting it on facebook last night and my sister posting the comment "You know what that looks like...?"

It took me a minute or so but then... OH.  Well.  That is not what it is supposed to be and now all I can think of is that I am doing a vagina designed ereader case.


Edit: I should be out in a couple of days, in fact, I am quite determined I will be out by Thursday because MR and I are having our housewarming party this weekend and I have Stuff To Do!  I am really only here so the doctors can run tests at their convenience, as they think of them.