Yes, I can.
I used to take 300 micrograms (mcg) of melatonin at night. One time when I gave a nurse my list of meds, she heatedly argued with me that 300 mcg was the same as 3 milligrams (mg). :smack: (1000 mcg = 1 mg, 1000 mg = 1 gram, 1000 grams = 1 kg, and so forth. Sheesh.)
To add insult to injury, I had an appointed to see my surgeon today. It was scheduled for 9:30 this morning.
The wheelchair van picked me up, along with my brother and dropped us off at the surgeons office.
When my brother tried to check me in they said that the surgeon was unavailable and that they had left me a voicemail about rescheduling. It turned out that the number where they left the voicemail was one I’ve never heard of!
My doctor always calls me the day before to confirm. If for some reason I don’t hear from his office, I’ll call to make sure. Maybe your brother can help with that if you can’t do it.
davidm–by any chance, are you currently in Middle Tennessee?
It sounds like my local hospital.
No. I’m in PA, just outside of Philly.
How’s it going? I hope you are managing to have some half-way decent holidays. Let us know how the walking is going and if you have any idea when your release to back home date is!
Hang in there, pal. I’m sorry you have to deal with all of that.
DavidM’s insurance is going to be billed for the full cost of all this, I think. All those procedures and all those hospital stays. Even if he’d died. As I understand it, even though it was due to a medical error, he’d have to sue the hospital and prevail in court that the error was due to gross malpractice (not just a common mistake or consequence of the procedure, which it technically was) in order to get as a financial settlement…eventually…for the cost of his care plus some for his lawyer plus maybe a little for pain and suffering.
Is this correct?
I’ve had a setback.
I’m back in the hospital with an infection. They think it’s either kidneys or lungs, so they’re giving me broad spectrum antibiotics appropriate for both.
Thursday night, my first night back in, I was completely delirious from fever. I thought I’d been kidnapped and was being held in a dungeon. The human brain is a funny thing.
Ouch. Sorry to hear that. Most major medical adventures have plot twists & with luck this won’t be a big one.
Dungeon indeed.
I have no fever this morning. The doctor was in and said that I’m doing much better.
They’re pretty sure that the infection is in my lungs; I have pneumonia.
They’ve moved me out of the “dungeon” (actually the ICU) to a regular room.
Glad to hear things are improving. At least pneumonia seems like a simpler thing to have than some of what you’ve been going through!
Progress! 
Glad to hear you are doing better. That’s one problem with hospitals-- they’re full of sick people, and you’re likely to catch something there. I spent a few days in the hospital earlier this year and got pneumonia, too. But it sounds like you’re on the mend. Were you released to your home, or were you still in rehab when you had to go back to the hospital?
Best wishes for the New Year, and keep us posted!
I’m glad you are out of ICU, keep getting better.
I was still in the rehab center, which is fortunate, given that they found me unresponsive.
I am so sorry that you’re living this nightmare.
Thank you. Nightmare is the right word for it.
Nightmare yeah, but it makes great stories, right? Right?
Dear David:
My wish for 2018 is that it finds you happy and healthy and back to living your life without all this awful in it.
Is there anything we can do for you while you’re in the hospital? Anything we can send you? Are you going back to rehab after this?
I pray for better outcomes and your swift recovery.
your humble TubaDiva