long and short of it

One week ago tonight Cheryl took me to the hospital with difficulty breathing and chest pains. I was promptly admitted to the cardiac floor. The fear was that the thalidomide I'm taking for the myeloma may have caused a blood clot.

After a series of tests including a bronchial flush (I call roto-router of the lungs), a walking stress test with echocardiogram and a whole lot of other unpleasant stuff and many pokes for blood it was finally determined I have a mild staph infection in my lungs.

I was dismissed late Tuesday evening with a prescription for a medication to protect my kidneys from the dye used in the stress test. There wasn't a pharmacy in the near vicinity that had even heard of the medication. After many telephone calls by Cheryl and a few from me my admitting doctor arranged for the hospital internal pharmacy to give me the medication (it was just 3 doses).

On Wednesday the Pulmonologist called and prescribed an antibiotic for the infection. I take 1,000 mg per day for ten (10) days which is two horse pills.

I'm still having a little difficulty breathing sometimes but it is getting better. I go back to the Oncologist on Wednesday and Cheryl is planning on being back for that. No she didn't neglect me while I was in the hospital. She had some critical meetings she had to attend so my sister, Linda, the RN, came to be with me.

The "long and short of it"... the weekend was short, really short and the week was long, very long. I had difficulty keeping tack of the day and date. You'd think I was taking medicine!