I'm Home!!!!

Yes, that is correct, I am home. Actually got here on Saturday evening. This blog will be good for other things(like my memory.) If I keep up to date on it. I was given the okay to come home but with the following restrictions. I am not allowed to eat. I am still in pain and eating makes it worse. So the remedy is no eating or drinking(not even water but in small amounts) and to be fed intravenously. So I am hooked up to this pump thing for 16 hours a day and off 8. So much fun but I'm home.

Just some last things about being in hospital. I had a good nurse named Ben for most of the daytime hours. Thanks Ben and all the other random nurses I had. I had the same roommate for the last three days. To say he was interesting is to say the least. Anthony is 84 years old, he was in for colon cancer. Some of my highlights with Anthony. Anthony for most of his grown life was a cinematographer. Thats right he made movies with some of the big names. Names like: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Maureen O'Harra, Elizabeth Taylor, Gregory Peck and others. Bunch of movies only two that I can remember now which are "The Bridge Over the River Kwai" and "Guns of Navarone." Both of these movies are excellent made about the time I was born.

He told me a lot of stories and asked a ton of trivia questions like I have been around as long as he has. He really started to catch me off guard when he started asking me questions like "who do you think was the best looking actor in film?" I have to tell you I really had to think. I didn't believe he asked me that and I truly had never thought of that question. I said Paul Newman. He agreed he was good looking but said John Derrick was the best looking guy in movies. Didn't even know who he was. He told me that Tony Curtis had a hard time keeping the gay actors from hitting on him as he was straight. Now how does he know this? A little after this he says "Aaron can you help me over here?" So I get up and go over there and he pulls at his gown and asks if his catheter was still in. Whoa, whoa don't be flashing me old man. He also told me why he had never got married. He said "why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free." DOB, dirty old bastard. He told me a lot of good things that went on in his life but he left me with a feeling like I was glad I never lived or worked in Hollywood. Like my mom once said "If you work in a barn you soon smell like manure."

Still viewing from room 408

Yes still in here. What a mess today was. Once I describe it you will think wow that place is messed up or Aaron needs to quit complaining. The doctors decided that I should try some food today and see if it causes any pain. If it causes pain than I will end up on a pic line and fed through it for the next 4 weeks. If no pain increase go home and eat. So I have not had anything to eat since Friday except that muffin Saturday morning before we came down here.

In order for me to eat anything I have to take 4 pills called Creon 24000. Well my breakfast comes and I have no Creon so I can't eat it. They through it out after a couple of hours and give me a muffin and toast which sits for another hour before they give me some creon 6000. Yep, wrong dosage. I tell the nurse who tries to get it straightened out for lunch. Did not get the right pills for lunch or any pills. Than dinner comes and they still haven't sent the right pills. Wow. I wait another two hours and get frustrated so I call their internal line if you need help and your not happy with the response. I get this woman who starts giving me a hard time for calling the line and I should call the operator, that this line is only for those who need help or are not happy with the help they are getting. I said that is why I am calling than explain a little before she cuts me off and says I will call your nurse. So the nurse gets blamed again. Not even her fault. The unit supervisor comes in and I was short with her (I truly feel awful) when I told her what was going on. Within 10 mins I had my Creon. I still believe it was wrong dosage though. Is that messed up or what?

I still have the pain when I eat so we will see what the doctor says in the morning. I have two doctors and they are giving different views and advice. Hard to figure out that way. I just want to go home.

View from 408

Yep, even though no one reads this I thought I would tell you that I am now viewing the walls of UPMC Shadyside. This is nothing new for me as I have spent 7 or 8 weeks here in the last two years since my diagnosis of pancreatic cancer(from now on referred to as pancan). This time I am here for pain radiating from my mid to lower back through to the right front of my abdomen. Actually, some of the weeks before have been spent here for the same thing. They have no clue why this is happening. In the past they said it was pancreatitus. Now somehow because they can not confirm pancreatitus they think it is something else. All I know is I haven't had anything to eat or drink for three days now. I don't really feel like eating but it would be nice too. They did a couple of MRI's but everything looked normal. What isn't normal is high level of pain and nausea.

Should I ramble? The nurses and aides on this floor are the best. They do a great job! I have a resident Dr. named Dr. Boone. LOL just funny. My first roommate this time was just awful. He wouldn't use his call button but would just scream for the nurse to come help him. Three times in the middle of the night he did this. Left his tv on all night, nothing wrong with that except, the volume was so loud. I had Brittany buy me noise reduction headphones. They actually do help but he left that day. I think he stole some of my pain pills that I had in my overnight kit. I think he is some kind of addict. All he was worried about was getting a Oxycontin prescription. He kept mentioning it to his doctor and nurse.

Brittany was just here visiting me after her classes today. She is an amazing young lady and a great daughter. Ann Marie left yesterday(Sunday) so she wouldn't miss any work unless absolutely necessary. So it is great to have Brittany in this city.