Overnight Stay
Tonight is my second night at the CTCA. I originally came in on Monday for my usual radiation. I felt so nauseous I went to the internal med clinic and saw my oncologist. He recommended that I go to the infusion room to get a couple of hours of hydration and some nausea medicine. After a couple hours of reading, watching TV and sleeping in the chemo infusion room, I started getting a headache. No matter what I did, it seemed as though I couldn’t get away from all of the light that was unsettling to me, and no matter what position I sat in, I just couldn’t get comfortable. Within 15 minutes of being finished with the nausea therapy, I ended up having to race to the bathroom and threw up.
The doctor finally decided to admit me to the hospital to keep an eye on me. It looked like in the notes they had I was going to be admitted anyway the next day to switch me off of the morphine onto a pain pump with methadone to see how my body reacted. Thursday would be the slotted schedule for surgery (coblation & vertebroplasty). Tonight was the first night on the methadone.
Around 7 p.m. it was lights out for me. I don’t think I have ever slept that hard in a long time. I woke up three times to go to the bathroom and each time I woke I felt like my neck and back were breaking. Since I was sleeping, I didn’t have a chance to push the pump that drips that methadone relief into my system. In the time they have hooked me up, I have only pushed the pain relief button three times. I have the ability to get access to the methadone every 10 minutes. Its kind of a double edge sword. I can’t stay awake to push the button every 10 minutes, but if I don’t then when I do wake up I am extremely sore and it feels like my back is breaking.
I think today is the first time that I actually woke up and felt sort of lonely. Here I am in this big hospital room miles and miles from my neighborhood. All of my friends are off doing fun summer trips and for the first time I am wishing, really wishing, that I was there with them. I didn’t mind being sick before and being in the hospital because I felt like at least we were working toward something.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
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