I finally fell asleep for a few hours – and the bed didn’t eat me! Also, I forgot to mention that suddenly, as of yesterday, I don’t need my reading glasses anymore. How bizarre is that?! Meanwhile, the thermostat in here must be in cahoots with the bed. It seems to be either 62 degrees or 78. The in between is fleeting.
I got a visit from the infectious disease doctor (Dan Zimmerman) I saw who ordered my first lung needle biopsy. He was quite apologetic that we didn’t catch the lymphoma the first time around. Though it’s not as if he performed the procedure himself. And the lymphomas were so tiny (and diffuse – hence the name Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma) at that point, even under CT guidance, they were easy to miss. Meanwhile, he said I should stay away from sick people. Really? I hadn’t thought of that. But, he also did some lovely explaining of my neutro penis issue. As we know, there are many bacteria on our skin, in our digestive systems, etc. Usually, these don’t pose a problem. But, when one becomes a micro penis (oh, Margo, this will never get old!), those bacteria can find their way into one’s bloodstream, causing fever. That’s the reason for the blood cultures (those mini-hot sauce bottles of my blood in last night’s photo). It takes about 24 hours for something to grow, which is part of why I’m stuck here. We’re also waiting to see if my temp goes back up tonight (it’s currently sub-normal), and if my white counts go up (we want that to happen).
Now, even if there is something in my blood, it may not show up on the cultures. However, there are certain bugs that could show up, but by the time the results would come in confirming the infection, I could be in big trouble. That’s why we’re giving me Fortaz (the big guns IV antibiotics) before we’re sure. I call it the Dr. House Method of Medicine. While normally, it’s medically irresponsible to use antibiotics without knowing what we’re treating, this happens to be one of those cases where it’s not just ok, but crucial to try based on what is known about mighty penis fevers.
And that is all I’ve got for now. I think I’ll go eat a banana and wait for Hubs to show up with underwear and Mongolian beef.
Original Comments from the CaringBridge Blog:
I cant stop laughing at the penis fevers!
—Amy Kingan, May 13, 2015
How are you doing this am? Hoping for good news for you so you can go home!
—Michele Barbera, May 13, 2015
I’m surprised you didn’t request sushi! Hang in there, Deb. I’m sorry for your suffering right now. Let me know if Meredith wants to come over. I’m sure she’s scared or frustrated or confused. At least you won’t get bed sores with the whooshy bed. Sending hugs!!
—Amber Youngman, May 12, 2015