Update On Me

I saw the hematologist yesterday.  My hemoglobin levels aren't great, but seem to be holding pretty steady for me.  We've decided to not mess with them.  Two weeks ago it was 9.6 & yesterday it was 9.2.  So no iron or blood.  But I did have a sore on my ankle that was hurting pretty badly so he sent me to a wound care clinic.


I'll admit it had me worried.  Same dang spot where I had the ulcers 20 years ago.  And with a lot less muscle mass because of that, I knew things could go bad pretty quickly.


The plan was that I would call this morning to the wound care clinic at the hospital where I've been having my transfusions.  With the hope of getting in tomorrow.  My ankle had other plans.  It kept me up most of the night with severe pain.  This morning I was so tired that I know I sounded drunk when I called my boss.  Sweet, sweet man just took it all in stride.


So I laid back down & called the clinic a couple hours later when they opened.  They could see me at 2pm so I laid back down again.  Just like the wonderful people in day surgery, the wound care clinic staff took VERY good care of me.  Seriously, I think they put something in the water at this hospital because EVERYONE in this place is so nice & happy.


I got registered, filled out my 7 pages of paperwork, & they put me in a treatment room.  My nurse, Sona, talked to me about what was going to happen & took pics of not just my wound, but of me.  She said that way everyone on the staff will know me by sight.  I hate having my picture taken, but I thought that was pretty cool.  I also heard her in the hallway later giving lessons on how to say my name.  :D


The doc came in & I immediately liked him.  He was funny, sweet, & had a very soft touch.  Once he cleaned it up, he said it wasn't as bad as it looked. No visible sign of infection but just in case, he wanted me to keep taking the antibiotics that the hematologist gave me. He decided that the intermittent swelling from my liver was keeping it from healing.  So I have to wear a compression sock from my knee to my toes.  Not very fashionable, but I'll live. 


He also discovered that the extreme pain was caused by a couple of exposed nerves in the wound. Even with it numbed, I nearly came off the table twice while he was cleaning the wound.  So he gave me pain meds. Nothing major, just codeine with the promise that I will tell him if that doesn't work well enough to let me rest so he can give me something stronger. 


I'll go once a week until it's healed.  With the option of coming in more days a week if it doesn't seem to be healing fast enough.


So that's about it.  I'm limping, but I'll live.  :)