March 01, 2006
Another Day of Normal
Jean is back at Mt. Auburn. She had nausea and de-hydration yesterday, signs of a stomach flu, probably. Given her medical history, her doctors didn't want to take any chances and admitted her overnight. She was feeling better after they hooked her to an IV that gave her the fluids she needed. She'll be discharged today, tonight, or if they're feeling very cautious, tomorrow.
With the complications that Jean's had from multiple surgeries, radition, chemotherapy, Erbitux treatments, and of course her upcoming kidney surgery, none of her doctors are taking anything for granted. They're looking at possibilities of partial bowel blockage (nothing too serious), hydronephrosis of the kidney (maybe infection of some sort), and anything else within reason.
Frequent flyer membership at Mt. Auburn has its privileges. Jean's on her usual floor, with a nice view of the city and the Charles River outside her window. Actually, getting the room has more to do with being a patient of Dr. Nauta than our frequency of visits. Most of the nurses recognized us. We knew her first shift nurse, Susan, by name and she remembered Jean's case.
Even the residents are familiar faces. Dr. Steigman, one of Dr. Nauta's staff, ushered Jean through two of her previous stays. Talking with him was like shooting the breeze with friends. "We'll do, you know, the usual." When the residents gathered around her bed last night, our conversation could've been at a bar down the street.
Head Resident: "She shouldn't get food tonight. Just fluids."
Me: "What if we say, 'Pretty Please'?"
Head: "Hmmm, yeah. I'm gonna say, ah, no."
Looking over the residents, I said to Jean, "Remind me to tape 'Scrubs' tonight." They got a laugh out of this. One of them asked me, "So which one of us is Dr. Dorian and which is Dr. Cox?"
Jean and I watched 'Scrubs' before I went home for the night. One of the characters on the show said, "I like Grey's Anatomy. It's as if they took our lives and just put it on TV." Indeed.
pat
give jean our best wishes
hope it is a short stay
love to you both
anne and saverio
Pat,
hope all is ok. and its just a short visit.
il cheek to night and see if your phone is
working? ill let you know by email
Jean,
take it easy and be good...
For now.
Love,
Danny Jewel and Mo
Chris & I got the stomach flu too. Chris had it Saturday after he came in from skiing in WV & was better by Monday. I had it Tuesday & had to have Chris leave work to drive me home & then go back to work b/c I was feeling so sick. I went back to work today, but still don't feel 100%.
Trouble is...we don't have the nice nurses at Mt. Auburn to take care of us for this & so Chris and I have to try and wait on each other & be sympathetic to the sick and lazy one :)
Hope Jean is feeling better soon...seems like lots of people are getting this bug, but we know it is more dangerous for her.
Love, Mar & Chris