I love learning new things. I really do. I'm usually game for gaining new knowledge. But, if I have to learn any more medical terminology in the near future, that might just put me over the edge.
Also, I like to think that I'm not one to whine, and I always try to do my best to soldier on. But, really, enough already. Popping out an ovary was easy. Losing one simple molar has started a month long, downward spiral. It culminated in these past four days when, if it could go wrong, it did.
But, I have learned a few things this weekend:
I now know that sometimes after dental procedures you can develop osteomyelitis which is a bone infection and it is incredibly painful. I now know things about oral and maxillofacial surgery that I didn't know before. I've had it done twice in seven days.
I now know what a Penrose drain is. It's a surgical device used to remove fluid from a wound area. I currently have one in my mouth that will stay in there for a week.
I now know what the people from infectious disease do. I've met with them five times in four days. They have used three different antibiotics so far - Clindamycin, Unasyn, and the latest, Ertapenem. There still may be tinkering to be done with the medicine used to treat my infection depending on what the cultures of my bone and tissue samples show.
I now know how to use a morphine pump to manage pain. This is a nice thing to have. But, I also know that you can get a headache when you have to wean yourself off of the morphine. That part sucks.
I now know what a PICC line is. That's Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter and it's used to deliver daily IV medications. Mine is 46 centimeters long running from a vein in my right forearm to the subclavian vein near my heart. I have a little two inch tube hanging out of my right bicep area and this is where I will infuse a daily dose of antibiotics for at least the next 4 weeks.
So, I'm a lot smarter than I was when I checked into St. Mary's four days ago. But, I'm ready to go home now. If I'm stable through the night, I can go home on Tuesday. Please. The mauve colored walls are closing in on me. And the picture on the 17 inch tube TV in the corner sucks.
There, I snapped.
