TODAY IS STROKE BLOG DAY
Y
ep... today is Saturday and that means I am switching on over to the Stroke Laugh blog.
Switch over and catch me over there at
Labels: Stroke
DON'T PRETEND.....
Y
ou know something you nothing about. Even though this article belongs with the new weekend medical junk... this be good right here on the first workday of the new week. Labels: Stroke
Even getting out of hospital I now have 3 nurses that see multiple times a week. A head nurse, exercise nurse and a reading nurse. A Head Nurse checks my blood pressure, etc. The Physical Therapist makes me exercise and the Reading Nurse exercises my brain.
Friday, the Head Nurse comes and ask me if I have been taking my glucose reading daily with my monitor. Ummmm... well... I said "oh sure, it's fine."
She nonchanlantly says, "well, why don't you go it and will take a reading?" I'm thinking that this should be fun. I go get it and return. The needle-machine thingy in one hand and the needle in the other hand. Well what do you know... I can't operate the damn thing...
The Nurse saves the day and blames it on my stroke. Hmmmm, I have to tuck away that excuse... Completes the task and we get the test, mission accomplished.
Yesterday I decided to take my own reading. I should be doing this more of myself and more conscience of my well-being. Since I watched the Nurse the other day and how easily she did it. How bad could it be? I set everything up... now I got the silly needle and ready to stick it into the machine so it can stick me in the finger.
In goes the gentle needle... hmmm, a little loose, not a problem it still goes in... there comes the problem... the cap that covers the sharp needle and the entire top refuses to on to and securely closed.
The needle-tagger thingy ripped into my flesh. Called out to Saints I haven't ever heard of before. I perseverance for 5 for minutes. I am breaking out into a cold sweat. I am not allowing this small, crap of cheap aluminum needle get the best of me.
All of a sudden, the needle-rocket flew out of my finger and flew into my monitor. Bouncing from the screen, narrowly missing my coffee and dived head first into my buttered toast breakfast.
Ya know when were where a kid and dropped candy on the ground? Remember ya kissed it up to heaven and it was ok to eat? Would that work the way on buttered toast that had been stabbed with a diabetical needle?
YES, I PROMISED
Y
esterday, I mentioned something and said I will tell you about it. Hmmmm.... Labels: Stroke
I don't should or not.... Here's what I do.... it involved constipation and dia.....
Oh hold.... here is a good example how a stroke, aside from mixed words and spelling works.... I have been sitting for 15 minutes to figure out to spell the opposite of constipation. I know what the word is... I can't spelling it or it look in up the dictionary. So not only can I not spell, this paragraph took me 23 minutes to write and correct the spelling of the all words in it.
Found this diagram of the brain and the functions of each side. Remember the I have had 4 strokes on my right side and I have done great with writing my blog. Two weeks ago I had stroke on my left side and I gotten done today dately.
I have all kinds of problems with speaking, typing, etc. Making words spell right and the spelling... this really SUCKS is bigtime.
It taken me 56 minutes to write this blog for to and make corrects so far... and to think the think word even though I know the word!!
It's one's self to have a stroke to begin to realize how complex we built and how we operate. This aforementioned sentence took 6 minutes to type.
AND GUESS WHAT??? I publish the blog, and read it, after edited... there are words STILL to wrong!!! LOL... I have to get down to practicing.
NEW READERS If you want to leave a remark but do not now how.... you on the right bottom of this article... right, see right there? Click there on the Editors to the Editor thing...
ALMS FOR THE POOR...
N
amely ME... As you know within the last month I had 3 strokes. The mail has not become to kind me lately. One bill from the hospital was for $39,000.00 for stroke #3. The #4 and #5 strokes that I just had happen... already was billed to me and was received yesterday... these were for $48,000.00. Labels: Stroke
Ok... the hospital bill of 80% will be paid by Social Security... ummmm wanna guess who the remaining 20% will responsible for? Did you say to the guy that has no money? Uh huh.
I just did an email to the VA Hospital and that since SS will pay the 80% would the VA pay the remaining 20%? I got a response that the law prohibits two hospitals to submit the same bills. I tried to explain to the VA that they aren't the same bills. SS will pay the first 80% and the VA should pay the remaining 20%. If I came to the VA for all strokes, they, the VA would have to pay 100%... I'm only asking that the VA pay the remaining 20%...
Everyone understand what I asking the VA to do? Do you think the VA can understand what I am asking them to do? Now I know I speak funny now, and can't always make sense of what am I saying, but come on guys... I keep getting a reply that the government prohibits two hospitals from paying the same bill...
I am NOT asking the VA to pay the same bill!!!!! I am asking they pay for the remaining 20%. Assume I went to the VA for three strokes... using the totals from St. Luke's Hospital, it would cost the VA $79,000.00... but because I did go to St. Luke's I am saving the VA about $64,000.00.
Will someone explain to me, please, PLEASE what I am not understanding here?
GUESS WHO IS BACK???
M
e..... Will, 9 days or 10 days, I forget how more days now.... Is good to be back and kicking again. This time I have some wrinkles added. Time this I had the stroke on the left side which governs speaking. The words and thoughts are very clear in my brain, but then come the stuff comes out of my mouth and typing when all garbage! Shrug... Labels: Stroke
This time I didn't try to drive myself to the hospital, I called 911. Intially I had a stroke to the right side, on the next night I had another stroke of the other side. This did the damage. The cells swelled up, bigtime. I surprised them the swollen started to go down. Originally, I talked 100% garbaged. Each day I started talking better. I talk today about 90% normal. They say that correct to about 95%... shrug. I'll have about 95% of memory restored. They had other doctors look at me was I was recovered good it was amazed.
Well, little by little I will come along each day.
Also, thanks to the messages I for you to good speedy recover. I appreacted each of them!
I'm good to be back!!
OH LOOK! I GOT A SPEEDY RECOVERY LETTER FROM THE HOSPITAL
K
inda close... it was a portion of my bill! Yikes, it would feed a small country. They must think my name is Rockefeller... Laugh, are the in for a surprise! Labels: Stroke
I am probably behind the times so to speak since I normally go to the VA Hospital here in Houston and pay $0 for medical emergencies and/or treatments. However, this time it was an emergency as y'all know and there wasn't time to go all the way to the VA... so instead I hit Saint Luke's Hospital here in the medical center. Excellent hospital and one of the leading places in the U.S.
In case you're interested, here are some of the itemized charges:
$2,445.00 Room and Board - Semi-Private
$1,650.00 Intensive Care
$215.00 Pharmacy
$590.00 Med-Surgical Supplies
$4,327.00 Lab
$1,943.00 CT Scan
$5,602.00 OR Services
$862.00 Speech Therapy
$665.00 ER
$2,625.00 Cardiology
$6,786.00 MRI
$1,453.00 Drugs
$282.00 EKG/ECG
and the kinda really big one... Radiology Diagnostics --- $10,261.00
Grand Total = $39,706.35
This is only the first of I think 5 different bills. LOL
I'll be posting my mailing address in case anyone would like to donate food since I will be poor! LOLObservations and Questions
Born this date in 1946 Tim Curry Cheshire England, actor (Rocky Horror Picture Show). And in the death notices in 1987 Hugh "Lumpy" Brannum Actor (Mr Green Jeans), dies at 77.Birth Announcements and Dusty Death Notices
Cuba : Bay of Pigs Victory Day (1961) Holidays and Special Dates Today Around the World
England : Primrose Day
Sierra Leone : Republican Anniversary Day (1971)
Uruguay : Landing of the 33/Desembarco de los "Treinta y Tres" (1825)
US : John Parker Day (1775) honors minutemen
Venezuela : Declaration of Independence Day
WAKE UP MR. SHANE, HERE'S YOUR SLEEPING PILL
S
ome of the things that I noticed during my recent stay at the hospital... after a long, hard day doing patient/hospital things like being poked and prodded... I was ready for a good night sleep, yeah right... Labels: Stroke
I guess about 10 o'clock I was getting drowsey, found a nice comfortable position. Or as comfortable as possibly with all of the wires, etc, sticking out of me... I couldn't have been more than 10 minutes just drifting off to sleep when my nurse came in, turned on the light above my bed... Mr. Shane, wake up here's your sleeping pill. Why, why, why? Do they turn on that huge light and flood my bed with light?
Two hours later, after taking my sleeping pill, the light comes back on... Hello Mr. Shane, I'm Doctor Mengela... How are you feeling? Now remember, I just had a stroke and my voice and talking wasn't that great, jdjkek; rii,.s uyoff... To which the doctor replied, Hmmmmmmm... we'll stop by to see you in the morning. That was it? He woke me up for that?
I think it was about 2 AM... the flood light comes back on... it's my nurse again... I'm sorry to woake you up there Mr. Shane, I have to take your blood pressure and temperature. Now they not only wake me up to do this, they she tells me my blood pressure and temperature... do I really care at 2 o'clock in the morning? I didn't care at 2 in the afternoon, let alone in the middle of the night.
Now I am not comfortable and I need to find a new sleeping position. I change positions a few times and begin to drift...
Guess what happened at 4 AM? Hi there Mr. Shane, I need to take your gloucose levels since you have diabetes.
At 6AM, they start all over again.
Good Morning there Mr. Shane, how did you sleep?
Please someone tell me they have similar experiences?Observations and Questions
I MADE A DECISION
N
ot to drag this entire thing out. How about just the high-lights? After Friday with a first day under my belt, Saturday morning finally arrived... at around 2 AM when the nurse woke me up to take my tempterature! Labels: Stroke
Why did they after wake me up to do this? Can't the just stick the thing in my mouth when I was a sleep? Why wake me up? Of course, they have to turn on the floodlights above my bed. She not only takes my temp, but then she has to tell me what my temperature was... it's 2 AM who cares what my temp was? I only cared about at that point right then and there was that I was breathing. Lights out and back to sleep... I was just getting back to my dream (that's a posting for another time)... my eyes where just closing again... BAM... time to take some blood... huh? wha? whe? She just left? And here she is again... blood drawn... and now my eyes are wide awake... welcome Saturday morning.
Let's see now... start off with CAT scan, back to the room. I no sooner get settled back in bed and here they come for my MRI. Why can't they just take me for everything at once. Inbetween between CAT and MRI, they take more blood and more pills. I think I had given my medical history to at least 3 different people by now, including the janitor that wanted to hear all about my back operation.
Fast forward to 9PM... I settle into bed, nice and cozy... "Hi Mr. Shane... time to take you down for your chest x-ray!"
Anyway, Sunday finally arrived. My speech started to return to normal. I discovered by now I was now known as the "problem child" of the floor to all the nurses. How was I supposed to know at the same time they were either taking my blood pressure, or temp, or had to give more blood that I would also at the same time be downstairs having my smoke break?
I need my sleep... tomorrow Monday... was a big day... my Angioplasty, where they stick a needle in my crotch and take a tour of my arteries via my heart and other internal organs. All of this for the big showdown until they get to my neck with the camera and we head the spooky interiors of my brain, threw the turns and corners of old and cobwebs of past memories and dreams... so THIS is where all the answers to that 5th grade History test was hiding after all these years. Hmmm... I noticed there was a lot of empty space up here...
Oh one note... prior to insertion of the camera... the nurse had to "shave me"... as she is finishing I swear I saw a glimpse as she said, " Ya know Mr. Shane, I think we better shave the other side just in case they have to decide to insert the needle and camera on this side" I didn't notice until we were done and was back in my room and I was getting ready to take my afternoon shower... she was a smart butt and gave me my own little racing stripe!
While I have tried to make this article somewhat humorous and entertaining, (if you know me, then you know that this is how I try and cope with life) there are however some under-lying, extremely serious situations here... with me or anyone else.
While I poke fun at myself I would never poke fun of anyone else with a serious situation like a stroke, or any other life threatening situation. I am trying to present my experience in a lightful, but serious manner... And while giving you some general knowledge of what it's like to experience a stroke... well, you get the idea.
I'm certainly not going to preach... research the signs of a stroke, educate yourself and never try to be a dope like me and drive yourself to a hospital, call 911 for the obvious reasons. The life you save may be the family in the car alongside you... going to the zoo for a family fun day.
SO HEAVEN LOOKS LIKE THE INTERIOR OF AN AMBULANCE, HUH?
Y
es, it is me.... and believe me I am SO GLAD to be here writing to you. Why? Well.... I almost wasn't.... and I mean REALLY not here... anymore... Labels: Stroke
Got the time? I'll fill you all in... go make some popcorn... gets the kids out of the room, this might not be pretty.
Ok, last Friday, after a hectic day of blogging and other important things I had to do I was sitting and catching up on reruns on TV like any normal swinging, bachelor like me was doing on Friday night. There I was watching TV one minute and then when I woke up I was on the floor in between my sofa and coffee-table.
I thought... mmmmm... when did I leave the sofa and decide to lay on the floor inbetween the sofa and the table on the floor? I figured, I'd worry about it later, I had things to do... I tried to got up... Hmmmm... my legs weren't working... I wasn't getting up like a normal person would be no matter how many times I tried... I actually laid there and started to laugh in my head. "This is crazy I thought."
Okay... next idea I craweled out from the spot and onto the middle of the floor. Cool, I could stand up but not really well. I made it to my little office here, sat in my big black chair and began to type something I was working on... I began to type and looked at the screen and saw this "hfnddy ytuie jksoournfm" or something to that effect. I sat back and thought I said, "Holy crap!", except it came out as: "ghdutmv dgutq."
Now there are some things I am extremely smart in doing... this wasn't one of those moments. I combed my hair, blah, blah, blah. Out the door, hopped in my car and off I went. As long as I didn't talk or try and spell anything, I was doing good.
To make a long story short, I spotted a mini-service emergency room which was a part of the HUGE Saint Luke's Hospital here in the Medical Center in Houston. I parked and went it. The guard at the desk handed out a clip board for me to fill out... I distincly said to him: "nfjjdhs ghtuwqwkk dlkun". He looked at me like I was some idiot on a weekend pass. I looked at him and distinctly said: "kiiy hshcbnc jjjkhkdd" and pointed to my headed. Just then a nurse came walking by and noticed something was amiss and asked if she could be of assistance. Of course I thought and told her my predicament. "hggurt ghdfjske mmmkh" Ah hah, she obviously could understand gibberish because she immediately put me in a wheelchair and pushed me by all of the people that were waiting for hours. I was finally someone important!
I was a Code Blue, or Red, or Purple, but anyway people came... pronto. I think the janitor even ran into the room.
Once on the table I think I began hurling epithat's around like a drunken sailor... "mbmmbjj dgetz khldg!" Now that got me some real attention and action!
Within minutes, I was being rushed out the door and hustled into a waiting ambulance. Maybe they decided to get rid of me and sent me to another hospital?
Whirlllll, ring ring or however you make siren sounds, -insert your own sound - in my head I pictured red lights flashing, cars careening off the streets in order to get out of my way. Then all of a sudden... the siren's stopped, no more red flashing lights... They do that when you've died in the ambulance! Oh my God... I've died on the way to the hospital?
No, not quite... "Wow, I've hit the bigtime!" in smack dab in the middle of Houston's reknown Medical District at Saint Luke's Hospital
In they wheel me with people on both sides of the wheel table thing. Like you see on TV, with people running the person on the stretcher down the corridors. I get put in a room and doctor's and talking to me... I thought this would be a good time to tell them about my symptoms, "fhhjjdju ggnfff tjku, hhhfgdgd." I felt good... all the doctors and nurses nodded in agreement, hanging on every word.
Next idea? They gave me a pen to write what was wrong... bad idea... if you think my speech was goofy, you should have seen the new heirogylphics I created!
We tried sign language... that worked out a bit better. They asked how long ago this happened and I held up some fingers. I don't remember how many I held up but they decided it was not in the window of opportunity to give that new drug they have that will undue a stroke or something. The problem no one could figure how long I was on the floor before I woke up... including me. For the first time in my life I must have finally sounded like a "babbling idiot." LOL
Hmmmm... ok, I think this is it for now and I know you are on the edge of your seat, chewing your fingernails....
Tomorrow: Excuse me Nurse, you're going to shove that thing where???... and the 25 year old nymphomaniac!
While I have tried to make this article somewhat humorous and entertaining, (if you know me, then you know that this is how I try and cope with life) there are however some under-lying, extremely serious situations here... with me or anyone else.
While I poke fun at myself I would never poke fun of anyone else with a serious situation like a stroke, or any other life threatening situation. I am trying to present my experience in a lightful, but serious manner... And while giving you some general knowledge of what it's like to experience a stroke... well, you get the idea.
I'm certainly not going to preach... research the signs of a stroke, educate yourself and never try to be a dope like me and drive yourself to a hospital, call 911 for the obvious reasons. The life you save may be the family in the car alongside you... going to the zoo for a family fun day.
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