I was at the hospital by 8:00am to find Kevin waiting for his breakfast. Sorry dear, according to the fact sheet here, it's not coming for another half an hour. Before I got there, he had been trying to get one of his socks that was stuck at the end of the bed. He leaned over and stuck his hand between the metal bar and the mattress.....and was stuck at the elbow. He called out for about 10 minutes before Jeff, another Canadian, still waiting for his procedure ...one of the leftovers from the day before, heard him repeating "hello!!??".....he got his arm out and helped him back onto the bed. Kevin was not too pleased no nurses came to check on him. Breakfast arrived....bacon and eggs, toast , jam.....looked good...but friggin' cold. I took it to the desk and got it nuked. Then we chatted about the procedure and how he felt. He didn't know what the percentages ended up being. They had given him a shot of something for nerves and a local for the area where the venous line went in. He said he could feel it but didn't remember all of it. He did remember them taking off his clothes and getting on the table. The nurse put "something cold on me and it ran down between my legs and boy did it sting?" He's still trying to get the color off!
Dr.Petrov was behind a little window, separating him and Kevin. They did the right side and Kevin said that it bothered his ear a bit. Then they did the left. He said he heard AND FELT, a large popping noise..."what the frig was that?" Dr told him that the balloon broke. Kevin said it hurt like.....you know. They rethreaded and went back in. He didn't feel them doing the azygos vein which is surprising as it turned out to be the most blocked at 90%. Then back to his room he came on the same bed and they just transfered him to his own and told him to lie flat for the next 6 hours....and left. He doesn't remember them coming back into the room except to unhook the drug bag.
Many liked the hospital food but we didn't like it very much and very strange selections for a cardiac dept...however, I know believe it was for the foreigners only. We have learned that everything is not how it seems though. Caesar salad is not Caesar salad and french onion soup is creamed without bread and cheese, feta is goat cheese and Coke reigns supreme! However.....creme brulee, cheeesecake, and tiramisu is EXACTLY that!! yum!
I think Kevin is disappointed that he doesn't feel any different just really tired. Well, buddy, considering the jetlag, lack of food and what you just went through, I really don't expect much else. It took 15 years to get to where you are now, and I don't think things will come rushing back. Wait til we get home and see how things are then. The fact that your veins are not no longer blocked can only be a good thing.
Around 10am, another doctor came in with Doppler machine for Kevin's reexamination. He was so nice and showed us where the after results. They took pics before and after. He said he was very pleased with Kevin's results. He also reminded Kevin that those with Primary Progressive MS have the least results as there have been years of damage but to wait to see what good comes his way. I think he's right on. He then told us that if we wanted to leave we didn't have to stay another night. The choice was ours.....let's see....your nurses suck, your food is shitty and there is a large Canadian party in the dining room tonight...hmmmm. CHECK PLEASE!
He came back later with papers for us to complete on the after affects, our medical reports, a CD of Kevin's procedure and a prescription for stuff Kevin needed to get from the pharmancy downstairs. Didn't see that coming. "You are free to go now"....ok, but he still has the bandage on from the OR and the IV in.....NO problem, I will tell the nurse to come do this now....goodbye....hand shakes and thank yous....noon came and went. no nurse.....1:30....nurse arrives with next day's menu.....please fill out.....no, thanks....we're leaving now......baffled look on her face....no, I don't sink so........please check with the doctor......30 minutes later, doc arrives. "Yes?" We didn't want you....we just need his IV out so we can leave!" OK....dis is not a problem. I will get the nurse"....finally.
2:30
3:00
3:15......nurse's station (where you will stand forever unless you start saying "excuse me".....after a while, they will look up without saying anything.....they just look at you. " We are waiting to leave." No not today.....look call that doctor, cos, we're leaving. Kevin just needs his bandage checked and his IV OUT.....jeez Louise. Frig. She makes the covert call......whisper, whisper.....hangs up the phone. " The doctor says you are to go to Geyatours"....OMFRIG! " Yes, I know but he needs the needle out of his arm first".....she looks at me, turns to another nurse, says something I sure couldn't understand and the other nurse grabs two pieces of gauze off the shelf and heads down to 611. She takes Kevin's arm and before she could take the tape off that covers the IV entrance, Kevin says "NO, I will take the bandage off and you can pull out the needle"...good luck with that, dear. She grabbed the corner of it and yanked it off, taking the first layer of skin with in, whipped out the needle, put the gauze over it and said to me "You hold!"......she turned and left. The air was blue....Kevin was so pissed. She never came back, and after 5 minutes, the bleeding stopped, Kevin got in the chair and we left. We went to the lobby to Geyatours, as directed by the doc.....no lady go pay at registration. So I left Kevin sitting there, and went to pay......Uncle Visa.....don't hold out on me now! Everything went through fine and over to the pharmacy I went. I stood in line, back aways to give the other person privacy. Seems that doesn't work. Others jumbed in front of me and tried to see everything that was going on. Fine....I moved closer...then it was my turn. I passed in the list....everything on one piece of paper. She went and got everything and wrote on the boxes ...no labels. That will 45o leva.....holy crap.....surprise! It was about $350 Canadian. It is about $1.30 Can to 1 leva.
With bag in hand, Kevin in the chair, out the door we went.
By the way, I asked the doc about the percentages for Kevin: 60%, 70% and 90% in the azygos in the middle section.
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