Hmmm Another Chance to Suffer

Since I last wrote I am now admitted into Shadyside hospital in Pittsburgh.  Apparently my pancreas and other organs that were operated on 3 years ago still do not like me for that.  So today I offer up my blessings or as some call them sufferings to our Lord for His use.  If it is His will may he use them for the retreat my daughter Brittany is on this coming weekend.

Since I am here I will tell you a little about the place.  I am on the 4th floor main section of the hospital in room 416.  416 is a single room so my wife slept on the recliner besides me.  Not so much because she was worried about me (although she does worry) more because it saved getting a hotel room, which cuts down on some of our expenses.  She will be going back to St. Marys today until the weekend.  Hopefully I will be ready to go home by then.  Room 416 has a view of some homes and a parking garage for the workers in the hospital.  As I look out the window it is flurrying today in Pittsburgh.

My nurse today is Rachel.  Rachel is from Minnesota originally and received her education and training at St. Marys University in South Bend.  She did recognize my friend Meghan Larson name, as Meghan also went to St. Marys.  Rachel noticed that I was making a twine rosary and commented on it so I gave her one of my purple rosaries that I had completed and blessed.  I make those in purple because purple is the official color of pancreatic cancer.  The rosary she saw me working on is actually white with a gold stripe.  These I am making for the girls of the first communion class.  The boys will be receiving a black one with a grey stripe.

My aide today is Stacie.  Stacie is fairly new at being an aide but seems to be more than capable.  She completed her training on the last day of my last visit here two weeks ago.  Stacie's fiances family is from Dubois only 30 miles from our hometown of St. Marys, PA.

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.