Wednesday, January 30, 2008

"Window into Wednesday"

It has not been a good day health-wise. I think another bacterial infection is attacking me. I have an appointment with my PCP at 8:30am tomorrow for lab work. Infections are common when the immune system is suppressed, while taking Methotrexate. My body is doing so much better physically with the Methotrexate that, while I do not prefer set-backs, I am willing to put up with them.

In other news, I emailed the senior thesis' bibliography to my instructor this afternoon. That was a source of encouragement to me, as I had a personal goal to complete that this week. The Lord is working through my weaknesses and thus, I am able to accomplish my college assignments, despite the daily health challenges. I broke up the senior thesis' assignments into "bite size" pieces, so I wouldn't be overwhelmed with the amount of work required to finish by April 11.

2 comments:

  1. YAY! That is so exciting! I was so glad to hear about your Law Library visit the other day -- I'm sure that was a great deal of fun :) who knew school could be so exciting?! I will be praying over your infection... hopefully, it will be a minor speedbump! Love, Aleah

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  2. Kathryn, its eve of Thursday here and I'm watching the blogs to see how your Dr.'s visit turned out. It's 10 pm plus for you and I hope you're tucked in bed in that darling little room sound asleep. Today I had lunch with two of my former Bible Study moms, who regard me as a second mother. When we sat down at K's Teriyaki Grill, I said to the waitress, "The bill comes to me." And the girls said, "Yes, this is our millionaire mother". When I was in the ICU after I ran over myself with our van, they got into the ICU to see me by insisting I was their mother! I vaguely through the haze remembered their being there. They said that when they asked how I was doing, the nurses said "She's giving us orders!" And I was! with a tube down my throat on a respirator, not able to make a sound, but I knew that bubbly liquid stuff was piling up in my trachea, - danger of serious aspiration and pneumonia - and I started wiggling my hands frantically in their restraints, and finally made signs like I was writing. So they got me a paper and pen - I couldn't even open my eyes! But I managed to write so they could decipher it "Suction!" They said "We just did, the tube is clear". I wrote again. "I'll aspirate!" They insisted again that the tube was clear. Then I felt the stuff oozing right up toward my mouth, so I just waited and in a moment it appeared, frothing around the OUTSIDE of the tube. The male nurse that was there said a VERY naughty word, and then I went to sleep again! Afterwards when I was on a ward and the docs did rounds with the med students, the head doc told me that the injuries wouldn't kill me, but pneumonia from the aspirations would, if I didn't diligently blow on my puffer to keep the lungs well aereated! So I did the latter, (blew) and didn't the former (die!)
    I also wrote when they were discussing whether to remove the breathing machine. I wrote "Don't take out the respirator." They asked why and I said "I'm too tired to breathe." I really felt like I couldn't do it by myself. So they left it in overnight and it came out in the Am.

    Love you, brave soldieress!
    (I think I just invented a word.)

    Aunt Lil

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