Brush with Death - Part 7

On Tuesday, my former boss from Oncology Clinical, Dr. D, visited me at the hospital. I forced myself to remember because he brought me American chocolates and I gave him a hard time because we had together experienced Belgian chocolates in Europe. He “force fed” me one, telling me that they were really okay. It was very sweet of him. God, I am so spoiled.

At some points during my hospitalization I had a high fever of unknown source and was treated with various antibiotics such as, ampicillin, cefazolin, and gentamicin and ciprofloxacin. During this time, the LOML tells me that he frequently changed my diapers (now if that is not love, I don’t know what is) and untied me from the restraints that held me down. When he inquired of the staff why I was tethered, they said that I was “restless”. I don’t remember when my good friend Karen visited me. She told me that I was sitting up talking to her and said that I said that I was “devastated” by all that had happened to me and that my bleak outlook concerned her.

My next surgery was scheduled for the following Thursday.

On May 6, my craniotomy was reopened and AVM was micro surgically excised by Dr. A, who flew in from his sabbatical, and Dr. W. The pathology report indicates that they received a 6 x 3 centimeter mass. Step two of the treatment plan completed. Hooray!

Evie was the first to see me after this operation and she noted that my lips were blue and that I looked grey. She notified hospital staff of my apparent anemia and my blood counts were run. My hemoglobin was 6.5 g/dl (normal is 12 g/dl – 16 g/dl) and HCT was 18.9% (normal is 36% - 48%). I was administered 2 units of packed red blood cells and that pinked me right up. Good call Evie!

After my surgery my family was relieved that I was still able to speak clearly, though hesitantly, and though weak, I remained in the neuro ICU spiking fevers, not eating that well, confused and without any recollection of events in the hospital. I could still move, stand and walk easily with only minimal assistance. But in retrospect, I guess that all I needed was some time to recover.